Much Music
May 11, 2002
(Cheering and applause)
>> Bradford: SO THEY’VE GOT THEIR GOODS DOWN THE STREET AND THEY’RE HERE.
(Applause and cheering)
I PRESUME THAT WE’RE UP.
ALL DAY LONG, ESPECIALLY ON THE
WEEKEND, PEOPLE LIKE ME, WE SIT AROUND AND SAY VIDEO NAMES, AND THEN SOMETIMES WE’RE PRIVILEGED ENOUGH TO GET THE BANDS IN. SO TODAY IT’S BUSH, GAVIN AND DAVE. (Cheering and applause)
HERE’S THE ALBUM I HOLD IN MY HANDS. IT’S CALLED “GOLDEN STATE.” IT’S BEEN OUT SINCE THE FALL. IF YOU DON’T HAVE IT AND YOU LIKE BUSH, MAYBE YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT GETTING IT.
>> WELL SAID.
>> Bradford: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LET US BEGIN. “THE SCIENCE OF THINGS” WAS ABOUT THE BLEEPS IN THE KEYBOARDS AND IT WAS ABOUT THE LABORIOUS PROCESS OF TRYING EVERYTHING EVERY WHICH WAY, UP, DOWN AND SIDEWAYS. BUT HERE ON “THE GOLDEN STATE,” YOU’RE KIND OF BACK TO THE CRUNCHY GUITARS. NOW, WAS IT HARDER OR EASIER TO GO BACK TO SOMETHING THAT YOU REMEMBER?
GR:>> I THINK WE SPENT MORE TIME IN THE REHEARSAL STUDIO PROBABLY FOR THIS ALBUM THAN THE PREVIOUS ALBUM, SO YOU TEND TO ‘ONCE YOU’VE GOT YOUR ARRANGEMENTS RIGHT AND YOUR POWER’S RIGHT, THEN YOU KIND OF KNOW YOU’RE READY TO GO IN THE STUDIO. SO IT’S MORE’ WE DID IT MORE THAT WAY AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, LATER.
>> Bradford: WAS IT A COMFORTABLE FEELING MAKING THIS RECORD?
GR:>> A COMFORTABLE FEELING?
>> Bradford: IS IT EVER COMFORTABLE?
GR:>> I DON’T KNOW. COMFORT. YEAH, SOMETIMES IT’S COMFORTABLE. SOMETIMES YOU GO HOME AND YOU THINK YOU’VE DONE SOME GOOD STUFF, AND THEN OTHER TIMES IT’S REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE. BUT IT WAS GOOD TO, LIKE DAVE SAYS, WE WORKED HARD AT REHEARSING IT, SO IT WAS KIND OF MORE DIRECT, I GUESS. BUT I LOVED MAKING “THE SCIENCE OF THINGS” AS WELL, BECAUSE THAT’S ALSO KIND OF INTERESTING, LOOKING AT DIFFERENT WAYS OF DOING STUFF. YOU CAN’T MAKE THE SAME RECORD EVERY TIME.
>> Bradford: NO.
GR:>> WELL, SOME PEOPLE CAN.
>> Bradford: WELL, THEY CAN AND SOME PEOPLE DO, AND FOR SOME REASON THEY STILL SELL MILLIONS OF RECORDS.
GR:>> AND SOME PEOPLE MAKE OTHER PEOPLE’S RECORDS AGAIN.
>> Bradford: AND THEN THEY COME AND THEY SOUND BORING. BUT IF YOU’RE GOING TO BORROW FROM SOMEONE, YOU MIGHT AS WELL BORROW FROM SOMEONE GOOD.
GR:>> THERE YOU GO.
>> Bradford: SO WAS IT SATISFYING THEN? EVEN IF IT WAS HARD AT SOME POINTS, WAS IT SATISFYING?
GR:>> I THINK IT WAS SATISFYING HAVING A RECORD THAT WAS REALLY COHESIVE. YOU KNOW, BEFORE WHAT WE’D DONE IS WE’VE MADE LIKE 17 OR 18 SONGS, AND WHEN YOU PULL THEM TOGETHER IT GETS A BIT HARDER; BUT THIS WAS COOL BECAUSE IT JUST SORT OF TOOK SHAPE, WHICH WAS EASIER.
>> Bradford: IT WAS NEVER ‘AND I KNOW THIS FROM YOU GUYS SAYING IT, IT WAS NEVER ABOUT THE NUMBERS AND IT WAS NEVER ABOUT SELLING THE RECORDS, BUT DID YOU’ WERE YOU ABLE TO TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM THE RESPONSE TO THE LAST ALBUM AS COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS, GOING INTO THIS ONE?
GR:>> I THINK IN A SENSE IT WAS GOOD TO MAKE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT RECORD. I THINK IT WAS, YOU KNOW, YOU SORT OF ‘YOU CAN’T MAKE’ YOU CAN’T LAY THE SAME CUT ON THE SAME RECORD AGAIN, SO, YEAH, IT WAS JUST A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, SO WE SORT OF APPROACHED IT WITH THAT. I THINK WITH DAVE SARDY, WHO WE WORKED WITH, IS MUCH MORE THAT KIND OF PRODUCER. HE’S MUCH MORE INTO HIS GUITAR SOUNDS AND HIS CRUNCHY BASS AND DRUMS AND STUFF, SO WE KIND OF LED ‘WE SORT OF FOLLOWED THAT DIRECTION SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS DIFFERENT IN A WAY. BUT IT’S NEVER COMFORTABLE THOUGH. YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE COMFORTABLE. YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE SORT OF KIND OF ON EDGE WHEN YOU RECORD A RECORD.
>> Bradford: EXACTLY. BUT WITH DAVE SARDY, WHO MORE RECENTLY WORKED WITH THE MANSON GROUP, WHICH WAS A SONIC EXERCISE IN KIND OF PUSHING THE EQUIPMENT TO THE LIMITS, LIKE LEAVING IT OUT IN THE RAIN AND JUST PLAYING IT FOR DAYS AND THEN SEEING WHAT KIND OF SOUND IT MADE, WHAT KIND OF THING DID HE BRING TO THE RECORDING OF “GOLDEN STATE?”
GR:>> I THINK HE JUST BROUGHT LIKE A REAL GOOD EDGE. HE BROUGHT AN EDGE AND HE BROUGHT STUFF OUT OF US, BECAUSE HE’S QUITE A BIG, IMPOSING GUY. SO WHEN YOU’RE GONNA GO PLAY THE SONGS, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO ‘IT’S COOL TO HAVE THE PRODUCER TO BE SAYING, YEAH, THAT’S REALLY GOOD OR, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET BETTER. YOU CAN GET BETTER. SO HE’S REALLY GOOD AT PUSHING US. AND HE WAS REALLY GOOD WITH THE VIBE. YOU KNOW, BEING ENGLISH, WE’RE A BIT MORE RESERVED, SO HE HAD THAT AMERICAN KIND OF LIKE GO GET ‘EM, YOU KNOW. YOU ROCK. YOU’RE GREAT. CHECK IT OUT. THAT’S WHY YOU’RE DOING SO GOOD. SO HE WAS GOOD FOR THAT, AND HE’S AN AMAZING MUSICIAN AS WELL, DAVE SARDY. SO HE WAS GOOD ON THAT FRONT AS WELL, GOOD PERSPECTIVE LIKE THAT.
>> Bradford: DO YOU THINK HE PUSHED YOU SOMEWHERE YOU HADN’T BEEN BEFORE?
GR:>> HE MADE US WORK REALLY HARD. YOU KNOW, REALLY HIS ATTENTION TO DETAIL WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, REALLY SORT OF ‘REALLY COULDN’T’ THERE WAS NO GETTING AWAY WITH ANYTHING. HE REALLY MADE YOU WORK HARD AND YOU JUST SIT THERE FOR, YOU KNOW, HOURS UNTIL YOU’VE GOT THE RIGHT SOUND. SO IT WAS A GOOD LESSON, YOU KNOW.
>> Bradford: DID YOU FIND THAT IT MADE FOR THE SONGS THAT YOU CAN GET REALLY EXCITED ABOUT PLAYING ON STAGE AND REALLY EXCITED PLAYING FOR YOUR FANS?
GR:>> WELL, WE ARE EXCITED ANYWAY, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE TO BE PLAYING FOR OUR FANS. IT WAS JUST, AS I SAY, IT WAS AN INTERESTING AFTER “SCIENCE OF THINGS,” BECAUSE THAT WAS KIND OF MORE OUT THERE AND THIS WAS A BIT MORE DIRECT, AND THE BAND WANTED TO MAKE A RECORD THAT WAS MORE OF A STATEMENT AS A BAND, SO THAT’S HOW IT CAME ABOUT REALLY.
>> Bradford: (Chuckling) THERE’S A SENSE OF ‘WE’RE GOING TO GET TO THE VIDEO IN A SECOND, THE FIRST VIDEO OFF THIS ALBUM, BUT THERE’S A SENSE OF YEARNING THROUGHOUT ALL THE SONGS, WHETHER IT’S A YEARNING FOR, I MEAN, A SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM RIGHT OFF THE BAT OR A YEARNING FOR COMPANIONSHIP OR A YEARNING FOR AN EQUAL OR A YEARNING FOR A RESOLUTION, THAT KIND OF CONTRADICTS THE TITLE OF THE ALBUM, “GOLDEN STATE.”
GR:>> YEAH. THAT’S AN INTERESTING POINT. YOU’RE RIGHT. BUT I THINK WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE SONGS WERE WRITTEN BEFORE, AND THEN WHEN WE’RE MAKING THE RECORD, AS WE WERE IN L.A. MAKING THE RECORD, I WAS THEN THINKING ABOUT HOW WE’RE GOING TO TITLE IT, YOU KNOW. SO REALLY THAT WAS A MORE REFLECTION OF THE TIME OF RECORDING IT AS OPPOSED TO THE COLLECTION OF SONGS.
>> Bradford: LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE FIRST ALBUM OFF OF THIS, THEIR LATEST EFFORT, “GOLDEN STATE.” THE “PEOPLE THAT WE LOVE,” THE FIRST VIDEO, AND HERE IT IS. WE’RE WITH DAVE AND GAVIN OF BUSH.
(Cheering and applause)
(Video played)
(Cheering and applause)
>> Bradford: WELCOME, BIENVENUE AND ALL THAT. YOU’RE BACK IN THE MuchMusic ENVIRONMENT WITH DAVE AND GAVIN OF BUSH. I’M BRADFORD HOW, AND THESE ARE BUSH’S DEVOTED FANS. THANKS AGAIN FOR DROPPING BY, BOYS.
GR:>> OUR PLEASURE.
>> Bradford: YOU’VE BEEN TOGETHER ‘SURE, IF YOU WANT. (Scattered applause) THAT’S ALL YOU GOT?
(Cheering and applause)
I MEAN, IF YOU’RE SAVING IT UP FOR THE SHOW, THAT’S UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT YOU DON’T JUST… YOU DON’T JUST… YOU’RE ALMOST CELEBRATING TEN YEARS TOGETHER. HAS THE DYNAMIC CHANGED, DO YOU THINK, BETWEEN’ IT’S A LONG TIME.
GR:>> IT IS A LONG TIME, ISN’T IT?
>> Bradford: DO YOU THINK THE DYNAMIC HAS CHANGE? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE, WHEN YOU’RE IN A BAND, YOU CANNOT HELP BUT BECOME SECOND FAMILY.
GR:>> YEAH. I THINK, YEAH, YOU PROBABLY DO. WE KNOW EACH OTHER REALLY, REALLY WELL. IT’S FUNNY BECAUSE IT HAS ‘I MEAN, IT IS PRETTY DIFFERENT DOING IT NOW THAN IT WAS TEN YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU’RE STILL PLAYING IN PUBS WITH ONE PERSON. BUT I STILL THINK THERE’S THIS ESSENTIAL KIND OF CHORD ENJOYING WHAT YOU DO AND ENJOYING PLAYING TOGETHER IS STILL THE SAME. I MEAN, YOU PROBABLY PLAY TOGETHER BETTER AND YOU CAN REALLY SECOND-GUESS WHAT SOMEONE’S GOING TO DO. YEAH, I THINK ESSENTIALLY THE IDEA AND THE SPIRIT IS ITS OWN.
>> Bradford: HAS IT BEEN HARD SOMETIMES? HAVE YOU EVER FOUND THAT YOU WONDER IF THE FAMILY IS WORKING OUT?
GR:>> WELL, MAYBE, BUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, AS YOU SAY USING THE WORD “FAMILY,” THERE’S THAT THING THAT YOU CAN’T CHOOSE YOUR FAMILY. SO, IN A WAY, YOU JUST WORK THROUGH STUFF. WE’RE PRETTY TOLERANT OF EACH OTHER, AND I THINK WE’RE PRETTY GOOD AT FINDING OUT WAYS THAT, WHEN SOMEONE HAS GOT A RED FLAG AND IS JUST NOT IN A GREAT MOOD AND GOT LUCIFER ON THE BRAIN OR SOMETHING, YOU CAN JUST AVOID THEM AND JUST KEEP AWAY FROM THEM OR JUST INDULGE THEM A LITTLE BIT TO BE’ IF SOMEONE’S REALLY MAD ABOUT SOMETHING OR REALLY PISSED OFF AFTER A SHOW, EVERYONE KNOWS NOT TO THEN RISE UP TO THEM AND GET EVEN MORE MAD ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE AND JUST LET THEM KIND OF HAVE THEIR TIME BECAUSE YOU’VE GOT TO FREAK OUT A LITTLE BIT.
>> Bradford: I KNOW THIS: BUSH IS DEFINITELY STILL TOGETHER.
GR:>> YEAH. BUT THERE’S SO MANY RUMOURS RIGHT NOW THAT WE’RE SPLITTING UP.
>> Bradford: WELL, PEOPLE SPECULATE ON ANYBODY WHO’S KIND OF IN THE PUBLIC EYE. BUT WHAT CAN KIND OF BE SUBSTANTIATED ABOUT NIGEL TAKING A BREAK?
GR:>> HE’S REALLY JUST ‘HE DECIDED HE WANTED TO TAKE A BREAK, AND WE HAVEN’T REALLY HAD MUCH TIME TO TALK TO HIM AND GO THROUGH WHAT HIS EVENTUAL PLANS ARE, BUT WE’RE NOT’ WE’RE JUST NOT SURE AT THE MOMENT, EVEN FOR US. I MEAN, I’VE WRITTEN SOME STUFF IN THE JOURNAL ON THE WEB SITE ABOUT IT, BUT IT’S HARD TO KNOW REALLY. I MEAN, REALLY, IT’S BEEN DOWN TO HIM. SO FAR IT’S BEEN QUITE QUIET, SO — SOMETIMES SILENCE TELLS YOU A LOT. I THINK IT’S TOUGH.
HE’S BEEN ON TOUR AND HE’S JUST HAD ANOTHER BABY. SO YOU REALLY HAVE TO ‘YOU KNOW, YOU ARE TORN BETWEEN, I THINK JUST FOR THE MOMENT, ESPECIALLY, WE’RE JUST GOING ON WITH IT. WE’VE GOT A LOT OF TOURING TO DO, A LOT OF GIGS TO DO, A LOT OF GIGS TO BE DONE, SO JUST GO AHEAD.
CHRIS TRAINER, WHO WAS IN THE HELMET, AND HE’S BEEN PLAYING WITH US THIS WHOLE YEAR, AND HE’S EXCELLENT SO WE JUST STAY POSITIVE AND STAY WITH HIM AND JUST SEE HOW THAT EVOLVES.
>> Bradford: WE DO HAVE ONE QUESTION FROM THE AUDIENCE RIGHT OVER HERE.
FAN:>> HI, GUYS. MY QUESTION IS, WHEN YOUR MUSIC CAREER COMES TO AN END, WHAT’S THE ONE THING YOU WANT YOUR FANS TO REMEMBER YOU BY?
GR:>> I’ WELL, FIRST OFF I’D LIKE TO SAY THAT I HOPE IT’S NOT JUST YET.
(Laughing)
YOU KNOW. I THINK TO HAVE BEEN TO BE A GREAT BAND WITH GREAT SONGS, GREAT LIVE PERFORMANCES, AND PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT THEIR FANS AND TAKE TIME OUT TO, EITHER ON-LINE, YOU KNOW, THROUGH JOURNALS AND THROUGH THE WEB SITE OR AFTER SHOWS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, WE’RE QUITE CONNECTED WITH OUR FANS. I HOPE YOU FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW.
FAN:>> DO YOU THINK IT WILL COME TO AN END?
GR:>> NOT JUST YET.
>> Bradford: WELL, ACCORDING TO THE ON-LINE JOURNAL, YOU SAY THIS, AND I WANT TO ASK ABOUT THIS: “I AM GRATEFUL AND I AM MAD, A PERFECT COCKTAIL FOR MAKING RECORDS.” YOU STILL HAVE THE PERFECT BUSH RECORD TO MAKE, DON’T YOU?
GR:>> YEAH, OF COURSE. THAT’S ALWAYS WHAT IT IS LIKE, THE PERFECT GUITAR SOUND. IT JUST IS ALWAYS A BIT ELUSIVE AND YOU’RE ALWAYS CHASING IT, SO WE’RE GONNA GO BACK AND MAKE A GREAT RECORD, I BET YOU.
>> Bradford: ALL RIGHT. I’LL TAKE THAT BET. I’LL SEE YOUR BET AND I’LL DOUBLE THAT. WHAT IS BETTER, THEN, RECORDING IN THE STUDIO OR PLAYING LIVE, LIKE YOU ARE NOW?
GR:>> I THINK IT’S A BIT OF BOTH. I THINK IF YOU ONLY DID ONE, YOU’D WISH FOR WISH TO DO THE OTHER, SO IT’S DIFFICULT TO SAY. I MEAN, IT IS GREAT MAKING MUSIC AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT SORT OF FINISHED PRODUCT. BUT THEN ON THE OTHER HAND IT’S GREAT TO, YOU KNOW, TO BE HERE TODAY AND DO A GIG TONIGHT. YOU CAN’T REALLY REPLACE THAT EITHER SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS KIND OF EQUAL. I GUESS EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT OPINION, BUT I’M PRETTY SPLIT BETWEEN THE TWO.
>> Bradford: DO YOU THINK YOU’RE IN YOUR GOLDEN STATE RIGHT NOW, IN HERE OR IN HERE?
GR:>> UH, PERSONALLY, NOT REALLY. YOU KNOW, SORT OF IT’S KIND OF — IT I JUST FEEL I FEEL GOOD ABOUT HOW THE TOUR’S BEEN AND IT’S GOING TO BE EXCITING TO GO TO EUROPE AND DO THE FESTIVALS BECAUSE WE DID A LOT OF SETUP FOR THIS RECORD AND THE RECORD DID REALLY GOOD IN EUROPE. SO THAT’S GONNA BE COOL. BUT IT’S ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING AND TAXING ABOUT NIGEL. IT’S A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING ABOUT THAT STUFF, BUT I THINK WE’RE ALSO EXCITED ABOUT GOING TO MAKE A NEW RECORD. YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’VE BEEN PLAYING SONGS FOR SEVEN MONTHS ON THE ROAD, EIGHT MONTHS, YOU KNOW… WE WANT TO FRESHEN IT UP A BIT. SO IT’S A NEW A WHOLE NEW RECORD COMING OUT. IT WILL BE COOL.
>> Bradford: AND YOU KEEP YOUR FANS UP ON YOUR WEB SITE, TOO, WHICH IS COOL. WE’RE GOING TO SHOW “INFLATABLE” IN JUST A SECOND. DO YOU THINK THAT “INFLATABLE” IS YOUR 1979 MAYBE?
GR:>> THAT’S ONE OF MY FAVOURITE SONGS IN THERE AT LEAST SO I HOPE SO. I DON’T KNOW. IN WHAT CONTEXT?
>> Bradford: IN THAT YOU’RE NOT QUITE SURE THERE’S SOMETHING THERE BENEATH IT. THE MEANING IS UNDERNEATH IT, BUT YOU’RE NOT QUITE SURE WHAT IT MEANS BUT IT’S STILL A LOVE SONG AND STILL TAKES YOU TO A PLACE.
GR:>> YEAH, COOL. “1979” IS A GREAT PLACE TO START.
>> Bradford: I’LL SAY. LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. THIS IS “INFLATABLE” FROM BUSH.
(Applause and cheering)
WE’RE HERE WITH DAVE AND GAVIN IN THE ENVIRONMENT. YOU’RE WATCHING Much.
(Applause and cheering)