This is a french interview from 2004, peeps asked me to translate so i did Please be nice with me, the translation isn't that good, but it took my ages to do it so. Thanks


Rock'n'Folk: The last time we've heard of The Vines, it seemed like everything was going wrong...
Craig Nicholls: That's where all the story is : getting mad. You get mad and you enjoy the trip, there's no routine, no rules, it's great. We thought that : one can do what one wants, so just do it. Then magazines consider you like a mad one, it's their choice. In thinking of it, that seems like it's rather normal.

Rock'n'Folk: During a moment, was the band separated without that we knew it ?
Craig Nicholls: (thoughtful) Yes, yes, seven times. Our drummer didn't stop threatening to leave for another band.Personnally, i also wanted to found one. And then, we argued about the musical direction... In fact, i think that we're too lazy to meet other people.

Rock'n'Folk: There was many arguments in the band between 'Highly Evolved' and 'Winning Days' ?
Craig Nicholls: Lot of violence, yeah. At the beginning, Ryan, our guitarist and hamish, our drummer, fought one night. Plus, they hurt themselves. Wicked. Then the same thing happened one week later. One night after a concert, i tried to speak with them, they were still arguing in the back of the bus. I took Ryan aside. Cause Hamish was talking, huuum about religion, really bizzare. He was talking about God, the Devil and the fact that if we do not rehearse... Ryan was holding him at the ground. Brief, we all fought a tad. But, at the moment where we entered in studio, we concentreted ouserlves on the songs. Now, i get along really well with Hamish. It's okay. I cross fingers (...) There was loads of chaos and since we did the album, we're good friends.

Rock'n'Folk: And you're here, giving interviews since 15 days. You're getting really professionals, no ?
Craig Nicholls: They're piling us interviews up. We do them. For me, it's like killing time before going on stage. We've got definite approach. Sometimes, i'm very polite, i clearly spread my ideas. It depends, i find you cool, so it's cool. Sometimes the questions are very weird and it gets on my nerves. But i don't complain.It's not what i prefer, but i submit myself to do it for a good reason (Taking a host voice) Here it is, our second album, we're really proud of it, it's called Winning Days!

Rock'n'Folk: Don't take it like a reproach, but there's lot of naivety, unmaturity, in your album. It's rather rare...
Craig Nicholls: We've got no politic message, for example.
Patrick Matthews: I don't agree. It's true that we don't try to prove that we're clever, but...
Craig Nicholls: It's certain, good doesn't inevitably mean clever. Three chords can be enough. For example, 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' : It's 4 chords untiringly repeated and it's plenty enough... But our cd is complex enough finally, we've got harmonies. Some of our songs express themselves some crazy thoughts and very cliché, i know it (Silence then change the topic). You're talking about our aspirations but, you know, we never thought of playing a concert in Paris. We just made a band. Speaking about me during interviews, it's not a drug, it's just really funny. But that means absolutely nothing.

Rock'n'Folk: On the third songs, 'TV Pro', there's this weird rythm change. And we feel that you're proud of it, that it's what you always tried to do : find some tricks...
Craig Nicholls: We wanna do different things. Not in the name of Art. But simply for us. We're looking for new arrangements, some weird harmonies. And this song seems original to me. In fact, it's very easy. Very often in the rock music, we find again this fisrt-class contrast violence/lull that comes by the guitars, the voice. There, we applied the tempo recepe.

Rock'n'Folk: Where does your music come from ? From boredom, from the difficulty to communicate ?
Craig Nicholls: (very seriously): From creativity, i guess. And a bit of boredom in life, maybe. In listening to bands, in playing an instruments, everything here grew on us. It came quicly, we began to play, to do concerts. There's a progression.

Rock'n'Folk: How does the band work ? Are you a dictator ?
Craig Nicholls: Hitler was a dictator. Not me. I'd rather say i'm an artist, I prefer this. We all got our ideas, if i have more it's normal, it's because i sing, i write the songs. Everyone brings his own contribution. In studio, i often have the last word, but... Dictator, it seems like a too important word. I'm rather seeing myself like a spiritual guide face to his advice...

Rock'n'Folk: How's the atmosphere in studio ?
Craig Nicholls: Very easy, sweet. We worked together, it was great. We felt more confident and i guess one can hear that on the record.

Rock'n'Folk: We don't have the impression that you're listening to old things. You're not asking yourself for Blues, for example...
Craig Nicholls: I don't know, i'm listening to the White Stripes. If not, loads of Britpop, because it's pop and ... english.

Rock'n'Folk: Are you still a Muse fan ?
Craig Nicholls: Yeah, Absolutely. They're bluesy, no ?

Rock'n'Folk: Not really. Muse tempt things much more sophisticated. What d'you find them ?
Craig Nicholls: Each band has its nature. Their songs are shorter. What is sophistication ?We all have our own different ideas. What's stylish ? What's cool ? What's hype ? Compared to the last interviewer, you're well less sophisticated. You didn't talk about the album. Did you listen to it ? Did you like it ? Yeah, Oh it's great. Me, in fact, i don't like you at all.

Rock'n'Folk: Oh!
Craig Nicholls: There's too much stuff to say. And i don't want to waste my energie in listing the reasons why you stink. You unterstand ? I've got no respects about what you're doing.

Rock'n'Folk: What's the problem ?
Craig Nicholls: No seriously, I find that all this is shit. Me too, I'm listening to a lot of music. Music, it's for listening, that's all.It's not made to be intellectualise.

Rock'n'Folk:...
Craig Nicholls: If you worked for a magazine like Rolling Stone, you should have been smooth with me in telling me that you liked it. Instead of saying 'Oh you like Muse, but you're music is less sophisticated'. We should stop. I can't tolerate (...) What a pity! i like them, Muse. ! We don't give a damn of being compared, that makes no sense. I don't even remember for which magazine you work, but that doesn't matter for me, i read no magazines. THAT, it's a band, not to talk to people, but doing music. All those bullshits that one tells me! It's like those buildings, it doesn't matter. It doesn't even exist.

Rock'n'Folk: In this case, let's change the topic. We've just seen one concert in France from now...
Craig Nicholls: (in a second state) That doesn't exist either.

Rock'n'Folk: (exhausted) ... And it was dissapoiting, fucked up.
Craig Nicholls: You think i give a shit if people didn't like it ? We didn't play enough slow songs, fast songs or didn't play the single ? I don't care. Let's talk about the album, not about what you or your friends think of this all. Your bullshits make me sick. You don't understand. nobody understands, you've got your little plans. Me, i've gotta say clearly what i have in the head. I don't mind if you or your friends liked the cd or not.

Rock'n'Folk: Don't you feel like like if you were observed like a monkey in a zoo ?
Craig Nicholls: Yes. that's great. Catch me! Put me a monkey costume on, a guitar. Yes, OK, but i've got capacities. What about you. Are people interesting in what you're doing ? (Long break, explanations, no violence)? Hey sorry, i didn't want to insult you. The important thing is to listen to music. (heavy silence) I can speak about the differente songs on the album. And give you some descriptions, but kinda vague. The first means nothing, the second doesn't really mean something, the third makes sense. The system is wrong. Everything is wrong. See, what are we doing here ? That makes no sense. We can't take it seriously. OK, let's go, ask me a question, and i'll try not to be impolite (...) Don't think that it's because i'm in a band that i allow myself to insult everyone. It's just so strange. Everything goes in my head, i've got a big knot in my brain.

Rock'n'Folk: "Fuck The Wold", does it really speaks about ecology? Or do we have to take it as our first impression ? In this case, it makes many people...
Craig Nicholls: It's a song about environment. On the fact that everything is fucked up, without hope. People don't care. They've got cars and take them to go to an apartment block to another one. And what about the humain race ? It's not the evolution, as for me. The humanity regresses. It's hard to speak of this.We're not evolved, we're viruses with shoes (...) i will never watch MTV anymore, everything that is on this channel is simply shit. Including our clip (Get Free)...

Rock'n'Folk: If you weren't a musician, what would you do ?
Craig Nicholls: Thief

Rock'n'Folk: To steal what ?
Craig Nicholls: I never thought of that. I'm lucky not to have to do it. I'd not steal cars, because i don't care of them... Be carefull! i don't think it, but i'm gonna say it all the same : if i wasn't a musician, i'd work in a bank, Hey!

Rock'n'Folk: How d'you image yourself in 10 or 20 years ?
Craig Nicholls: I don't even know what i'm gonna do tonight. Honneslty, guy, i don't know.I hope i won't be in a band anymore. Help me Patrick, i'm fed up. It makes 5 hours that one is cooking me...
Patrick Matthews: In fact, uh, i don't really see what i could say... It was funny.
Craig Nicholls: But defend me, shout on him (laughs). You don't understand what i wanted to do. Don't read about music, that's not useful, that means nothing. We cut down trees for this, we build buildings for magazines to have their own offices. Famous people aren't more interesting than other people (sneering sight).

Rock'n'Folk: What you said is rather weird...
Craig Nicholls: Ok, i've got something : the other day, i was so retarted that i kissed my dog and gave an anti-flea bath to my girlfriend. Other questions ? Come on, i'm hot, i've got many answers. In fact, i apologise about being rude with you. It makes 15 days that i'm giving interviews. That seems self-complacent to me. If you don't have other questions, maybe it'd be great if i'd go and like that, you could begin to get better, that your soul refinds its purity...

Rock'n'Folk: Are you a prolific writter ?
Craig Nicholls: Yeah, i guess. I'm not Willie Nelson but i'm on the good way. I always write a few songs at the same time. One will be Death Metal, the other one more country-rock. It helps me balancing my schizphrenia (He takes another voice)... Yeah, that's what i said, schizophrenia !

Rock'n'Folk: Whereas you're not at all...
Craig Nicholls: That's true, i'm exagerating. And then i don't know what to say anymore. And i wonder what's on TV right now...


We'd stop there. Patrick leaves quietly. The little boy comes close to the tape record, last but one scream, a little smile on his face. "I should pulverize this normally". But no, the apparus survived. He opens the door quietly, curtseys in a sweet way in smiling, then gets away in the coridor in mooing inunderstandable words.





Craig Nicholls: (Guitarist, Singer)
Favorite CD: "...Are In The Village Green Preservation Society" The Kinks
Favorite Band: The Kinks
Favorite Drink: Water
Favourite Food: Chiness Food
Favorite Drug: Toothsticks, No, music!
Animal in which he'd want to be transformed: A bird, no matter which one, they can all about fly, except chickens. No one will say i'm a chicken! A bird under crack or cocaïne. No, don't print this, it's just humour.
Motto: Hum, here it is, that's it: hum


Ryan Griffiths: (Guitarist)
Favorite CD: "Sgt Peppers Lonely Heart's Club Band" The Beatles
Favorite Band: The Dandy Warhols
Favorite Drink: Fine Engine
Favorite Drug: mushrooms
Animal in which he'd want to be transformed: a whale
Motto: Always keep your fingers far away from cars' doors!


Hamish Rosser: (Drummer)
Favorite CD: "Fair Warning" Van Halen
Favorite Band: Soundgraden
Favorite Drink: Beer
Favorite Drug: Alcohol
Animal in which he'd want to be transformed: One of the Muppet Show
Motto: First for going to bed, first that is woken up. Or : Get your hands away from my wife Motherfucker

That was great.

Good job translating it, Cecile.

Hamish and Ryan fought? Interesting.

whoa. and we thought the kerrang interview was harsh.

he's such a different craig now - a much much happier craig! reading that only confirms craig is so much better off now that people are putting what's best for him first.

thanks for going to the trouble to translate all that, cecile - you're a champion!


edit: i'll add this to the press thread once people are thru commenting here.

Oh yes.

Ohmygodohmygod.

Ohmygodohmygod.

That's so funny.

Thank you

Yeah, that's what i said to myself when i re-read this interview

Absolutely. I was all confused when i read it. Compared to the new Craig, it sounds like it's someone else. It really felt like he's quite good now * how great*. It also depended on the interviewer. I mean, i guess they understood he makes music, they didn't need to ask him weird questions but only questions about his music.

Thanks a lot !!

Okay

I knew people would have reacted on this sentence.

sure you did!!



**picture all ofthis in her head ...



bwhahahha




am i the only one choked by that? WATER??
DOES CRAIG KNOWS WATER??? coke's his water!!

can i have the scann of this in French please???

Reminds me what we were talking about during Halloween

No, no i was shocked too

Okay

Thank you Cecile!!! Great job you did translating it! We all apreciate it.

You're welcome I'm glad you apreciate it. Cause I know you wanted it so Now you know that Craig might have a dog

Yes, Ry-dawg. I wonder if Ryan ever wears a leash for Craig. That'd be nice. VERY nice. Oh. Yeah.



Roawr.

^ Thank you VERY much for that mental image.

Or DID have a dog. That was a couple years ago, so who knows now. I wonder what kind it was/is..
Hahah his girlfriend must of had fleas.

Once again, thank you!

Then we all know which girl he must've been talking about.

Oh snap.

Any time, hun. ANY time.

Yes, maybe he doesn't have a dog anymore. I wonder how he called him/her




Oh yeah! Definitely

Bwahahahahaa! Oh noooooooooo!! I didnt mean anything by that when i said that. I was just joking around. Awwww man, that is too funny. You literally made me LOL!

Favorite Drink: Water

[quote name='Mary_Jane83' date='Nov 12 2006, 12:26 PM' post='526282']
I took Ryan aside. [/quote]

No surprises there, huh?


[quote name='Mary_Jane83' date='Nov 12 2006, 12:26 PM' post='526282']Craig Nicholls: Catch me! Put me a monkey costume on [/quote]

Aaahh, of course! *runs to fetch a monkey costume*


[Rock'n'Folk: If you weren't a musician, what would you do ?
Craig Nicholls: Thief[/quote]



[quote name='Mary_Jane83' date='Nov 12 2006, 12:26 PM' post='526282']Craig Nicholls: the other day, i was so retarted that i kissed my dog and gave an anti-flea bath to my girlfriend.[/quote]

hahahahahaha! awwww I love him for being so weird

[quote name='Mary_Jane83' date='Nov 12 2006, 12:26 PM' post='526282']Favourite Food: Chiness Food[/quote]
I didn't know that

[quote name='Mary_Jane83' date='Nov 12 2006, 12:26 PM' post='526282']Favorite Drug: Toothsticks, No, music!
Animal in which he'd want to be transformed: A bird, no matter which one, they can all about fly, except chickens. No one will say i'm a chicken! A bird under crack or cocaïne. No, don't print this, it's just humour.
Motto: Hum, here it is, that's it: hum[/quote]

Craig Chicken Nicholls hehehe

[quote name='Mary_Jane83' date='Nov 12 2006, 12:26 PM' post='526282']ryan:
Animal in which he'd want to be transformed: a whale
Motto: Always keep your fingers far away from cars' doors![/quote]

I wonder if he got his fingers caught with a car's door

[quote name='Mary_Jane83' date='Nov 12 2006, 12:26 PM' post='526282']
hamish
Animal in which he'd want to be transformed: One of the Muppet Show
Motto: First for going to bed, first that is woken up. Or : Get your hands away from my wife Motherfucker
[/quote]

hahahaha Muppet show??




Excellent interview Cécile! Thanks!!

Comment of the day.

It's just a show with those characters :


You're welcome

I never rode this interview before. Where did you get it from ? Could you post the french version ? Who is the interviewer ? Many questions, sorry

We know it's hard to make a translation and it takes a lot of time but you' ve done a really great job, félicitations miss !








Oh Craig

fantometteeeeeeeeeeeeee !!
i've missed ya!!!

I'm quite busy but don't worry I still take the time to lurk

yay! me too! i've decided to spend much time studing (arf yeah i know it sucks!) but i want to go to Scotland so bad so i have to!!!

It's from the April 2004 Rock&Folk and the interviewer is Basile Farkas.

My brother has the mag but he doesn't want to gave it to me , I can only borrow it

Sorry I was only able to scan the mag cover because my f**king scaner isn't well working



Hope Cécilou will scan the rest

^ and this magazine is valuable to your brother....why? does he have a craig-crush too? do like me and 'borrow' it...then 'forget' to give it back.

i can't believe this baby has just now surfaced - it has some fine craig moments. are these pictures the other ones from it? i always wondered what they went with...





thanks again for the translation and scans.

Ditto.

Yes I'm trying to be more serious too, too bad there's no Scotland for reward for me





Thank you for your precisions ( oh Basile ! lol ) It was probably at the occasion of Le Printemps de Bourges.





Fabrice Demessence is photographer for R'n'F so it was probably for one of their issues.

I always thought these pics were the proper ones actually : Les Raisins de la Colère, The Grapes of Wrath





^ Where do those ones belong then ?

Yep, Fabrice Demessence is the guy who took the pictures for R&F


If my memory's good (which is usually not ) those pictures are from Rock Mag....


My brother is collecting the R&F mags since he's a teenager (Nirvana got him ) and behind one of The Vines picture there's an article about Nirvana that's why I can't have it .

With my brother it's always the war.... Nirvana vs The Vines

.

Huuuum, Audrey already answered your questions. Merciii beaucoup !

Oh! I like that nickname ... Cécilou Thanksss

There you go :

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/8563/rocknfolk001qk8.jpg
http://img327.imageshack.us/img327/8474/folk1xu0.jpg
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/6351/ro...lkreviewyg6.jpg

There's a first part, like an introduction. I read it and it was like the interviewer was saying shit about Craig so i said to myself, i don't bother myself translating it but if people want. I'll sure do it ^^ !! There's a funny part inside all the same so. Just let me know !!


Yup ! There's also this one : http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/3535/20040402zi3.jpg
And this other one : http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/8572/20040404gv1.jpg

You both are real sweethearts

You're welcome !

i love the way of Craig's posing in this pic ...
... so

You might want to check the Craig/Ryan<3 thread then.


Yes. But it'd be a lot better if he was sitting in Ryan's lap. *sigh
I guess a girl can't have it all.

The boy who interviewed Craig and Patrick are a AssHorse!
Realla did stupid questions.
Poor Craig

Thanks for the interview Cecile!

I love it... how he rambles on about nothing, and gets pissed at the interviewers stupid questions, and then trys to be polite and not loose his coool, looses his cool, and then trys to regain it....classic craig

Ha, it's interviews like these that always make me realize how unappreciated most interviewers are, in the musician's eye at least. I know craig's better now, but it's still gotta suck answering all those questions so often. That must have been pretty hard on him, just with how he had to deal with it .

You're welcome sweetie !!!

There's a moment that I like in the introduction, it's when Craig is asking: "Would you like some sweets?" when the interviewer saw the little biscuits and chocolate on the table...

There's a moment he's also sayin' : "Well ! I didn't reserved you the usual welcome. Everytime that a journalist is coming I'm hiding in the closet and I get out of it while I'm screaming."
Nicholls is hiding in the closet and close the door behind him. A minute has run out. Patrick is waiting. Finally we decide to knock the door: knock,knock,knock. The door opens and Nicholls is asking: "Would you like a coat hanger ?"

That's my favourite part of the introduction....

^ This anecdote is priceless ! Imagine the journalist' s face at this moment while Patrick is totally blasé.





You're a true encyclopedia





Thank you ! The third one doesn't work for me though





You're so right. It's too bad because R'n'F is not like those teenage magazines disguised in rock forums and they offer interesting articles and reviews. It's even perceived as an honor for some people to grace their cover. It could have produced a great paper about The Vines but it miserably fails.

Anyway their 40th birthday issue is out this month ( with The Who on the cover ! ) and there are pages with pics of all the covers from the past and it's so cool to see the Vines among all the great artists there. I'm quite proud of our boys

Thanks MaryJane_83(i'm sorry I don't know your name! ) for translating this good article!

Craig is so fuckin' funny and adorable, awww

"Me, in fact, i don't like you at all"

"Come on, i'm hot, i've got many answers"

guys,...
this interview is really really fucking great,..
Craig is a fucking guy that have a lot of good ideas about the kind of song that your band do!
it's very important to remember,'cause it's totally new,..something different! nothing is very serious!


anyway,...thank you a lot for your great translate to us!

The interview isn't even funny... More of a inside look into exactly why Annandale happened, it's very sad...

whats annandale?
god, i saw myself in that interview. i think i'm goin crazy lately...

It's a music venue in Sydney