With their fourth record ‘Golden State’ not only did Bush reinstated themselves as an alternative rock-institution, they also got what they never had before and almost didn’t expected anymore; acknowledgement from the critics. The best record in the band’s history, a celebrated clubtour in December and upcoming festival-appearances in the summer. Time for a well-earned cover story on one of the last big alternative acts of this generation. At home with Bush in London, which offered many beautiful insights and a negative surprise in the case of a change in the member line-up.
“Jochen, could you do it next Friday at 2 p.m. with Thomas at Gavin’s house?” Bush-manager Giles, on holiday in Southeast Asia over Christmas, finally gives the OK for the house-visit with Bush, after ongoing text messages in the year’s end. “I’m only doing this for you” says Gavin Rossdale then on January 11, sitting on his pool table. “Actually, I never wanted to do this sort of thing again. I once had the press, MTV Cribs, in my house, that was horrible.” Nothing like that today. Behind us are four insights in the world of four more or less adult men, who since long have found more values, other than being members of a rock-band.
“See, that wasn’t that bad now, was it?” Eden looks at her daddy with teary-red eyes and nods. She fell over a pillow and fell on her nose. All because of the excitement, cause after all she will be famous soon. “Will you send us a copy?” Sarah asks. “We have so little beautiful pictures of the three of us together.” Eden and Sarah are Dave’s family. Dave Guy Parsons, born on July 2, 1964 as one of five children is the bass-player for Bush. He will be again in February. “Excuse the mess, we recently moved here” he greets us, with his hands wet from dish-washing. “With Bush I was in the States just before Christmas to do a few radio-shows, came home December 22 and at home the hassle already awaited.” In the last few years, Notting Hill, the former home of the three, has become trendy. In the old days, this part of town was a younger creative place. Now the yuppies come and try to buy their way into this lifestyle. They ruin everything with their money.” Dave lived there for twenty years. He met Sarah and two of his best friends there. That happened before Bush. He still goes to the pub there, when is home- to meet the boys.
Success to Dave is: “The house, my daughter and my season-card for Arsenal. Finally after all these years I got that. Off course I’m never there whenever there is a big game, but I go there as often as I can.” A four-story high terraced house is the new home. Right across the playground and park. It can’t get more normal than that. Only the attic will become a music-room. Dave’s basses are already up there. “ A man needs his own room” he says with a grin, as he is showing us around. Everywhere are moving boxes, in between there’s a children’s play-store, a picture from Dave’s small fishing-success and a picture from the Neusee holiday. On the refrigerator is a picture of Elvis.
We sit down at a wooden kitchen table. With a cup of English tea in hand Dave, mostly known for being the quiet one, talks about his band, his family and quarrels about his common life, which he can’t deny anymore. “Yes, I think I’ve grown up to be an adult. I’m not married yet, but I have a house and a child – rather rare. I do the housework, don’t go out a lot. To be honest: I was a little afraid that I wouldn’t meet up to your expectations when Giles called and said that you wanted to visit me at home. I’m not Rock ‘n Roll. I can not just sit around, drink, do drugs and walk out on interviews. Bush isn’t Oasis. More the opposite actually: It’s a beautiful thing to be playing for 2000 people one night and on the next day to be doing the dishes. It helps to remind me of what is important.”
Bush performances at ‘Rock am Ring’ and ‘Rock im Park’ were the first and last times that Dave wasn’t present at a concert from his band. The cause couldn’t be explained better: Eden was born. “Off course the band has been around for ten years, but my child will be with me forever. It’s hard enough as it is for me to be going back on tour in three weeks. She’s growing so fast at this age. Robin (Goodridge, drummer for Bush) must have had a more difficult time back then; his girl was born in the days of ‘Sixteen Stone’ and ‘Razorblade Suitcase’. Back then we were on tour almost three and half years non-stop. At the end of that we all were alcoholics and on sleeping pills.” Where Dave would have been without Bush, he can’t tell. Music has always been his life. Ever since his sisters gave a guitar and some punk records as a present, the goal was obvious. The first serious music contacts he had after some school bands were in Notting Hill and they paid off rather quickly. Amongst others he met Wendy James, singer for mid 80’s-punk-pop group Transvision Vamp (somewhere between Blondie and The Clash), for which she wrote ‘I want your love’, one of the greatest hate-love-songs of the decade. “We weren’t the most credible group on earth, but we had fun and we still meet up occasionally. Until recently I lived about 200 meters away from Wendy.”
In 1993 dissolved and only one month later he met Gavin Rossdale. “I saw him around, everybody knew him, he was a very social character. He’d just founded a band and was looking for a bass-player. When I introduced myself in the rehearsal room Nigel, a drummer whose name I can’t remember and Gav were in the room. All the others trying out for the job were playing all crazed-out funk loops and those kinds of things. I just played my stuff straight up. (Dave leans forward and imitates his ‘thing’.) I got the job and a couple of months later we recorded ‘Sixteen Stone’ on a mini-budget. A short time later we got a call that ‘Everything Zen’ was being played on ‘KROQ’, the biggest and most important rock radio station in Los Angeles. They told us we had to come to New York and shoot a video.”
“I was just about to paint a house, when we got that message. At that time, Gavin and me were making our living by painting office buildings. So, we packed our things and flew to New York, where we noticed for the first time that something special was happening: January 21, 1995 we played a gig in CBGB’s, the big New York punk club: Debbie Harry, Patti Smith, Lou Reed, they all played there.
We came in and the place was packed. It looked like a video-set: graffiti, everything ‘breathed’ history, and we needed 20 minutes to make it across the room and onto stage. That show was the bomb and blew us away completely. You know, in London you had to start over again from nothing every single time. In New York was the first time that we played for people that knew our songs and sang along to the lyrics. We did the gig and went straight back to England, painting houses to make money.
Robin James Goodridge was born September 10, 1965 in Gilford near London and is the drummer for Bush. He has a daughter from his first wife Glynis, from whom he separated after eight years. Christmas 2001 was spent with his family in England –his daughter lives with her mom– but for the New Years he flew to California to his new girlfriend. So we have to talk to him over the phone and only have twenty minutes. The man is on a holiday and wants to go to the beach. Nonetheless he tries to answer as much as possible in that short time. After all he has got no problem with conversation –he is known and loved for being the one that talks, when everyone else is done talking. As the musical engine of the band Robin, who was the last to join Bush just one month before recording ‘Sixteen Stone’, has become an irreplaceable part and, as said, famous for his big mouth. “We are like Pac-man. We just go about and consume America” was one of the first statements the American press would hear from him.
And he knows, without that characteristic he might still be painting houses. “I saw Bush in a club in London and thought their drummer was awful. Thus I went backstage after the gig and told them that. I was rather drunk and really laid it on thick, because I really wanted the job. It knew it would work between us. And it still does.” Robin was 13 when he started playing the drums. At the age of 19 he was playing as the youngest member of a blues cover band in the London pubs. The others were all 35. After that he played in several other bands, with Beautiful People he even released a record. That record he also played to Gavin when he introduced himself again a few days later, this time sober.
The first song that was made with Robin was ‘Everything Zen’. “‘Glycerine’, ‘Comedown’ and ‘Machinehead’ were already done. A few months later we got our first record-deal. The time after the breakthrough in the USA was the most mind-blowing and intense one for us. We played in arena’s for 18000 people, but were on the road non-stop for more then three years.”
European critics passed Bush off as being grunge rip-offs, while the success-story in the USA gave them a crash-course in the music-business, according to Robin. The band learned what it was to be big, fast and the hard way. “The people from the record-company were always saying: Either you want to be there, or nobody will want to have anything to do with you. Basically: Do as we tell you.” Bush did. “We ended up touring the states five times in a row. We all hated the business and all we wanted was rest.”
And they took their rest. During the legal battle with their label ‘Trauma’, which signed Bush as nobodies and in the mean time had made a fortune on the foursome, three quarters of the band gave themselves the off time. Only Rossdale went to Ireland to write record number three, ‘The Science of Things’. This work would become the most controversial in the Bush-discography, foremost because of two controversial characters: Gavin Rossdale and Nigel Pulsford.
Kenneth Howard Nigel Pulsford was born the youngest of three children on April 11, 1964 in Wales and is the guitarist for Bush. He comes from an extremely musical family. One sister is a classical violin-player, the other one played keyboard for Cyndi Lauper. It’s obvious why he is named the musical conscience of the band. Old bands from Nigel are King’s Blank and Future Primitive, who also recorded a single, named ‘Bomb’. In a way Nigel portrays the counterpart from songwriter Gavin. During the interview Robin described the roles in Bush as follows: “Gavin writes the songs, Nigel hates the songs and me and Dave try to mediate.”
Pulsford doesn’t aim for denial: “Me and Gavin have written songs together, until he only wanted to sing his own songs. Back then that really pissed me off, and to be honest, it is starting to piss me off again. There are tensions between him and me. I think that his alone-attitude is limiting us. The first record is great, our best. The others, especially ‘The Science of Things’, have fillers, and that could have been avoided. Sure, he is a trademark, and that has the advantage that Bush always meant something. But I just think, that we could reach so much more, if he would let the others have more input. My solo records consist mostly of song that originally were written for Bush.”
For the most part, Nigel’s solo-records are made in his home. A huge home-studio is found in the basement. Parts of ‘Chemicals between us’ were recorded here and also a cover version of the Doors-classic ‘Break on trough’, however never released. Nigel’s solo-debut was made here partially, and a part in Tennessee, with his sister. Two more records are in the making right now. Initially Pulsford’s solo work reminds a bit of that from ‘Alice in Chains’ guitarist Jerry Cantrell: the surplus of creative pressure is released by a man of whom you know why he plays guitar, but also why he doesn’t sing in his main band.
On the cover of ‘Heavenly Toast….’ is a picture of Nigel as a child and on the back a picture of his father. Just as Bush were recording ‘Sixteen Stone’, Nigel’s father died. “I hate it to think about this record. It reminds me of the worst time of my life. It is a shame that my dad is not around anymore to see all that happened after that.” Bush dedicated their debut to him.
That fact that, with the release of ‘The Science of Things’, the main focus of Bush shifted to Europe –for example, ‘Letting the cables sleep’ was only a hit on this side of the Atlantic –, fits the family-man more than well. “The people in Europe listen better to us. Besides, that way I can always fly home on a day off.” Since 1996 Nigel is married to his long-term girlfriend Judith and father of a girl, Olivia. With his huge house in the northern center of London he created a perfect refuge. “We bought this house spontaneously, to renovate it was three times as much as we thought. And all just for this one room”, he explains as we walk into a 50 square meter room, with two fireplaces, a huge dinning table, and piano and some toys. It gives room for family, friends and the dog, a German shepherd.
But quiet it is not, it is more like a train station. In the 60 minutes of our visit, not only Judith and Olivia but also several friends and servants go in and out all the time. In a month and a half Nigel will become a father again. A son, as he recently learned. “It’s getting full here’, he grins and sips his tea.
Nigel is utterly grateful for all that came his way in the past eight years with Bush. Nevertheless, it is noticeable that it won’t be easy for him, to go back on tour in February and leave it all behind –and also in band in which he endures to stay, as it seems, only because of his solo records.
Upon asking, he often thinks about leaving Bush. “I have kids. There are now more important things in my life. Off course I would miss it. We have accomplished so much with Bush, much more then we ever expected. There were some times that I thought about leaving, just about every time that we took a break.”
On the question how he heard about Gavin’s engagement to No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani, Nigel answers: “Gavin called me. It is rather funny. That will probably be something like a royal wedding in the rock-scene. A completely different world than mine. But hey, it gives good press, now Gwen’s record is coming out.” A cynic, no question about that.
Congratulations, mister Rossdale. “Thanks, man. I never thought that I would do that, but it feels good.”
Gavin McGregor Rossdale born October 30, 1964 in London is the singer and guitarist for Bush – and engaged. Since ten days. On New Years Day 2002 he proposed to his long-term girlfriend Gwen Stefani. That came as a surprise, because no one ever knew whether they were together or not. “Me neither”, he grins. “At least now people will stop asking me that question.”
On the fireplace the congratulations to the engagement are stacking up, and pictures of the couple are everywhere in the house: No professional shots, but just snapshots from holidays and such. Best part of the gallery: In a picture, obviously taken in the midst of some backstage party, Gavin grins stupidly in the camera with a joint in his mouth and shirtless and while Gwen is clinging to his chest.
Doesn’t it bother you, when your girlfriend handles her femininity so offensive? “Do you guys want a beer? Heineken, Kronenburg or Becks?” Cheers. “You know when I met Gwen she was completely different”, he explains. “When I met her, when were on tour in the States and No Doubt was supporting us, she was small and shy – a girl, really. I’m only her second boyfriend. The image she puts out there is totally different. But that’s the way she wants it, and that is okay. There are worst things than having a really hot girlfriend. What bothers me a bit though is, that lately she has a lot to do with this Hop-Hop community. I can imagine these guys…. If you know what I mean…” Got it. “In the end, I want a woman who is self-confident, who does what she wants. Otherwise she could not even put up with me.”
Nowadays Gwen is living with Gavin, because she is doing promotion for the new No Doubt record in England. In a small guestroom her clothes are found: Lots of jackets, tops and pants in many bright colors, and also blond hairpieces and an unbelievable collection of shoes in every shape and color, just in case they might be ‘in’. “Women”, Gavin says grinning.
So, when is the wedding? “We don’t know it exactly. We both recently released records. Maybe we’ll can make it to take some time off in the summer, but not if there is a good festival (grins). You know, it is all still new. I am looking forward to the future and also have some respect. There are no positive examples of marriages in my world. Sure, Gwen’s parents are still together, but mine have separated long ago and remarried. It is like that in my entire family.”
Gavin’s parents divorced when he was still a baby. Until he was four he didn’t speak to anyone but his sister, as a teenager he was caught shop-lifting more than once and hang out in night and gay clubs. Nowadays he sings in a concert hall every other day and sits here, on one of two dark red couches in a four stories high house in central London, that is right next to a park. The sign on the door reads something else then Rossdale, and the bedroom has two balconies. “One with a view of the country-side, one with a view on the city. That’s the way I like it.” I must admit, the home of the singer is awesome: noble, but decent, excessive, but tasteful, certainly very expensive, but absolutely stylish. Black fluffy carpet, a mega-stereo set (800 CD’s are here, the other three-quarters are in LA) in the living room, a giant kitchen with numerous paintings on the wall and a bedroom in the category ‘lovenest deluxe’ – one could live like that.
This man has got so much style, that despite the fact that he lives in a kind of an uploaded way, he still is sympathetic. “Gwen said that you could photograph everything, everything but the bed. What a shame though, cause, well, just look at it…” He throws himself on the bed made of fine wood and placed in the middle of the room on a raised part of the floor and presses a button, that opens two roof-windows. “ While I was watching the European championship soccer, the sun was shining directly on my stomach.” Again: congratulations. “I’m not a materialist, but I do like certain things. And as an art-lover I have the luxury to be able to afford some of that.” Apparently. One of the paintings in the staircase will be picked up in an hour to be taken to an exhibition in New York.
On the third floor is the womb of Bush. “On this thing numerous Bush-songs were created.” Gavin points to an ugly gray thing in the shape of a shoebox, with a Bush sticker on it. Looks like a radio, but it is a multi-track-device. In the workplace is a big frame of Bob Marley, on the monitor-box is a framed picture of Nigel, Dave and Robin in some hotel swimming pool, all grinning widely. “It reminds me off what it is all about. You see how Nigel is grinning?” he asks and turns away.
“There was a time, when I wanted to be like Bob Marley so much, that I smoked pot like a madman. But as a singer of a band you can’t do that very long.” Now there are other role models. “My dream is to be like Nick Cave, Bob Dylan, Neil Young or Leonard Cohen someday, they can move people with sung words only. Full of quality – well, who can do that?………….. Ooh, there he comes!”
A 50 centimeter high black ball with rasta curls, with whom you don’t know what the front or back is, runs in our direction: Winston. The dog, that in some way or another is present on all Bush-records. During the rest of the entire conversation he is playing with his squeaky toy and manages time and time to attract the attention to himself.
Then the phone rings. “It’s Gwen,” the chambermaid says. “Oh shit. Hey, honey! I can’t make it early. I wasn’t able to get a hold of my dad, so he could watch Winston. He must have already gone out to the country. And when I go out to dinner with you guys and afterwards to a club… I can’t leave Winston alone for seven hours. I’m sorry. What do ya think? Okay, bye!”
“In the beginning Bush was my personal anti-Britpop movement.” Gavin remembers. “I liked ‘The Jesus & Mary Chain’, ‘The Fall’ and the ‘Pixies’, but I didn’t like all those Britpop bands with their conceited attitudes. Since the beginning I wrote songs of which I could imagine sharing them with 20.000 people. Then I met Nigel and played him the first song I ever wrote: Comedown. We recorded it in his studio. Nigel had the ability to make my songs sound the way I always imagined them. I said that we could work together, but his opinion was that I should write the songs alone and then take the stuff to him. That’s the way it still goes.”
Rossdale just about accomplished anything one could ever wish for. There is only one thing he still has a hard time with: “In general the media here still confuses me”, he says in a noticeable lowered voice. “ ‘Liars’ we were called once by ‘Melody Maker’, can you imagine that! Only because we don’t make typical English music. Or that reporter from ‘Rolling Stone’ that once hang out with us a whole week in the States. We let him in to our group of friends, with made an effort for him, he wanted to smoke pot with us, so he could squeeze more out of us –and then went and completely thrashed us in the article. Strangely enough we haven’t seen him since. (grins) But we know where he lives. I would love to kick some people’s ass real hard. Just being Clint Eastwood once, but live ain’t that way. Our only answer is making great songs.”
Upon asked who would be the first to leave Bush, Gavin hesitates. “Didn’t he tell you?” Who? “Nigel, he wants to be with his wife the next month, while she is pregnant. We also got a replacement: Chris Trainer, he used to be with Orange 9mm and Helmet.” So, Nigel is taking a month off? “Actually, to be precise: he doesn’t want to play for four months, that is what he told us before Christmas” Will he leave Bush? “I’ve got no idea. I think that when the time comes that two kids are running around the house screaming and a wife and a maid, he’ll come back running! But to be honest: I just don’t know.”
© 1997-2002 gishgirl@rocketmail.com