From Cuba to Cardiff - The Cardiff R1 Interview, 8 march
How did the soundcheck and everything go Nicky.
It was a right old racket as it always is. Can't hear anything you're saying at the moment, James's guitars are so loud...
Is that because it's only the 2nd soundcheck of the year.
We actually did some practising just across the road here in the point for about 3 weeks, but there was a really nice cafe next door and we just ended up going in there every day.
Drinking Coffee? Yeah, pretending we were in italy (costa coffee)
It's the first time you've played in the coal exchange isn't it.
It is, last time I was here was for the cardiff devils dinner dance about 4 years ago when they presented the awards, it was great.
Were you treated as a guest of honour.
No I just had a crappy chicken dinner like everyone else. There was a magician there that night. It was really bad.
James said last week that you've played almost every venue in cardiff apart from the coal exchange, is that why you chose to play here.
I just think you know from 60,000 to 600 just sums up where we are at the moment. I just think we need to re-introduce ourselves and we didn't want to try and compete with the millennium gig cos we're never going to do anything as big or as good as that really. We didn't want to try and chase our tails we just wanted to do something different.
Do you feel for the people who haven't been able to get tickets, who are desperate for them.
Yeah I think it's a double edged sword, you can either do something big and you end up getting criticised for that, for selling out, you get people saying they can't see you, why am I watching you from a million miles away, or you do something small and it's the opposite. So, I don't know, you can't please all the people all the time. Of course I feel sorry for them.
Most of the people who slept outside the ticket line got tickets though. I know, they must be mad.
At least the bars are going to be open in the coal exchange gig. Well there you go everyone can get drunk tonight.
Unlike the millennium... I thought that was good though cos I can't stand people getting pissed at our gigs. I say bring back pro-hibition.
You're going to get more abuse though aren't you because people are going to be closer to you. Are you a bit nervous about that?
Yeah I'll just close my eyes. I always close my eyes when I talk or I think, it's cos I think so deeply.
So what can we expect tonight Nicky from the set.
Not quite sure to be honest with you. Obviously there'll be a mixture of a lot of old songs, a lot of new songs but because it's only our second gig it's still kind of stepping into the unknown. We don't know the songs that well, the new ones and there's a high chance of a bit of chaos ensuing because I play guitar and sing on some and James plays bass. It's quite disorganised at the moment but that's probably a good thing.
Are you going to play the song that you sing lead vocals on, are you going to play that tonight. I'm going to attempt to sing it.
Cos it went down well in cuba I heard.
Yeah I dunno what was more nervewracking actually, doing the millennium gig infront of my mum or singing infront of fidel castro. They're both very nervewracking experiences, I think I was probably more scared infront of my mum.
Do you get more nervous before small gigs or before big 60,000 capacity gigs.
I think just hometown gigs are the worst for nerves and organisation and friends, family and all that kind of shenanigans. It's not a pleasant experience.
So why start the tour in Cardiff then, this small uk tour.
I think we're just trying to show... sorry, just trying to show that it's really still important to us, Wales is still really important, Cardiff's always a good place to do a gig despite the whole process of it. From cuba to cardiff seems pretty fitting.
Looking forward to the release of the album then.
Yeah just wanna get it out now, get out get on a tour bus, stop talking and boring everyone and just do some gigs.
I had a listen this morning and there's some mad tracks on there, the cheesy disco track took me by surprise.
That song's got 2 sides to it, it's got James's genuine love of that kind of music and my kind of very sarcastic lyrics, probably the first manics track with a sense of humour.
And you got fidel castro in cuba, who do you reckon will turn up tonight. Rhodri Morgan?
It's not quite the same is it. I dunno, I was watching tele in the hotel and there was this tory mp who just decided to actually lay into me, it was bizarre. He was just going on that I am a lovey of the labour party, it was hilarious.
After coming back from cuba? Yeah, labour party can't stand me...
So he's not on the guest list tonight then. He probably is, everyone else is (who's he talking about?)
Nicky thanks a lot and enjoy the gig tonight. Thankyou.
NICHOLA ON A STAGE IN CARDIFF TONIGHT SAID:
don't you think that I look more like a woman than Ann Robinson? (huge cheer) she's a f****** dog, as Jim Royle said on the Royle Family, "Watchdog? I am watching a dog" (cheers and whistles) James: and he writes such clever lyrics too. Nicky: oh shit, she works for the bbc.
