Fly Below The Radar (2003) | Road Movies (2001) | All Music Guide
Mini-Bio: Simon Petty | Tim Walker | Sid Jordan | Malcolm Cross
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In 2001 you answered the question, what is your
greatest Minibar moment to date. How
would you answer that question now?
Playing to a sold out Troubadour last July for our
"Radar" release party: cake, gin and 500 of our
closest friends, all mixed up like a big delirious
Sherry Trifle.
Do you have a favorite track on Fly Below the
Radar?
I like "Snake Buckle Belt" a lot, 'cos it's at the end
so it doesn't get heard as much. It's very nostalgic,
which is a great form of sadness, in that you can dip
into it without really tarnishing the rest of the day
with out-and-out misery.
What's in your CD player right now?
Actually been listening to the radio, 103.1, a lot
recently, which is a liberating experience. CD wise,
Bob Dylan's Bootleg series contains some amazing stuff
that would have been the highlight of anyone else's
record, but he chose to leave them off (eg: She's Your
Lover Now, If Not For You and Let Me Die In My
Footsteps). Retriever by Ron Sexsmith is a tour de
force, a trompe d'oeil and a piece de resistance all
at once. Most entertaining recent album I've heard is
"A Grand Don't Come For Free" by The Streets. I have
it on tape: does that count?
What movie has the best soundtrack?
The Royal Tennenbaum's has a strong old soundtrack,
but Jonathan Richman's contribution to "There's
Something About Mary" should not go unmentioned.
What lyric do you wish you had written?
"What once was a puppy is now a dog, And what once was a piglet is now a hog" ("Back In Your Life" by Jonathan Richman)
Did you have any pets growing up?
No dogs, no hogs, just a couple of doomed goldfish
What is your favorite kind of birthday cake?
One with "26 Today" written on it
What embarrassing childhood story would your
sibling(s) tell us about you?
I cut the end of my finger off on Christmas Day,
ensuring that my brother Mark owned his new Swiss Army
Knife for a total of about 25 minutes
What did you learn about the music business from
your time with Universal?
It's much more pleasant to cut the end of your finger
off than it is to make records for a major label
If forced, would you rather watch Yo! MTV Raps or
Headbanger's Ball?
Staple my eyelids open and tie me to a chair, and
I'll happily watch either
What's in the perfect sushi roll?
Avocado, cucumber and fatty tuna
What's your guilty pleasure?
The "They're Just Like Us" page in US Weekly, in
which stars are photographed doing "normal" things eg:
Jennifer Garner goes out with wet hair, Ashton sends a
text message, Courtney barrels another rail of coke,
etc.
Which reality TV show could you win? Which reality
series could your bandmates win?
Me: "I'm Not Really A Celebrity, But Get Me Out Of
Here Anyway" (competitive, unhygienic, experience of
The Outback)
Sid: "Big Brother" (able to stay indoors for weeks at a
time)
Mal: "The Bachelorette" (Oodles of the requisite charm)
Tim: "Trading Spaces" (in which his handyman expertise
could combine with his innate ability to chuzzle at
will)
What's the biggest improvement that "Pimp My Ride"
could make to the Minibar van?
Turning the 'Check Engine' light off
When you moved to the U.S., what was the biggest
surprise about American culture?
The humble burrito
If you weren't a musician, what do you think you
would you be doing? What jobs would you
suggest for your bandmates?
Main Stage:
Me: New Age Vicar
Mal: Speedway Champ
Chuz: TV DIY Specialist
Sid: Chapeau Shop
It's xxxx year (you decide) and you're a festival
promoter. What bands would you book
for an amazing summer show?
Topanga Canyon 2008
Neil Young and Crazy Horse
The Flaming Lips
Teenage Fanclub
Gingersol
Radiohead
Indie Stage:
Wilco
The White Stripes
The Hang Ups
Super Furry Animals
Minibar
Dance Tent:
Prince
Pulp
Kraftwerk
The Streets
The Bhundu Boys
Random Singer Songwriter Tent:
Nick Cave
Beck
Evan Dando
Darrin Tehrani
Bob Dylan
What shocking fact will be revealed when Minibar is
featured on VH1's "Behind the Music"?
Even though we're English, we're not actually gay
Photos by Heidi Ferguson, except #2 by Paul Schreiber and #3 by Tim Walker
Where and when were you born?
Sheffield, England, in the spring before the Summer of Love.
Do you have any brothers and sisters?
Older sister, Rachel, and two younger brothers, Mark and Jez
Who were your favorite bands growing up?
From age 10 to 18, in vague chronological order: The
Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, glam period David Bowie,
Queen (that's the group, Queen, not a description of
glam period David Bowie), The Jam, AC/DC, The Everly
Brothers, Squeeze, Elvis (C not P), The Smiths, Otis
Redding, The Pet Shop Boys, and finally, thank God,
Bob Dylan. I never owned albums by Meatloaf, Dire Straits or The
Human League. They have must been my brother's. Or
something.
What was your first experience as a concert-goer?
Queen (that's the group, Queen, not a description of
how I looked at my first concert), with my brother
Mark who owned all those bad records, at Leeds United
Football Stadium in the heady days when Freddie wore
his leather cap without a hint of irony.
What was your favorite experience as a concert-goer?
I couldn't pick between Neil Young and Crazy Horse at
Phoenix Festival in '96, The Smiths in Manchester in
1984, Bob at Irvine when he played just after us, or
Nina Simone at The Wiltern last year.
Previous to Minibar, what jobs had you
held?
Ice Cream Vendor, Surveyor's Assistant, Pub
Entertainer, Ski Report Voice-Over Man, Drug
Counsellor, Barman, English Teacher, Busker, Bird
Researcher, Ski Instructor, Office Clerk, Care Worker,
Postman, Director of Children's Musicals, Aromatherapy
Oil-Bottler, and not forgetting my little-known
prowess in the art of selling of shoes.
How and when did you join Minibar?
Ages ago I just said "Right, you f***ers, this is
MY band."
What has been your greatest Minibar moment to date?
Wilco at The Wiltern last year, and The Wallies in
Seattle from this.
What lead vocalist and/or songwriter has influenced you the most?
Lennon and Dando
What is your songwriting process?
I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you
Is there an artist that you'd like to collaborate
with?
Sir Paul McCartney, Iggy Pop and that bloke out of
The Lemonheads. At the same time.
Do you have a favorite track on Road Movies?
It changes, and sometimes I can't listen to any of
them, but "Cool Water" still does it for me most often,
I think.
What is your favorite song to perform live?
"So Long Soho" Space Jam Freak Out Section
What is in your CD player right now?
Tim threw our CD player away, but if I had one right
now it would be Joni Mitchell, Blue
If you could go back to any moment in musical
history, when would
you choose and why?
I'd like to have been 17 in the spring before the
Summer of Love. "Acid, booze and ass, needles, guns
and grass, lots of laughs", as someone who was there
once put it.
What do you like to read?
Miserable fiction about the Vietnam war.
Which fictional character do you most identify with?
Grumpy from Snow White
What adjective would you use to describe the other
Minibar members?
Sneezy, Bashful and Dopey
What do you miss most about England?
Pubs, and the people I used to go to them with.
Is there a household item that you can't live
without?
Tetley Tea
Describe a game of "Rock & Roll Jeopardy" against your
bandmates.
Mal would do well on the obscure 70's funk
questions, Tim would rather be playing Sh**head, I
would become fiercely competitive, and Sid would win
without trying by being really really lucky.
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