
THE
NATIONAL STUDENT MAGAZINE
-
www.national-student.co.uk
October 2006. The
National Student Magazine hung
out with Barnsley's
premiere musical simian
ORIGINAL
WEBSITE VERSION - Click
HERE
NSM:
National Student Magazine
ARTEX:
Artex Monkey
NSM:
"What are
you?"
ARTEX: "Am
a musical fernomenom, so
mi mam tells mi an shiz
allus reight mi
mam."
NSM: "Why
are you?"
ARTEX: "Am
the missin link an't a?
Am ere t'put Barnsley
back on t'map."
NSM: "What
do you do?"
ARTEX: "A
write mi own songs an a
sing em an that."
NSM: "Are
Mullets wrong?"
ARTEX: "A
imagine avvin a mullet
cud prove beneficial
sumtimes. Like if tha wer
gooin for an interview
for a job as a fork-lift
truck driver. Barnd t'get
job then an't tha? Or if
tha wer wukkin in an 'ot
climate, it'd keep sun
off thi neck s'that tha
wun't gerra red neck wud
that?"
NSM: "Do
you like the Arctic
Monkeys and their
music?"
ARTEX: "Ther
reight gud Arctic
Monkeys. Ar gorrinterem
rarnd abart time they
played at t'Birdwell Club
up near us. Av got Five
Minutes With on vinyl and
cd an no tha carn't av
it. Ad gorrall t'demos an
that. A like their
acoustic session ones an
all. Ther just like me,
cos a went t'Barnsley
College like two er them
did. But ar wer theear
first wan't a? A used
t'busk rarnd tarn while
they wer still in
nappies. So ther followin
in my monkey footsteps
t'bi reight. But ar dun't
mind if they want t'use
me as a springbooard
t'success. What goes
rarnd comes rarnd dun't
it?"
NSM: "Are
you keepin' it
real?"
ARTEX: "Well
av rekewerded most er mi
debut album in mi mam's
council house bathroom. A
locked missen in wi mi
guitar an mi tape
rekewerder an a went
through mi songs. It wer
a bit awkward wi t'guitar
cos when a wer sat darn
on t'toilet (lid wer darn
by t'way) mi guitar kept
bashin up against wall,
but a did mi best any
ruad."
NSM: "Which
other celebrity monkeys
do you admire?"
ARTEX: "A
tha sayin that am
celebite? Like that
mester Morrissey? Cos av
got mi fair share er
followers of the female
of the species let mi
tell thi. Oh a see,
celebrity, see worra did
theear? That wer one er
them misunderstandings
fer comic effect, an a
think a pulled it off
reight well. Mi favourite
celebrity monkeys erm a
dun't av any. If tha az
an hero, look agearn:
thaz diminished thissen
in sum way."
NSM: "How
much do you like
bananas?"
ARTEX: "Thaz
tekkin t'piss nar aren't
tha? A like bananas, cos
they av no bones. A mix
em up wi milk an that in
mi mam's Moulinex
blender. As tha seen it
wen that buys bananas in
t'supermarket? Ther sell
em in a plastic sealed
bag. What's that all
abart then? Bananas dun't
need bags."
NSM: "Have
you had any abuse from
angry Arctic Monkeys
fans?"
ARTEX: "Sum
folks dun't get it du
ther? They carn't think
artside t'box like wot ar
can. A jumped on
t'bandwagon befoor half
er em ad evver heard
abart em. Tha can read
sum er comments on mi
website. The bad comments
are funnier than
t'others."
NSM: "Whats
it really like in
Barnsley?"
ARTEX: "Up
an coming mate, up and
coming. Az tha seen
t'progress on t'new bus
station yet? It's gunna
bi a grand en. They're
knockin all t'bus
services off mind, but at
least we'll have a bus
station wi leets t'sit in
for an hour while wi wait
for t'bus t'turn up.
Barnsley's reight near M1
an all, which is reight
handy. An it's full er
cheap supermarkets. An
within 10 minutes thaz in
ter oppen countryside.
What else cud tha wish
for?"
NSM: "What
kind of person would
purchase an Artex Monkey
ringtone?"
ARTEX: "A
tha tranna say that thez
summat wrong wi sumone
who wud like mi music an
wud want a ringtone. Am
sure the'd bi reight
popular. A cud bi almost
as popular as Crazy
Frog."
NSM: "What
does the internet mean
for musicians like
yourself?"
ARTEX: "It
means a can upload loads
er mi own music an gi it
away free ter anyone who
can bi arsed t'darnload
it. An people can keep in
touch wi mi, like on mi
website an that. Anybody
in t'world might bi
listenin ter em. A cud bi
massive in such weird
places like Afghanistan,
Outer Mongolia or even
Athersley North."
NSM: "What
does your album mean to
you?"
ARTEX: "A
nearly went mad while a
wer mekkin it. A threw mi
guitar against t'wall
halfway through
rekewerdin session. It
din't brek though. A did
most er it on one
afternoon an most er it
is the first take er
t'song. A wanted it
t'sarnd reight raw an
alive."
NSM: "Why
should anyone buy your
album?"
ARTEX: "Cos
a sweated blood, sweat an
tears ovver it. An av put
effort in so a reckon tha
shud at least. Thers 13
tracks on it an then av
put another 7 bonus
tracks on. So it's ovver
70 minutes long, nar that
is reight gud value for
thi money that. A reckom
sum folks'd bi reight
surprised abart mi songs.
Ther not Arctic Monkeys
tunes wi diff'rent
lyrics, it's all
diff'rent. Mi songs stand
up on their own an lead a
life er ther own. They
flowed through mi. A bit
like that curry a add
t'other neet. A med it
missen tha knoz."
NSM: "If
you make it big-time will
you embrace the
multi-media 'cult of
celebrity', maybe appear
on the pages of heat with
your nipples out or go
for a paddle on the 'Love
Island'?"
ARTEX: "Av
already bin in t'pages er
Zoo and Sun... So how
much bigger can a get
nar? It's all darn hill
nar. A'll bi growing a
mullet agen sooin an
tekkin mi fork lift truck
driving exam."
NSM: "How
much would you prostitute
yourself for fame and
fortune?"
ARTEX: "In
1984 a med a pact wi
t'devil one neet at New
Lodge crossroads on
Wakefield Road. So it'll
all come my way an then
it'll all fall away agen.
That's the price tha pays
for fame. Price av ad
t'pay so far as bin
£49.95 at Netto in
Athersley for mi electric
giutar. A used it when a
played mi debut gig in
July at t'Burn Down The
Disco neet at T'Arches in
tarn. It's a reight gud
venue for bands an
that."
NSM: "In
40 years, what from 2006
will be remembered as
culturally
significant?"
ARTEX: "Mi
debut gig at T'Arches a
reckon. Tha ed t'bi
theear really. A tell thi
it wer like Manchester
Free Trade Hall all ovver
agen. In a few years time
thers gunna bi all these
new wave er bands that
spawned from that
neet."
NSM: "Describe
the Artex Monkey live
experience?"
ARTEX: "It's
a divine thing wheear
t'spirits er channelled
through mi, mostly free
spirits from mi rider.
It's a bit like a
religious experience
experience, but wi art
t'religion bit - mooer
like a Friday neet darn
at bingo hall wi smoke
effects an flashin
leets."
NSM: "Whats
the best advice
youve ever
received?"
ARTEX: "If
tha rubs a bit er pencil
on a zip it meks zip move
a lot smoother. Then tha
dun't gerrit stuck when
tha needs t'unzip it
reight sharpish
like."
NSM: "Whats
the best advice
youve never
received?"
ARTEX: "A
think a need a few mooer
drinks befoor a can come
up wi an answer t'this
un. A just carn't get mi
eeard rarnd it. A allus
mek mi own mind up at
t'end er t'day. Thaz only
got thissen t'blame then
when it all guz wrong, an
it usually duz. Mebbi a
shud lissen mooer ter
other folk's
advice."
NSM: "What
is the strangest thing
that has ever happened to
you?"
ARTEX: "Gorri
bi mi gig in Barnsley
an't it. That worra mad
neet a can tell thi. A
din't gerooam till five
in t'morning. An a
managed t'keep all mi
teeth, an all mi prized
possesions in
place."
NSM: "What
are your vices?"
ARTEX: "Sawn-off
Ron Hill tracky bottoms.
Free Trade Bananas. John
Smiths smooth.
Semi-skimmed milk.
Corduroy slacks. Av gorra
few fetishes, but a dun't
want t'goo into it reight
nar if tha knoz worra
mearn. Mostly involving
kiwi fruits, women who
play bingo and handmade
ropes. But ad better keep
that for mi
autobiography."
NSM: "What
is the most profound
wisdom/knowledge you can
leave me with?"
ARTEX: "Dunt
gi up thi day job."
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