90
MAGAZINE
March 2006. Joe Hibbert
interviews Artex Monkey.
JOE: Joe
Hibbert, 90 Magazine
ARTEX:
Artex Monkey
WARNING
THIS INTERVIEW CONTAINS A
STRONG BARNSLEY ACCENT
WHICH SOME MAY FIND
DIFFICULT TO READ.
JOE: "For
those who live further
than 'thutty futty mile
darn t'ruad' and who
have'nt heard of you or
your music, could you
tell us a little bit
about yourself?"
ARTEX: "Ar
were born in a terrace
house in Royston, darn
Midland Ruad end if tha
knows it. Royston's an
old pit village just
north of Barnsley, abart
a mile from where they
filmed t'footie scene in
Kes (as tha sin that
video by Harrisons, they
re-enact that scene, it's
reight funny). A went
t'local comp an then ar
settled inter a life er
dullness and debauchery.
Well not really, but ar
did once av sum library
books that were a month
ovver t'return date - ar
dun't know if that fits
the dullness category or
t'debauchery one, mebbi a
bit er both."
JOE: "Did
you know that there's a
tribute band of yours
going around calling
themselves the 'arctic
monkeys'? How do you rate
them?"
ARTEX:
"Ar, it were nice er
Arctic Monkeys lads
t'form a tribute act. Ar
think Arctic Monkeys ar
best band av seen in
t'last 20 years, best
band art er High Green
any ruad. Ar reckon High
Green's closer to
Barnsley than Sheffield.
So (after missen like)
they cud well bi biggest
band t'come art er tarn,
bigger en Saxon even. I
av a vinyl copy of Arctic
Monkey's Five Minutes
With EP, an on CD, but am
gunna keep em missen, not
gunna let sum eBay shark
gerrolda it."
JOE: "When
can your fans get their
hands on a copy of your
album, "Whatever
people say I'm not that
what I am.'?"
ARTEX: "Am
rekewerdin mi album
reight nar in mi
bathroom, av found that
council house bathrooms
av best acoustics. i want
it t'sarnd raw n alive
like them early 60s
albums. av managed raw
bit so far. i reckon al
av mi album available
t'masses sooin, just
gorra few mewer numbers
t'get darn an bob's thi
uncle. At moment it's
just gunna bi available
on mi website, nowt
special. Am still waitin
on t'call from all major
record labels, but thev
not bin in touch funnily
enough. Tha carn't work
sum folks art can
tha?"
JOE: "Are
there any plans for a
tour? World-wide or
otherwise. Are you
planning to break
america?"
ARTEX: "Av
ad a few kindly offers
for gigs from the likes
of Burn Down The Disco
neet in tarn, an a gig at
The Grapes in Sheff. Am
gunna sewert somet art
sooin. Ar think ad gu
darn well in t'big city
lights er London an all.
If ar dun't get lost on
t'undergrarnd on mi way
t'gig. am thinkin abart
gerrin mi band together
an doin a few gigs. ar
reckon folks ar ready for
mi nar. av paid mi
dues."
JOE: "Your
lyrics are very deep and
clearly well thought out,
are they simply inspired
by life in Barnsley? Or
do you take inspiration
from another
source?"
ARTEX: "Ar
a spend a lot er time on
em, glad tha's picked up
on that. Durin mi
mis-spent youth a picked
up a reight cheap guitar.
av bin doin mi songs nar
for abart fifteen years.
they're songs abart
wheear a live an local
news. av gorr undreds
errem under mi bed."
JOE: "Recently
you were featured in The
Sun, has this national
fame changed you?"
ARTEX: "Ar
it's gone reight t'mi ed
nar an't it? The'll bi
snappin photos er mi
fallin art er Soho
neetclubs. An al ger all
adicted t'drugs, an start
burglin sheds, an tryin
t'leg it from taxi wi art
payin after a friday neet
in tarn. As a said, it
won't change mi. It's all
darn hill nar, darn Dove
Hill for a start."
JOE: "As
part of the growing music
scene in South Yorkshire
are there any other new
bands from the region
that you rate? Which
bands get you on the
dancefloor?"
ARTEX:
"There er loads
a bands nar from rarnd
ere arn't ther. All
coming art er woodwork.
Tha's got all them theer
Sheff bands like
Harrisons, The Golden
Age, Bromheads Jacket,
Milburn, Reverend And The
Makers, Little Man Tate
an rest er em. Then tha's
got sum bands from rarnd
ere like The Dirty Pins,
The Baddies, The Palms.
The Dirty Pins er giggin
rarnd London an they
sarnd a bit like
Buzzcocks an them sewert
er bands."
JOE: "On
his first hearing of you,
a mate's first reaction
was: "He's gotta be
pissed". Was any
alcohol consumed in the
making of this
music?"
ARTEX: "Ar
carn't remember, so it's
mewer than likely in't
it... ar reckon ar got
reight into mood. Does
tha remember Kestral? Av
not ad any er that for
years. Ar think Kwik Save
ad a special offer that
neet. Am allus checkin
supermarket's art for
t'two for one offers. Ar
dun't miss owt me. Tha's
gorra keep on t'ball an't
tha?"
JOE: "Do
you support Barnsley, and
if so do you think
they'll go up this
year?"
ARTEX: "Barnsley
FC ...weear did it all gu
wrong? Theear wi wor at
t'top er Premiership (we
were weren't wi?) an it
were just like watchin
Brazil. Wi cudda bin
playin in Europe nar if
the'd a lukked after
things better. Barnd
t'goo up this year an't
ther? Wi dun't wanna bi
playin Donny Rovers agen,
cos wi keep looisin to
em."
JOE: "Describe
yourself in five
words."
ARTEX: "(a)
Barnsley. Poet. Pushbike.
Knitwear. Linoleum. (b) a
song and dance man. av
got it all covered."
JOE: "What's
your poison?"
ARTEX: "It
depends wheear I am an
what special offer is
gooin. If am rarnd tarn
then probly John Smiths
Smooth, especialy if it's
gooin cheap in
t'afternooin in
Brarnses."
JOE: "What
was the last C.D/Lp that
you bought?"
ARTEX: "A
bought two at same time
Jilted John's True Love
Stories and Graham
Fellows Love At The
Hacienda."
JOE: "What
can you say to sell your
music to the mainstream?
Why is your music so
brilliant?"
ARTEX: "Ar
like some of these quotes
av found that people av
used t'discribe mi
music...
1. 'Quite possibly the
worst excuse for music
Ive EVER heard. But
then who cares bout that
- hey I love it don't I'
2. 'God that is shit
pushed through a
speaker!'
3. 'Artex Monkey - One
word - Shite'
Ar think sum er them
'bad' reviews ar really
funny. A carn't fail
canna?"
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