Interview with John Craven. September 1979.

The bent-nosed axe-murderer returns after another year in the wilderness. We sent Evan to Birmingham to investigate.

EP - Why are we here?
JC - In at the deep end aren't we? I'd leave the deep philosophy till later, Ev. Start with sommat easier.
EP - Birmingham. Why are we in Birmingham?
JC - To promote my new record.
EP - Oh. Go on then.
JC - This is Birmingham. My new record is set in Birmingham. Go buy it.
EP - It's not out yet.
JC - It will be by the time you've published this interview.
EP - True.
JC - To be honest, I think they're trying to torture me.
EP - I take it this isn't your idea?
JC - God no. It's the record company.
EP - Right. You live in Wales. I live in Wales. And they've shipped us out here.
JC - I'm sure there's sense in it somewhere. They probably want some photos. Did you bring a camera?
EP - No.
JC - Oh.  Well anyway. This is Birmingham. It's a bit nasty.
EP - It is?
JC - A bit. I've kind of got used to it now. We've been recording here for the last god knows how many months.
EP - We?
JC - Steve Hillage from Gong has been helping me on the new record.
EP - Ooh, we are mixing well...
JC - I met him by accident.  I was quite excited, cos I never met him when I lived in Canterbury. Anyway, neither of us were much taken by Birmingham, so we er... decided to do a record together.
EP - I'm sure that's perfectly logical. More logical than being excited about Steve Hillage...
JC - Yeah. Probably. Anyway... so he plays guitar and sings a bit, and his girlfriend plays some keyboards now again.
EP - What do you do.
JC - Most things. Steve's on most of the tracks and Miquette pops up once or twice, but most of it's me. Even the drums. Which could be better, but never mind.
EP - Yeah, the drumming is not the best in the world.
JC - I'm sorry about that.
EP - It's not too bad. It's Ringo level.
JC - Come off it, Ringo did a decent enough job.
EP - Yeah, ok.
JC - Don't stoop to such clichés.
EP - Ok. It's still not the worse drumming in the world.
JC - You really know how to sell a record.
EP - You brought it up.
JC - True.
EP - Anyway, I'm not here to shift units. I'm here to criticise the thing, and to find out your thoughts.
JC - And I think the drumming could be better. I don't think I'll do my own drumming again.
EP - Like I say, I've heard worse.
JC - What do you reckon to the album then, Ev?
EP - It's alright.
JC - Ok.
EP - It's probably your most approachable album to date, but you know how I react to approachability.
JC - Yeah. You're an arty snob.
EP - Yes.
JC - It's a gothic new wave opera.
EP - I noticed. You're turning into Pete Townsend.
JC - Everyone looks like Pete Townsend in the back of a spoon.
EP - Do they?
JC - Yep. And if you look in a knife you look like Roger Daltry.
EP - I see.
JC - I've just got the concept bug. I don't think it's a problem.
EP - It's all very proggy.
JC - I've said it before, and I'll say it again... there's nothing wrong with prog. Well apart from ELP and Genesis...
EP - Ok. So you're a prog-rocker.
JC - If you feel the need to pigeon-hole me like that, then that's fine by me. I call it gothic new wave opera. Others call it metal. Some call it prog. I don't give a shit, Evan.
EP - Alright. So we've established it's a concept album... what's the story?
JC - There's this er... demon character called the Craven Angel, and he rises from the Earth and... he sees Birmingham and he decides to wipe it out, so he flies over it, Angel of Death style... you know, like in the plagues of Egypt and all that...
EP - Riight. Bit extreme isn't it?
JC - Well he is a demon. And it is Birmingham.
EP - I don't see what's so wrong with Birmingham, really. Seems better than Cardiff if you ask me.
JC - Whatever. It's not important. It's just a setting. It seemed the right place for it at the time. It's moodier than Cardiff. It's a better setting.
EP - Ok.
JC - So we've finished that now, and it comes out at the start of October.
EP - Any gigs planned?
JC - Yep.
EP - Ooh. You and Ike?
JC - Nono. Ike's a teacher now. He has homework to mark. No, we're getting a band together to tour with.
EP - We being you and Steve Hillage?
JC - Yeah. Though Steve's probably only going to be doing one or two nights cos he's got his own album to promote. He's brought a keyboard player in though.
EP - Miquette?
JC - No. No... um, no. Er... Some young bloke called Carl. He's pretty good, actually. No, Miquette's not going to be doing any gigs with us. She has better things to do with her time.
EP - Ok. So this is going to be quite a departure for you, from your old live set-up.
JC - A band, you mean? Yeah, it'll be different. More conventional. Not sure as that's a good thing or not, but yeah. Well... before, with me and Ike, we were a team. It was just us two. But now he's not there so I've got to hire a drummer in from outside, and if I'm doing that I mayaswell get the rest of the instruments in aswell.
EP - I think I see what you mean.
JC - Good.
EP - We've talked about how it's an accessible, conventional sort of record, but it's still got some good bits on it.
JC - Well that's a relief. What sort of good bits?
EP - Birmingham is good.
JC - Yeah.
EP - And the instrumental at the end.
JC - Oh yeah, X285-FUOK?
EP - That's the one. X285?
JC - X285.
EP - Does that mean anything?
JC - Probably.
EP - I'll take that as a no then.
JC - Take it how you like.
EP - I will.
JC - Good.
EP - Oh, of course, um. Soil Survivor and Brain Dead are on. They're probably my least favourite tracks, to be honest. But they're the tracks left over from Death Bitch Queen aren't they?
JC - Yep.
EP - Are they much changed?
JC - A bit. They're better than they were.
EP - God.
JC - Oh?
EP - No, they're alright. I'm just not mad on them.
JC - Ok. Where you gonna rank it? The album?
EP - Oh... um... You want to know?
JC - I'll read the review when it comes out, so you may aswell tell me anyway.
EP - Well, it'll spoil my article.
JC - Whisper it then.
EP - No. I'll tell you. Um. I'm probably going to put it above Craven "A", just. But it still might fall.
JC - Ok. That's good then, isn't it? That's my second best.
EP - Yes, but I'm just not into Craven "A" at the moment.
JC - I see.
EP - But compared to Joy Division...
JC - Yeah?
EP - They're here <indicates eye level> and you're about here <indicates nipple level>
JC - What's here? <indicates cock level>
EP - Did you have anything to do with this new Hillage record?
JC - Open? No.
EP - Well Open's about here <indicates belly button level>
JC - That's not answered my question.
EP - Emotions is about here <cock level>
JC - Fucking hell. Well at least I'm closer to Joy Division than Emotions.
EP - Yup.
JC - Where's my last one on that scale?
EP - Not far from Open.
JC - Ahuh. Ok. That'll do. No. Where's DBQ?
EP - Ooh... chin level maybe... ?
JC - Ok. Joy Division are only ripping off Death and the Melon you know.
EP - There are similarities. Not sure you could call it ripping off though. They're probably big fans of yours.
JC - I'm sure they must be.
EP - Well I look forward to seeing you live soon.
JC - Oh. Great. Yeah. Good.
EP - Right. Are there any decent pubs round here?
JC - Um. Well, there's an alright one down here.
EP - Come on then.
JC - Good idea.

Craven Angel is out on October 1st.