Astronauts interview

1) First of all Im very glad that I have the chance to speak with you. Second, I am also
glad that you are working on a film about Mark Astronaut, because truth be told, mine and others knowledge of the bands history is fragmented a lot and this documentary is very important for that reason. So how is the quest for archive material going so far? When should we expect this film? Mark: It's an ongoing project but I don't think there is very much Astronauts footage. The film should be out by the summer though I'm not holding my breath. 2) The band started as early as 1977 and my impression is that the 70s provided all the ideological and social basis that the 80s needed, in order for the explosion of music genres to happen. In England in particular the transition from the 60s to the 70s had remarkable and sad moments. So my question is, what is your impression and whether the sensitivity of the lyrics of your songs highlight the bands attitude towards all that? Mark: I think in a way...after the hedonistic euphoria which characterised 60's beat culture it was inevitable that the 70's would seem somewhat less enticing and songs are therefore written illustrating a bleaker social landscape. Hopefully my lyrics do convey that atmosphere but it is really up to the recipient to determine this on a personal level. 3) You have performed together with names as Dire straits, Duran Duran, Zounds etc, which of these gigs you remember the most and why? Mark: I think Dire Straits was our third ever gig- we didn't even have a drummer! Although Dire Straits at the time seemed to be reasonably friendly folk I don't know whether this sense of camaraderie extended to their audience, who looked more bemused than appreciative. On some of the free tours we used to invite local bands to fill a guest slot on the bill. In Birmingham an early form of Duran Duran were that band. I can't claim to remember much about them except they seemed more intense and less frivolous than they were at the height of their fame. 4) What have been up to since The Astronauts stopped releasing records in 2000? Have you been concentrated mainly on Restricted Hours and The otters? The answer is in your question. I've been playing with all 3 bands since 2000, a situation which is ongoing.

5) The Donkey riding is it a kind of teaser about a forthcoming album by the

Astronauts or not? No. It's just a DIY EP. Things are never as planned as you may think... 6) Anarchy and punk music. Whats the deal here? The Astronauts seem to have surpassed the dilemma of whether harsh electric guitar playing coupled with riot imagery and angry vocals, actually put effectively across or not any kind of socially and politically aware message. What I mean is that from the very beginning you broke away from the music norm of anarchist punk music groups and youve developed a very unique style enriched with elements from the folk music tradition. Do you agree with these assumptions? If yes, was this a conscious choice?

Mark: I never 'broke away' from the music norm as anarchist punk music because I never really embraced it in the first place. I've always listened to lots of different music and I've never known what song I'm going to write next, lyrically or musically. There's no game plan. We have had our loud moments and I think the folk element, although present, has been overstated. We can be very un-folk; our style is unique in that there is no style. The only conscious choice was to, as far as possible, avoid making conscious choices. 7) Which is your favourite folk singer? Mark: it depends on your definitely of folk music but I assume you're referring to acoustic music. Rob Johnson, Leon Rosselson, Roy Harper, Dylan, Patrick Fitzgerald and many more.

8) During the 60s and 70s and probably a little bit at the beginning of the 80s,the
organization of musical festivals, gigs and the music distribution was mainly a task carried out by collectives and individuals. Today, after 3 decades where a disappearance of any collective spirit has been apparent, I see every now and then, some collective efforts being made by young musicians and/or efforts towards the creation of ones own label in order to overcome I guess any hassle that the big record companies cause. But collectives, is another story altogether. Can you tell us a little bit about Fuck Off records? What was it? How did it start? Why were the Astronauts a part of it at the first place? Does it exist today? In what form? Fuck Off Records was mainly a tape label initially, featuring bands that had played with Here & Now on various free tours. It was an attempt to put out music without the interference from the music business. We were part of that because we were on the free tours and got to know the people who organised Fuck Off Records. It was, as you say, very much a collective but I don't know if it would be feasible today.

9) In The protest song you speak about someones book in the lyrics (A man who
disagreed with a regime was termed a rat. One night some men came around weve read your books wed like a chat. And then they kicked him round a cell).Is he a real person? Do the lyrics refer to real situations? The song is based on a fictional scenario, although I'm sure there are parallel situations in reality. 10) Your lyrics were always socially aware with whole albums being a musical protest. Why have you stopped composing and writing? I believe that now that everyday there are unpredictable changes in global social conditions and political decisions beyond our expectations, that you could be inspired to write new songs. In other words, weve missed a new album by The Astronauts I have never stopped composing and writing and have released numerous songs with various different bands during the last decade. Not all my songs are politcal, although most of the latest batch are- but you haven't heard them yet! 11) And speaking of social awareness, can you please tell us why, according to you, it isnt a characteristic of English people but rather one of exceptional minorities or individuals? Is it because we pay our rates to hide things from our eyes And all we want to do is feed the poodles, practice croquet without a monster roaming by surpriseBecause hidden terror strikes the heart when laws are under

scrutiny ? Do you have any impression that people have turned against each other in general? Could you have thought of this development in the late 70s given what was happening then? I think there is less of a sense of community amongst bands and a lot of musician are more interested in being media stars. That's always been a case to an extent but there always used to be a thriving underground scene which doesn't seem to have transferred itself to a younger generation of musicians. I don't want to be cynical but people have always turned against each other, but now they don't bother to disguise it. 12) And on the corner, in the bedroom, in your local, in the class room in the most domestic affair there is blood some lyrics that today apply strongly to the worldwide practices of power and violence. After they were written, we had 3 more wars and now Middle East seems to collapse. Would the lyrics of the song Behave yourself summarize your opinion about how people should live under these conditions? A more relevant quote at the moment could be 'as the rockets and mortars in Bahrain explode'! I think it was inevitable that something was going to go down in the Middle East. The lyrics of 'Behave Yourself' suggest one possible reaction but I would not assume to tell people how to behave; they have to exercise autonomy. 13) As much as we look forward to seeing you in Greece, where you have performed also recently, I cant help it not to ask you if you have an opinion about the social situation now there and if you, in general, have an idea of the changes that happened there after December 2008. We have mainly performed in England. I'm not completely sure what's been going on in Athens but I believe that there has been a lot of action against public service cuts in the wake of financial problems. The austerity measures are by no means confined to Greece but I'm glad that people are not accepting them lightly. 14) Is it needless to ask you whether you follow the latest music records releases in the UK or abroad? Some of them but not that many- it tends to find me rather than me find them! I do, however, make an effort to see new bands locally whenever I can. 15) If you could leave everything right now, where would you rather go to live? In which country and why? I'd probably stay in England! All the people I know live here and as I am quite insecure I would choose to stay. 16) What is your place of inspiration in England? Codicote. 17) The song Its all done by mirrors, to which situation is referring exactly?

There is no 'exact' situation in the song; it's a metaphorical song based on an imagined village but it also has strong psychological nuances.

18) My last question, is a personal one, but I guess there are quite a lot more
wondering... Ive been looking for one of your albums for years now and a lot of people have discouraged me from hoping to actually have it in my hands. Please tell me where I can find your Peter pan hits the suburbs album in any physical form? Are there any plans of re-releasing it? You'll be pleased to know that there is a vinyl re-release imminent. We hope to have some copies available for sale at your gig but obviously it is down to the manufacturers meeting deadlines. 19) The last words belong to you... Thanks for giving me an opportunity to answer your questions. Thanks to the people of Greece for embracing the music over the years. I would like to emphasise that although we play old songs my imperative has always been what's going to happen next, and I thrive on invention rather than nostalgia.