Make Interviews Fair

Short-tempered punk revolutionary, Chris Martin, has walked out of a Radio 4 interview stating "[I'm] not really enjoying this" before adding that he doesn't really like "having to talk about things".

Perhaps somebody at the Beeb should have explained the premise of an interview before asking Chris questions about "things".


Martin, baritenor vocalist for background-hum-terrorists Coldplay, accused the interviewer of "journalistically twisting" things when he suggested the singer had a lyrical obsession with death.

This kind of underhand journalism is simply not acceptable. Particularly from Radio 4.

I want answers, and I want them to be delivered by an aging but well-hung Irishman.

Theoretical Girl and The Equations, White Heat, 7/2/08

If a friend who has been playing a musical instrument for 6 months invites you to see their first gig, it is reasonable to assume that you will lie to them when they ask what you thought of the performance.

On Tuesday night I went to a club in Soho expecting to find about 15 to 20 friends and family waiting to see their loved ones make offensive noises in a newly formed band.

When I got to Madame JoJo's however, I was to discover a thronging club, full of achingly cool scenesters, hanging around for the music to begin.

What is more, I find out that my friend's band are headlining the popular White Heat night.

A few weeks ago somebody asked the friend how she was progressing on the bass guitar.

She said, "not bad but I can't play it standing up yet".

Now, here she is, about to perform a gig to about 250 people with a bunch of musicians she met a week ago.

The band in question are called Theoretical Girl and The Equations.



My girlfriend and I were more nervous than Julianna, praying that she wouldn't fuck up.

Once I overcame that, I found myself really enjoying what are a great girl group with a really engaging front woman.

Her between-song reparte was charming and funny.

Next week they are appearing on Mark Riley's BBC 6 music radio show and they have an Italian tour in April.

They got a 4 star review in The Guardian AND, they even have a roadie!

Some people make me sick.

The upshot of all this was that I didn't have to lie when asked what I thought of her performance.

I can't wait to see them again now.


This blog can also be found at The Word From Westminster