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Go shoppingAs Litro prepares for Latitude 2014, we chat to Beardyman about his plans for the festival and his taste in music.
Litro: What’s your dream festival lineup, if you could select artists from any era?
Beardyman: King Crimson (2003 lineup, controversial I know), Chemical Brothers, Joni Mitchel in 1978, System of a Down in 2006, Passenger of Shit, Aphex Twin, Reggie Watts, Pink Floyd, Ramones, Iggy and the Stooges, Murcoff, Black Sabbath in 1974, David Bowie in 1980, Noisia, Mr Bungle… And many more.
Litro: How important are lyrics in your musical process?
Beardyman: Very.
Litro: Do you have a favourite lyric from someone else’s song?
Beardyman: “And if god is dead, what am I? A fleck of dirt on the wings of a fly, hurtling to earth, through a hole in the sky, a hole in the sky. And if Warhol’s a genius, what am I? A spec of lint on the penis of an alien, buried in gelatine, beneath the sands of Venus” – King Crimson, ‘The ConstruKction of Light’.
Litro: Do you read much, either at home or on tour?
Beardyman: I read only non-fiction and occasional hard sci-fi. Generally books, scientific journals, and science documentaries are how I pass my time.
Litro: How much does your reading influence your music?
Beardyman: I’m sure it all creeps in somehow, but I tend to try and keep quantum mechanics out of my lyrics as much as possible.
Litro: If you weren’t a musician, what would you like to be doing?
Beardyman: Architecture or industrial design.
Litro: Will you be checking out the other stages at Latitude?
Beardyman: Definitely. I’ll be bringing the family and exploring.
Litro: Who/what do you want to see?
Beardyman: There’s so much to see, all of it enriching and wholesome. I’ve never been and it seems like a thoroughly polite and family friendly affair, all done with the right ethos in mind, that being fun and good honest music and art.
Litro: Whose work – director, author, artist – would you like to write a musical score for?
Beardyman: Philip K. Dick. His imagination is dark, twisted and beautifully ugly.
