The Bluetones rider: 20 fags, Malbec, Quavers

As The Bluetones prepare to play Bristol on a 20th anniversary tour, we grabbed a quick chat with the quick witted frontman Mark Morriss.

You’re back with The Bluetones! What prompted that?

Not one thing in particular, I have to say… just a general sense of wanting to hang with my home boys again. My endorphins need that top up that only those 3 other cats can provide.

We saw one of your last gigs at Wychwood, was pretty emotional – what’s the biggest advantage of playing with a band as opposed to playing solo?

I enjoy very much what I do when I do the shows on my own, but I can’t deny the sheer seductiveness of volume and power. We all grew up learning to play together, so that chemistry we have is never going to be recreated elsewhere. This is where we each get our fix.

And the biggest pain in the ass?

Splitting the cash.

You’ve played Bristol a fair few times now – any memories that stick out?

Some rather hot and sticky nights at The Fleece. That was the venue that we first played in Bristol back in 1994. We’ve returned several times since, and not had a bad night. Especially now they’ve sorted the plumbing.

Sum up your take on Bristol in one sentence…

It’s a fun, flexible and creative place which seems constantly in flux. 

A couple of years ago, you played the Fleece as I was about to have a baby and offered to put a chair by the side of the stage for me to sit on – I really wanted to come but didn’t fancy going into labour at your gig. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen at a gig?

The people of Brecon.

Do you know who Big Jeff is?

Of course I do. He owes me £5.

What does your current-day rider consist of?

20 fags, a bottle of Malbec and Quavers. 

And your late 90s rider?

Same, except we had ‘Football Crazy’ instead of Quavers.

How does getting older/wiser impact your music? 

It takes a lot longer to make love to the groupies, and hoiking TV sets out of windows isn’t advisable with my lumbago, but apart from that there is no difference now to when I was a hungry wide-eyed tiger, with one hand on the throttle, the other on the thesaurus.

Any Britpop bands you’d love to see have a slight return (get back together) who haven’t yet?

Bad Boys Inc.

You’re a very funny man – what’s the best joke you’ve ever heard?

What’s the difference between a duck? One of it’s legs is both the same.

Who are your favourite people in music?

Dead people. Mozart. Jimi Hendrix. Ed Sheeran.

And who would you like to see get caught in a mudslide?

Oh no-one really. I love the people I hate. They make me whole.

Ever been caught walking around your house with nothing on?

Not unintentionally, no. 

What’s your favourite lyric that you’ve ever written?

And through it all, she offers me protection, a comfortable pension, whether I’m right or wrong.

You inadvertently taught me what TTFN meant when writing it in previous email. What is your favourite 21st century acronym?

GTHOOMBYBTIAPGP

(Get the hell out of my bunk you bum, this is a potato gun party!)

Tell us something about you we won’t know…

I like to move it, move it.

See The Bluetones at Bristol’s O2 Academy on September 27, and catch Mark doing his solo thing at Thunderbolt on October 22 and at Shiiine On Weekender at Butlins Minehead from November 6-9.