Wall of Mouths

Welcome to the dotmusic chat with Therapy?

dotmusic: Hi and welcome to the Therapy? webchat. Michael and Graham are here to answer your questions.

dotmusic: Let’s start…

Popey from Manchester England asks: Which of the two bill+ted films was ure favourite and why?

Michael: The second one because we all went en masse to see it at a cinema in Nottingham on a day off after being in a pub all day

Graham: I thought the first one was better

Michael: Actually I dind’t see the second one, I’m thinking of Wayne’s World

Graham: I thought they were both pretty crap to tell you the god’s honest truth

Becky from london asks: Have you written any new material yet, and if so, what does it sound like?

Michael: Yes

Graham: It sounds kind of like the last album but more stripped down and song based than the last album

Graham: We’ve got about three finished songs and 7 or 8 we’re working on

Michael: It’s still quite noisy and very, very energetic

Liam from Moscow, Russia (formerly of Galway, Ireland) asks: You cancelled your Moscow concert in 1995. When are you finally going to get here?

Michael: Whenever we’re invited. Since cancelling the last gig we haven’t been invited back

Graham: Next year we’re going to go everywhe

Graham: Get their people to talk to our people

Luscious Lucy from London asks: Is it true that Graham is Ronan Keating’s cousin, and if so do the pair ever compare career notes?

Graham: Yes it is true and I’ve taught him all he knoiw

Graham: I see him at funerals and weddings

Juri Verstappen from Amsterdam, Holland. asks: ‘Potato Junkie’ was explained by Andy once as a song thats about the fucked up culture over in Ireland, but what exactly does ‘Potatie Junkie’ mean, or what does it refer to? Is it a reference to one of James Joyces books maybe?

Michael: errr.. yes. It’s about how until recently Ireland was bound up in its cultural past

Michael: It’s about how we thought that Ireland should be looking to the future.

Michael: And with the way the song treated James Joyce it was like slaughtering the sacred cow

Barry Thomson from Dundee asks: I see from your tour diary on the official site you boys like to soundcheck to ACDC numbers. What ones in particular do you play and have you ever played any of them live??

Graham: We never played any AC DC live. We played Let there be rock in the soundcheck the other day, but we do them very badly

Kathy D from London asks: Is Diamond Dave still one of your roadies & could you give us any funny stories about him?

Michael: He’s still part of the family

Graham: He’s missing in action

Michael: He’s a researcher for Popped In Crashed Out on late night ITV

Graham: Anyone who thinks any of Diamond Dave’s jokes are funny should go to HMV and get a copy of Bob Monkhouse’s greatest hits. He stole the lot

Michael: He’s known as the gag robber… it’s like a grave robber only worse.

dotmusic: So how did you first meet Diamond Dave?

Michael: We first met him in Belfast hanging round gigs and we asked him if he wanted to sell t-shirts

ronald klootwijk from Netherlands asks: Are all the new tracks you are playing live going to be released?

Michael: The recorded versions will all be on the new album, yes

Michael: we’re kind of road testing them at the moment

Taylan from Ýstanbul, Turkey asks: How can i interview with them online for my magazine?

Graham: Get in touch with our record company

Graham: or our management

Ferg from Fife asks: What is your favourite AC/DC album? Mine is Powerage.

Michael: Good choice.. Powerage. For me it’s probably Highway to Hell

Graham: Mine’s Back In Black. It was the first one I got.

Graham: I never leave home without it

Ruben Huig from Rotterdam, Holland asks: What is the best show you ever played?

Graham: It’s impossible to answer

Michael: But hopefully it’s yet to come

Michael: Yes

Ferg from Fife asks: Michael, I am a great fan of gumby metal and know your first band was called Evil Priest…did you get this name from the song of the same name by Death Angel? Did EP have a song called ‘Open the casket and let the demon be released’? Cheers.

Michael: yes and yes

Ruben Huig from Rotterdam, Holland asks: What is the flag behind you on the current tour supposed to mean?

Michael: The flag? We’ve got a flaming backdrop

Graham: The guy that does lights came up with the idea. We wanted a fiery kind of look. I don’t know if we’re achieving it

Ronan Gibson from Aberdeen asks: What with bringing out the ‘Best of’ album will there ever be a ‘Best of’ video? PS. Come back to Aberdeen! Great gig you guys did here!

Michael: I’d like to think so. It would be nice to get some live footage too. We’ve got a load of that around

dotmusic: What do you think about bootlegs?

Michael: I’ve noithing against them. If I like a band I’d go and get them

Michael: But it’s different if you’re talking about copying our new album and selling that to fans

Graham: When I was young, I couldn’t afford to buy albums, so I always used to tape them off friends. And I think napsters the same thing

Roni Abramowsky from Israel - http://www.geocities.com/therapyinisrael asks: What are you after? money? music? fun? fame?

Michael: Music and fun, in that order.

Nick from Sudbury asks: Who chooses the support bands for the tours? I’ve seen Groop Dogdrill, Rico, Co.Uk, The yo yo’s Clutch, and Dog Toffee, and they’ve all been fantastic

Graham: we all do, usually

Michael: We get a wishlist and see who’s available. From bands we’ve heard one song from to bands we’ve been into for years

Nick from Sudbury asks: Has Martin got many bruises after being dropped onto the mixing desk in Northampton the other night?

Michael: He’s got a massive bruise, because our sound guy was protecting his desk.

Graham: Over the last few years, we’ve been introducing the band during the potato junkie, and when Martin gets introduced, he tries to get to the back of the hall on top of the crowd

Michael: In holland he got all the way to the bar and we saw him drinking

SilentDave from London asks: What radio stations do you listen to?

Graham: I listen to a dublin pirate station called Phantom FM. It’s about 91.6 FM in Dublin

Kevin McGill from Derry, Northern Ireland asks: Most bands from Northern Ireland, such as Ash, Undertones, Schtum and Therapy, always make a bigger impact during the beginning of their careers - is it difficult to adjust to the bigger markets when a local band attains an international status?

Michael: In a lot of ways, yes, but then again, but its the same if you come from a small town anywhere, and you’re thrust into stardom - it’s not like we’re Elton John

Michael: We got to a point where we had to become arseholes to become bigger

Michael: And that’s not in our nature

anonymous from nowhere asks: Graham can you name a cd or single where you played on with My Little Funhouse???

Graham: Who asked that? I’d love to know who that is

Graham: I joined my little funhouse just after they released their only album. I’m on the b-side to Raintown, and Wishing Well, and then there was an EP called Sip and Spit

Graham: Good luck if you can find them

billy from dublin asks: What are your favourite Irish bands at the moment?

Michael: A band called Kabin Boy

Graham: Redneck Manifesto

Graham: Jubilee All Stars

Michael: Scald

Michael: Throat

Michael: Torino

Michael: we’re lookking forward to the new Ash album

Graham: Wilt

Colm Lenihan from colm_lenihan@hotmail.com asks: Any Irish gigs planned before the end of the year - we’re starting to feel left out over here

Graham: Probably not. We played Belfast and Dublin in March, and we did Witnness. We’ll be back at the start of next year

Skinny Bob from Dublin asks: You mentioned Phantom FM… Cormac Battle from Wilt DJ’s on the station. Have you ever thought about becoming a part time celebrity DJ?

Michael: There will be a top DJ set from Graham on Friday at the Camden underworld

Graham: I’d love to get into DJing. I’ve talked to the people at Phantom about doing a one off

Graham: I’m doing 7pm - 8pm at the Underworld on Friday - be there!

ferg from Fife asks: Graham, did you really become a better drummer after breaking your arm? Can you recommend some other (non-drastic) measures for improving my own timekeeping skills?!

Graham: I had to something drastic. Breaking bones is the only way to go. You appreciate what you’ve got then

Nick from Sudbury asks: Michael, can you tell us anything about your side project, Sons of Massey?

Michael: It’s not really much to do with me. I’m just the bassist. It’s my brother and his mate, possibly the laziest musicians in Ireland. It’s like ZZTop meets Mogwai

Michael: We recorded a single a while ago, and now they just listen to it and plan how to take over the world.

Michael: I don’t even have a copy of it

Real Dave from East Yorkshire asks: who influences your music???

Michael: Lots of things.

Graham: It changes all the time

Michael: It’s usually a mix of what we’re all listening to.

Michael: we tend to hear things and think - we don’t want to do that - and we try and do the opposite

Graham: I think everything in the charts is cringeworthy. it’s beyond diabolical

Michael: To me good pop music is Abba, or Simon or Garfunkel. Stuff with a history

Graham: We’re really into Queens of the Stone Age, At The Drive In, And You Will Know Us By The Trail of the Dead

Michael: We’ve got a soft spot for madonna

Graham: I quite like the new all saints song. And Michael said he liked that Sonique song

Swayum from MIlan asks: What do u think about the new rock scene in england group like placebo coldplay etc etc

Michael: for me, british rock is more about Groop Dogdrill and Pitchshifter, Raging Speedhorn. I like Placebo, but the more exciting stuff hasn’t really come up yet

Barry Thomson from Dundee asks: Graham - is that a mohican you’re sporting or is it just the way you’re slouching?

Graham: Yes. It’s a shit attempt at a mohican. I’m just not hard enough to cut it shorter at the sides

fiacc from waterford asks: any chance of a US tour?

Michael: We ment to go out there with the Suicide Pact, but budgetary reasons… blah blah blah

Michael: But we’re planning on going out there soon

Graham: It’s not cheap

Michael: It’s hard because we don’t have many friends out there we can stay with

fondas solomos from athens Greece asks: Will be any cover songs on the new album?

Michael: No.

Michael: We’re going to record a cover of a Turbo Negro song (they’re Norwegian) and it’s going to be on a tribute album

Graham: For a german fan club

Graham: Him, and Queens of the Stone Age are doing it too. It’s coming out in March

Michael: The songs called Denim Demon. They look like the Village People.

Michael: It’s a cult thing

Hugo & Eunice from Portugal asks: Why the hell did Martin wear the same furry jacket for years, even on the Little Tongues First video? eh eh eh

Michael: (Much Laugter)

Graham: We’ve been asking the Same Question

monkey boy from the sticks asks: which country has the most mental therapy? fans?

Michael: There’s two people called Hugo and Eunice…

Roni from Israel asks: why did you stop playing the original version for diane live?

Graham: Just to be different, really

Michael: We played the original for a year. But it’s hard to replicate in a punk rock show. The one we do know is more like the original Husker Du version

Time_To_Die from Derby asks: You last UK gig is at Sheffield, Do you plan anything special?

Graham: We’ll see

Michael: We don’t really plan these things.

Graham: If you’ve got any ideas, please tell us

Hugo from nowhere asks: How did you manage to get Jack Endino to produce the next record?

Michael: We asked him

Graham: And he said yes

Michael: He was on our list to do Nurse

Emily from Lincoln asks: What is your favourite Therapy? track?

Graham: It changes, every album it changes

Roni from Israel asks: Have you been visiting any therapy? pages on the net?

Michael: We do. We know what you’re saying about us. And Ronald in Holland. We know about your bootlegs

Roni Abramowsky from Israel - http://www.geocities.com/therapyinisrael asks: Is Martin gonna play the cello on the next album? cause’ i think it’s a shame you have a cello player and not using it at all.

Graham: I’m sure he will.

Nick from Sudbury asks: what do you do to put each other off during shows?? i know Michael goes ‘woo!’ at the end of die laughing to put Graham off, but do you do anything back Graham?

Graham: Yes. I just do stuff to put him off constantly

Graham: He’s too lost in music to realise

Toblerone Junkie from Chocolate Land asks: Graham, Teethgrinder. Teethgrinder must be hard to play, as Fife played and sang it originally. You always seem to bollox it up. Is it as hard as it seems

Graham: I’m going to find out where you live. I don’t bollocks it up at all

Graham: I don’t think I can accept that.

ferg from fife asks: What is your least favourite Therapy? song? Mine is 30 Seconds.

Michael: There’s a song on nurse called Hypermania

dotmusic: I love that song

Michael: The original idea was so far away from how it ended up

SilentDave from London asks: How often do you ROCK?

Graham: For about an hour and a half every night

Graham: As often as we possibly can

Graham: We’ll be rocking somewhere tonight

dotmusic: Time for just a few more questions…

Hugo & Eunice from Portugal asks: Why Straight Life on the Rectrospective album and not Black Eye Purple Sky?

Michael: The way we chose everything was very democratic… and that’s how the votes fell. It was outvoted

Michael: Some songs had to be on it…

Michael: we listened to every album, in a row, and made notes

Roni from Israel asks: Why doing 3 small shows in London and not 1 but bigger?

Graham: We did one big one last march, at the astoria, and they were both supporting the best of. Also the Underworld was the first place Therapy? headlined in london

Graham: We’re making a kind of party out of it

Juri Verstappen from Amsterdam asks: Do you guys fear the end of Therapy? as a band?

Michael: Not at all. No. I know it’s not going to be next week

Michael: When we look back, it’s all good memories

Michael: We’re all proud of what we’ve done

Graham: When it ends, it’ll be when we want to stop. We’re not going to be the Rolling Stones

Michael: I’d be Bill Wyman

Graham: I’d be Charlie Watts

dotmusic: Thnaks a lot Michael and Graham. Thank you for all your questions, it’s been great.

Michael: Thanks a lot, see you soon.

Graham: Thanks, the questions have been great.