(Mark looking very tired and (slightly) sad. Plays with his hair)
Hi Mark, nice to meet you. Especially for you it's a sad moment for you today.
M: Yeah, I mean not incredibly sad, but yeah... a bit
*poignant*, yeah.. You're only two years in Crowded House.
M: Well, I've actually been playing *in* the group since 1989, so... Officially for about 3 years.. But.. ehm.. yeah, a while. Then the big WHY - why does Crowded House split up?
M: Ah, I mean, that's not really for me to answer.. ehm... I think Neil just felt the *need* to move on. He wanted to do something different and felt like he needed to
put an end to this before he could do that and didn't want to really carry on the name without... you know... because Crowded House is a specific group of people, so... What after Crowded House for you?
M:
I don't know... exactly, you know. It's been, I mean it's only been two weeks since I found out. I don't really have any long-range plans. You don't know or you don't want to tell us?
M: I wish I knew!
(Laughs sheepishly)... No I don't know. I mean, I've got a few things I have to do. A filmscore I have to finish when I get back to L.A. and .. ehm... I like to maybe do a bit more producing and... eh... I dunno. But there were more songs?
M: Oh yeah. Here's always been songs hanging around. Lots of songs. Also songs written by you?
M: Yeah, yeah we did a few of those last summer.
And then - what about these songs?
M: Oh, I don't know, might... record them. I dunno. Maybe on your own?
M: Anything is possible, anything is possible. I'm not restricting myself at this point or my imagination. Anything is possible. Tonight the last gig in Amsterdam, Holland. The last worldwide. And then? Tomorrow you'll be back in Australia.
M: Ehm, no, I think we'll go back to.. to London. It's not quite as dramatic but ehm... London and we may go to Canada too.. to do a little bit more .. ehm... promotion that we've already.. ehm .. committed
ourselves to. And then finally... eh... Crowded House will split up forever?
M: ...probably, yeah... (bites lower lip) Will it be forever this time?
M: I can't say it's *not* getting back together.. I think, I mean not on a large scale, but I'm sure that there'll be a ... a time when we happen to be in the same place... and... Maybe at somebody's wedding or who knows. We'll probably play again... but..
You guys can do a wedding album then.
M: Yeah, we could do that. (Smiles) There will be for the last time a double album here.
M: This 'Best of' - yeah, I think... yeah, actually I think it *is* double. I think there's the studio 'Best of's and then there's a limited edition live compilation thing. And that's just basically DATs of shows we did over the years that we kind of went through
and picked some interesting ones and ..eh.. there.. I mean it's just straight off the board, nothing fancy. Ok - We're TMF at the Basement on 9. (M: "TMF") 9 words - 9 things of life. Can you answer them? Amsterdam- Great City
Australia- Dry and big
Touring- Love it (smiles)
Music- Love it (smiles)
Tim Finn (love it?)- He's a friend of mine. I like him, he's a good guy, yeah.
Soccer- I'm American. What can I say?
Finish- Hmm... Good and bad
Crowded House- Yeah, good band
(Bits of video "Don't dream it's over") (Over to: Nick in good spirits, very talkative, laughing and joking) Nick: I, I
have to look sad?? * od spirits, very talkative, laughing and joking) Nick: I, I have to look sad?? Especially today you have to look sad.
N: I should feel really happy - we're playing tonight. I only like playing! It's all the other bullshit that goes with it that actually makes me sad! (laughs) You don't like the bullshit?
N: Well, no, I mean, I like being in a band, I like being a musician and I do believe that 90% of the job is entrepreneurial, you know. There's a 10% talent in being a musician and being a popmusician. 90% is being in the right place at the right time. And I guess I'm there right now. You just told us you like to play in a band, but what about tomorrow?
N: (laughs) Yeah, there you are, you see. Yeah, I mean, who knows... eh it wasn't my decision to break the band up. Who did it? (whispered)
N: The bloody leadsinger! Classic leadsingers!! Well, kill him!
N: Well, I mean, yeah, we could. That would sell a lot more records, wouldn't it? (laughs) Ok, I have to be serious, especially today. Tonight the last time Crowded House and then?
N: er..., Well I've actually funnily enough been offered - of all the members of the band I've been offered the most jobs. (laughs) I think because people realize that I'm the last person to leave whenever there is a party! ehm... Are you looking for a new job?
N: Well, not really, no, I mean, I was looking, I am looking for projects and .. eh... Use your camera maybe?
N: You're right. (looks straight at camera) I'm.. eh... 5ft9.5, I'm in my middle to late 30s, ehm... I'm very clean, I've relatively good skin,... ehm... no, (looks away) I've been offered a few projects that eh ... one is a singer that... I know a lot of people in record companies now so, I seem to be being offered opportunities ehm... I've just finished an album with my brother in Australia. He sings with a band called Hunters and
Collectors and they're very popular in Australia and they've even toured in Holland.. ehm.. There's a few viewers out there that would be acquainted with their music.. and .. eh, I've recorded an album with him - his first solo album and we finished it about a month ago. So this was before I knew that Crowded House was breaking up .. ehm.. so now it frees me up to promote the album with my brother. But for Crowded House was there really no new musical direction?
N: Nnn.. yeah, there is. You know, if you listen to Neil you'll have one spin on the situation and it's part of his make up, his emotional make up to be able to make decisions and stick by them and be very cut and dry. I don't know what
starsign he is, perhaps it has something to do with this, but eh.. Are you angry with him actually?
N: No, I think that eh... erm.. Later on maybe?
N: Maybe, maybe later on. There's part of me that's always angry at a certain aspect of Neil that he allows himself to... allows to come to the fore of his emotions ehmm.. - but then that same aspect of
his character is something I admire. So there's always a duality in the make up of people. And Neil will make a decision and the nsecond guess it, or feel that he has to make a decision when he doesn't and always leave first but not know where he's going. When a band splits up there's always the big look back.
What was for you the most exploding moment?
N: It's hard to recognize any particular moment of glory that I'd like to be able to hang my hat on .. ehm.. Doing, being able to play... the summerfestivals in.. across Europe, being taken very seriously in Europe given that our original perception was that we were wacky, zany kind of not terribly serious musicians from Australia and then
over the last 10 years we've actually gradually been it's been recognized that we are a band of now a particular genre of music. ehm.. I'm not laying claim to being the reason for certain influences on other bands but we have our place in contemporary music definitely. Ehm.. without having to have been scandalized or behave like pompous arrogant popstars. Cause I think that hasn't been something we've been careful about, I just think that we've been able to be relatively natural in the
business and our music has still been able to get out to a lot of people. We haven't had to sleep around, haven't had to ... eh.. prostitute ourselves in any particular way (laughs).. it's good. Never?
N: Well... (laughs)
Only to make your first record maybe?
N: Well - now I think I'm gonna join a band and we're not going to make any music, we're just gonna make scandals. There'll just be one scandal after another. Cause you
can't buy scandals though you see - I couldn't make a record of scandals. It's one of those things that keeps you guys (gestures at interviewer) employed rather than us. Michael Ja.. Ok... (Nick laughs) The new album. It's a best one..
N: Best of. A 'best of' one, but I saw 3 new numbers. Why? You guys split up today.
N: (laughs) Well, when we recorded those we didn't know
we were breaking up! ehm.. Is it true, or just to make a big seller?
N: (laughs) Well, I mean.. it's possible, it's possible that it's just a mere publicitycampaign! (laughs) Just a question!
N: It could be one of the most cleverest things we've ever done in our career, it could be a new turningpoint for Crowded House, it could be our biggest record, I really.. I can't say because the
decision was only made two weeks ago - by Neil. And Mark and I have the good taste enough to not try and proceed without him. Whether or not he wants actually to get back with us to do a farewell tour or a tour of 'the best of', if it becomes our best selling album if it actually does sell as well as the record company people seem to believe it might, there's a good reason to get out and tour, but at this stage Neil's saying that he doesn't want to do a farewell tour. (to camera) He's
behaving like a petulant brat, fans! (laughs) write lots of letters to the fanclub. Put postings on the e-mail about how you want us to do a tour and maybe we will (laughs). What if Neil calls you tomorrow or maybe about a week and ask you, Ok make up and start over..
N: And change our name.. (laughs) Yeah maybe...
N: I... Neil was actually a week ago he was saying he wouldn't work again with
me. And now today I heard him say that he would work again with Mark. So I don't know. I think what he's done is putting a rest to the name Crowded House.. erm.. in order to satisfy a certain desire to shed responsibility although I don't think that.. we rely on him as much as he might think. I think it's relying on himself a lot more than perhaps us. Cause we all have projects outside the band. I don't know what the future brings in regard of working with Neil again - I love working
with him, we have a natural chemistry, which if you come tonight, you'll see on stage, it's still there - we played last night in Madrid and it was fantastic and two nights before that in Hamburg it was fantastic and eh.. it's kind of sad but it's all of the things other than the actual music. The music can't be touched. We still have that chemistry. So.. eh.. hopefully we will do something again, Neil and I. Ok - the final Crowded House question. What do you feel about tonight. Is it sad or not?
N: It's sort of sad - I ..eh... I have mixed feelings about it. When we perform.. I just.. I love playing so just getting through the set will be the main thing. I don't like it to be a ... ehm.. like a
New Years party.. sort of an actual farewell of something and perhaps embracing of something new. I'd like to think of it as just another gig. Think about it because these are your famous last words of Crowded House.
N: (laughs loudly) All I know is that I'll be the last one to leave. That's it. Paul, our old drummer was always the first to leave, first into bed. Neil is always making a speech, then leaving. And I always hang around till stumps. It'll be my epitaph (grins widely). (Video of Weather With You)
(Over to: a very resolute Neil (with big cigar) - saying the right things...) Neil: It's ultimately once you're on stage you should do a gig, it should be in the moment. It shouldn't really have anything to do with the past or the future, it should just be now. And ehm you know announcements like that, I mean you know if it had come out naturally perhaps it would have been OK, but I just didn't feel like, I felt it was too dramatic to say anything on stage. (Video bits of Don't Dream It's Over) Neil: But it's been a really good period of time and I don't think any of us would've changed a minute of
it. I mean there's been the odd, there's been a lot of frustrations from time to time and things we might have done differently with a bit of wisdom but it was all great - you know, no regrets. (Video bits of Don't Dream It's Over) You put three new songs on the record - why three new songs?
Neil: Ah - well, we were contracted to put two on, so we did this 'best of' in order to get released from our record deal in America with Capitol - that was
part of the deal. And originally we, you know, would have preferred to do a new record, but ... that part of the deal was to do two new songs. We did three th choose from and in the end we couldn't choose between three so we put all three on. (Video bits of Don't Dream It's Over) Neil: I mean, yeah, we could make records you know for another 10 years if, but I would like to do it in a different context, I would like to have the freedom to play with different people and put together a different sound. Errm... I feel a little bit like we've kind of peaked as a band and to continue would be just to try and make
y'know some money, and I don't think that's a good enough reason to continue. (Video bits of Don't Dream It's Over) Neil:
Crowded House won't be appearing again - I can say that quite firmly and clearly and resolutely. Erm.. you know.. I'm not... In my desire to free myself up to be able to play with many different people if I need.. I want to that includes Nick and Mark, I don't have any cut-off point for those people as individuals. Nick I would be quite happy to do a session for instance one day bring Nick in and play some bass for me. Or Mark for a tour on stage maybe, Mark doing something on stage maybe.
But it won't be Crowded House. But as musicians I admire them, so there's you know, no problem there. (Video of Don't Dream It's Over) |