Getintothis’ festival of 2008 is just over a month away, so what better way to get ready for Nick Cave, late night anarchy in the literature tent and all night raving by the Disco Shed than to grill some of our favourite artists that’ll be featured. Over the coming weeks we’ll be posing the same eight questions to those involved – and of course finding out the all important answer to ‘what is their favourite colour sheep?’
First up, electrogaze n00b James from Maps, comic-book uber-fan and lyrical loon Jeffrey Lewis and comic legend TIM FUCKING VINE.
Jeffrey Lewis (appearing at Poetry Arena)
Who are you most looking forward to seeing at this year’s Latitude festival and why?
JL: I won’t have time to stay for the whole festival but hopefully I’ll get to cross paths with Adem whom I have fond memories of playing with in Manchester, also Jessica Delfino who is a performer I know from New York, I just found out she’s gonna be there.
Jessica Delfino
What aspect of Latitude Festival interests you the most and why?
JL: The fact that there’s an act called Black Joe Lewis playing, a name I’ve been seeing around all of a sudden, adding to the Lewis names in the music biz. Like, everytime I’m in a record store and I’m trying to see if they actually have any of my CDs in stock, I flip through the alphabetized section and usually only find Jenny Lewis. And Jerry Lee Lewis.
Sometimes Jerry Lewis. And Huey Lewis. And now I’m gonna see Black Joe Lewis too apparently!
Joe Lewis is actually my dad’s name. But he’s not black. He’s Jewish Joe Lewis.
What can people expect you to bring to the festival and do you have anything special planned?
JL: If someone tells you to ‘expect the unexpected‘ does that mean you’ll always be bored? Like, even if the unexpected actually happens, you’ll just say ‘oh, the unexpected, I expected that to happen.‘
If you weren’t doing this what would you be doing?
JL: Spending mid-July in Maine in my little wooden shack in the woods with no electricity and no phone, drawing comic books. That’s what I’ll be doing in June and August. July I’m re-entering civilization for a few shows, like Latitude, and some in France.
What do you always bring to a festival?
JL: Some comic books and CDs to sell, even though festivals don’t like you to sell your own merchandise and usually want you to leave everything at the official merch tables. I tend to just finish my performance then head from the stage into the audience with a bag full of stuff to sell then sell as much as I can and run away before I get busted.
Have you been to Latitude before, and if so, what has your favourite performance been?
JL: I have not been before…
Do you have any festival tips for those in attendance at Latitude?
JL: Too inexperienced at Latitude to have any advice!
What is your favourite colour sheep?
JL: Black Joe Lewis sheep.
Jeffrey Lewis: Roll Bus Roll (live Liverpool Barfly, May 09)
http://www.myspace.com/jefflewisband
James Chapman aka Maps
Who are you most looking forward to seeing at this year’s Latitude festival and why?
JC: There’s lots I wanna see. Bombay Bicycle Club is one of them. I’m doing a remix right now and I love the song. Really wanna check them out live.
Bombay Bicycle Club: Always Like This (The Rainbow, Birmingham April 09)
What aspect of Latitude Festival interests you the most and why?
JC: Many aspects really. The atmosphere is great, very relaxed. It’s just about the right size too, you can walk from stage to stage easily browsing bands and acts, which is hard when festivals are too big. It’s just a really cool set-up.
What can people expect you to bring to the festival and do you have anything special planned?
JC: Yep. It’ll be special. Myself and August are in the Maps lab right now concocting our plot. We wanna make people move, both physically and emotionally. It’s gonna be a blast.
If you weren’t doing this what would you be doing?
JC: Playing with my new drum machine.
What do you always bring to a festival?
JC: Condoms. Not that they ever get used.
Have you been to Latitude before, and if so, what has your favourite performance been?
JC: Yes, I played back in 2007. It was amazing. But, to be honest, 2007 was a very messy year for me. I can’t quite remember who I saw. I remember dancing in a forest til 8am though. Or maybe that was a dream. It was great though!
Do you have any festival tips for those in attendance at Latitude?
JC: Come and see Maps.
What is your favourite colour sheep?
JC: Blue or purple. I really can’t make a decision over those two colours. Maybe half blue, half purple. That’d look good.
Maps: To The Sky
http://www.myspace.com/mapsmusic
Tim Vine (appearing at Comedy Arena)
Who are you most looking forward to seeing at this year’s Latitude festival and why?
TV: I’m most looking forward to seeing an audience. I have tried doing my comedy without one and to be honest the response was a bit on the quiet side.
What aspect of Latitude Festival interests you the most and why?
TV: Well, I have heard that the atmosphere there is very friendly. I like friendly atmospheres. One of my least favourite heckles is, ‘Come on lets stab him!‘
What can people expect you to bring to the festival and do you have anything special planned?
TV: I intend to bring humour in joke form. I’m pretty sure this is a revolutionary new approach to comedy.
If you weren’t doing this what would you be doing?
TV: I would be working in a factory that makes chocolate raisins. I like them.
What do you always bring to a festival?
TV: I always bring utility bills from home and all my receipts. I find its a great time to do my tax.
Have you been to Latitude before, and if so, what has your favourite performance been?
TV: I’ve never been before so my favourite performance will be at some point in the future.
Do you have any festival tips for those in attendance at Latitude?
TV: Keep a compass with you at all times. That way if a conversation ever dries up you can say have you seen my compass?
What is your favourite colour Sheep?
TV: I like sheep that are black and white striped. They remind me of zebras but shorter and fatter and woollier.
Vine’s one-liners in full flow.
Latitude Festival takes place July 16-19.
Visit here for details
