Testing musicians’ memories after a lifetime of abuse. This Week: Serge Pizzorno (Kasabian)
Can you name any of Jay’s (Mehler, guitarist) previous bands?
“Mad Action was one. They were brilliant, proper psych-Americana. They’re all sound chaps too.”
Correct
Which Kasabian song did The Rascals cover live?
“The Rascals? Oh wow. At a guess I would say… no, I can’t even think what it would be. I do like Miles, though, he’s a fucking wonderful lad.”
Wrong – it was ‘Shoot The Runner’
Who did Tom get his jacket from for your Glastonbury 2009 gig?
“Oh, that was [Small Faces mainman] Steve Marriott’s daughter, Mollie. We were in a rehearsal studio and she came along because she knew the woman who ran it. Her and Tom just got talking, and I think she saw a twinkle in Tom’s eye that reminded her of Steve, and she said, ‘Do you want his jacket?’ It’s a great jacket! It’s the wrongest thing ever but it’s fucking amazing!”
Correct
What memento did you bring with you to your first NME photoshoot?
“Ah, I remember this! You did this thing where we were one of the 10 best upcoming bands, I think, and we were told to bring something personal to the photoshoot that meant something to us. I brought all of my baby teeth that I’d kept in a little pot. It was pretty weird.”
Correct
What did you do with your jacket after scoring your legendary ‘wonder-goal’ on Soccer AM?
“I just took it off and threw it on the floor! I wish I’d just carried on and gone into London, actually. I should have just run straight off and not come back, but I didn’t. I had to go back onto the set. It would have been perfect if I’d just have gone out in London for like three days or something, you know? I do wish I’d just carried on. It’s funny, I think I’m known more for that goal than the fucking tunes. It takes the piss!”
Correct
Which role was Tom offered in Sofia Coppola’s movie Marie Antoinette?
“Argh, I can’t remember the exact name. Is it von someone? Nope, can’t remember. It is true, though – they wanted him to play that role. It was pretty mental. I think we’ll definitely see Tom in something one day. He’s the sort of person who’ll win an Oscar one day and you’ll be like, ‘What?!’ He’s great at that stuff.”
Wrong – Count Hans Axel von Fersen. Tom turned it down to concentrate on the band
What did Linda Kasabian do?
“She drove the getaway car and was part of the Manson family. We’re all quite intrigued by that world. We all used to watch documentaries on it and stuff. It’s quite addictive when you get into it. It’s pretty mental. I love the name. I think it’s known more for the band now rather than the whole Manson thing.”
Correct
Where was the harmonica hidden in the ‘LSF’ video?
“Was it in a bucket of water? I like that video, the Winston reference from Tom at the start always makes me laugh. We just worked really closely with Wiz, who directed it. We trust him – he came forward with a plan and we just went along with it. It was the early days then and he came in with the idea of a prison full of women, and we didn’t really need to know any more than that, to be honest. We just went, ‘Yeah!’ We were a bit wet behind the ears then.”
Correct
What line comes after “a jack-knife rabbit just poked me in the eye”
on ‘Road Kill Café’?
“It’ll come to me in a minute… ‘Polish your greens with potato and a pie’, is it?”
Correct
What was the name of the bar in San Francisco where you all drank during the ‘West Ryder…’ recording sessions?
“Laszlo! I’ll never forget that place. The landlord was a real stand-up guy – he’d just keep it open for us. We’d come in after the studio and hit the bar. It was great!”
Correct
Total Score: 8/10
“Nice one mate, I’m happy with that. That’s not too bad at all, really!”
This article originally appeared in the August 21 issue of NME
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