The Cock Robin Forum View topic

Mike Wagner

Hi,

Can somebody translate the interview that Peter did for Zicline.com to English? I would love to see what Peter had to say. Thanks!
_________________
" I Look For Perfection, Inside Of This Wreck"

conundrum · Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:35 pm Post subject:

I'm happy to oblige. I quickly did it, hope it''s not too flawed (the French interview was flawed, that didn't help).

After the 1st show, in Bordeaux, did you feel relieved?
Yes because there was a lot of pressure. People from our record label were there, and so was the audience which we hadn''t seen for 16 years, and we were surprised they were so welcoming. It''s been a moment of happiness thanks to their enthusiasm.

Why did you decide to reform the band?
I think that we simply both missed the singing in duet. Musically it's something very appealing for a composer. We are mixing our voices in many songs on this new album because I didn't want to miss the opportunity to have as many duets together as we could.

Can we say that Anna LaCazio is fire and you are water?
(laughs) I am like my first name: a stone. I'm not water, and Anna is indeed fire.

From 1989 to 2006, what are the major changes in music?
First of, there's no rule in music now. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers can be played on the same television channels and radios as Norah Jones. Radios are more open to different styles. Electronic music, programming have changed a lot. The music business has collapsed too, due to the rise of the web. Now the sound manager is not only a sound manager, he can manage the bus as well, he can be experienced in lightings. People are wearing more different hats now. It''s no longer about the troubadour who sings in the streets.

In this new album, you're closer to what you did in your solo works than it is a nostalgic comeback?
You think? Maybe. It would have been a pity to do a record without bringing some new things. We did this album based on our own taste and instinct, and above all with our own money. We had no record label backing us.

What's surprising is your very first video uses the same desert visual of this last album. Was it a way to end what you started?
We had a photo session for this album and we didn't like the result. These pictures in the desert are not meant to be a wink back at the past. It''s just that Anna and Clive Wright, our guitar player, live there. They''ve been living in Joshua Tree for a decade. If this picture kind of refreshes our fans'' memory, we're very happy.

Your album is entitled "I don''t want to save the world". Did you think at one time or another that music could precisely help save the world?
You don't do a record to save anything at all, except maybe take everyday life worries off. Music is too personal and is not meant to solve the current crisis. Let's just say that we may have saved a few people but not the world yet (laughs).

Then why this disenchanted title?
It's more of an answer to the Americans who want to save the world, or at the very least to those who think they can do it. As an American, I don''t want the job (laughs) or this label. Most Americans think the same, we want to disavow our president and his policy.

Why did you do a cover of Michel Polnareff?
I had done quite a lot of arranging while in France, it motivates me, I enjoy this work. I thought the title of this song was very poetic: under which star am I born, so I decided to sing it.

Did being a father change your connection to music?
To music, no. To life, definitely, yes. You get a new reason to get up in the morning and most of all not to be mainly self-absorbed.

Mike Wagner · Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:39 pm Post subject:

Thanks so much Conondrum for taking the time to translate the interview!! Very Happy

_________________
" I Look For Perfection, Inside Of This Wreck"

Magpie · Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 2:11 pm Post subject:

Yes, many thanks from me as well. Very Happy

_________________
"Show me the love of a friend
And a dream to get high on"