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AN INTERVIEW WITH...
MOHAIR.

SO WHO IS IN MOHAIR AND WHAT DOES EACH MEMBER DO?
mohair are:
Tom Billington guitar and vocal
Tim Slade Bass and vocals
Alex Richards Keyboards and vocals
Pete Baker Drums and hooters
HOW DID YOU ALL MEET AND COME TO FORM A BAND TOGETHER?
we all ended up in the same 10 piece soul band when we were about 17 .when that disbanded it was just the 4 of us left... it just seemed so obvious. none of us had written a song till we were 19 but we'd been plying in pubs and social clubs in different bands since we were 13 by then.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF MUSIC?
ah... the killer question. its rhythm and booze with enough sunshine and darkness to get you through the whole day.
WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES?
eveyone adds something to the pot... we're all just massive music fans. alex is big into his sixties pop: the beatles, the doors, the faces. tim and pete cover the blues and jazz ingredient... everything from fleetwood mac to oscar peterson and i'm into the songsmithery and tight trousers of zeppelin, the who and the black crowes. (tom )
WHERE DID THE NAME MOHAIR COME FROM?
several years ago Tim and I were working as waiters in a pub in watford called the Runny Chap. Dont look for it, its not there now. the landlord was an irish bloke called Michael O Hair. M.OHair was written above the door and it just sort of stuck with us (alex )
YOU'RE CURRENTLY ON A 35 DATE TOUR OF THE UK. HOW IS IT GOING?
Roaringly. Things are beginning to really pick up as the word seems to be spreading. its not easy though. there's lots of staying up late, drinking and prancing around on stage infront of people to do. its a hard life.
WHICH HAVE BEING THE BEST AND WORST GIGS SO FAR?
best gig was doncaster leopard... sweaty, dirty, bouncy (oh, and full) there havn't really been any bum gigs... we've become quite skilled in turning flat situations into something pretty rockin to avoid letting the environment ruin it for us.
DO YOU EVER GET HOMESICK WHILST ON TOUR?
not really. we live for the buzz and watford doesn't really cater for it so we have to get away to get it. Tim misses his cats.
WILL YOU BE PLAYING ANY OF THE SUMMER FESTIVALS?
Hopefully. fingers crosses.
DO YOU GET NERVOUS BEFORE GOING ON STAGE?
not really... just excited. Occasionally in an unfamiliar situation... i.e properly big ass crowds or foreign countries where anything could happen.. but generally we're all pretty relaxed about it all. we store the nervous energy for when we get up there.
HOW DO YOU STRUCTURE YOUR SET?
with the bigger picture in mind as best we can. we try and take you somewhere with each move. its about keeping the interest up for the whole gig.. keeping everyone (including us ) on their toes. just when you think you've got it sussed we try and flip you on your head and take you somewhere else.
WHICH TRACK DO YOU MOST ENJOY PERFORMING?
usually the newest ones. there's a tune called 'the Curse of the Doctors Soul' that seems to get me evey time at the moment. it just feels fresh out the pack.
WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU DO AFTER A GIG?
slate it... we're real quick to pick things apart so that we're constantly improving. there's always something you can do better on the next gig.
IS IT DISHEARTENING WHEN FEW PEOPLE TURN UP TO SEE YOU?
we have a rule. We always play to 5 people like we play to 15.
IF YOU COULD GO ON TOUR WITH ANY OTHER BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE?
stevie wonder, or maybe rolf harris.
MUSICALLY AND LYRICALLY, WHICH OF THE SONGS YOU'VE WRITTEN IS YOUR FAVOURITE?
we like different songs for different reasons. I still get a kick out of 'kansas city $1.09' which is quite old now...the verses of "brown eyes blue" were a joy to write. they just kind of fell out... there was 19 of them originally.
WOULD YOU EVER CONSIDER DOING ANY COVERS?
yeah of course. if you can add something of yourselves to a tune that already exists then you should do it. however, somethings shouldn't be touched... Bohemian Rhapsody and anything by Jeff Buckley for example.
YOU HAVE A NEW SINGLE, 'BROWN BLUE EYES'. WHAT IS THE TRACK ABOUT?
its about sticking yourself in a bubble where no one can touch you and having to have that bubble burst to gain any perspective... along those lines anyway
WHEN WILL THE ALBUM BE OUT?
if things go our way it will be out in the summer... i don't think its necessarily a winter record. its 'arm out of an open car window' stuff.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT YOU COULD MAKE AS A BAND?
anything is possible. can we run for office? Headlining Glastonbury is the dream though... has been since we were very young.
DO YOU WEAR SOCKS IN BED?
absolutely not.
WHAT IS IT LIKE HEARING YOURSELVES ON THE RADIO AND SEEING YOURSELVES IN MAGAZINES ETC?
jonathon ross played us on radio 2 last week which was great. we were completely hungover in the van on the way to a gig in leeds. we'd listened to 3 hours of him talking his usual comedic nonsense and right at the end, when all hope was lost he played it. the van just erupted. it was great.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE TV SHOW AS A CHILD?
"cities of gold" it had the same story every week and a killer theme tune.
WHICH DO YOU ENJOY DOING THE MOST... WRITING SONGS, RECORDING THEM OR PLAYING
THEM LIVE?
i love that moment when a song comes together when seconds before it hadn�t existed... putting something somewhere where there was nothing. recording and playing the tune live stem from that moment and are great for different reasons.
WHAT ARE YOUR OPINIONS OF THE CURRENT RECORD BUYING PUBLIC?
i think they are all really lovely people and i wish i could buy them all a drink.
WHAT FIRST MADE YOU WANT TO PICK UP A GUITAR AND JOIN/FORM A BAND?
smells like teen spirit... except it took me ages to get good enough to play it. i had to get passed 'wonderful tonght' and 'Blowing in the Wind' first.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR ANYONE THINKING ABOUT STARTING UP A BAND?
write, write, write. anything and everything until it starts making real sense. songs should come about irrespective on genre or style. these things are just how you dress your baby for display... songs are everything.�

ALL QUESTIONS BY SCREAMING TARTS.

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