|
We caught
up with the ever-charming and highly amusing Tyla on his recent acoustic
tour, shortly after his set on Wednesday 19th December 2001, at
Trillians Rock Bar, Newcastle upon Tyne.
MM - Hi, how are you?
Tyla - Fine, I'm alright thanks.
MM - It was a good set tonight.
Tyla - Yeh well, it was a bit rough because I've only just got this band
Anti Product and they are still trying to learn my stuff and everything.
It was a bit of a rushed idea really. When I come back next year I'm
going to do it cleaner.
Some electric and some acoustic. I'm going to make more time so I'm not
rushed off. Blimey I don't normally get into it till about an hour and a
half!
MM - How many gigs have you done so
far then?
Tyla - I think about 5 or 6 so far. I've been rehearsing for weeks as
well as this so I don't know really.
MM - Have they been good? Have you
enjoyed them?
Tyla - Yeh, I was quite surprised. There's been a lot of old faces and
stuff. I haven't been back for 3 years and that was with Clam Abuse.
Not many people know I did that. It must have been 3, 4, 5, 6, perhaps
10 years since some people have last seen me. It's been going alright
though, I'm enjoying it.
MM - You've got a new album out as
well.
Tyla - Yeh. 'Lullabies for Tough Guys'.
MM - What's been the fans response to
that so far?
Tyla - Oh it's doing really well. It's a little bit different because
it's electric and I play everything. Bass, Guitar, and I produced and
mixed it.
I recorded it all in my house actually so when you listen to it you have
to remember that wasn't done in a really expensive studio. It was done
in my fucking backroom!
MM - Is there just you on it or did
you bring in anybody else?
Tyla - I've got Jo Doggs playing on a couple of tracks, and a mate of
mine Oscar, plays guitar on a couple of tracks. He's from Barcelona.
I've got a really good drummer on some of the tracks from Barcelona as
well.
MM - What's next for you then?
Tyla - Well I'm going to go back to Spain after this little jaunt. I've
got a publishing deal to do with my book, so I'll be working on that.
That's coming out at the end of next year and will be in all the shops.
I've got another new album coming out in March called 'Life or Death'.
I'm going to play in Argentina, Australia, and I want to come back here
as well. I shouldn't leave it so long next time as they'd all forgot the
bloody words hadn't they.
MM - Tell us more about your book.
Tyla - The book is basically midlife as a Dog. It's about my childhood
and how I got the Dogs started, my own story, so it's not full of
bullshit. It might blow a few peoples illusions but it might also sort
out a few people's heads about how and why I did things.
I've also bunged a couple of short stories in the end, together with
some poetry. There's some of my stupid little cartoons that I've doodled
when I'm off doing whatever I'm doing. Some photographs, illustrations,
the arts, blah blah blah. All that!
MM - Do you enjoy writing?
Tyla - I'd never done it before. Obviously I write songs but that's not
the same as sitting down and writing your life. But I do enjoy it
because it's like exercising. The spirit one, not the sit up one!
Exorcism, I went to an exorcism class by mistake! I went to get fit and
came back cleansed of all evil! (laughs). I must get my dyslexia sorted
out.
I once went to a Toga party dressed as a goat … I'll let you work that
one out later ;)
Yeh I do enjoy it. When I started writing the book I was a drunk. I've
packed up now for just over 10 months and I don't intend to pick it up
again. Well, not yet. Maybe 5, 6 or 10 years to come or something.
I quite fancy being one of those old duffers who sits in the corner with
half a pint. I feel a bit stupid going into a pub and asking for a cup
of tea. It's the only place you can meet people, in pubs.
You can go into a coffee shop and get your cup of coffee then go up to
someone and say … ' Alright there, how you doing?' … and they think
you're a fucking lunatic. That's why they make espressos, so you can
leave all the time dead quick.
It's so they can neck the espresso and fuck off. They say … 'who's
that weirdo?'
It's like trying to speak to someone on the bus isn't it? Perhaps if
they put bars on buses then people would drink and then they would get
friendlier wouldn't they? … 'Would you mind budging up a bit and
moving your shopping' …
MM - That's what the cup of tea
onstage was all about then?
Tyla - Yeh, I like a nice cup of tea.
MM - Do you have a mug that you take
around with you?
Tyla - No, I haven't yet. But it's a good job because a few people have
been nicking my mugs! I didn't know if it would come across as … 'Oh
Tyla's a boring git' … but most people think it's quite cool that I
drink tea.
There was a girl who had come all the way from Essex's tonight and she
has stolen my cup and taken it back home with her. I hadn't bloody
finished it either!
MM - A proper English gent.
Tyla - Yeh, well I'm English... Jack Daniels never gave me nothing free
in their lives. I'm sure PG Tips will be a bit more accommodating.
They'll probably send me one of their chimps! Oh no, I've already got my
dad; he looks just like one of them.
MM - Where are you living now?
Tyla - I'm living in Barcelona. I've been living out there for about 2
1/2 years now. I was toying with the idea of going to Australia but I've
got to go and tour out there first.
It's because of my wife. I can go and live just about anywhere in the
world and get by but I've got to think now I'm married she's got stuff
to do as well. She's a photographer. We'll have to see how it goes.
I would like to live somewhere that they speak English and the weather
is warm. I'm getting old now, my bones are creaking.
MM - Have you never fancied America?
Tyla - Well I lived there didn't I for about 2 or 3 years. I'm not too
keen about America. I like all the American people who buy my records
but to have to cope with the rest of it. It's too many rules and stuff.
People should be able to decide what they want to do. It's just a weird
country where you can't smoke but you can carry a gun. For Gods sake!
I know they mean well and play happy families and everything but really
they are doing it the wrong fucking way.
MM - How do your English fans compare
to those elsewhere? What about the ones in Barcelona?
Tyla - Well, you'd need to ask them. Obviously they like me because I
play a lot of gigs and there's a lot of people come to see me. I have a
big following all over the world. It's not massive enough for a record
company to come along and sign me.
That's why I do all this stuff myself. But it pays for me well enough.
I'm not interested in being a Rock N' Roll star and being on MTV and all
that. I just want it to be between me and the person who buys the
record.
MM - Been there, done that, got the
t-shirt.
Tyla - Yeh, I have. I've got 2 t-shirts, the sweatshirt and the shorts
with a pair of socks thrown in!
MM - As long as you don't get the
baseball cap you're alright!
MM - How did you come to hook up with Anti Product?
Tyla - I met Alex on the Clam Abuse tour and we became friends then. I
said … 'Come on then lets do some gigs. These guys have been working
really hard. They've been touring for the last 18 months and doing
shows. They've got a bit of a following as well. A different one to me.
I think a few people have come along and been pleasantly surprised by
them. Apparently when they play by themselves they get themselves
dressed up all weird and jump around like lunatics.
I've made them all sit down politely. Nah! They chose to do it the way
they've done it.
MM - Must be your calming influence
on them.
Tyla - I hope so. Now I can jump around like a loony.
MM - Do you get much chance to get
out and see other bands?
Tyla - I occasionally go out but I'm not really a going out person. I'm
always so busy doing my stuff that I really don't get a chance.
Everybody's always saying … 'Come on you're always busy doing your
painting, or writing, or … 'hovering' … you know I like to keep the
house clean! (laughs). I saw the Hellacopters.
Music is so different in Spain, it's like the English market doesn't
count at all. I can quite happily function and be on the front of
magazines, and be on the TV and radio. It's not like being on the
TV or radio over here. It's not such a big fucking deal as it is over
here. I like it. It's really interesting.
I can sit in a pub in England and there will be someone sitting saying
… ' Oh I remember you rocking 10 years ago' … whereas I can sit in a
pub in Spain and they'll be like … 'Oh-Yeh!' … just like it was in
1989, 1990. I just follow where people like my stuff.
MM
- Do they know about the 80's when you were with the Dogs and all that?
Tyla - Oh yeh. They know all about that and it means so much more over
there. It was like going over there with this really good CV. Sometimes
they play some of our stuff on the TV, the Dogs old stuff, so it's all
exciting for them.
I want to move on now though, I've done seven solo albums and I'm still
playing songs from 1989. I play what the kids want to hear at the gigs
though I think. I always try and sneak in a few of my own as well.
MM - Plus you do slightly different
versions that have a nice twist to them.
Tyla - That's what I like to do. There was one guy here tonight who had
seen me support Paul Rogers and he said he'd never heard of me before
that.
He said he thought I was better tonight and that you rock with an
electric guitar. So that was good. It makes it all worth it.
MM - Thanks taking the time to talk
to us.
Tyla - You're welcome.
|