On Monday 16th July, I had the pleasure of meeting Danny McCormick,
bass player from The Wildhearts at Changes One Record Shop, in South
Shields, courtesy of Ian Tunstall.
Danny kindly agreed to do his first interview with me since the
unfortunate incidents at Newcastle and Dudley, when he blacked out on
stage due to a drug addiction that he was suffering from.
This was in the middle of the Wildhearts sell out reunion tour and Toshi,
from AntiProduct had to step in, in Danny's absence to complete the rest
of the tour.
A month later he is at home in South Shields recovering and receiving help
from the towns Drug Counselling unit.
He looks fantastic and is at one with himself in mind and body,
understanding what he has done to himself, as well as his friends, family
and all of the fans out there who have shown how much they care about him
over the past 30 days.
He is a determined man and is set on conquering his illness once and for
all.
*****
MM - How are you feeling?
Danny - I feel absolutely fine, happy because I am off the drugs and back at
home out of temptations way, but where ever you are there is always
temptation and I have had to find some will power. But I actually feel
great, I have been getting acupuncture done and it is absolutely
brilliant, it really chills you out.
You know for years I have had my foot on the accelerator pedal and feel
like I have discovered another pedal and said, "what does that one do?"
and went "oh fuckin hell it is the brake" and finally put the brakes on.
I am still enjoying a couple of cans and a ciggy and that is it. I won't
give up them because I don't want to, BUT with the problem that I had I
wanted to give up and that is when you know you really want to give up.
People pressure you to try and give up but you don't listen when you are
on it, you won't listen to anybody but when you listen to yourself, and
actually take heed of it, that is the time to stop, because you know that
you want to.
You have to make the decision. If you are on that drug that I was on
you're the biggest liar and you lie to yourself.
You have to stop lying to come off it!
MM - So are you pleased to be home and do you
still call here home?
Danny - Of course I do!!!
Not London, that is where I lived. Here is home, London is past tense. I
have no plans to go back, just to rehearse, fly somewhere or gig.
I still have loads of mates down there who I love dearly but there is also
more of the wrong sort of people and I feel like it is just time to knock
London on the head.
MM -
So are you playing the Bull Dog Bash?
Danny - Yep, definitely and hopefully a few gigs after that.
MM - Are you looking forward to it?
Danny - Oh of course I am, I love playing.
You see with the problem that I had I was no good to anyone. You know I
was so gutted that I let so many people down, people had travelled and ohhhhhh!!!
The amount of cards in the house is just unbelievable, it just made me
think "my god what have I done!" On the up side it shows that people do
care and it has given me a good knock on the head with a fuckin big
hammer.
MM - So where do you think that your music is
taking you now?
Danny - Exactly where it has always been, punk, rock n roll.
Music I love, music I know I still have the same musical influences that I
have always had, The Clash, Toy Dolls, Upstarts, The Damned. I love 50's,
60's and 70's stuff too.
Anything with a good sentiment that is written from the heart, as long as
it from a real experience.
My mam's favourite song is Patsy Cline's "Crazy" and it just makes me go "ooooohh
this is fantastic" because all that sort of stuff is about things they
have really been through and is really heart felt.
MM -
Are you going to start writing some new songs?
Danny - I have written five since I have come up here and I have only been
up here a month!
I've a good one called "Flying" which has to be done, another couple
called "Good Company" and "First Time".
MM - So are you going to record them with The
Wildhearts?
Danny - I am going to try and do it by myself. I have a lot of friends that
are willing to give me a hand and they are all in big bands that you'll
know, but I am not going to tell you who!!! Hee heee!
MM - Were you proud of the Yo-Yo's album?
Danny - Really proud. The whole point was to get a band together that
actually gives you a buzz when you're listening to it.
I had been looking through my record collection and couldn't find one that
really did that for me, so me, Tom, Neil and Bladz all got together and
wrote it - so yes I am really proud of that.
MM - Which one of your own songs is your
favourite?
Danny - Toss up between "Sunshine Girl" and "Keep in On, Keep in on".
MM - Have you seen loads of old mates since you
have been home?
Danny - God yes, I have seen loads and they all want to go out for a pint.
MM - Finally, do you remember what happened at
Newcastle and Dudley?
Danny - I remember my family turning up, and getting absolutely drunk.
I remember the first part of the Newcastle gig and I thought it was
alright and then after that I woke up at my mam's and apparently I had hit
CJ and I was all over the place and I couldn't remember any of it.
I always thought that people were lying when they said they couldn't
remember something, but this was awful it was as if someone had turned the
lights off.
So I turned up in Dudley the next night and then Nottingham I was told
just not to turn up at all, just to take it easy and chill out and my
girlfriend brought me home. She is an angel. And now I am not on the
drugs.
If you have a problem you have to try to sort it out, but you have to want
to do it yourself.
Just try and be honest to yourself and even if you give yourself a bit of
space, just half an hour a day, then you have the rest of the day to share
your life with people and just get on with living.
The acupuncture is helping and it sets you up for the whole day. I am
doing that 3 days a week now and am getting counselling and support from
the detox centre.
I had to get my priorities right and admitting the problem is the first
step. I really couldn't have done it with out my mam and dad and all my
brothers and sisters.
I am really lucky, I have a really, a really lovely family.
There are people out there with cancer etc and they have got no choice in
the matter, where I have got a choice and that is the difference. So I
have made it.
I would personally have to thank Danny for this interview, as he bared his
heart to me and I and the rest of the people on the Mall wish him all the
luck and will power in the world to conquer his addiction.
He is definitely on the road to recovery and deserves this chance to prove
he is a star and by defeating this, he is proving he is a bigger star than
he ever imagined.
Cheers Danny, you're a gem, we love ya.
