Posted on Slacken_Ties 09/09/2005
TOTP: When is it appropriate to be more stupid than you are?
Alex: There's a very simple rule in life to just be yourself. Just be straightforward. When you pretend to be more intelligent than you are then you're going to end up in a nasty mess very quickly. And there's something a little bit embarrassing about pretending too be more stupid than you are as well.
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TOTP: So Franz Ferdinand won't ever reinvent themselves as a comedy art-rock band?
Alex: It's essential that you retain a sense of humour. You've got to be able to laugh at yourself and not take yourself too seriously, no matter what you do. That goes for anything you do in life. But it doesn't mean you have to invent a comedy character to do that with though. But I quite like Goldie Lookin' Chain, I think they've definitely got a sense of humour.
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You knows it! TOTP: When is slagging off other indie bands allowed?
Alex: There sometimes seems to be pressure to enter into battles with bands and things like that, I'm not really interested in that. If I think a band do dress like pillocks or if I find a band are doing a kind of music I don't particularly like I just don't pay attention to it. It's like you know if a programme comes on the telly and you don't like it? You don't sit there watching it saying "This is terrible, look at how bad this is, I hate this programme" and watch the whole programme complaining about it. You just pick up the remote control and turn it over. And that's exactly my attitude towards other bands and of course there are loads of bands I don't like, loads of musicians I don't really particularly like what they do, but I'm not gonna waste my energy slagging them off. Quite often you find that there are people who make music that you don't particularly like yourself, but when you actually meet them they're fantastic people, like great down-to-earth people and you can actually have a laugh with them. So, no it's not a good idea to slag people off.
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TOTP: So do you have anyone in mind when you say that?
Alex: I dunno, is there anyone we've met?
Paul: I dunno, I don't think I'd go up to someone and say: "Hey I'm not a fan of your music, but you're a lovely guy!"
Alex: No I don't mean like that. Too be fair, like one of the first Top Of The Pops Shows we ever did, the girls from Atomic Kitten were there and I'm not saying I don't like Atomic Kitten, I think they've got some good tunes, but they're doing something totally different from us. They're from a totally different world from the world that we're from. But just because of that I don't want to slag them off. And they were great, they probably don't even remember us, but they were great, very friendly, obviously had a good sense of humour...down to earth as well. And it's nice to see that.
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TOTP: Is it ever appropriate to perform on stage wearing very very tight, very short shorts?
Alex: If you're Freddie Mercury it is. It's not something I'd do myself no. For the sake of my own decency.
Paul: If the venue's very hot then it might be more practical to do that.
Alex: But even so it doesn't matter how hot it is, there are certain things that I would not wear on stage. Dungarees are another one. Have you ever worn dungarees?
Paul: Never, no. I was wearing short trousers up until I was about five or something.
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TOTP: OK. And finally, is it ever appropriate to snog Madonna?
Alex: If you're Guy Ritchie I'm sure it is, yeah.
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TOTP: How about if you were Britney Spears?
Alex: I just cannot imagine being Britney Spears at all.
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TOTP: Have you ever given that any serious thought?
Alex: I haven't, no. Britney Spears is another character from a totally different world from us, you know. I don't really think about Britney Spears and what she's up to. But that song she made was brilliant wasn't it? What was it called? 'Baby I'm A Schoolgirl'?
TOTP: Well, close enough!