by Kelly Ladd
HardRock.com
2002
HardRock.com: Since Nigel is a new dad again, Chris Traynor has joined you on this tour. What has he contributed to the band, both on and off stage?
Gavin: Well, he’s a great guy to be around. We like being around him socially. He plays really well and he has a different style than Nigel. I think he plays with a Brooklyn twist to it, which is cool for us.
Robin: And a different CD collection.
HardRock.com: What does he have in his collection?
Robin: He was playing us some Jeff Beck and stuff like that.
Gavin: And the Flaming Lips.
HardRock.com: I know “Everything Zen” has been out for awhile, Gavin, you sing “I don’t believe that Elvis is dead.” Well, what do you think happened to him and where is he now?
Gavin: Well, it wasn’t meant literally. (laughs) He’s in Idaho.
Robin: He’s in Idaho.
Gavin: No, it was more meant as the spirit of him. Which, of course, is alive and well.
HardRock.com: In light of your song “Headful of Ghosts,” what ghostly experiences have you encountered? Have you ever encountered anything supernatural?
Gavin: Well, I’ve done Ouiji Board stuff. I love the whole haunted thing. The freakiest thing would be the Ouiji Board. Seeing the glass fly around the table.
HardRock.com: Did you push it? Or did it really move?
Gavin: Did I push it? (laughs) No, no, no, it was moving on its own accord.
HardRock.com: Do any of your songs have any house remixes?
Robin: We have a whole album called Deconstructed. It’s all remixes. Once in a while we have remixes done, for B-sides and extra tracks.
Gavin: When “The People That We Love” came out, we remixed it. On the last record there was a mix by Super Collider. There is a mix by Nightmares on Wax. All the time we get mixes. We didn’t do it with the last single because apparently no one wanted to pay for it. (laughs) I don’t know.
HardRock.com: A lot of bands now are adding DJ’s to their band. Have you ever thought of adding one?
Gavin: Well. No. (laughs)
Robin: We just did and the answer is no. (laughs)
HardRock.com: What’s it like sharing your name with President Bush?
Gavin: Well, it’s unfortunate, because we thought that after his dad there wouldn’t be another President Bush. Never really occurred to us. But it’s still a bit of a weird thing.
HardRock.com: There are so many people who are like “Oh, Bush, I don’t like him.”
Robin: Well, you voted for him.
HardRock.com: No, I didn’t.
Robin: Well, I would like to know who did.
HardRock.com: I was one of the people whose vote they didn’t count.
Gavin: Oh right, that was here. [Florida]
HardRock.com: What stereotypes did you have of Americans before you toured here for the first time? Were they true?
Gavin: Well there was a lot of talk of cheese on all of the food. And in fairness, it does happen a little bit. It’s funny, because when you travel across the country, We’ve traveled more than most Americans, because we’ve toured it so many times. Though they try really hard to make everything really generic, still people are different in places. It’s cool.
HardRock.com: While on tour in the States, what do you miss from England?
Robin: I guess I miss walking to the pub. When you are at hotels you seem to be in areas where, not everywhere, but they seem to be in areas where you have to take a cab to go to the district where they are. In New York you can walk out your front door and go and meet some one. I miss that. I miss watching soccer, though you do have Fox Sports World. Thanks be to that. You know the usual stuff, like when you go on a holiday and there is always something that you can’t wait to get back to, even if it’s just your bed.
Gavin: My dog. It’s the only thing I miss. Otherwise, I’m fine.