Planet Notion - Madchester Legends: Inspiral Carpets

Madchester Legends: Inspiral Carpets

04/02/2008

The Inspiral Carpets are one of music’s great forgotten love affairs. Like a wild three-day fling; a whirl-wind romance with uppers, downers and all-arounders. Necking this, necking that and necking she in the process. Oh, twas a special relationship and a high-time, remembered on rare occasions of sobriety. Alas, just like that recollection of pure ecstasy and euphoria, those that remember the Inspirals in their hey-day, always fondly recall.

It’s a funny old game, the music business. Of all the ‘Madchester’ bands the Inspirals had the most consistent success. When you consider the sheer number of tracks and albums that bundled smack-bang into the charts, they were a far more prominent fixture than the Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses. They faltered in the minds eye of today’s generation merely because they split as the heady heights of Brit-pop were entering their (not so) humble beginnings. We’ve got more to thank the Inspirals for than we’re probably aware of; their experimentation into modern-psychedelica arguably had prominence on the trip-hop scene that followed in the 90s and gave many of the 90s and double-Oh acts free-reign to try new technique and style.

Oh, and as for the ‘Noughties’ biggest stars… Well, a young Noel Gallagher learned the ins and outs of touring with the Carpets as a wee pre-Oasis whippersnapper. Then there were the ‘Cool as Fuck’ t-shirts that created a whirlwind of obscenity charges not witnessed since Lenny Bruce was banned from city after city as a ‘fuck-you’ comedian of the 1950s. Planet Notion caught up with lead-vocalist Tom Hingley (a bar-collector at Manchester’s infamous Hacienda before he joined the band) to chat about the Inspiral Carpets, past and present, ahead of an eight-day UK tour…

Many cite you as the forefathers of the ‘Madchester’ period. Do you agree that you had a major bearing on the scene? On bands like the Mondays and the Roses… If so, how?

We probably all affected one another to be fair; Clint (Boon) was in bands with Mani (Stone Roses/Primal Scream) before he joined the Inspirals. I used to rehearse next to the Stone Roses actually, when I was in ‘Too much Texas’, at a rehearsal room in Chorlton. So, I suppose we must have affected each other on some level.

What about the inspiration behind the Inspirals? The music you produced was extremely unique; it was something fresh and arguably uncharted territory… What were your influences?

The Inspirals were going before I joined in February 1989. At that time the bands influences were Nuggets, West Coast psychedelic bands like the Seeds, 13th Floor Elevators, the Doors, and even the Chocolate Watch band. There were also the punk bands and Hip bands which were Craig Gill's major influences.

How relative was the music you were producing to the drug-scene of that period? It was pretty psychedelic, mind-altering stuff…

The band were pretty straight to be honest. We prided ourselves on playing our music straight; I still don’t drink before gigs. The way I see it the music was mind expanding without the drugs.

Do you still view Manchester as the singular hub of music in this country? More so than London, Liverpool and Sheffield?

No, no, never. Liverpool has been hot recently, the Zutons, the Coral and more recently the Wombats. In Sheffield you’ve got Reverend and the Makers and obviously the Arctics; there are always hot spots; it moves round all the time… The Corteeners (Manchester) are good though.

Those bands apart… Any particular bands out there that are catching the eye?

Yeah… Arcade Fire and Lowline are fantastic; Lowline are supporting us on tour actually. The Hems are supporting us in Manchester, and they’re a band to look out for. There’s loads of Alternative Country stuff that I’m liking at the moment.

How does it feel to be getting back on the road again? Do you still get the same flavour from the live experience?

Yeah, definitely, it’s always good fun… Good music, good times, good laughs, and of course the adulation from the audience. In jokes between the lads and generally dropping bollocks.

Having read Oasis: ‘Getting High’, and having quite an interest in the Manchester scene, I’m well aware of Noel being a roadie for you guys. Do you think that experience shaped his career in any way? If so, how?

Noel wouldn’t have had a career without the Inspirals; it’s as simple as that. Whether you praise us or blame us for that fact is entirely up to you!

Tell us about the ‘Cool as Fuck’ (Inspiral Carpets) t-shirts… Were you surprised by the coverage they garnered… Any amusing anecdotes or stories about them?

Yeah, that was great. One bloke got arrested for wearing one and he asked us to bail him out of jail. Anyway, we found out that he was wearing and selling bootleg ones, so we told the police they could keep him in prison after that! You know, the Harlem Globe trotters once bought one each for the whole of the team.

Your split infamously came before the Brit-pop era kicked-off. Do you think that was a factor in the Inspiral’s failing to hit the big-time… As being as big then as you arguably are now?

You know, every dog has its day? We did a lot better than most bands of that time. I have no regrets about being one of the three biggest Indie bands of 1989 – 2002… Would you if you had been?

I guess you’ve met a few people over the years… On your travels, on tour, playing gigs… Any particular highlights or encounters that were particularly enthralling?

Iggy Pop in Canada 1994 has to be up there and, you know, he’d heard of us as well? Being in the same room as Morrisey twice and not talking to him because I thought he would be rude to me and couldn't be arsed to talk back… I loved his music though!

What have been the most drastic changes in music since you lads first started the Inspirals? Has the music scene changed for better or worse?

The internet, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the celebrity culture has all changed music… But the music itself is no better or worse now. It’s the same story; there's still good music and shite music, as always and as ever!

And what about the technology of music? Do you think the whole download boom is ruining the charm of and nostalgia of the vinyl?

No, not really. I would never slag off any particular format of music; though CDs are horrible things, they look like something you should keep hospital records on, so I don’t have much love for them. Vinyl has a cachet amongst the young now. I bought my daughter Elsa a turntable for her 16th birthday and she loves it. She plays Nirvana 'Live and Unplugged' at 45 and says it sounds like Dolly Parton. Rock on!

Finally… What are your plans for the future?

Well, there’s going to be a new album by ‘Tom Hingley and the Lovers’ called ‘Highlights’. That’s going to be released on the 10th of March. We’re working on some new material by the Inspirals, which’ll be out some time in the next two years. Oh, and doing a masters degree and getting a University lecturing job!

Anything else you wish to add?

Yeah, all that hippy shit about peace and love and ecology is all correct. I’m taking all my fake middle-class pseudo-punk