Mojo - The Music Magazine

Being clean, cheating death, and a creative rebirth…

What are the dynamics like in The Only Ones now? Is it much different from how it used to be?
Well yeah, because we’re old age pensioners and two of us are invalids, so obviously there isn’t the same dynamic and energy as to getting things done quickly. We walk about very slowly and have people to carry our guitars around for us.

What kind of things are you writing about now?
Mostly about death (laughs). Seriously, the one thing that is new on the horizon is the proximity of mortality. When I was young I was indestructible. That’s where all the songs came from, the feeling of indestructibility, being able to do anything and get away with it. Whereas now, with Zena’s illness and mine you suddenly have to think about what it would be like if Zena died. Would I be able to survive by myself? I can’t imagine wanting to live any longer. Then you start to think where could you commit suicide painlessly – in Switzerland, Holland?

Euthanasia is really important. I don’t think people should be made to suffer. It’s a hard enough life as it is without getting to the end of it and suffering. That’s one of the main reasons people should stay away from hard drugs when they’re young. There are many enjoyable things to do when you’re young and it’s silly just doing drugs and nothing else. If you wait until you’re fifty, that’s when you really need hard drugs.

You’re serious?
Absolutely. It’s OK if you’re rich and you can keep yourself cocooned from the real world, but I’ve been living in the real world for quite a long time now and it’s a pretty harsh life. Last winter we were wrapped up in the dark because we didn’t have any money for gas or electricity – that’s what real life’s about. Lots of musicians become so removed from anything like that. It’s a sick society and medicine should be prescribed not proscribed. Because hard drugs numb you so much, I think they’re dangerous to take when you’re young. But when you’re old, when you start to get pains physically, pains mentally, why not numb yourself? Start living in your dreams and memories?

Is the record you’re making a particularly important statement? Are you thinking it could be your last?
That’s the way I have to live as I don’t know how long I’m going to be able to do it for. That’s the thing, especially with the lungs. They’re pretty important in the process of singing (laughs).

Notwithstanding your physical limitations, you seem to be really relishing The Only Ones’ reactivation…
Oh I really enjoy touring now, especially abroad. In the days of The Only Ones it was always, Can’t wait to get back to England and get some proper drugs! When we first got back together I was still using both crack and heroin. This year, I mean the whole of 2008, I only had about twelve smokes. Once I’d have done that many in an hour. As far as I’m concerned I have given up. When I was younger, a smoke might trigger me to start using again, but I’m so sick of it. When I take it now, it’s purely to be sociable because the person I’m with wants to take it. I don’t really enjoy it now, which is an amazing thing to say. I never thought I’d say that. I just lose a couple of days and I can’t see the point in that.

You mean you don’t enjoy it any more or you’ve realised that you never actually enjoyed it that much in the first place?
I used to think I enjoyed it at the time. I mean, afterwards you think, What did I enjoy about it apart from the numbness and not feeling any pain at all? I mean, every time you felt upset about anything you’d have a smoke to calm down, you just use it as an escape. Eventually, it becomes a permanent state of escape – which is all right if you don’t want anything to do with the world at all. Unless you’ve got unlimited amounts of money and people around you that keep the world away from you, you are going to come back to earth with a bump.

So is that your one regret – the drugs?
I just wish I had done more music. A big inspiration for me is seeing the state of Johnny Cash when he did Hurt, because I think that’s the best recording he ever made. The pictures of him, he could hardly lift his hands so they had to bring the recording studio to his house. So, if he could do that in his state, y’know, hopefully I could do the best thing I’ve ever done still, you never know.

Perhaps I’ve got you on a good day, because, you know, you seem in pretty good nick to me…
I’ m not moving around, I can breathe alright sat down. That’s why for these shows we have introduced an acoustic section where I get to rest and do five or six songs on a stool. Then with the re-charged energy and lungs I can finish off the show. In September in Norway we were asked to do an acoustic set and it turned out to be probably the best show we’ve done. So eventually I want to be pushed out on a wheel chair (laughs) until I can’t do it any more. While people still want to see us, why not? It’s a privilege, that’s what I’ve learned.

Interview by: Danny Eccleston