Musikexpress Sounds
"Bush in the cross-fire of love and hate"
November 1999
Translation from German by Andrea q3957543@bonsai.fernuni-hagen.de


Hardly any rock band heats up minds more than Bush do: while most of the audience loves the 4 British guys as being the new heroes, many critics hate them as being a lousy copy of Nirvana. It's high time thus, to talk turkey with the chief Bushman Gavin Rossdale about critics, career and competition.

Gavin Rossdale puts a good face upon it - at least he tries. Talking about his difficult relationship with the press the 31-year-old Bushman tries to make a comparison to former school days: "Also there I tried to stay away" he grins while eating fruit salad and drinking coffee in the luxurious penthouse suite of the Soho Grand Hotel in N.Y. City. He sits here with sun-glasses on, wearing a slacker-outfit and contributes his part to the release ritual in connection with the 3rd studio album - for him this work is as hard as the work done with the record itself: many, many appointments, endless marketing meetings, the development of a new stage show and the so called "socializing" with friends or so-called friends. But Rossdale is a professional. he does what must be done, doesn't freak out and even has minimized his marijuana consumption: "That only was a little escape. I don't like to drink much and especially not as much as rock stars usually do. I simply can't stand alcohol. So I prefer to smoke, although it has become much less. It's just because I prefer to live in the real world. But this real world does not look as good as he would like it to be. The reason lives on the beau with the dark-brown hair. His band isn't taken seriously - at least in Europe. From the very start the four London guys were called "Nirvana clones". This label sticks on them since the first Bush album, released in 94. That's why Gavin Rossdale has developed a kind of media phobia. Though the Americans, and there especially MTV and VH-1 celebrate them as one of THE rock stars of the late 90's, the European media attack them over and over again. That's of course getting on the nerves of our friend. In spite of that he answers our questions on "The Science of Things" politely. We e.g. ask for the unusual sound of the CD, which should have brought them a big step further on their search for their own identity. Rossdale of course likes to hear that. "After so many years I've learned what it means to make an album. Formerly I always wanted to use all influences in my own music, all the bands, that I liked." But he has learned: "Meanwhile I try to be myself". In order to say good-bye to the grungy past he did a lot: he went to Ireland, lived in a small house between Skibbereen and Baltimore (Southwest Cork) and wrote down everything that was kept in his soul. "Every morning I walked with my dog. I sat down on a cliff, stared into the water and was inspired by this marvelous coastal landscape. In London, however, there is too much distraction. Formerly I shared a flat with my girl-friend and four pals and I was never alone. Then I saw the film "Surviving Picasso" and I realized that Picasso always had a room to work in - and that is fantastic. So I took my dog and did the same like Picasso. The only people that visited us, were a cook and a technician, who showed up every 10 days to tape the new songs".

Rossdales hermitage also shows, that Bush in fact are a one-person-band. The singer is the mouthpiece, head and musical director, the others the executives with limited co-determination. Rossdale explains: "They weren't very happy with that, but they have understood, that I never wanted to be the boss but that I wanted to make something harder and new. And I could do this only alone. And we were on tour for so long that we needed a little distance. I couldn't have them around again" he laughs. Moreover he is the one in the band who has the clearest vision of who and what Bush are: a modern rock band. These thoughts have a history: approx. 1 decade Rossdale tried to succeed in the London music scene - in vain. He meanwhile draws conclusionsFrom these bad experiences. Nevertheless he likes to think about these former times and still is proud of his former band "Midnight", as they had a contract with EPIC, released a handful of singles and dressed in velvet and ruching, which was according to the time then. Only one year ago the British magazine "Q" showed the old photos. "These were the most boring pics we ever took, but we were 19 then and had no chance to fight against that. We were much cooler than we looked like - honestly!" Sony meanwhile thinks of re-releasing the Midnight stuff, which makes Gavin smile contentedly. "I would be happy about that - we were no cheap Synthie-Pop-Band, but we made good rock music then already. The first single 'Run With You' was based on the impressions I had at Jim Morrison's grave. There was this commemorative tablet saying 'Jim, run with us' and I found that great. We also had this great song called 'King Of The Mountain' which they played during the Tour de France on Channel 4. So, all cool stuff only not very successful." Rossdale's fellows also played in bands in the past: Dave Parsons with Transvision Vamp ("I Want Your Love"), Robin Goodridge with the semi-professional The Beautiful People and guitarist Nigel Pulsford made a record with King Blank, that was released in Beggar's Banquet. Being Bush the four stick together now after having overcome many resistances.

So the notorious British Pop-press laughed about them as being cheap grunge plagiats. On concerts the band - founded in autumn '92 - played in front of 50 people. The reason for the skepticism: Bush played a kind of music that these days was only accepted from American bands - hard, metal rock with melancholic singing. Such music was only made in Seattle, not in London. So it was clear for the critics: Bush are a cheap copy. The band turned their back on the island and went to America where there was a demand for such music. They played 230 (!) concerts in a row and achieved a solid fan base. The US-audiences where happy to get this supposed plagiat from the UK, since Kurt Cobain's death the scene there didn't have any guide left as Pearl Jam entrenched themselves in the studio, Soundgarden had approached mainstream and Alice In Chains took a creative time-out, which continues until today. So Bush were at the right place at the right time. But although the band played songs useful to be played on the radio the music industry didn't care at first. Only the new label Trauma gave the band a chance. While their demo tapes were played in college radios Bush recorded their debut album "Sixteen Stone" with a minimum budget. They won ground. In the States the fans began to love Bush, in England initial indifference turned to hate. Two continents, two opinions and absolute polarity. Until today there is no other band where the line between love and hate is that thin. Gavin takes the best out of it: "Is there anything better to have reactions like that? It would be much worse if we caused total indifference. But it is always the same: some people are frightened off from success, others find everything good, which sells. Total nonsense like this theory that we sound totally American. Look at the two first albums: A song like 'Swim' for example has nothing to do with grunge. 'Bomb' is about the IRA and therefore very British and 'Comedown' even has a jazz rhythm. People always only hear what they like to hear. And exactly there is the problem." On the one hand Bush owe the proximity to Kurt Cobain - whether wanted or not - the selling of 7 million records of "Sixteen Stone", on the other hand this proximity got on their nerves after a few months already, so that they tried to solve this problem most efficiently: Rossdale even strengthened these supposed communities: he was seen with Courtney Love ("There was no sex affair"), engaged the chief designer of Cobain's favourite band The Pixies (Vaughan Oliver) and used the help of Indie guru and producer of "In Utero" Steve Albini. He had great fun in exaggerating all clichés. "Either you do exactly what you want or you try to give no space for attacks. If you do the latter than you walk on thin ice. So I try to provocate. So in the song 'Bonedriven' I use the word 'Nevermind' quite consciously, as it doesn't come from Nirvana but from The Sex Pistols and 'Never Mind The Bollocks'. And everybody who knows the Pixies-Song 'U-mass' knows that 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' is just a cheap copy. Cobain simply stole it - there is no other word for that. But basically it doesn't matter - music is there to be taken and developed. Also our producer Steve Albini doesn't understand why we are called a poor copy of Nirvana. Sure, Nirvana was a fantastic band and I'd wish Cobain was still alive. But that has just one selfish reason: I'd like to know how he would have developed. We have left this sound behind us for long."

Besides Rossdale didn't have any other choice: his second album "Razorblade Suitcase" contained the biggest single-hit "Swallowed" but compared to "Sixteen Stone" it was sold less. The reasons are clear: while Bush slowly won ground in Europe, America was on an electronic and cross-over trip in '97 proclaimed by bands like Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Tool or Rage Against The Machine. Even Nirvana would have had problems there and Rossdale realized the need for a change. The beginning was "Deconstructed" in the same year, a remix-album that Goldie, Tricky and Jack Dangers worked upon with the material of the first two records. Bush flirted with the spirit of the time and showed that they could look behind the limited horizon of a pure rock band. It can be argued about the quality of that album, more important, however, was the intention of it. "I've always liked this kind of music" Gavin says "but only because I made two albums in a certain type people believe that I cannot do anything else and that I am sad all the time."

'Deconstructed' not only was a nice toy, it was also a welcome possibility for a longer time-out. The guys looked after their girl-friends, wives, children and new showbiz-friends. Especially Gavin has a lot of them: Shirley Manson of Garbage, Lars Ulrich of Metallica, No Doubt-singer and girlfriend Gwen Stefani and rock icon Patti Smith, although Gavin had a little problem with her: "I met her twice. The first time she was great and we really had a great conversation. I couldn't believe to meet her, because she is one of my greatest idols. But then - a few months later - I visited her in her dressing-room after a New York concert she gave and there she was a real bitch - unfriendly and snooty. She didn't remember who I was and thought I was a reporter of a magazine called 'The Gavin Report'. That really made me sick so that I didn't want to have to do anything with her again." He thought the same thing about his label "Trauma" for a long time, which in the very beginning signed a contract with the band under unfavourable conditions. Gavin called this "baby deal" and having sold 14 million records it should have been time for a change of the contract. Trauma r efused, it became a court-case but finally was managed without court. Rossdale now obviously is satisfied with it: "We now get what we deserve". However, he refuses to tell concrete figures. Since then he has even more self-confidence, experiments a lot which influences the new album - more electronica, more bombast and more groove. This combined with the faible for hard rock and noise now makes some kind of an original Bush-sound which doesn't cause any comparisons with whosoever any more. "Take the Smashing Pumpkins for example" he grins "Their first album totally sounded like Jane's Addiction and nobody realized it. A short time ago I had a drink with Corgan's sound technican and I nailed him down on that. He had to agree: we always were blamed to orientate to other people, whereas the Pumpkins may do everything. That is unfair."

Maybe still more interesting than the musical side is the lyrical side of "The Science Of Things". Being the son of a wealthy London physician family who was able to get a university education, he also is a talented song-writer. That could already be realized in the former albums which often are cryptical and mingled so that even the other band members do not always understand them. Rossdale's best friend, drummer Robin, grins obviously embarrassed: "I also do not understand most of it. No idea how anybody, whose native language is not English, can understand them." Speaking about texts Rossdale says: "Words are like colours or little lights. There is this famous Dylan-quote, that the difficulty in writing texts is not to make any verse stronger than the others. Of course he also didn't stick to that. I think that my songs become simpler. Most of them are about my way of life." The most private one is "Spacetravel", in which Rossdale thinks about means and ways to find the quickest way to bring him to his Gwen in Los Angeles but then turns over to a general reflection about modern England: "The people in my country have no respect for arts. That's why I like to go to San Fransisco or Germany. Especially Cologne is great - I love this city. It is so free and easy. In comparison to that England has this "Big Brother"-mentality. Everything is controlled by corrupt, mean people, the media, art, public opinion." Rossdale scolds: " They always jump on the weak points of people and pretend to be big moralists, but they do more cocaine than everybody else. They do this since the beginning of the century. I especially realize that when coming home from a long journey abroad: England is sticky. Take our shity radio stations for example: they are so totally sluggish and smug that I can hardly stand them. You can actually only listen to pirate radio."

Mr. Rossdale obviously can also fume and foam. He agrees: "Sometimes I can be a real asshole". Aha. But without that and the ability to have his way he woudn't be where he is today. The chief bushman and his guys have overcome the first difficult years and look into a very bright future. And they have many plans: e.g. to do their own productions. Furtheron Rossdale thinks about a possible solo career: "You know, I really like bands like Sparklehorse, Low or Palace - all the quiet, malancholic stuff. I can well imagine to record such stuff. Also I'd like to learn to play piano, to improve my guitar technique and maybe even learn to cook. I'd especially want more of everything: going on holidays, reading books and having time for myself." As this still not being enough Mr. Rockstar also reflects about a probable career as an actor - his friend Courtney Love demonstrated this to him in "Larry Flynt". "As soon as I have found the right thing I will do it", he says "otherwise I'll do a porno". With Gwen? Rossdale grins broadly: "If it is fun to her..."