He’s back, folks! After an absence in which not enough people (but those who did, REALLY did) sorely missed him, Rob Dickinson has again emerged from the musical shadows 5 years after the last album he recorded with The Catherine Wheel. What does this spell for him? Well who knows, because we’ve determined throughout the ten questions segment that he doesn’t like talking about the future. So we’ll just have to talk about the present - and throw in a little whimsy for good measure.

Half a year or so after releasing Fresh Wine For The Horses, Dickinson decided to drop by western Canada for a night and show us all what he’s made of. He arrived a bit late, a standard thing with those coming across the US border to play for us (we appreciate it, really), sound checked swiftly, got the merch girl all set up, and then he and I settled into the Bordello Room in the back to cozy up for some chit-chat.

(Note : It’s not really a bordello, it just is decorated in all manner of crimson and satiny things.)

As I get things ready, Dickinson discusses how he’d just left Seattle a bit too late that afternoon to make it up to Vancouver on time, and how he hadn’t had time to eat, and probably wouldn’t have time to eat before the show. He was, much later, rescued by an errant slice of pizza, of which he could only eat the pepperoni and crust. “It’s the cheese… bad for the pipes,” he explained. He also mentioned having had his gear ripped off in Portland before that, which prompted a brief discussion about how that just happens too often, and after he’d mentioned the theft to some folks, they had all told him it’s no darn wonder, since Portland is apparently known for its gear theft. Seriously, would-be thieves, hands off! These people work hard for their music. If you must steal an instrument, go break into a pawn shop and then sell the goods back to another down the street. Anyhow, off we went then, with, as usual, the conversation beginning with the interviewee marveling at my weird recorder. We begin at the tail-end of Dickinson’s marveling…

ROB DICKINSON : Actually it looks like a video camera…

ANDY - CORD MAGAZINE : (I agree, then ask about taking photos during the interview, but I can‘t hear exactly what I said).

R : Sure. They’re not very generous with the light back here (Dickinson is inspecting the half-lit chandelier dangling from the middle of the satin-hung ceiling).

A : No. Only three light bulbs… it is very classy though. I was going to go through a whole bunch of stuff but since we’re a little more pressed for time than originally…

R : Well, I don’t know… I mean, how long do you need?

A : Um.. I guess that depends on how long you take to answer.

R : (laughs) Good answer (searching around room for trash). I’ve got to get rid of this gum.

A : I like that they give you aerosol spray in here.

R : Yeah! That’s rock n’ roll ain’t it?

A : You know you’ve got a lot of competition here tonight too.

R : I have?

A : A lot of shows.

R : Who’s in town?

A : Including the one that’s going on here afterwards.

R : Which is what?

A : People In Planes.

R : People In… I’ve heard, I think I’ve heard of them.

A : Yeah so they’re playing here. Glass Tiger - are you familiar with them?

R : Glass Tiger... I think I do know them.

A : Epitomized Canadian pop rock in the 80’s.

R : Right.

A : Nickelback’s playing tonight…

R : Oooooh! That’s a big one.. Are they playing in a superdome or somewhere?

A : Probably… GM Place )hockey stadium) I think which is right across the street pretty much, right across from BC Place (football stadium), which you’ve played in before.

R : I’d like to think that our audiences don’t cross over too much.

A : I know, that shouldn’t have any effect on what’s going on here. This was all going to be segues but..

R : How do you mean, segues?

A : Well I was going to end up at a little story, but I’m going to forget about the segueing.

R : What do you mean you have a bit of a story?

A : I took your album cover and I created a story out of it (note : if you would like to see the cover, go here).

R : Oh you did?

A : So this interview’s going to be a bit of a tale, a little adventure, if you will.

R : Ah, right! That’s very inventive.

A : There was a question about the Queen in here, so that was the segue. But now we’re annihilating the segue. So, speaking of the Queen - we’ll just pretend. She is holding a… I’m tempted to say a flock of seahorses, but I’m sure it’s a school of seahorses… in an appallingly neglected aquarium in Buckingham Palace. So your mission is to go return these magical seahorses to the ocean from whence they came. It is a dangerous mission however, and you must choose three people to assist you. They must be chosen for the skills and assets they bring to the job. Who do you bring and why?

R : Tell me what I’m doing again, I’m liberating seahorses?

A : Yes liberating seahorses.

R : From Buckingham Palace?

A : Yes and returning them to the ocean.

R : Um, I’d bring someone called Gordon Murray, who is probably the greatest Formula 1 car designer ever. He also designed a fabulous road car called the Mclaren F1. Very inventive guy. I’m sure he’d be able to help. The ghost of Lady Di, cuz she’d probably want to check out the Palace and scare a few people and might know a few nooks and crannies to hide in. And that Australian guy who’s always on Jay Leno, the animal hunter… what’s his name. Do you know?

A : No, I know who you’re talking about though.

R : He’s always wrestling crocs. (laughs).

A : They just call him the Crocodile Hunter - does he even have a name?

R : Probably not, he’s just got a stage name. (ed. Note - his name is Steve Irwin. Of course I knew that, but I could only come up with Jack Hanna for some reason). But I’d bring him just in case those seahorses got outta line, got a bit feisty.

A : That’s a very good idea. Okay now in order to get into the Palace, you have to sneak past those pesky guards, so of course you’re going to try and make them crack up. What do you do to try and break them?

R : What, make ‘em laugh?

A : Yeah you know, those guys who never smile. You’re creating a diversion basically.

R : Oh right okay.. Um… goodness me… I’m not sure you’ve caught me a quite the right time to do this sort of interview. Um… I’d show them my penis I think. That’ll give ‘em a good laugh (starts laughing himself now)!

A : Oh dear. Now having distracted the guards… we’ll just leave that at that (Dickinson continues to laugh)… having distracted the guards enough to sneak in, you navigate through the corridors to the aquarium room. Danger lurks around every corner so you’ve brought a weapon with you, but only one, to guard you against anybody who might try to thwart your quest. What is this weapon you have chosen?

R : Um, the new Michael Bolton CD.

A : Ooh yeah that should do it. Your infiltration into the aquarium room went quite smoothly, and there is the tank filled with greenish water and gasping seahorses. You’ve brought a vessel in which to transport them. What is this vessel?

R : A clear plastic bag.

A : Besides that… Haha

R : Besides that.. So I beat the… but I can’t put them in.. but that’s what I would put them in. Hmm, well my guitar case.

A : Okay, but of course you’re hands are slippery from the gunk and the guitar case slips out of your hands and... Rolls away? I don’t know, it disappears. But you’ve brought a backup plan luckily, and that is the plastic bag. So you scoop up the seahorses and you start making your way back out. But now you’ve run across some palace guards. They’ve captured you, brought you down to the medieval torture dungeon, and separated you. The oddly gracious guard has offered to demonstrate a medieval torture device for you - what do you ask to have demonstrated?

R : Pick a torture device… well I only know two and that’s an iron maiden and a catherine wheel. So I pick an iron maiden.

A : All right, shake things up a bit. But you do have a backup plan of course when the guard’s back is turned, you slip from your binds and escape through a window. There is a storm brewing outside as you dash away. What is this storm like?

R : Describe the storm… so I’m describing the storm which is…

A : Approaching as you escape.

R : Approaching. How can I describe something that I don’t know? I’m intrigued by this line of questioning (for those curious, this line of questioning is loosely based on some psychology test that a friend of mine used to give to oodles of people in grade 11. Unfortunately, I don‘t have the handbook so I can‘t decipher Rob Dickinson‘s innermost thoughts and secrets for you…)! Um um um, do I just make believe something?

A : Yeah it’s like one of those first-thing-that-pops-into-your-head type things.

R : Oh right okay, um… dust storm, I imagine a dust storm. There’s a dust storm. Yeah.

A : Buckingham Palace gets those a lot I hear...

R : There’s a lot of dust floating around there!

A : Okay so you can’t risk being followed from the palace, so after your daring escape you alight in a vehicle that will later be exchanged for the lovely vehicle that is barely visible on the back of your album cover.

R : Oh right, brilliant.

A : So what’s your getaway vehicle, your initial getaway vehicle?

R : A very expensive mountain bike. One that’s really really light, like, made with aluminum.

A : So miles away you come across the place where you’ve hidden your Porsche.

R : Right.

A : How have you hidden it?

R : It’s yellow so I’ve hidden it in the forest because yellow looks really good next to green.

A : Haha make it stand out as much as possible…

R : Well yeah but the car’s gotta look good in its hiding spot.

A : Well that’s true. Well finally you have reached the coast. You shuffle down the beach to return the seahorses to the sanctuary of the sea. What is your sanctuary?

R : What is my sanctuary? Um… a swimming pool in the middle of Napa Valley in July. That’s my sanctuary.

A : As you’re walking across the beach, you come across a mirror that is lying half-buried in the sand. What’s reflected?

R : Me, if I’m looking into it.

A : Depending on the angle of course...

R : Oh.. Right.. Yeah.. True! (chuckles)

A : All right, well... Wow we’re at the end of it already!

R : Have I, do, well, I’m completing… my answers have been rather short. Were you expecting it…?

A : No no no it’s fine, but as a final thank you the seahorses offer to grant you one wish. What do you wish?

R : They do… um that this album becomes extremely successful and that I enjoy the success and use it for the benefit of mankind and the planet.

A : Wonderful, that’s a great answer. Well I guess we can toss in some of the earlier annihilated questions, so why not? Um... We live in the internet age. Is it a help or a hindrance for you at this point?

R : Good question, um… I think it’s a help. I think it’s a help. I mean it’s something I’ve been rather reluctant to embrace because I grew up getting into rock n roll music because of the enigma of the artist and that there was a bit of mystery and I think I kind of wrestle with the idea that maybe the internet has made everybody rather accessible, also make musicians want to… you know you’re asking me this question and I’m just gonna tell you right now in many ways I’d rather know less about … you know you see rock musicians talking around about what they do in their blogs or whatever. So that’s something that I don’t think I could ever do with any sense of sincerity, but I think it spreads the word undoubtedly. And I think it’s helped enormously in the initial few key months of my record being out. It’s just something that um… I’m just a bit suspicious about it. I don’t really know why. I think it’s, I think maybe it’s because everyone else, a lot of people seem to be so into it, and maybe that makes me naturally suspicious of it. But I can’t deny that I think it’s going to turn the music business on its head. It’s obviously the wave of the future and I think the record companies and record labels that will be standing in the next ten years will be totally dictated by the internet and how music has degenerated. So um, I better get used to it (laughs).

A : Have you had any issues with copyright or anything like that?

(Dickinson’s phone starts to ring)

R : No. No, it hasn’t been.. I’m very much of the opinion that um… one second (answers phone). Hey darlin’. I’m just in the middle of this interview, let me call you back in a few minutes… okay great. Thank youuu. Talk to you later. Bye. Um, no I’m happy to give the music away. I think you have to expect to give stuff away before you can hope people will… expect people will buy or want what you’re delivering you know. And I’m happy that people get hold of it whether they pay for it or not really. You know, I’m just trying to draw attention to this record I have made and if that means giving it away initially, that’s fine. We haven’t come across any… not mine anyhow… any big issues or problems.

A : Do you think that radio stations and record stores are relevant anymore now or in the near future?

R : Yeah I think radio stations are. I think… cuz people don’t like… I mean, everyone likes… the Ipod generation, the Ipod phenomena I think means that, dictates that people make their own decisions and I think a lot of people don’t like making their own decisions. I think ultimately that’s why people, the radio will always play a part and I think radio music is something that’s always going to stand the test of time in the same way as probably cinema. But um, record companies.. Is that the other…?

A : Uh, stores, record stores.

R : Record stores...

A : Or the album in general, physical albums.

R : I think their days are numbered, certainly in their present form you know. But at the same time, they do, I mean there’s a sense of community, there’s a sense of where people can meet. I’m thinking more of a great place in Seattle yesterday, that’s just a hotbed of music and I think record stores will exist, maybe as something more than just selling music or CD’s or whatever. I think they will operate best… thanks...! oh look at that!

(House of Blues rep comes in with a bottle of wine and a pair of glasses… how romantic.)

R : Would you like a glass of wine?

A : Absolutely!

R : Good good, can you pour that for us Brandon please?

HOB : Yeah you bet!

(laughter)

R : And then scurry away! From our interview (hearty laughter).

HOB : Get lost…!

A : I love it.

R : I think it’s, I think it’s…

HOB : Did you just take a picture of me?

A : It’s just the back of you, calm down.

R : I’m not sure Tower Records and those kind of big things are going to exist but I think the small specialist kind of stores will always be around.

HOB : (hands the wine glasses to us) Would you like to try it first?

R : Thank you... It’s a bit late for that! (more laughter).

A : Thank you.

R : There you go. Cheers! *clink*

A : Cheers.

R : Cheers Brandon, thanks for the wine.

HOB : No worries.

R : I hear we’ve got a competitive night.

HOB : Yeah with Nickelback… over at the stadium. Glass Tiger…

R : OoOOOh!

HOB : Glass Tiger AND Honeymoon Suite!

R : Woo.

HOB : Yeah. And then uh..

R : We got, we got.. People In Planes? that’s the thing here afterwards?

HOB : Oh is that who it is?

A : Yeah.

HOB : Aren’t they from Wales?

R : Are they?

A : I’m not sure exactly where they’re from but definitely UK.

R : Oh yeah.

HOB : Are you all finished your interview?

R : No.

A : No not really.

HOB : Oh sorry!

A : How dare you disturb us?

(laughter)

A : I won’t take too much more of your time. Um.. I don know what we were talking about so let’s just move on.

R : Yes. Good idea.

A : So how has the record done so far.

R : It’s done all right, I’m having a few issues with Sanctuary Records. They’re going through some hard times at the moment and my record kind of suffers for that. But reaction to it is great and the sheer necessity of me coming out and playing acoustic shows is because it’s just beyond economic sense to take an entire band out with me at the moment, it’s just so expensive. I’m actually coming around, I’m starting to enjoy it more than I imagined I would. You know, reinterpreting the songs and just being up there on my own for an hour, which is... Well the first time I did it was on Wednesday, and Monday in San Francisco. I mean I’ve done some acoustic shows before but with two or three other guys all inventing the sound. It’s been an interesting.. Yeah, it’s been an interesting experience and I think that, you know, it’s something I wasn’t expecting to have enjoyed so much. But out of that necessity has sprung something which is… and um probably will have a bearing on the next record or something. That’s a definite plus. But no it’s doing quite well so far, it’s got some great reviews and Catherine Wheel people seem to like it, which I wasn’t to worried about really, what they think, but it’s nice that they do because I think it means that they’ll come along and see me play the shows . But yeah after five years of making the record I’m sort of pretty proud of it and I sort of think it hits all the marks that I wanted it to hit, and you know I think I’ve got a long road ahead of me and I think that we still have time to make a bit of an impact with it. And I think it… I spent a lot of time trying to make a record which would be acceptable to a lot of people but at the same time not be crap. You know. It’s hard to make those records (laughs). We always tried that in the [Catherine Wheel] as well, cuz I think we were always driven by melody and I’ve always been a fan of pop music and the accessible side of popular music. That was always something I’ve loved. And that was a large ingredient in the [Catherine Wheel] and that’s also a large ingredient on this record.

A : Has Canada treated you well? In the past, now?

R : Yes yeah in the past it definitely has! Canada was a great place for us. A little bit moreso the other side of the country, you know, Toronto, we did our best shows in Toronto. Biggest headlining shows in Toronto. I played to like 600 people in October in Toronto. Which was amazing, everyone was so unbelievable. It was interesting to me and it’s only in hindsight and with a bit of objectivity and a bit of distance from the [Catherine Wheel] that um that I can start to appreciate that the band did make a bit of an impact on people. At the time it was a little bit… it was harder to spot those kind of things but now after all this stuff it’s interesting to see that it’s sticking around.

A : So the last time you were here was Summersault... That was almost 6 years ago, wow. And that was just right across the street.

R : Is that where it was?

A : Yeah the big football stadium, you can see it if you look out the front.

R : Ahhhh… yeah that’s another - the Toronto show [of the Summersault tour] was the first show we were on the main stage.

A : Really! Yeah it’s too bad here, side stage.. Just in general, the cavernous concrete room, gloomy overhead light…

What an abrupt end! It wasn’t really… head over to check out the Ten Questions segment!

Elsewhere

By Andy Scheffler
Photos : Andy Scheffler
Published : January, 2006.