For those who don’t know your background, where did you grow up?
Catford.. The last stop before suburbia! ..along with Spike Milligan Genius ... and Japan (lol!!)
Are there any particular influences you have, in particular musical influences?
I grew up in the early 70's so like any one else I was kinda caught up in what was around at the time.. T.Rex/Slade/...Flares! Then I heard THE WHO ….THAT was the first REAL musical influence.
When did you start to play music?
13
The Chords
Tell me about The Chords.
I joined Billy & Martin in Jan 78..We started out playing Pubs in South London.. Mainly doing covers… anything from 'The Beatles to Iggy Pop' ..By the end of the year we we're playing mostly our own songs in the set...Then Brett joined in Jan 79 and the rest they Say....!!!
Which songs are your favourites?
I like all the singles apart from 'In My Street' .. Personal Fave is 'So Far Away' and a track on the anthology called 'Home Sweet Home' .. least I think it is..
Have you any particular memories of the band?
Loads,,, mainly good one's... Best ...Hearing John Peel Playing us for the first time on the radio ... Selling The MARQUEE club out ( over 900 people) one night .. getting TOTP's ...Smashing up Hotel rooms....Having as much respect for Polydor as they had for US !!... De-Tuning Ian Page's Trumpet ... I swear that wasn't ME!!.NOT playing the Corporate game.Etc.. Etc ...How long have You Got!!!
With the exception of Buddy Ascot, are you in touch with the other band members?
Not really .. Billy Lives in Japan and Martin I've seen for a night-out once or twice..
Pope
What made you start playing again?
Alimony ! .! .Envy ! .. Jealousy... ! Greed.. Starvation!
To be Honest
I NEVER STOPPED PLAYING !!
How did you and Buddy Ascot get the music back together?
We've rehearsed on and off for the past 3-4 years and then some.. !! I think we went through at least 4 Bass players.. It was getting a little Spinal Tap..so we decided Fuck IT just do it by ourselves...
For those who haven’t heard Pope, can you describe your sound.
Hmm .. Not really... I can tell U what It Ain't ... It ain't The Chords..2nd Album. No.joking apart I Guess we just went for an honest sound ... IF there's such a thing...Nothing to stodgy or over-the-top .. apart from the BILL!!!
How did you develop the Pope sound?
With Fortitude... Blind Faith and Ear plugs ( producer)... It all came together making the CD
Tell me about the making of “Grace Of God”.
It took 2 years .. The first one we spent all year recording and thought we had some finished tracks…. only to find out by listening back they we're polished demo's .…. We then met Pat Collier (Wonderstuff/House of Love/Primals etc)..and recorded 15 backing tracks in 2 days! of which 10 ended up on the CD .. Most if not all of the album was recorded on weekends ....at Gravity Shack studios Tooting.
Some of the songs on the album seem to be autobiographical - is this right? If so, which ones?
The last two tracks for the most part are about where I was about 5 years ago.. pretty much Rock bottom !!!.. I guess there’s a lot of anger and frustration kicking about .. which I hope the recordings capture… both in very different ways..
How have the songs gone down live?
Very well indeed .. Which is A real lift … especially ‘Another Day In England’ and ‘Brave New World’ .. it can be difficult as any band know’s playing new material mixed up with songs people have heard for 20 odd years.
Mod
Any views in retrospect on the mod revival of 79?
I wouldn’t have missed it for all the tea in China!…I think in it’s own way it achieved like punk did previously albeit it to a lesser extent that a hand full of bands and their cohorts can create a buzz./scene/movement . whatever .. promote their own gigs ( RE: The Wellington Waterloo).. AND Make the Music press and Record Companies sit up and listen…
Are there any other bands from that time you particularly rate?
Hmm.. I used to like Bands like SpeedBall and The Name ( who supported The Chords on tour).. There was also a lot of great songs around like ‘ Millions Like Us’ , ‘ My World’ ‘ Your side of heaven’ etc…
Do you still find the mod influence to be a strong one on you personally?
Musically I’ve always loved and am still influenced by 60’s Music of the Small Faces/kinks/Love Affair variety.. Don’t know it that’s strictly mod..though?
There have been other scenes over the years - most notably elements of Madchester and Britpop -that some have claimed to have been influenced by mod. Have you any views on that?
I think definetely The Stone Roses ( one-time Chords fans allegedly!) :You can hear a 60/mod . feel in them aswell as The Charlatans and Inspiral Carpets ..As for Brit Pop that’s far more obvious Re: Phil Daniels on park Life.. Oasis/scooters/Beatles… Menswear ….Nuff said !!
It is arguable that a new mod scene has emerged over the last couple of years, with new bands playing their own brand of mod. Have you any views on that point?
Ordinary Boys OK .. Kaiser Chiefs very GOOD
Are there any bands out there at the moment who you particularly like?
The Usual Suspects
Other bands
Do you have any musical heroes?
Beatles.. Townshend ….. Strummer/Jones … Ian Hunter … Difford/Tilbrook ..Mrs Mills…Crazy Frog !!
Is there anyone who you would particularly like to support?
U2… failing that Chas and Dave !!
Future
What are your plans for the immediate future? Are you planning to make more albums? Looking at world domination?
Trying
to get as many gigs as possible .Maybe add another guitar/keyboard player to POPE…and
sometime in the future we’ll get to make a follow –up to ‘Grace
of God’..Hopefully it won’t take 25 years to make !!!