Shirley sassy
She claims to not have an image and wants to be a thespian. Take a peek inside the head of Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson.
Words: Vicky Davidson
he soaks tip the limelight
as though she was born for
the role of rock performer. But what Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson really dreams of are the footlights. treading the boards. ‘the roar of the greasepaint and the smell of the crowd‘.
‘My main fantasy is doing some stage work. I've been approached to act in films. but I‘m obsessed with the notion of doing theatre. I‘ve not been approached yet. but if the right part came along‘. What would be her dream role'.’ ‘Hmm' (ioneril from King Lear. that would be good fun to play wouldn‘t it'.’ (ioneril is one of I.ear‘s ‘unnatural hag daughters who drives her father insane. hates her husband and poisons her sister alter trying to steal her sister’s lover. before stabbing herself to death. A girl with ‘issues‘. lhnmm.
Manson has turned down film roles in the past mainly because of ‘unimaginative casting‘ either singers or crazy girlfriends. but adores movies and declares gleefully: ’I AM Zelig! That‘s me. that’s my life right there. I am Zelig. l relate to that character enormously.’
She is. she admits. hard work for the rest of the band. Particularly on tour. ‘It takes minimum effort on my part to get on with them. And maximum on theirs to get on with me. I'm female. I expect some emotional and intellectual dialogue. and as we well know. men would rather talk about football. I get really cross at that. I make them analyse emotions.‘ That’s evil. ‘Yesl‘
Manson describes the live experience as ‘totally addictive and exhilarating' and while she can‘t wait to get out in front of her own audience as
headliner again. describes last year‘s ['2 support tour as ‘like going to a masterclass every night. Love or hate them. you can‘t help but be in awe of their
ability to totally connect with an audience in these huge arenas and create a sense of intimacy. lt‘s mind- bogglingf '
if the stage is Manson‘s natural home and live performance her elixir. the studio is sheer hell: ‘Recording is completely harrowing for me. I find it totally unpleasant. very boring and staid. and get really agitated.~
‘I’m female, I expect some emotional and intellectual dialogue, not football.’
music©list.co.uk
From alien geisha to peroxide ice queen
With their two-million selling third album lwuuli/irlgur/mgc however. Manson says things changed: she overcame her fears of what the band would think of her singing and let rip. This also led to some ‘full-scale. raging arguments‘. but she emerged with new confidence: ‘l)iflicult as the record was to make. it was also the most rewarding for me. I suddenly embraced my role and felt comfortable in it. A lot of what I'd struggled to do on the last two records came very naturally. I wasn't afraid to make a fool of myself in front of the band.‘
l’ar from fooling in front of camera. Manson’s image in photo shoots seems to have grown more hard-edged. from the almost alien geisha shots of last year to the recent icy peroxide quiff.
‘1 got so turned off with these sanitised. fluffy. pretty hoinogenous versions of women I was seeing. livery woman looks the same in the media they all dress the same. all look the same. wear the same things. act the same. I was bored by it. So it was a reaction in some ways against that. ljtist wanted to do something different.
'I don't know if l’m particularly image~conscious. I care about how I look to a certain degree. the same way that any person really for the most part is concerned about their appearance if they are in this line of work. But I don't think of myself as hav ing an “image”.
Garbage play the Corn Exchange, Edinburgh on Fri 5 April. A single, ‘Breaking Up The Girl’ is released Mon 8 Apr on Mushroom.
Surface nmse All the heeb/es, jeebies and
freebies in the wonderful world of music
WARP RECORDS, THOSE purveyors of damn fine electronic music are hiosting scores of their acts onto a big ‘magic’ bus for a tour round Europe this spring. They bunk up at the Art School in Glasgow on 31 May with Plaid and Richard Divine playing live and more names to be announced. OLASGOV‘J l8 l0 HOST A music 'lltltlSi") conic-ioncc- this autumn. MUSI’Z‘.'.’()l‘kS will run "'o'v‘. iii October to Q Novo'nlior. l)(3iéii!8£i-’(3531llll)(}|llg confirms-ti lio'. '.‘.'(:-'l| mot) you up to (late snafu a'iy ci<3'\.‘(2l()omont8. T IN THE PARK HAVE MADE more additions to their line up for 13 & 14 July. Oasis, Starsailor, Groove Armada, Harry ‘Choo Choo’ Romero and Layo and Bushwacka are confirmed for Saturday while Primal Scream, Beverley Knight (pictured), The Hives and Green Day will play on Sunday. Tickets are on sale now.
Applications are also being sought for this year’s T Break competition where new bands can win a slot at T in the Park. Interested acts should send demos to: T Break 2002, PO Box 23480, Edinburgh, EH3 SZT. Closing date is 12 April. llll [All ESl NAME lOBE .i:i:l-.2o it: M? oil for triplvcl‘. is; .‘z'..::::.."t'j. t"::.ii>.’i:i<::a Smog lI-{iny Glasgow ‘3; ‘1it'iN()t(3 (21st: 0". Sato'ziay 9X Ao'il. Aiso T7()i\ out f’or <:;.' ~::«xtr<:-:“-.:-’y -.,-x;:-;:-; o"! ::::'iii)<>t.t-<>ri to ‘.'.'|." a l r 't (last; is lVlOHt? Systeri‘
r't". $8001} HP page 7’7. THE OBSERVANT AMONG YOU will already know (ahem, look left) that Garbage are playing Edinburgh this month. What you may not know is that they are also playing a secret gig on Thursday 4 April. Tickets and the location for the 250 capacity show can only be gotten by listening to either Clyde 1 or Forth FM and registering at their websites www.clyde1.com or www.forthone.com to win tickets.