BBC Radio 1 2003-07-12 – Interview with Bellamy
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Interview with Matthew Bellamy on BBC Radio 1. This transcription is inaccurate.
F - Interviewer
F: How're you feeling?
Matthew Bellamy: Uh a bit, uh alright uh, a bit weir ... uh
F: A bit sleepy?
B: Yeah yeah.
F: What time are you usually up on a Saturday morning?
B: Uh, about two or three or something like that.
F: Ooh, in the morning in the morn, really early then.
B: Uh, no no, two or three
F: ... in the afternoon.
B: Yeah, uh yeah yeah.
F: Did you get up to anything last night, were you out?
B: Uh, I went out for a bit. We still work, I'm still working on the uh, finishing up the album.
F: Right, okay.
B: I'm in Abbey road where we've sort of got, uh we've got, uh today's our last day actually, and then we're going down to mix it down in Cornwall, and erm, so yeah, sort of up, doing the sort of last little bits and bobs.
F: Head full of music, and ...
B: Yeah.
F: What's it like going to the Abbey Road Studios?
B: It's um, um, amazing actually, it's we're in that, we're in that one where, where The Beatles did there stuff, and you can like [?] that's where John Lennon
F: Sat
B: Got off with Yoko it was quite funny yeah.
F: So it's pretty historical, wow. That must be incredible. So after the album, what have you got planned then, you've got the crew on the way.
B: Yeah, we got uh, our European tour starts in the UK, we've got a whop gig and I think the first date is uh, I don't know the date actually but it's in Southampton.
F: Right.
B: And that starts um, we'll do a few dates around England .. UK ... England, I think, and then we go around Europe and then we end up coming back to the UK to finish up with a couple booked in London.
F: Cool, so we're going to be able to see you close to home.
B: Yep.
F: Excellent, and if you play a gig, do you get to you get quite hyper, how to you wind down afterwards?
B: Uh, usually drink all the wine and get a load of people back and try, try and have an after show as much as we can. Good chance to sort of meet people, you know.
F: So wine was the stuff you asked for before and finally get your hands on it afterwards, yeah?
B: Definitely, yeah.
F: Yes. Uh, and how did you meet the other Muse boys Dominic and Chris?
B: Um, uh, well actually we went to the same school.
F: Yeah.
B: Urm, and erm, sort of met 'em down, I didn't actually know them that well, but um, met them through various different bands that were playing, we were all in different bands, in like, when we were about 13, 14
F: Yeah
B: And um, but his band had actually split up and us three were sort of, the people left.
F: Left over.
B: Yeah, left over to actually continue with it, so we all got together.
F: And do you see a lot of them now that you've been working together for a while? Do you see them outside of worky things?
B: Uh yeah, all the time. Uh, defini .., uh, yeah. We sort of, we always, we always sort of do stuff.
F: Hang out together.
B: Yeah.
F: And now I have heard about your party face, I'm sorry to make you do this. We'll try and make you do this early in the morning
B: What that?
F: Oh, that one. Which one is that one then [?] Uh, how about reciting the alphabet backwards?
B: Uh, dear, dear, to early for that.
F: Do you reckon you could have a crack at it?
B: Uh, let me think. [recites alphabet backward]
F: That is baff... If I'm not mistaken, that's is about 10, 15 seconds. An, and if you're thinking 'yeah, that's easy' just try doing it fast, it's not at all. What about the other boys in the band, Chris and Dominic, have they got anything they can do?
B: Uh, Dom can do a funny thing with his belly button.
F: Ooh.
B: Which you have to, you have to see to believe to be honest, I can't explain it.
F: Right, I think that is definitely a heckle for the next Muse gig. If your out, if you want to see Dom do that thing with his belly button. He'll hate us for that probably. And you toured last year with the Foo Fighters and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, what was that like?
B: Yeah, oh, that was, that was like, that was pretty cool actually 'cause um, 'cause they really know, you know, how to have a good time after their gigs 'cause they always get like, they always get lots of people back and stuff, and get you know, have big parties with all the crew and everything.
F: Why does that not surprise me.
B: Uh yeah, but that was brilliant 'cause urm, and there were, they urm, what was it, oh yeah play these big sort of erm, big gig things. Up until then, up until then we'd only played to sort of, nearly 600 people, something like that, and then when we played with them we're suddenly playing to 25,000 every day.
F: Oh my god.
B: And sort of we changed, we changed us. 'cause at first we were really nervous, but
F: Yeah
B: By the end of it we'd sort of come out of ourselves a lot more I think, so.
F: You're just like 'yeah, the Red Hot Chili Peppers played there, Foo Fighters'. Done it all nearly. Ur, what about plans for the rest of the weekend? I know we've kind of spoiled yours a bit early for you, but what have you got planned Matt?
B: Well today I'm sort of moving out of this studio, finishing up probably, and then, I'm not sure, I've got to get my tires pumped, I've got a car, because its been sat there the tires have gone all flat and ur, I need to get that sorted out, and then driving down to, down to Cornwall to start mixing.
F: Mix the album.
B: I might have a day off, or something.
F: Oh I'd do that.
B: Today or tomor, no tomorrow I think. I'll probably go home for a bit and then, go down to the studio.
F: What do you do on your day offs then?
B: Uh, I'm not sure yet, I'll probably see some friends down, down in Exeter, that's where I sort of live.
F: Do normal things?
B: Yeah.
F: Well Matt Bellamy from Muse, thank you very much for letting us wake you up early.
B: No worries.
F: It's been a pleasure talking to you and er, the tune's out on Monday?
B: That's right yeah.
F: All right, we'll speak to you soon.
B: Okay
F: Cheers then, bye.
See also
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