Suggs

No introduction necessary. If this chap’s music hasn’t made you act like an up-for-it Mod/Skinhead/Punk at some point in your life then you’re just a walking carcass in our book. With East London’s Madstock gracing the summer festival schedule and a new album out, why not revisit the venerable Mr Suggs and re-moisten his distinguished palette? To the Maxim local, sir…

Tell us about your new album, The Liberty Of Norton Folgate.

There have always been new waves of people coming up the Thames and making new lives for themselves in London, ever since the Romans. The title refers to a place called Norton Folgate, which was just outside the City walls; a place where newcomers could make a go of it before they get into the City proper. Assimilated City types would come to indulge in various nefarious activities of a nighttime. It had its own laws and rules. Just the idea of an area where louts and poets and drunkards and musicians used to hang around seemed perfect to me.

What’s your idea of great local?

George Orwell said a very good pub should have busty barmaids that know what they’re talking about, a good selection of beers, be crowded but not too crowded, noisy but not too noisy, should sell tobacco and cigarettes and loads of other quaint but brilliant old-school pub traits. It’s called ‘Moon Under The Water’ and after the piece he says, of course, that this pub doesn’t exist. It’s too perfect to be true. And it’s even less likely we’ll attain this glorious pub nirvana now. The smoking ban is a classic case of a few noisy politicians changing it for everyone. It’s ridiculous. The working man is always the last to be consulted.

So much of your life revolves around London. Does anywhere else on earth compare?

You do forget how enormous London is when you live here. New York has the same cosmopolitan mixture of people. When I was a kid, black and white people didn’t really live together in London; they did in New York. Now it’s very pleasing to see it happening more and more here. The New York humour is quick-witted and dry, like ours. I also see elements I like in Liverpool. They have a very sharp sense of humour there. I like that. Newcastle, Liverpool and Glasgow are also British places that seem to be ever-changing, much like London.

In your opinion, were the olden days of football better than now?

I’m a Chelsea fan and I suppose to an extent we’re the epitome of what has happened to top-flight football in the past 10 years. I really moaned about it for ages and stopped going. But if someone would say something bad about Chelsea, I’d go up the wall. It’s still there in my heart. I still get a great feeling in my heart when I walk down the Fulham Palace Road. You can’t take that away.

Who’s the best footballer you’ve ever seen in a Chelsea shirt?

Zola is the best player that I’ve actually ever seen in the flesh. My Italian mate once said, ‘When Zola’s there, the lights come on. Daylight or nighttime, it doesn’t matter. When’s he playing, he lights the place up.’ There was a time when, as English people, we would appreciate a tackle more than a piece of skill and it filtered into the school system. I mean, if Zola was an English kid he probably wouldn’t have made it. They didn’t like an enigma in England, did they? Still don’t in some cases.

Are you a big follower of the national side?

There’s not a lot of humour with England fans. Not a lot of wit. I don’t wanna go into it too much, but I’m a Londoner primarily, so it’s Chelsea first for me.

Is talking about the state of the game a bore? Or just a habit?

When you get older, you intellectualise about football and you really don’t need to. It’s an instinctive thing. Some days you love it. And some days you don’t – whether you’ve had a row with your missus or something’s gone wrong at work, whatever. On the days when it all goes right though, you can’t beat football. You just cannot beat it.

What do you enjoy performing most from your back catalogue?

We go straight for the throat. It’s not about a slow build-up for us – we want people at the gigs to come out having had an exhaustive and therapeutic night out; to let their inhibitions go and just fucking have it. Lots of people still do. I worry about some of the older chaps having a fucking heart attack.

Who are the best band you’ve seen lately?

I saw a great band with a terrible name called Musical Differences. I’d had a few backstage and I told them they should call themselves The Flannel Merchants, and I think they went for it. It was a guy that was in The Holloways. I like The Voluntary Butler Scheme too. They’re a very good band.

How will this ‘credit crunch’ malarkey manifest itself? Is the country prime for a riot?

Those great philosophers the Kaiser Chiefs may just have been right. People are gonna get proper poor. You’ll be stopped in the street by knife-wielding kids asking you for your onions. Walnuts and a lump of coal for Christmas. Seriously though, who knows? It’s hard times. About the only thing we manufacture in this country now are parking fines, speed cameras and CCTV. In some ways though, it’s a good thing. When people get a bit skint, everyone gets off their arses a bit more and starts creating. It’s the reason I’m going to see a lot more gigs. There’s something in the air at the moment, something’s coming, something really good’s gonna happen. There’s some great bands on the horizon. I’m really optimistic.