Sinister: My Report...finally!

[SGTHURMOND at xxx.com]

(Sorry if this comes out looking all garbled, I'm a newbie to Sinister. Please keep in mind this report was written before the "campaign to disarm Iraq" began.)

Hi!

You might remember over a month ago the band wanted a couple fans to act as "reporters" for the DVD they're compiling. Remember? One was Stuart Gardiner (Big Stu) and the other one was a gal from NYC? Well, I'm the gal, the American perspective. Sorry I'm such a lazy thing about reporting back my take on the Glasgow adventure. All this waiting around for the bomb to drop on NYC has taken away my motivation to get stuff done. Besides, Big Stu did such a fantastic job with his report that there's really not much else to add. (Yo, Stu! Hope you're well and scoring lots of points on and off the korfball court!) 

It's a good thing Big Stu came through as reporter because I sure as hell don't remember too much. Coming from NYC, I had major jet lag the three days I was there. Oddly, watching unstimulating Scottish television (i.e., reruns of American sitcoms) at three o'clock in the morning didn't help fix my insomnia. I was able to stay awake during the day with huge doses of caffeine, alcohol, and adrenaline. Thank goodness I took pictures and know how to surf the internet or else I'd really be at a loss. 

So, Big Stu already broke down how the interviews were conducted. Thursday, we interviewed individually Richard and Stuart. Friday, we interviewed Chris and Sarah, Stevie, and then Mick and Bobby. So, here's my take on the interviews. Warning:  I am a girl so there will be references to fashion:

Richard is such a charming bloke. He wore a Conan O'Brien t-shirt and blue jeans. He sipped tea as he sat in a big comfy chair at director Blair's place. He also smoked a little bit. (Lord, give him the strength to quit! I truly believe he wants to!) He definitely has the interview thing down pat. It was so fun to watch a pro in action. As was the case with all the interviews, though, most of the bandmembers' personalities came out when the cameras weren't rolling. This was most apparent with Richard, for whatever reason. He's the one I would most like to go back and interview again because he is extremely funny and I'm afraid we, the reporters, didn't do the best job to bring out that side of Richard during the interview. 

Next, Stuart. At first, he seemed a bit shy. He politely asked me how my flight was, which was, in my case, the usual icebreaker for all bandmembers. He definitely grew more comfortable with us once he took off his Hill Street Blues t-shirt (which confirmed my theory that Mike Post is indeed an influence - just kidding!) and put on his blue and white-striped pajamas. He drank his tea out of a Dukes of Hazzard mug. (Who would have thought Stuart was a Good Ol' Boy.) I got to watch him shave. I got to hand him his bottle of Coca-Cola. I got to see him "bathe." Ahhh, bliss...  He also answered some questions, but, who cares about that stuff? I saw Stuart in his pajamas and in the bath. (Okay, he wasn't completely naked, but I did get to see some chest hair! Yeehaw!)

Friday we interviewed Chris and Sarah at the Belgian bar and restaurant Brel on the charming Ashton Lane. Sarah, wearing a dark blue sweater and a t-shirt with some wordage on it that I didn't fully get to see, got there first. It had been her birthday a couple days before so we wished her a happy birthday. Chris arrived looking dandy-ish in his trench coat and Burberry scarf. I had a flakey moment and introduced myself to Chris, who said, "Yea, we met yesterday at the studio." Doh! (Then I remembered Chris getting all down and dirty with his equipment at the studio. Nothing's more attractive than a person involved with their passion. Oh my!) Again, I'm in agreement with Mr. Gardiner:  This was my favorite interview. With Blair's direction (he would throw in his own questions every now and then), the conversation seemed to flow much more, um, conversationally. Having Chris and Sarah together really worked out well. And they both were so nice and very candid with us.

Break for lunch! I got to spend a little quality time with the enigmatic Cameraman Jim. He took me to get lunch at a place he said had "the best pizza" in Glasgow. The skeptical New Yawker in me came out, Good pizza in Scotland? Yeah, right. Well, by golly, this Little Italy on Byres Road has damn good pizza. Good call, Jim! I asked him if he was a fan of B&S. He said he had heard of them but wasn't all that familiar with their music. He got hired on to do the project because he knew Blair through a film workshop they're involved in. Very cool.

Next interview was Stevie in his car as he's driving. Stevie, looking like a young Elvis Costello, was smartly dressed in a white shirt and black sweater ensemble with dark slacks. Black-rimmed specs to frame his eyes. I'm afraid I had a hard time staying focused during this interview. If you're going to put a person who is already suffering from jet lag in the backseat of a car and drive the car up and down a deserted road over and over again and speak with a thick Scottish burr, you're gonna get some mental flakiness from that person. So, my apologies to Big Stu for my fading away and, thus, putting the pressure on you to keep the questions coming. And, my apologies to Stevie for my flakey questions. I'm sorry that I had to ask you what film you were talking about when you were so obviously talking about Storytelling. Again, Doh! 

Mick and Bobby at a very cold Kelvingrove park sorta near Stewart Fountain. What can I say? Well, for starters, it was damn cold out there. Thanks for the tea, Blair! I suggested we should conduct the interview in bed ala John and Yoko. Bobby laughed and said, "Bert and Ernie." Hahaha! I guess you had to be there. Anyway, I had no idea Bobby was so cute. Where have I been? I'm sorry, ladies, but Jon Bon Jovi has some competition now. (I admit I have a crush on JBJ.) And, was he ever so sweeeet! And, then Mick! Talk about adorable in his little cap with the big blue dots on it. I just wanted to gobble him up! (Whoa, Nellie!) Those boys made me proud to be a girl. We did that interview thing and then we hit Nice 'N' Sleazy for a couple pints, where we also got to hang out with Allen, the moonwalking drum tech.     

After N 'n' S, Stuart took us to dinner at "the winner of Most Stylish Bar at Scottish Style Awards 2002," Tempus at CCA. That's where the group therapy session occurred that Big Stu mentioned. Then, we went to see the Camera Obscura gig at that church hall. The band opening was The Ladybug Transistor from my neck of the woods, Brooklyn. I couldn't resist a big shout out to my homies. I found out later that LT lives, like, right across the park from me. You know who I'll be stalking now. 

The next morning I went with Katrina, who from now on I shall refer to as The Goddess, to the Not In Our Name Mr. Blair March and Rally. Now, I don't consider myself a political person so this was quite a new experience for me. It was fascinating seeing all the different groups come together and march peacefully through the streets of Glasgow. There was Youth Against the War, Muslim Association of Britain, Scottish Socialist Party, even Goths Against War. I felt some anti-American sentiment, mainly anti-Bush and U.S. government foreign policy. I couldn't help feel a little downhearted that people really hate the president of my country. I didn't vote for the man, but he does represent where I'm from. And, it scares me that this former businessman has proclaimed the U.S. an empire and we all know what happens to empires. They fall. I'm not looking forward to the fall. So, to assuage my fears and feelings of outsider inferiority, I focused my attention on Glasgow and the city !
streets I hadn't gotten to see properly yet. The Goddess played tour guide and told me all about the history of some of the buildings and city sections. It was a beautiful day. 

That night, The Goddess and I were invited by Stuart to a place I believe is called The Chateau, an arts and music complex in what seemed like the hinterlands of Glasgow. The Goddess and I arrived and, being thirsty, headed straight for the alcohol closet where they were selling some lame American label beer. Thankfully, Stevie was there to share his Stella Artois. Now, for you non-Scottish kids out there, it seems that at these types of events there's always a tea stand. It's sorta like a lemonade stand but with tea. I think we should institute something like this everywhere, especially here in the States. Of course, Starbucks will probably catch on and will want to sponsor the stands, but we should try to get away with it as long as possible anyway. Now, the band that Stuart was very excited about The Goddess and me seeing is called Franz Ferdinand. Don't forget that name, folks, because they're brilliant. Don't ask me who they sounded like just take my word for it. 

Afterwards, Stuart, Stevie, The Goddess and I climbed into a cab and headed back to what seemed more like the civilization known as central Glasgow. Stuart had to go home because he had choir practice in the morning (yea, whatever) so it was Stevie's turn to play the gentleman host. He took me and The Goddess dancing at Divine at the Glasgow School of Art. I think that's where we went. It was such a blast! I tried to do my best soul sister and I think I succeeded because all these young college students kept looking at me and coming on to me on the dance floor. I mean, I had to practically push them away. Wait, come to think of it, they may have just been trying to get me to move off the dance floor. Hmm... 

The next day I was back in NYC. It was a very wham! bam! thank you band! trip. I second Big Stu's emotion - the bandmembers are incredibly nice and down-to-earth people. They all expressed how fortunate they feel to be able to do what they are doing. When asked where they saw the band going, they all were just concerned with the next album. No masterplan here, folks. Very refreshing. Of course, I was kinda hoping to get some more dirt on the band, but there wasn't much. They're very clean people. Stuart in particular seems to enjoy a good bath. 

Sarah Thurmond
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