Page 12 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine Issue 109

BV109 pg 10-13 Terrorvision Interview.qxp_BV109 pg 12 07/12/2023 21:14 Page 3

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we'd be doing this. I didn't even know I'd still ing in their efforts and successes. "I know a politics, but it's always irked me when I see
be alive when I was that age. Who does when lot of musicians and people who are in unfairness, and that has always bothered me
you're in your 20s, where you'll be in your bands, and it depends on what you want in since I was a kid.
40s and your 50s, but we were a live band life," he tells Black Velvet. "My grandad, he "I think, at the moment, we haven't got
long before we got to play on Top Of The was a great musician, and he used to say politicians like the ones when I was growing
Pops, so our peers were the people the same that if you can play an instrument, you'll up. Back then, there were politicians who
age as us, listening to the songs we were never have to buy a pint! And that is a much you didn't agree with and they might do
singing at the time about the things we were better place to set off from than to try com- something that wasn't great and would irk
in. And our job was making those songs and peting, when music isn't really the sport. If you, but they would look you in the eyes
those records and playing them live, and music was football, then Boyzone would when they said it. And, I think, nowadays, I
theirs wasn't and so you notice that, when have been Sunday pub league!" really believe we have politicians just ab-
people get to a certain age, they have differ- solutely emptying the country's banks into
ent commitments, marriage or kids or both, n 'Perseverance', Tony sang, ‘I was their friends’ coffers or doing a speech for X
or a mortgage or all three, and you'd see the Iwrong to put my money where my amount of money.
numbers of people who then couldn't come mouth was’. We ask if he feels it's ever "It's like, ‘Really? That's what you are
out to the shows. wrong to put your money where your mouth getting paid for a speech?’ Or is that what we
"But that was 1993, 1994, that was 30 is. Is it something he always tries to do? say, because it's actually, ‘Thanks for that
years ago and those kids have grown up "Oh my goodness! It depends on what million pounds,’ or ‘Thank you for that mil-
now and they've grown up listening to those you are talking about," he responds, with a lion pounds.’ God, I sound like one of those
tunes. And others start hearing them, so you gigantic smile. "If it's something which takes bonkers conspiracy people now! But I do
start getting younger people singing the of lot of thinking about, or a lot of a convic- think the evidence is there.
songs back at you because their mum and tion or risk, but if you really, really mean it, "Someone said once, ‘If you come out of
dad have played it in the car like mine did then yeah... because if you're right, you're politics richer than when you went in, it's not
with Elton John and The Carpenters, and so right.” because you were a good politician, it's be-
it's ingrained into you. "I just love that phrase, I love words and cause you were a crook,’ and I think that is
"And, the beauty of it is, that those kids sometimes you hear words in a conversation true at the moment. We need more conser-
are now old enough to come to the shows, and I think that is where that line came from vationists than Conservatives!"
some of the time, they're the ones who are because it has really good rhythm to it, I was
driving to the show because their mum and wrong to put my money where my mouth ut of the politicians he remembers
dad want to get smashed! I love the way it's was.” At this point he starts singing the beat Owhen he was younger, he was most
evolved. But to answer the question, I could to the song. “And it's a great phrase, isn't impressed by Neil Kinnock.
have never predicted it." it?" "I remember him. I remember Harold Wil-
We ask him if there is anyone who has son but I was a toddler, I remember all the
nd there has been much to celebrate impressed him for being willing to put their names but I remember Kinnock and (Mar-
Aon the way. In addition garet) Thatcher, obviously.
to what we've already high- “Every society has bad people, but with Michael Foot. These were peo-
lighted, the band enjoyed three ple who I think genuinely
Top 40 albums. The legendary a bit of compassion you can find the good wanted the country to work bet-
'How To Make Friends And Influ- ones because, ultimately, we are all the ter and would think, ‘What can
ence People' also made the Top we learn?’ compared to today
20 and the same number of top same," - Tony Wright, Terrorvision where they just think, ‘What can
10 singles among their 13 Top we earn?’
40 songs. money where their mouth is. "You don't re- "And it's blatantly clear to me. Every-
We ask him about these achievements, ally hear about them because they are too one's bills have gone up at home and at
but also if he feels that achieving this in the busy getting on with it", he explains. work, two, nearly three-fold and when this
1990s, when chart results were judged very "I follow a guy who I saw on the news happened with the energy suppliers, they
differently to today, could be considered a years ago when he was a kid and he made told us it's because there is a war causing it
bigger achievement than the same stats in this invention which helps to clean the and why we all had to knuckle down and pay
2023. ocean. It's from Eastern Europe or some- more to bring the gas here. The same com-
"It's like comparing apples to pears," he thing and he's still doing it now, but he's built panies have then said our profits are three
tells us after a moment of consideration. "It's these massive things now that pick up shed- times bigger than they were last time so at
the same old business, but when we started, loads of stuff out of the ocean. So, there are what point does that tell you that it was a lie
CDs were just coming out, everything had people doing that kind of thing, helping to that it was caused because of the war in
been on vinyl and cassette and we could go clean up the oceans. and I look up to a lot of Ukraine?
from the studio to listening to what we'd conservationists, I think they are inspira- "If they were decent people they would
recorded in the car on the cassette player tional. be saying to the majority of people, sorry
because we wanted to listen to it the way we "Not the people who have got a shedload about that, here's the difference back. We've
thought everyone else would listen to it. of money and do the boyhood dream of took a bit for admin, but sorry about that!"
"But now, it's a very different world and building a rocket, that's kinda what you do if He then highlights another track from
that doesn't take anything away from the you were brought up on James Bond, but we 'Regular Urban Survivors' to describe an-
kids who are making music now. You see the were also brought up on David Attenbor- other politician who has failed to earn his ap-
young bands playing in the clubs and pubs ough and the people who just find things proval.
and it's there and it's happening and I'm glad that are on this planet that we didn't know "Priti Patel. We had a song called 'Didn't
it is, because we had those venues, and a lot about and didn't care about, but how amaz- Bleed Red' and that song wasn't for her, but
of them have gone now, so we had that ad- ing is that? They go into a bit of the rainfor- that song was exactly about people like that.
vantage. est and find, like, 60 different species of It's exactly that.
"I did an album on my tod, and the guy something we didn't know existed or two of "People who come here and are from
who mixed it wanted me to cut out the intros something we thought was extinct. I love very different cultures and if you meet some-
and first verses and go straight to the cho- those people! one who is very different to yourself, if you
rus, because he said people haven't got the "So, if I had a load of money and could don't welcome them, you're never going to
time to listen to intros. You've got eight sec- retire, I would love to join them, that would find that middle ground where your two cul-
onds and if you're not in the hook of the be my inspiration." tures are matched and your morals are
song they'll ask Siri to play the next one, so seamed. So, why do we make people feel so
their challenge is different to what ours was. n ‘Perseverence’, Tony sang, ‘I was unwelcome? And I speak of this from expe-
So, is it comparable or not? I don't know if Iblue about the people in the power’, rience, because my dad, who is free to go
it's any easier or harder for them, but I don't words which will likely ring true for many anywhere in the world, in later life went to
think they are any less cool. I think there are people today, and a shining example of how, Africa and started a family and had a little
some really cool bands out there." again, the words Terrorvision sang in the boy.
We ask if there are any bands or musi- 1990s still have significant meaning nowa- "So, he was able to come to England
cians who he has found particularly inspir- days. Tony says, "I hate to even think about with his dad and he wanted his mum to
TERRORVISION