Alan McGee

Alan McGee answers this week’s Questions of Doom about Steve Mason and the CIA, his thoughts on the forthcoming King Biscuit Time record ‘Black Gold’, Mogwai, Mew, where Poptones is heading, drops hints at forthcoming signing of an ex-Creation Records star and another who is leaving a major label, the American Underground, noise music, Cherrystones, The Singleman Affair and Courtney Love; whether she is or isn’t putting the Rehab demos out on Poptones, DJing every Friday night at Rehab and much more in this week’s Questions of Doom.

What are your thoughts on the new Steve Mason record?

Steve Mason is a favourite song-writer of mine.  With King Biscuit and Beta Band.  My take on Steve Mason is this—so many people say that they are influenced by John Lennon ... but if John Lennon was thirty-three and alive he would be makinig music like the space-age prog punk of King Biscuit Time aka Steve Mason ... he wouldn’t be rewriting ‘Across the Universe’.

And the other thing that people miss out about John Lennon—is that he was a political animal like Steve Mason.  When Steve made an anti-George Bush comment whilst opening up for Radiohead in the United States ... the CIA followed him around for the next few shows.

Mogwai—top fourty single.  New album.  How is it going in the Mogwai world.

Plan is so far, so good.  The Friend of the Night is the first single in the top forty, you kow.  And am up in Glasglow at the moment and Stuart persuaded me to see Part Chimp...it was a bemusing night…

How were Part Chimp?

I don’t know.  I’m afraid to put it into words but it bemused.

How are things with Mew.

Mew are very happy with the way it is going internationally.  We seem to be huge in the rest of Europe bar Germany.  But the record is coming out in Germany in the next couple of months.  Its gone number one in alot of countries—its amazing that England hasn’t bought into Mew but surely it is a matter of time.

Poptones—what is happening?

Signing up the America Underground because we have always thought that their was and is brilliant music coming out of the underground that is off-the-radar in the UK.  The intial a and r process is being done by Paul and my job is really now ... once we have the acts is to pull it up a notch and make them big acts.  I’m 46.  I really don’t know what is happening in the absolute underground but what is great about having a club is you still are in touch with what is happening in Britain.

Like with my Rehab Club at the Garage ... I’ve been away doing the Dirty Pretty Things record but am going to be there every Friday night from now in and that’s been going brilliantly.  I think that club culture will always be in my blood.  With the Living Room, Death Disco, Queen is Dead and Rehab ... its something that I love doing.

But I’ll probaly die at the Ipod desk with the DJ mix of my Ipod going in the next ten years .. or whatever Apple has invented by then.

What’s this I hear about Cherrystones?

Cherrystones is very reminscent of one of my big heroes David Holmes.  But this guy Gareth has his own unique style.  Paul brought it in ...  I’ve not talked to him yet but we’ve exchanged emails with him and am looking forward to working his forthcoming compilation Cherrystones Word.

And the Singleman Affair?

Incredible potential.  Very alternative psychedelic folk music.  He is a songwriting machine and the best of the bunch.  He already has his second album written.  All done in his living room ... the new album is incredible and reminscent of Paul Simon, The Byrds and Fred Neil who are all heroes of mine.  I love the Jose Gonzelaz record Veneer.  I wished we had signed Jose.  But I do wish that people came too his music more naturally than a television commercial.

Where is Poptones going...?

Poptones is going through one of the most interesting phases.  We went through the crash and burn stage with the Hives, we went pretty steady with our love of one-off teen punk and this stage ofo the game its all about the underground.  Going off the radar and finding incredible music and artists too work with.  We are developing label deals with King Biscuit Time and Client.  And look out for the signing of an ex-Creation star which we are waiting to announce and possibly another star who is about to leave a major label.

As much as they hated us in 2001, 2006 is very much of a ‘fuck ‘em we ain’t going away this year or the next year’.  We will go away when we decide to go away not when a bunch of haters decide.

And finally what is happening with the Rehab Demos—are they not going to be coming out on Poptones or are they?

Courtney is doing good and the most sober she has been in five years.  She wants a major label record company but at the end of the day she’s my friend.  I’m sort of loathe to get into any business relationship with her but I would put out her demos if she would want that.  I’m more than happy to do what she wants to do.

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