The whooollleee interview with Mercury Rev, GrassHopper, Jeff and Jonathan…

Mercury Rev Biography…

Jonathan Donahue (vocalist/acoustic guitar)
Grasshopper (moth-light guitars, clarinet)
Jeff Mercel (drums, piano, keyboards)
Dave Fridmann (bass explore)

Although the members of Mercury Rev initially came together to record soundtracks for experimental student films and to make tapes for friends, the band from rural upstate New York would become one of America’s most successful experimental groups.

Mercury Rev’s 1991 debut became a favorite in Great Britain.

The Melody Maker and the Independent, hailed the album as one of the year’s best.

Mercury Rev survived the odds of personal conflicts to go on and record a list of acclaimed albums through the 90s, including 1998’s Deserter’s Songs, the group’s best-seller.

In 1999 interview with the L A Times, Donahue remarked “There’s a lot of emotions tied up in the record…We went through a few tough years. It’s just a very genuine, honest record. You can’t buy that or fake it in the studio.”

Mercury Rev have finally made their ‘great life-cycle album’. MERCURY REV have finished recording a brilliant new album, SNOWFLAKE MIDNIGHT which will be released on September 29, 2008.

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 Atop The Old Blue,  Shoreditch, Gill catches up with Micachu the unusual poptastic lady with her home made instruments- its a bit like a ukulele with a spare wire dangling down, hmmm, but pretty cool stuff…

Now there are many folk whose love for the sainted MBV knows no bounds….And then there are the fans who combine this love with an equally OTT love of loud music….Sadly, when these two loves combine, as they did for many at MBV’s recent gig at London’s Roundhouse, you witness the evolution of a phenomena unique to the Shields’ followers and children at the scat stage of their development…For so loud was the sound coming from the stage at the gig, that its properties were loosening every spare screw, bolt, filling and, er, sphincter in the house.Yet, such was the rabid devotion of some fans that despite the sonic vibrations emanating from the stage serving as a bowel loosener, and its’ inevitable effects, most of the fans chose to stay put for the whole gig, merely frugging at their baggy arsed jeans uncomfortably until the very last song of the set before dashing out to the toilets to try and claw some dignity back from the bomb blast in their trousers.Those fans who weren’t reduced to retching, gurning freaks by the sheer scale of Kevin Shields’ sonic vision were happily reduced to the same status thanks to what is now known as ‘the brown noise’……

Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler has just checked into rehab in Pasadena we hear! He’s 60. Thought to have been clean for 20 years after the last bout of problems with drugs in the 70/80’s…

The press has revealed a bout of older men, behaving badly of late.

Silvio Berlosconi (Italy’s premier) was in trouble again, passing notes to pretty girls in class! The girls in question being parliamentary newcomers Nunzia De Girolamo 32 and Gabriella Giammanco 31, and the class actually being a parliamentary session!

Berlusconi 71, remarked…”Gabri, Nunzia, you look very pretty sitting there together. Thankyou for sticking around [to listen to the speech] but it is not necessary. If you have any gallants who have invited you to lunch, I authorise you to go [underlined three times]. Many kisses both of you!!! Your Prime Minister.” To which the ladies graciaously replied “Our dear Prime Minister, we can only accept gallant invitations from you!”…

Good on ya Mr Prime Minister! Wrinkly and fruity like a very ripe passion fruit… I don’t think its going to bother the guy too much - he’s got a few months left in office after victoriously winning his third and final term…

Mr Harrison Ford…he’s not in trouble for it, but at 64, he’s raised a few eyebrows with the new Indiana Jones movie, the Kingdom of the Crystall Skull. Never mind he can collect his bus pass next year, I have it on good authority we don’t mind our action heroes a little dusty…

In a world that has changed sooo much, its nice to see a social softening towards OAP’s. Why shouldn’t they be breaking new ground and picking up a few new or bad habits? who says you have to do it all when you’re young? And whose says there’s any stopping them!

Here’s to viagra, silver surfers, the grey pound, living longer and generally giggling to the grave…

Its a bit of Star Wars ( not sure which episode? probably the death star one?) and a bit of Eddie Murphys’ ‘Coming to America’…long live James Earl Jones and THAT voice… Good god, its hilarious…

gill on the roof of shoreditch house chatting to actors Steve (Little Britain, Orange ads) Furst, and Charlie (Janine who killed Barry in Eastenders) Brooks.