Interviews Session with Space - December 2011 - BBC Introducing in Merseyside

This is a transcript of a radio interview by Dave Monks on BBC Introducing Merseyside.

Dave Monks (DM): Welcome everyone in, Space... do you want to introduce everyone?

Tommy: Yes! This is Space... we have original members and we have new members... right?!

DM: Lets start with the new ones then...

Tommy: The new ones is Jamie, Franny and me!

All: Laugh.

DM: Where did you find Jamie?!

Jamie: In the blue lagoon!

DM: And you've got new members as well, real new members!

Tommy: We have Phil Hartley on double bass and bass, and we have Ryan Clarke on keyboards, but geeky keyboards like... (Laughs)

DM: And a terrible shirt!

Tommy: Yeah! And our drummer Allan's not here... obviously, because he couldn't get out of work.

DM: We'll have a chat in a minute but are you gonna do two tracks? Two old ones Tommy?

Tommy: Yeah, we're doing Neighbourhood and Spiders like which always used to go down really well live.

DM: I'm sure it will. What are you going to start with?

Tommy: Neighbourhood.

DM: Okay Thanks.

Acoustic performance of Neighbourhood

DM: Nice one!

Tommy: Cool man!

DM: So you're back together again, you've reformed...

Tommy: Aye yes, said I'd never do it but here I am.

DM: Extended line up as well isn't it?

Tommy: Yeah, its because I was already with the Red Scare and stuff like that and I'd already started doing Space stuff in it. Plus I met these at Andy Parle's funeral, it sort of broke the ice and things like that you know what I mean, so.

DM: Was that the start of it? When you started discussing it?

Tommy: Well I hadn't thought of doing Space again then, I was still dead against it but it just broke the ice with us and we started going to each other's gigs and stuff like that... I'd go see Dust and they'd come see the Drellas and stuff like that. It got to the point where we did Matthew Street and I'm sure we did about 5 or 6 Space songs and it felt wrong, and it was like this is not fair you know what I mean? I'm doing like 5/6 Space songs now and I felt dead guilty to tell you the truth.

DM: That's when I introduced you wasn't it? Matthew Street and you done Chester Rocks as well didn't you?

Tommy: Yeah and that was the same...

DM: Do you think I played a part in getting you back together then?!

Tommy: I think you did fella yeah! Laughs.

DM: I hope so! If it works out I did, but if it doesn't...

All: Laugh.

DM: Every time you've been in with the Drellas and other things you've done here you've sort of stayed away from all the Space you've sort of moved forward, so why's the time right now?

Tommy: Well basically I'd fell out of love with all the songs because of all that happened and all that. I mean we did great and all that but it all went wrong and stuff, the usual and I'd fell out of love with songs and started falling back in love with them bit by bit. And... I swore I'd never do it!

Jamie: It's the timing as well, now it just feels right... the whole thing it just feels right to do it at the moment.

Tommy: Because it's the honeymoon period! Laughs.

DM: Yeah, but the honeymoon period's nearly over now isn't it?!

Tommy: Yeah! Laughs.

DM: Not far off it!

Tommy: No!

DM: What's it like being back as mates again? Because it's like going back to school isn't it to meet your mates again really?

Tommy: It is like that yeah! It's like a school reunion ya, it's weird and strange like because they're being nice! Laughs.

Jamie: For now, we're being nice to each other for now!

DM: Have there been any hitches?

Jamie: It's bubbling, sometimes underneath the surface you know it's getting there. But that's what makes it rock and roll. That's what keeps it on the edge and that's what keeps you coming back.

DM: So money had nothing to do with it?!

Tommy: Money is always good man... you know what I mean.

Jamie: We'd be liars if we said it's not... we're not going to do it for nothing are we? But I think a really big part of it is to do with Andy's funeral and when we all went out for a drink after it. It just felt like we hadn't spent that much time in each other's company until that day really and at that it just felt that we had some unfinished business then.

Tommy: Yeah, we went down to Lark Lane and everything and we were together all day and stuff like that.

DM: So it sort of rekindled the friendship in a little way?

Tommy: It rekindled the friendship I mean yeah I still was like I wasn't going to do it and stuff then but it's as gone on you know?

DM: You've decided its right?

Tommy: To tell you the truth when I started doing all of these new songs with the Red Scare and the stuff like Jamie's writing now, it finally feels like we've got some songs worthy of the name to tell you the truth you know?

DM: And what is the plan? Is it going to be just these couple of gigs? Or are you going to write new material or are you going to do your new stuff next year.

Tommy: No it's a new album and stuff like that called Attack of the Mutant 50ft Kebab, you know so...

DM: Because this really is like you sort of had a come back in a little bit of a way in 2004 when you released Suburban Rock n Roll didn't you? You did have a go at it?

Tommy: Yeah but it was just the label, they were lovely fellas and that but they didn't have a clue...

DM: That was Pinnacle?

Tommy: No it was RandM they were called, they were two fellas that used to be part of some big label, I can't even remember who it was now like. It just weren't meant to be, it was like our best album to tell you the truth that.

DM: Do you think so?

Tommy: Yeah I think so...

Jamie: Yeah 100%...

Tommy: And he weren't even on it! Laughs.

Jamie: It's still my favourite album...

All: Laugh.

DM: You've done a lot of tracks then... will some of them tracks then that you done in 2004 make this new album next year?

Tommy: Oh no, no it's all different.

DM: It's totally fresh stuff?

Tommy: You've heard some of it because we played some of it at Matthew Street, a lot of it's the Red Scare stuff like that. Which was like basically all the lads were saying to me in practice this sounds like Space mate... you wanna get it sorted and get it back because basically you're playing Space tunes. Umm 'Oh yeah', I didn't even realise I was going back to the way I write.

DM: How did you decide on the line up then? Because you've sort of got some of the Drellas and the Red Scare members as well but there's a few people missing of course... like Yorkie's not involved this time?

Tommy: Well basically we decided, cos I'm not just going to get rid of like Allan and Phil and Ryan because they've like been me best mates for ages and we work together great and Leon's moving to Australia, he's really busy with his work and he's an amazing drummer but I can't just you know... Allan's played on all the new songs and we can't just get rid of him.

Jamie: It's not just that it's that these, Allan, Phil and Ryan they're unbelievable musicians, that's got a big part to play in it as well. It's not just it's all me mates because they actually fit the kind of stuff that we're doing now.

DM: Lets just go back a bit as well and talk about the individual high points during Spiders and Tin Planet.

Tommy: Yeah.

DM: There was a lot of stuff there, a couple of years of a lot of things going on, what were the personal favourites for you when you look back on it at the time?

Tommy: I always say it and we always say it but it's the Anfield, the Hillsborough concert you know what I mean...

Jamie: That was the pinnacle really...

Tommy: Yeah. That was just the most amazing feeling, all them people coming together for the 96 that was just the most amazing thing we've ever done. So that's mine anyway...

DM: That was a good day that...

Jamie: I think that that's for all of us that, all of us will say that definitely.

DM: That was your favourite gig then you'd say?

Jamie: Oh 100%, you'd never top that really...

Tommy: Defo, the worst gig was supporting Bryan Adams in Hyde Park...

DM: Why was that?

Tommy: After every song it was like a lead balloon, nobody was even clapping, even when we did Female and all like that it was like (makes whistling sound like something falling and laughs). It went down like a lead balloon.

DM: Was it because of the match on the day then? The people watching Brian Adams didn't know your stuff?

Tommy: Yeah it was basically loads of them people with silk bomber jackets with names like Status Quo on the back and all like that you know what I mean?! Laughs.

DM: No Space on the back then?

Tommy: No way!

DM: Ah well. So, 22nd December is the gig, that's at the O2 Academy and then you're going to do more next year?

Tommy: Umm yeah well depending on the honeymoon, we're planning on doing a full tour, we're planning on going to America, going to the Philippines...

Jamie: Australia

Tommy: Thailand... Everywhere like... if we stay together after this gig!

DM: So it's like a sort of test? It really is like a honeymoon to see how you get on?

Tommy: It is yeah! And we're getting on great at the moment so...

Jamie: For now!

Tommy: Yeah!

DM: And you're going to do the title track from Spiders basically?

Tommy: We are yeah... Spiders...

Acoustic performance of Spiders

DM: Nice one lads, second track. So the gig is on...

Jamie: Thursday 22nd December...

DM: Tickets still available?

Jamie: Yes, for now but...

DM: Going fast? Like hot cakes?

Jamie: Like little hot cakes...

DM: Well thanks for coming in... Space, welcome back!

All: Thanks!