Mani

'I pencil meself in for a buttie and a shit a couple of times a week, but apart from that it's tunes all the way...'

	If you’ve got a frontman who looks the part, can write great lyrics but’s got a hairlip, then you’re fucking snookered aren’t ya? You can’t be dressing like no paraffin lamp, know what I mean?

Maxim: How's it going, Mani?

Mani: How are ya geez, alright? I’ve been talking crap to people on the phone all morning – no change there then! Ha!

You all geared up to talk some more?
Yeah, go for it.

Good. You're in another band now called Freebass and are just releasing your first album with them, It's A Beautiful Life. I’m thinking a lot of our readers won’t have heard of Freebass. If you could start at the beginning for us: What is it? Where did it come from? Why did all these big names get involved?
It started on some boozy night out where we were probably all grumbling about our lack of activity with our various bands. So we decided to do something together because we love each other’s company, and we just wanted to have a grin, nothing too serious. Then, before you know it, there’s 17 bits of tunes coming together.
Course, then our main bands, Primal Scream, New Order and that, decided they were gonna go on tour, so the Freebass thing went on the backburner and it’s been there for a good few years… then we had to find a singer, which is no mean feat, so that took time. And we’ve just got it all nailed down in the past six months, got it all finished off. And here we are, eh...
Basically, we’ve all changed the world music-wise in other bands we’ve been in and this ain’t about that at all. It’s just about geezers having a good time.

Seems reason enough to me.
We all hate fucking sitting there and watching Loose Women – we want to get out there and play some rock ‘n’ roll music!

You’ve done stuff with Tim Burgess, Howard Marks and Peter Wylie on a previous EP.
Yeah, once we’d started the album proper, these were tunes that were kind of left over. And we didn’t have a singer at the time. You know, Tim Burgess is a good mate. Pete Wylie and Howard Marks are both good mates. So we thought whack ’em a tune and see what they come back with.

Is anyone on the list to collaborate with?
If this record goes okay and people go to gigs and we’re pretty well received, we may well do another one. I wouldn’t mind getting Ian Brown, Liam Gallagher, Weller – there’s an endless list of people who I’d like to work with and who I have worked with, y’know?

Gary Briggs was in the relatively little know group Haven. How come you got him on board? What tipped the balance?
Haven had a couple of top thirty hits. He’s got a great voice and he writes great lyrics and he looks okay and that’s all you can ask for in a frontman.
If you’ve got some geezer who looks the part, can write great lyrics but’s got a hairlip, then you’re fucking snookered aren’t ya? You can’t be dressing like no paraffin lamp, you know what I mean?

He moved in your circles too didn’t he?
Gary moved to my area in Manchester and we became mates. It’s very clicky is Manchester, it’s a small city and everyone in music knows everyone, and we just got mates. He just sprang to mind when we were all talking and we thought, why not try Gary out, and he was perfect for the job, y’know?

For people that haven’t heard anything of Freebass, who would you compare yourself to?
There’s some Primal Scream and there’s some New Order, sure. But there’s also some reggae. Little bit of pop. Bit of grunge. It’s like making a Ruby mate innit, just chuck a load of ingredients in, give it a stir and see what you think.

Freebass playing any festivals?
We've got a little festival in Middelsbrough (check the website for details www.freebassuk.com) and we've got a lot of slots somewhere in Glastonbury, it won't be any of the big stages. I got stuck in China during the volcanic ash thing, so I booked a flight to Tokyo, where I've got a few mates and picked up a few DJ gigs there, did it for no money, and when I got home on the following Monday, I got offered to play a festival out there with Freebass. So it goes to show, if you do soomething for nish, then you can something from it, y'know?

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On other music...

Are there any new bands out there at the moment that are doing it for ya?
The young kids from Manchester, The Courteeners, are doing okay? I'm big fan of Little Barrie who plays with The Scream, they make a great noise man. He's a genius that boy, I'm telling ya. Super talented.

On a lazy, sunny, Sunday afternoon what's the music of choice at Chez Mani?
When the sun comes out, the reggae comes on, so I've been putting on the Best Dressed Chicken in Town by Dr Alimontado and also Two Sevens Clash by Culture. Get 'em downloaded mate, it's great sunshine music.

What percentage of your day are you listening to music?
All day, every day. I've taken an hour out now, but I'm chained to my computer working on tunes, I'm DJing when I'm out and about, it's all about music for me. I pencil meself in for a buttie and a shit a couple of times a week, but apart from that it's tunes all the way!

Who's your favourite vocalist ever? And who's the most exciting musician you've ever worked with?
There's a few - obviously I've gotta say Bobby [Gillespie] and Ian Brown, great guys; James Brown - obviously; George Clinton; Bernard Sumer and Ian Curtis. I've worked with Weller, who was a dream ticket for me. Wayne Kramer from the MC5, I've laid some bass for him. I've worked with Steve Craddock and Ocean Colour Scene and some of Weller's solo stuff. James Lavelle, UNKLE - he calls me up when he wants some bass on his tune. I must be doing something right, man! And just before Joe Strummer died, he asked me if I’d play bass with the Clash, which was an honour indeed, because they’ve been my favourite band since I was a kid.

You spoke briefly about Ian Curtis. You’ve seen Closer. If there was a Stone Roses movie who would play you and the rest of the band?
Hahaha – I often think about that. Probably Rab C Nesbitt! Who’d play Ian Brown? – Liam Gallagher. Who’d play John Squire? – Noel Gallagher. Who’d play Reni? – We’d have to dig Keith Moon up I think.

What’s the most enjoyable gig that you’ve ever played?

Two spring to mind: one we did with the Roses on Glasgow Green in 1989. We got an entire nation in our pocket with that one gig, something magical happened there. Every time I go anywhere in Scotland I get as much if not more hassle than I get on the streets of Manchester, mate. Yeah, we did something special up there. What a nation to have in your pocket. I love the Scottish, they’re top people.
And another one is the Failure Festival in Cork, maybe about ’94/’95. More Celtic vibes. Ian Brown didn’t have to open his mouth and sing all night, the audience just took it all night long. That was also the first time I met Paul Weller.

Have you ever thought about bringing out a clothing range a la Liam Gallagher?
Listen, Liam’s got that sewn right up. I’ve got no time to design clothes, though I do love a nice coat.

What’s your favourite brand and shop?
I’ve gotta say Pretty Green because Liam sent me a load of shit. Thank you very much, cocker. And saved me a few quid. Oliver Spencer does great coats. I like your Belsatff stuff too. There’s a little shop in Manchester called Oi Polloi, which is brilliant. They’ve got a website, check it out man. Every time I go in there I come out £350 lighter, it's fucking great, dangerous though.

Can you recommend three albums for this summer for our readers?
Exhibit A m’lad would be It’s A Beautiful Life by Freebass. Oh yes. There’s a bit of door-to-door salesmanship for ya. I’ve got me fucking foot right in there now, haven’t I? Ha.
Dr Alimontado and The Best Dressed Chicken in Town. That’s an absolute humdinger.
Sergio Mendes and Brazil ’66. That’s for when it’s really sunny, yeah.

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On football

Right, well, I’ve got a load of football questions here too but if you’re busy…
Listen man, I’ve got nothing but time for ya, crack em on…

You’re a big Man United fan, right?
Well, I’m only five-foot 8, so I wouldn’t say big, yeah…

What are your memories of your first ever match at Old Trafford? How much has it changed?
Listen, my dad used to take me to see Georgy, so I must have been about 4 or 5. Football’s moved away from the working man’s game though now though, ain’t it? It’s gone uber-corporate. I’m still a season ticket holder and I still go to as many games as possible. And I do wear the yellow and green scraf – I’m right behind that particular movement.

Who should Fergie buy this summer?
Take nothing away from 'em, Chelsea were magnificent this year. They’re a brutal side – just look at the way they score goals. And when Rooney’s out the equation we didn’t have the backup there, so I think we need someone like Karem Benzema. And we gotta get Joe Cole mate, we need a creative midfield player with Scholes coming to the end of the line and Fletcher needs someone to buddy-up with, y’know?

How do you feel about the resurgence up the road?
It’s funny innit? Because you know it’s all gonna turn to shit very, very quickly.

What are Noel and Liam saying about this? Is there a little bit of banter between you?
There’s always with me and Liam. When I was stuck in China it was the derby when Scholesy scored in the 90th minute. The first text, straight after the final whistle, BEEP BEEP, Liam, “Munich cunts”. Then, BEEP BEEP, Noel, “I hope your fucking plane crashes”. We're at it constantly with each other, mate. Manchester’s really half and half, and after 30-odd years it’s not funny any more, you’ve got to wish them a modicum of success. What I’d like to see is City finish second in the league behind Utd and an all-Manc FA Cup Final. 'Cos that day, the revolution is on, and London will burn, dude!

Have you ever cried during a football match?
Check this out, right. Here’s the tale of tales. When we beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the Nou Camp. I promised the missus I’d take her to the final and I’d taken her to every game bar the Juventus semi, when we were 2-0 down and beat ‘em 3-2. Anyway, the taxman had put me on my arse, but I’d promised her, so to take her to the final I had to sell my most treasured possession, me Lambretta scooter. Booked us a week’s holiday in Salou, paid £400 a ticket, didn’t use the ticket, ended up sneaking in, and in the 89th minute when we were one-nil down I sat and wept like a baby. "Me scooter! Me fucking scooter!" Then, BANG, 1-1, and I was still at it, but I pulled a big fat spliff out me pocket, and me heart was jumping out me chest, so I started having a chong on this bifter and fucking missed the winning goal.

World Cup. How will England fare?
To tell the truth, I’m not an England fan, I’m a Republic of Ireland fan, so Thierry Henry put paid to my fucking boys the cheating bastard.
Anyway, I think England have got a magnificent chance this year. Get the ball to Wayne Rooney and he should do the rest. On paper they’ve got a great chance, but they play on grass don’t they, yeah? It’s people like Brazil, Holland and Spain you should be mindful of. I think the Dutch will have a great tournament. Either fucking way, it’s gonna be a great tournament.

Thanks, Mani.
Cheers mate.

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Freebass – It’s A Beautiful Life
Tracklist 


1. It’s Not To Late 

2. The Only Ones Alone 

3. Lady Violence 

4. World Won't Wait 

5. Kill Switch pt 141

6. Stalingrad 

7. Secrets and Lies 

8. She Said 

9. The God Machine

10. Plan B

Freebass long awaited debut LP 'Its a Beautiful Life " is avaialble for digital download at www.fac51thehacienda.com.
An updated CD version with Extra tracks will be available in the coming months.