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In May 1977, Talking Heads along with Ramones toured the UK from Eric’s Club in Liverpool. He visited like a punk Are you affected by the explosion? SpiritofWacker
There was something really cool about that tour because maybe a few of the singles in the audience had never seen us before, so there was a lot of interest and openness to us and the Ramones, unlike us. After that, fans decided whether they liked this group or they didn’t like this group, but everything happened quickly. I remember we did a show at the Roundhouse (in London) where one of the audience members was playing bands and, of course, the Ramones didn’t like that. Clearly, he didn’t see it as a sign of – ha! – respect: “We have you so we will spit on you.” The Ramones got more than we got, but they had leather jackets. We didn’t.
Since the Stop Making Sense tour, it seems to me that you are live shows hahas been a eager to free the band from the constraints of a rock concert. If so, where do you go from here? Lucifer_Sam
From various trips I realized that my guitar can be wireless. Then I visited St Vincent’s where the brass players started in marching bands, so they were used to being mobile. I thought: “Okay, what about the drums?” I looked at the drums in the American football and samba schools in Rio. I asked my old player Mauro (Refosco) how many players we would need to break down the drum kit into sections and he said six. I was very angry and said: “I think we can do it.” Then I found a Hungarian company that made a Midi keyboard on a self-driving rack. Suddenly, the whole group was freed to move, which democratized the concert experience for the musicians and the audience, who understood what everyone was doing.
Although the sound of the six players making the drum kit is the same as what they play, the result of the six people working in harmony is encouraging: people are not as chaotic as we think, we can work together to create something interesting. On my current tour we have four drummers but a lot of dancers, who play instruments like clarinets. I put a twist video that will put us in different places, like the moon, the forest, the street of New York… Each song has a different place. I don’t know where we’re going, but I couldn’t go back to having anything wired.
In your surprise show you tell the audience, “Happiness and hope is a form of denial.” Sorry if I spelled it wrong. What makes you happy? PortsyP
The wording is almost correct. I read a statement from actor and director John Cameron Mitchell. He said: “Love and kindness are the most punk things you can do right now.” It’s different from what punk is associated with angry guitars and screaming vocals. The thing you think would be the least of all is where we are: the things that may seem so sad create resistance.
True Stories it’s a great movie – why haven’t you directed another part since then? Wasn’t it artistically satisfying? Otto Maddox
It was artistically satisfying and I had a great time doing it. Part of the problem is creating myself. I was paying for the script, research, scouting and all that stuff but then the people in LA said: “Now you’ve made a film you can get someone to pay for it.” Which I did, a few times, but if someone is investing, they want to have a say in what you’re doing. Sometimes, it can be useful. Sometimes, you may feel frustrated. I ended up thinking: “Damn, I could be making a record and doing some shows at this point.” So I went back to it. I want to make a film with digital cameras, edit on computer. You don’t need a big editing machine now. You still need actors, locations, scripts, sets and everything else, but you have more power than you used to. So, yes, I hope to eventually make another film.
Do you think being born in Scotland (and of Scottish parentage) might have made you an outsider looking at American culture? AD2023
When I was very young we moved first to Canada and then to the US. It didn’t make me completely alienated, but I felt like Americans don’t know that some people do things a little differently. They did not know that there are different types of jokes and so on. I mean, Scottish humor is standard. I find it very funny and it can be very dark. Every country is in its own bubble to some extent, but if you are outside a little bit you have a different opinion. I’m not saying it makes you smarter, you just look at things differently.
Have you ever found yourself living in a gun shack? PeteTheBeat
I may have heard that word (used in once in a lifetime) from a radio preacher or something, but the shooting house is usually in the American south. They are designed to fit into tight spaces, and are called gun shacks because if you shoot through the front door, it goes through every room. I found myself sharing an apartment, with my daughter, at an Airbnb in New Orleans.
Which was working Brian Eno like? Have you ever used his smart cards to choose music? eternal
It changed over the years. I felt that he was someone who had a feeling and an understanding of what we were trying to do. At first, the goal was to record what the group was doing. When this was achieved, he brought ideas such as adding funny lyrics, not having all the songs written – so that we could change them – and as he called it, “using the studio as a tool”. It was fun and we got to things that we wouldn’t have if we had one way of working. As a producer, he is very happy. Instead of scratching his chin and saying, “I don’t know if this is still working”, he goes: “This could be the start of something amazing, let’s keep going in that direction.” A box of cards was there. I don’t know if he’s ever actually used it, but he’s got some great ideas, to help you get out of any rut or stuck mindset.
Our lips It is published by Fun Boy Three it is a thing of beauty and joy. What did you do with the parent album, WaitingWhat was it like working with the boys and girls? EddieChorepost
I think Terry Hall must have liked what we were doing and thought I could understand his style of music. I loved his music, but it was all really made up. Like Brian, my role was to be happy but when I had nothing to do, I had to take a step back so that their thoughts could be seen. Terry wrote Our Lips Are Sealed by Jane Wiedlin on the Go-Go’s but wanted to do it himself. I started messing around with loops, repetitions, different sounds and so on, saying: “We have to come up with something that doesn’t sound like their song, but it’s still the same song.”
That affects me Life in Wartime can mean traveling in a group – “A car full of equipment, sleeping during the day, working at night”, etc. Am I on the right track? jimd
A young group just starting a tour where guitars are their instruments? I can’t say you’re wrong, but it didn’t happen to me. I think the whole song seems more relevant than ever, especially in the US, with the ICE raids and all.
I love the story of Lou Reed interviewing Talking Heads while eating ice cream with a black spoon (heroin). timwthornton
Lou had seen us in (New York City music club) CBGB a couple of times and said: “Come over to me later and we’ll talk about your music.” We were so excited but nervous and scared because we were big fans of his solo stuff and the Velvet Underground. He started eating the two quarts of ice-cream he had in his fridge, but he was also skilled. He started playing our song Tentative Decisions on the guitar and said that it could be slowed down, and also slowed down the speed of the Velvet Underground song. Which was great, but we didn’t slow down like they said. At that time, my hands had black hair. Similar to monkeys. He said: “You shouldn’t wear short-sleeved shirts on stage.”
