Sinister: THAT NME interview

[Andrew.Dean at xxx.uk]

you know, the one from november, the dreadful one. i don't think it was
ever posted here. anyway, i've just scanned and ocr-ed it and i'm now
posting it for your reading pleasure... i'll do the first part now and see
what it looks like via email (i've a feeling it'll look dreadful) and post
the rest if it's ok and fiddle with it beforehand if it isn't... anyway,
enjoy...



     Their singer is the mild-mannered janitor of his local church hall.
The rest of the band (six in all) have never been pictured together. In a
year-and-a-half, they've only managed to play 15 gigs. By rights, no-one
should ever have heard of them. Yet last week, they were invited on Top Of
The Pops.
     This is the story of Belle & Sebastian; a Glaswegian group borne from
obsession who now inspire devotion among thousands; a phenomenon comparable
only to the advent of The Smiths in the mid-'80s; and a collection of seven
of the most contrary and secretive people ever to make it into the Top 40.
     The origins of their success can be traced to the slight form of
Stuart Murdoch, a 29-year-old ex-choirboy and one-time boxer, who'd always
dreamed of starting a band. In January 1996, after years spent leaving
hopeful notes scrawled in the windows of music shops, he succeeded: Belle &
Sebastian were formed, and, two months later, 'Tigermilk' (a debut album
limited to 1,000 copies and financed by the local college) found its way on
to national radio.
     'Tigermilk' was a record that took everybody by surprise: a debut
album that combined the urban romance of the Tindersticks with the brittle
folk of Nick Drake; a wrenching collection of songs riddled with quiet
humour and failed love; and an outsider's Bible that addressed an audience
long since neglected.

     From the outset, Belle & Sebastian were different: Murdoch wrote all
the songs but was reluctant to be interviewed and absolutely refused to be
photographed (as did most of the band). As a result, they were forced to
issue a series of perverse press shots of cuddly toys and 'playful'
car-crash mock-ups. This on its own was enough to fuel imaginations, and
their next album 'If You're Feeling Sinister' went on to sell over 15,000
copies.
     Since then, a series of EPs have propelled them to even greater
heights of popularity, culminating in their current release (the '3... 6...
9 Seconds Of Light' EP) making the Top 40. All this time, NME has been
desperately striving to interview them, only to be rebuffed at every turn.
Seemingly, Belle & Sebastian were a principled anomaly, mavericks in the
carefully-marketed world of modern music.
     Then we met them...

ok, more this afternoon i guess...

cheers
andy
koogydelbbog at yahoo.com


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.             Listen, this is pish, I think I'll leave
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