“There’s something in this city that’s very ancient. Like the old ‘little mesters’ that used to make the pen knives and bowie knives – they would guard their secrets very closely. And I think that’s rubbed off in the bands and the music. It’s OK to do your own thing and not be part of a scene.
The groups in the past, who achieved incredible things, like The Human League and Cabaret Voltaire; the old gits like, dare I say, myself and Jarv [Jarvis Cocker] and Pulp; and then obviously the Monkeys, and now Self Esteem – all prove you can achieve incredible things from incredibly basic backgrounds, without losing your roots. You don’t have to turn yourself into some kind of monstrous ego-fest. If you stick with your roots, you’ve always got something of value and worth to keep you on the straight and narrow, because it’s such a powerful force. The Monkeys are from High Green – that’s like where I was brought up; it’s got decent working-class families and people. A strong base to form anything from.
The Sheffield sense of humour is quite self-effacing. You take the piss out yourself, and quick, because you know some other fucker’s going to do it pretty soon. When Al said that quote when they won the Mercury Prize [in 2006: “Someone call 999 – Richard Hawley’s been robbed”], that was very Sheffield. You’ve saved yourself looking like a bighead, and bigheads aren’t liked. Al was being incredibly generous – it was like me winning without winning. I don’t think he thought about the consequences of it, but the consequences were extremely positive for me. So cheers Al.
Sheffield definitely still loves and respects the Monkeys, a hundred per cent. As long as you don’t turn into a colossal arsehole, you’ll always have that. If you in some way celebrate the city, which all the artists we’re talking about definitely do, you will always be loved. I think the Monkeys are ace, at the end of the day. I’ll see the lads if they’re in the environs of the city, but we don’t have to live in each other’s pockets. If you imagine an invisible cotton thread, with a needle, threaded through all our heads – no matter how far you get, there’s always that thing that will stitch us all back together. And it is Sheffield.”
As told to Keith Cameron