BBC CHAT MARCH 12, 2002
Leading a new wave of British rock, Lostprophets are winning plenty of fans and have just picked up the award for Best Metal band at the NME Brats. In true rock style, the boys went that extra mile to answer as many of your questions as possible, staying an extra half an hour and getting up to no good on the webcam! Meet Ian, Mike and Jamie - the straight-edged, Trekkie, Mis-Teeq obsessives... Marcus Kong: Can you please settle the confusion once and for all? What is the band name, Lost Prophets, Lostprophets, or lostprophets? Lostprophets: All one word! Spread the word at the Beeb that it's just one word. Shonagh Mclaren: What's the strangest rumour you've ever heard about yourself? Ian: That I was gay. Jamie: That's not strange. Mike: That's quite understandable! Naomi Marvelly: What does the Sanskrit on Ian's arm say? Ian: I don't tell anybody. Jamie: I don't actually know. Ian: I do, but not off by heart and I don't tell anybody. Matt S: How did you all meet? Mike: We all grew up together. Ian: Went to the same nursery school. Sheila Finnigan: I've been your biggest fan ever since I got your demo at the Incubus concert and I was just wondering, do you guys ever worry about what gets said in the papers about you? Mike: Nah. Ian: Unless it says we're gay or crap. Mike: Then again, gay guys get all the chicks. Rich, Staffs: Some people think that now you've been hailed as 'The Band To Take On America' you've become arrogant and cocky. What do you think about this? Mike: We were always arrogant and cocky. Ian: Yeah, way before we were in a band. Jamie: It's just reported more now. Adele: How did it feel when you won the Best Metal NME Award? Mike: Unbelievable. It was awesome, because it was voted for by the readers. Ian: We were completely taken aback. Lucy Brooks: What is it like to be supporting an act such as Andrew W.K, and then find out that most people have come to see you and not the headlining act? Good or Bad? Lostprophets Ian: It was nice, without being detrimental to Andrew WK. We'd been touring the UK for a year and a half, whereas everyone else was just starting touring the UK. Mike: Andrew WK's a really nice guy. Ian: It was cool getting the support of everybody. Sara Erskine: Of all the places you toured on the NME tour where was the best venue? Mike: Good question...Manchester was the best. Ian: They were all awesome in different ways. Jamie: What NME tour?! Jason Donaldson: What will your next single be after the Fake Sound of Progress? Ian: Not sure yet. Maybe a new track, maybe milking the album. Lostprophets (all): You tell us - what do you think it should be? Jingo: I think Kobraki should be your next single, even though the whole album kicks ass! Lostprophets: Cool, maybe. Jamie: "We're not elitist and we're not gonna choose one magazine over another. We do all our interviews on our own terms. We say the same thing whether it's a girl's magazine or a metal magazine." Lucy: What's the story with you and Vex Red - are you mates or not? Lostprophets: Yes! Mike: Unless they said that we were pricks. Ian: No, they're cool guys. Mike: We bumped into them when we played in Paris, and we went to the Vex Red show. Ian: They were awesome. Really good band. Sean Risley: What's your feelings on kids getting Lostprophets related tattoos? Mike: Scary. Ian: A sign of quality and taste. Jamie: And they'll never go out of fashion, hopefully. Ian: Even if we die a death, the words will always have meaning. Lucy: Why do the members of the band like wearing hats so much? Ian: Because they're cool! Mike: When you have a bad hair day, a hat fixes it all. Jamie: Hats and tours go together like a hand and glove. Paul Jackson: How come you were on a show with Lolly? Where are your standards?! Jamie: Her standards are well high. Why was she on the show with us? Ian: Lolly was on Starlight Express, and I saw that when I was a kid. Mike: Where do you all shop for clothes, because you wear well cool clothes. Ian: We steal them off tramps. We get jackets, T-shirts and scruffy jeans from second hand shops. Kevin Tasker: What other British metal bands do you think should get the breaks they deserve? Ian: A band called This Girl Mike: Douglas. Ian: Sikth and Iron Maiden. Prophecy: How do you feel about appearing in teen girls magazines? Do you enjoy all the "you're so hot!" comments? Mike: We love it! Jamie: We're not elitist and we're not gonna choose one magazine over another. We do all our interviews on our own terms. We say the same thing whether it's a girl's magazine or a metal magazine. Ian: It's all about about corrupting the young. Georgie Jackson: How come you are doing lots of signings? Do more gigs! Mike: How many more gigs do you want? Ian: I think we've played at every UK venue for the last year and a half - where were you?! Mike: We've done infinitely more gigs than signings. TenMinute Preview: Do you lot bother with each other when you are home? I heard something... Mike: What do you mean by bother?! Ian: What did you hear? Emma: What do you think of your message board? Ian: They're cool. Some people talk a lot of crap. Some talk a lot of sense. Krissie P: Which video did you prefer making, and why? Mike: They were both good. Shinobi was good because it had our UK fans in it and the Fake Sound of Progress one was good because we had a budget, and we had our hard core American fans. Ben Griffiths: Is it true you wrote a song during the sound check at Swansea? Ian: It was in Berlin Mike: I think we were jamming out material in Swansea. Emma Burke: Are you playing at Ozzfest? Please say you are because I'm going! Jamie: Dunno. Ian: We'd love to play. You never know. Mike: It would be lovely to. Prophets Fan: When was your last day off? Mike: Sunday Ian: For Mother's day. Fran Haslam: Do you guys have girlfriends? If not, I'm a single female... Mike: We'll have a royal rumble wrestling match, and whoever wins... Ian: That's going nowhere! Mike: We all have girlfriends. Jamie: But not having girlfriends sells records. Mike: It's none of your business! Cookie Monster: I have a friend who has been to just about every gig possible - she's a bit obsessive - do people like that scare you? Mike: No, it's cool. We love seeing people. Ian: It's nice that people want to come to that many shows. It's flattering. Mickey Cardiff: Is Mary Anne Hobbs a great piece of ass? Ian: Yes, of course she is . Mike: She's a foxy chick. Jamie: She's a goer! Ninja Gurl: Where did you get the red jacket you're wearing? Ian: A thrift store in New York. Camee: Are you gonna go out on Friday after your signing in Bradford? Mike: We're going home because we've got one day off. Ian: We're flying out to the US on Sunday, so it's our last chance to go home. Fireman Sam: Thundercats or Transformers? Ian: Transformers, but Thundercats is a close second. Mike: And He-Man a close bronze. Les: What does your badge say? Mike: It says Thundercats. Ian: "Too many bands get caught up in the sub genre they're meant to fit into when they should be thinking about music. We're a pseudo, new-wave, post metal...what is this nu metal anyway?" Katie P: What made you decide to change some of the songs on the new version of your album? Ian: They were just the way we wanted them to come out originally. Mike: We didn't have the time before. Robert Lloyd: Do you ever read messages on the message board, and reply under false names for a laugh? Mike: No. Ian: I'm always reading messages, but I never post because you've got to log in and register and it's a pain in the arse. But I'm on there practically every night. If anything really annoys me, I'll post it on the news page of the web site. Tom Dennerly: What are your personal favourite songs from the Fake Sound Of Progress and which do you prefer playing live? Mike: On the album it's And She Told Me to Leave. My favourite live song is Fake Sound of Progress. Ian: On the album, Ode to Summer. Live - Handsome Life of Swing. Justin Phillimore: Do you mind being stopped in places like KFC with friends/girlfriends or at your own doorstep? Ian: It comes with the job. It's cool. I've always got time for people. Tori: What's the most intelligent thing anyone's ever said to you? Mike: 'You guys should be models'. Jamie: Joke. Drewbarrymore Kate: What do you love to eat? Ian: Food. Jamie: Ketchup with food - it doesn't matter what the food is. Mike: Chinese food is the best in the world. Fazz X: Have you started writing new songs for your second album? Lostprophets: Yes. Jamie: We started about 10 months ago. Mike: So far we've got a riff! Adam: Celebrities nowadays say how much they would charge people to spend the day with them. How much would you charge? Mike: It's priceless! Lostprophets Ian: 50p. Jamie: We pay people to spend the day with us. Stef Povey: Ian, can I marry you? Ian: Yeah! Kim Watersoni: Mike you're doing very dodgy poses in front of the webcam. Are you all posers at heart? Mike: I wasn't doing any posing - what are you on about?! Jamie: Mike is the king of camp poses! LP Skate: How was it touring with Linkin Park? Lostprophets: Cool. Ian: They're really nice guys. Lou: Do you actually want to get a number 1 track and then become 'popular' among the general public, or do you want to stay 'alternative'? Mike: A rock band getting to No.1 is alternative. Freya Harrison: What band would you most like to tour with? Mike: Glassjaw. Dan Brogden: Why are you doing your Manchester signing during work, school and college hours? Lostprophets Ian: Because we don't have to be in school. Mike: Bunk off school - it's Friday! Don't worry about it. Ian: Fight the power! Hannah Morton: Did you guys like the bracelets me and my friends made you, and what did Lee think of the Easter egg? Jamie: I'm showing it to the webcam...we've got them on. Ian: Get mine in there! Mike: We liked your bracelets - we thank you, but Lee said to shove the Easter egg up your arse! Prophet Princess: What did you buy your Mum for Mother's day? Ian: Flowers. Mike: A card. Jamie: An expensive drop of red wine. Only a drop though. DAI Boardconfessional: Who's got the best car boys? Lostprophets: Ooooh. Jamie: I reckon Mike's gold Fiesta, but Ian's got a faster car. Ian: It's a Honda Integra type R with chrome wheels. Jamie: Mine's a Japanese import Honda Prelude. It's got 18 inch wheels, fully slammed with a full body kit. Ian: We have yet to race. Tom Dennerly: Three of you guys are straight edged, I am myself but are you straight edged to the extreme? Are you vegetarians as well? Mike: No. I used to be then I sold out. Jamie: He got really skinny. Mike: I lost weight - I was a lazy vegan. I lived on beans and chips for 8 months. Lostprophets Ian: He looked like a skaghead. Terminator Williams: What was your favourite subject in school? Lostprophets: Is it The Terminator Williams? Lostprophets Mike: Mine was history. Lostprophets Jamie: Art. Ian: Mine was Art. Krissie P: Where's Lee? Ian: He's at home with his girlfriend. Jamie: He can't be assed. Mike: He doesn't care about our band! Ian: We meant boyfriend! Chiara Vsdragonninja: The girls from the dragon ninja board have formed a band - Bitches on Heat. Could we have some tips for the top please? Jamie: Change your name! Jim G: What are your views on people downloading your stuff from the internet? Lostprophets: Do it. Mike: Crack on. Jamie: As long as you like it. Ian: Burn it onto CD and pass it onto your friends! The album's about the whole package. Our music was influenced by movies, video games and art, which is part of the package. Nikki Carrie: Are you proud to be from Wales? Jamie: It's alright. Mike: Yes! Lostprophets Mike: Cymru Am Byth. Robert Lloyd: Is there any band you don't get on with? Jamie: We don't not get on with any bands. Ian: All the bands we've met so far have been cool. Mike: We're easy going guys anyway. Nat Gun: Is it right that I have to pay �5 to come to your signing tomorrow? Are you actually worth it? Lostprophets Mike: No, it's free. Ian: But we'd like you to buy a single, which is �1.99. So you can get two and a half for your fiver And you might get a chance to steal one in all the chaos! Luke Friend: Do you like being called Nu Metal? Mike: Don't care. Ian: Too many bands get caught up in the sub genre they're meant to fit into when they should be thinking about music. We're a pseudo, new-wave, post metal...what is this nu metal anyway? Matthew Fereday: So what's your dream cars? Lostprophets: Oooooh! Jamie: Don't go there! Ian: What's the criteria? Speed? Looks? Mike: A Delorian with a flux capacitor which could go well over 88 mph. Ian: Mine a Nissan Skyline R34. Jamie: Mistubishi Eclipse, full fast and furious, mod! Mike on the future: "I want a cameo on Enterprise, the new Star Trek series, or to be a stormtrooper in Star Wars Episode III." Girl: What's the best thing a fan's ever done for you? Jamie: Cooled me down! Ian: Fans are pretty useful for cooling people down. You can also swing things on the blades if you tie things to them. Jordan Chiplin: Did I make Lee feel uncomfortable by staring at him at the Astoria? Ian: Probably, because he's bent! Jamie: Like a bent copper. Emma Lenton: Do you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Mike: Ooohh yes! Ian: Sarah Michelle Gellar's plain though. Mike: The show rocks my world - I'm in it for the gripping story lines. Nat Gun: What do your Mum's think about you constantly showing an inch of underwear with your trousers down? I'm not complaining though. Lostprophets Ian: My mum shows much more than that! John Maloney: Did you like our cool pegs we gave you today? Mike: I'm showing them to the webcam...get a peg shot. Ian: I gotta peg. Mike: Got the pegs? Laura NL: What do you listen to while you're driving? Jamie: No Doubt. Mike: Mis-Teeq. Jamie: Nathaniel Maryweather (Dan the Automator) - the album's called Lovage. Ian: So Solid Crew. Mike: Dillinger Escape Plan. Ian: Mis-Teeq rule, especially the MC one. Mike: Coming together with the Mis-Teeq flow! Dru1: What do you feel about crowd surfing following on from the section on Lamacq Live last night about it being banned? Ian: I think crowd-surfing is cool as long as you've got respect for everyone else. Chris Jenkins: Do you guys live in huge houses now? Lostprophets: No. Jamie: I live in a council house now. Mike: I live with my Mum. Jamie: We blew all our money on nice cars. We're not responsible adults. Michelle Marshall: Who is your ideal girl? Ian: Michelle Marshall. Jamie: Gwen Stefani, Nelly Furtado. wildgoth 667: Who is the most famous person you've ever met? Ian: David Hasselhoff! Jamie: He was on the table behind us. We were going 'Daaaaaave'! Ian: He's a big man - he's got a lot to offer a woman. Edith: What's your all time favourite movie? Lostprophets (all): Weird Science. Farah Al-Hassani1: Will you guys be including Aberdeen in your next tour dates? No one does, and you guys are my favourite band! Mike: We've played Aberdeen - in September. Tricky: It was fun to read the Lostprophets article in Kerrang last month... what I want to know is are you the only Star Trek fans in the music business that you know of? Mike: Yes, apart from the mighty Will Shatner. Jamie: And the legendary Leonard Nimoy. Mike: And Tuvok from Voyager. Jango Fett: Do any of you skateboard? Jamie: Yes! Me and Mike were pretty hot when we were younger. Mike: We're going to take it up again in the States. Mikey White: Who's the best guitarist Lee or Mike? Mike: Obviously me, without question. Being as Lee isn't here to cockblock, I am by far. Prophets Lady: If you were a Simpsons character, who would you be? Mike: So many great characters...Chief Wiggum. Ian: Mo. Doom: What do you want to be doing five years from now? Ian: Doing a guest appearance on the Fresh Prince when Will Smith revives it because his career's lagging. Mike: I want a cameo on Enterprise, the new Star Trek series, or to be a stormtrooper in Star Wars Episode III. James Stone: If you had to cover any one song what would it be? Ian: Be With Me by Mis-Teeq. Si Goater: Do interviews tire you out? Mike: No, we love 'em. Fruit Juice: Who is the guy the album is in memory of? Ian: A fan of ours who got killed. He was killed in a car accident, and we were his favourite band. fran_haslam: Which celebrity would you most like to meet, and why? Mike: The rapper from Mis-Teeq! Tori: I personally love mullets, what are your views on these god-like creations? Ian: Check out mine! Jamie: Mullet central! See the webcam...check out my mullet shot! Prophets_LittleAngel1: If you and your girlfriends ever split up - would you consider dating a fan? Ian: Only if that fan was the MC from Mis-Teeq. gemma_raaaaaaah: Are you aware after the comments about Mis-Teeq you will now be shot by local rude boys in London....So Solid Crew! Mike: We don't mean it derogatory, we just want to meet her. We're the rudest boys you'll ever meet. Bo! Edith: Have you ever been slightly tipsy on stage without anyone noticing? Jamie: I have - I was tanked! Slim: If you were a Transfomer what would you transform into? Jamie: Bumblebee. No, a penis. A giant bumblebee penis. Dave English: What is the lamest CD you own? Mike: The Corrs. Slim: What's the most rock thing you have ever done? Lostprophets Stu: I spewed in an airport after a night tanked. Sally: How long have you been straight edge for? Ian: I've been straight edge for 9 years. Jamie: None. Mike: Five. You booze, you lose. Iwan_Elzinga: What made you decide to become straight edge? Ian: A reaction against the town we grew up in and the mentality to drink to have fun. Adam Jones: What do you guys think about me getting the spitfire transformer on the album cover? Ian: It's not Spitfire, it's Jetfire. Luke Friend: Ian, apparently your girlfriend is a model. Is this true? Ian: Yeah, she's a porn model. Radio1-Hostess: That's all for night, thanks everyone for joining in. The lads all say thanks and they'll see you at the signings!
