[MisP]

In this article, Bloc Party's Gordon Moakes talks about Paul's recent booking in Atlanta.
It's also interesting to note what he says about message boards later on.

Pulled from here.

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June 10, 2005
Bloc Party Bring the Rock
By Michelle Gilzenrat


Amid the rustle of unfolding ponchos and raindrops bouncing off plastic hoods, England’s Bloc Party takes the stage for day two of Music Midtown.

“We didn’t bring the sun, but we did bring the rock,” announces bassist Gordon Moakes.

Midtown is the first time Bloc Party have brought the rock to Atlanta, but it is just one in a slew of festival dates the band has ahead of them, including Reading, Leeds, and Glastonbury.

Despite having Coachella, Sasquatch, and now Midtown under their belt, Gordon still wonders why festival mentality is so different in the UK than in the US.

“It’s kind of a European thing anyway,” he suggests, “but I don’t know why people are that much keener to sort of travel and camp to see bands [in the UK]. Maybe it is just because the countryside is a bit nearer to the city. It’s not as spread out…Reading, for example, is so close to London, just half an hour by train.”

Ironically, he does mention the one advantage of US festivals; “the weather tends to be better here.”

While Mother Nature brought distinctively British weather to Midtown, it didn’t stop hundreds of fans from coming early to see what all the hype is about. The large screen behind the stage displayed enthusiastic fans, jumping about wildly as Bloc Party tore through all the tracks on their debut record "Silent Alarm.”

Bloc Party had their chance to dance around, too, showing vibrant enthusiasm at our Masquerade After Party later that night. Gordon had access to behind the scenes gossip, as his girlfriend works for label and party sponsor AddVice.

For example, why was Interpol's Paul Banks making his turntable debut when band mate Carlos D is renowned for after-party spinning?

“They purposely completely neglected to ask him and asked Paul instead because they’re saying Carlos is getting a bit of an ego about dj’ing,” Gordon divulges. “When he dj’s you aren’t supposed to mention Interpol, it’s only Carlos D . He’s got his own sort of status which is kind of odd considering he’s the bass player.”

It seems unlikely that Gordon's ego will inflate to such proportions any time soon.

“Somebody told me something like three months after you first appear on the cover of the NME, you become an arsehole…and I am really trying not to do that," Gordon proclaims. "It can be a bit funny at times because when I wake up in the morning, I don’t think of myself first and foremost as a bass player in a band. It’s not the first thing that occurs in my head.”

But that doesn’t mean he isn’t enjoying the attention. “I am just trying to make the most of it.”

While this might be the first time Americans have got a glimpse of these London lads, the band has existed for five years now. With their new success, this is usually the time in a band’s career when long-time fans get possessive as the music is exposed to thousands of new listeners. It’s also the time when fandom gets more and more intense.

“I don’t read our message board any more because it is so cram-packed with bizarre theories and speculations about us...although, we didn’t start attracting fans properly until just over a year ago. So, they haven’t had that much of a chance to get too sniffy about what we choose to do.”

The earliest Bloc Party fans might remember when the band performed under the name Union. However, the name didn’t stick because they found out it was already taken.

"We got out a pen and paper and just started brainstorming," recalls Gordon. After going through several possibilities, they finally settled on the playful pun that is their current moniker.

“Bloc Party is nice and ambiguous, that’s what I like. It can as innocent as ‘we like to party’ or we could be a secret sector for some leftist political order.”

With the band name question out of the way, AMG finally got insight into one of the biggest of Bloc Party mysteries…Does guitarist Russell Lissack actually have a right eye behind that wall of hair?

“You’ll never believe this,” Gordon responds after a hearty chuckle, “but he is in the back of the bus right now preening. He always has to straighten his hair into a perfectly pointy flap.”

And behind the flap?

“Wait, I’m looking, and…yes. Yes, there is an eye there.”

[Nicol Mtz.]

Its not very professional or polite at all to spread rumors about fellow muscians, but that was interesting. I'm not very surprised at all, out of all four of them, Carlos comes off as the least humble.

[nia]

Quote

They purposely completely neglected to ask him

HAHAHAHAHAHA! diss!!!!! :lol: :lol:

[Lilah012]

Well, in Carlos's defense... if he acts as DJ, he probably wants be known for his own merits, and not be introduced as "Carlos D. of Interpol, is going to DJ!" Plus, what's with the comment about being a mere bass player? What, bassists can't be rock stars?

Ok, I just defended Carlos. Ok. :unsure:

[Alexiel]

Not surprised...he is the diva in the band! And why wouldn't he want Interpol to be mentioned when most of the time he DJ's, it's after an Interpol show! Carlos, Carlos, what are we gonna do with him?

But honestly, that's not cool from Gordon! He doesn't like the shit spread about them on their own MB, and he spreads shit about musicians who actually took them on tour and contributed to their success...Uncool! :angry:

But yeah, Carlos will always be Carlos...

[Shoosh]

Lilah012, on Jul 18 2005, 06:03 PM, said:

Well, in Carlos's defense... if he acts as DJ, he probably wants be known for his own merits, and not be introduced as "Carlos D. of Interpol, is going to DJ!" Plus, what's with the comment about being a mere bass player? What, bassists can't be rock stars?

Ok, I just defended Carlos. Ok.  :unsure:

Hmm Isn't Gordon a bass player or am I just confusing names? :huh:

Maybe he was just saying it and didn't mean it in a negative way? :unsure:

[DeniedMSI]

And, once again, Carlos is owned in the face. Oh SNAP! :lol:

[kjcramer]

Carlos was a dj long before he was a bass player or in the band.

[pinkcat14]

I saw Carlos backstage at coachella, I was so excited, asked to take a pic with him and he said "only if you make it fast"...i thought it was soooo rude!!!! Then when I saw them backstage at wennie roast i ignored him and only took pics with Paul, who was the nicest guy EVER :wub: ...so yeah...i don't like Carlos... <_< He's a good Dj though...

[Nicol Mtz.]

pinkcat14, on Jul 18 2005, 04:17 PM, said:

I saw Carlos backstage at coachella, I was so excited, asked to take a pic with him and he said "only if you make it fast"...i thought it was soooo rude!!!! Then when I saw them backstage at wennie roast i ignored him and only took pics with Paul, who was the nicest guy EVER :wub: ...so yeah...i don't like Carlos... <_<  He's a good Dj though...

I'm sorry he behaved like that, Pinkcat. He probably was in a hurry and wasnt purposefully trying to be mean or brush you off. Judging by your avatar, Paul did seem like a really sweet guy ^_^ (He looks so cute when he smiles like that)

[pinkcat14]

Yeah JaneEyre, Paul is the coolest!!! :D I was a little disappointed with Carlos' attitude, but oh well, we all know he's a Diva, i just felt really stupid for asking to take a pic with him :blink:
But Paul made it up to me...i took 3 pics with him, hehe...just a"little" psycotic :ph34r: hehe.
He's my favorite anyways... :rolleyes:

[nia]

pinkcat14, on Jul 18 2005, 11:13 PM, said:

Yeah JaneEyre, Paul is the coolest!!! :D  I was a little disappointed with Carlos' attitude, but oh well, we all know he's a Diva, i just felt really stupid for asking to take a pic with him :blink:
But Paul made it up to me...i took 3 pics with him, hehe...just a"little" psycotic :ph34r: hehe.
He's my favorite anyways... :rolleyes:

just a little off topic, but your av picture has to be the first i've seen that paul hasnt taken himself.

[cadmcfoo]

nia, on Jul 19 2005, 04:35 PM, said:

just a little off topic, but your av picture has to be the first i've seen that paul hasnt taken himself.

what? you mean in myspace whore stylee?

I think the bloc party comments regarding Carlos was a little friendly dig. people have senses of humour after all...

[nia]

cadmcfoo, on Jul 19 2005, 01:22 PM, said:

what? you mean in myspace whore stylee?

I think the bloc party comments regarding Carlos was a little friendly dig. people have senses of humour after all...

yargh! :lol:

and i didnt find anything that Gordon said in the least bit offensive. funny as hell. :lol:

[TheNew]

If you do have personal comments on avatars, signatures and other such attributes, please direct them via PM.

[TheNew]

Some of you seem personally offended by the 'only bass player' comment, although looking at the majority of bands, it is fair to say that the lead singer tends to recieve the most attention. For instance, Chris Martin of Coldplay; how many other people can fully name the other three members? It isn't a insult towards Carloses abilities, it is merely recognition of how 'roles' in bands are recieved in general.

[Harris Y]

I've personally never liked Gordon. This just makes me loathe him completely.

[Karl]

-off topic -I don't like Bloc Party -off topic-

I think Carlos D. has a very special role to play in Interpol, Daniel exaclty knew why he needed someone like Carlos in "his" band.

If you compare him with the other guys: Sam, rock star since the age of 5 (thanks to mummy...) , Daniel, composer, dreaming of having a rock band since... always... and Paul, writer, singer, happy to be able to make a living out of his main artistic passion...that is music.

and then you have Carlos, who once was a guitarist, then wanted to be a Philosophy teacher, member of the NY "gothic" scene, DJ, radio host, multiinstumentist, composer, and bass player in a band, coz the guy who asked him to come and play with him had a spare bass...

I think he has a different conception of Interpol and the role he plays in it from his band mates.

I also understand entirely why he isn't always pleased about having his picture taken by fans...
If I happened, to be with him and to have a camera, the first thing I'd think about would never be asking him if I can take a picture with me, I don't see the pont in it... if find it quite ridiculous...
and I dared asking, I would just take pictures of him, alone...without my face, with a silly smile, pretendending for one second that I know him since his childhood...

I don't find Gordon's attitude very respectable...
a bit immature, when you see the tremendous EGO of Bloc Party's singer...(but then he must be allowed to be that way, he is the lead singer!... <_< )
and specially if you compare it with Sam's diplomatic answer to "how is it playing after Bloc Party?" question during the splendour in the grass interview...

and to give an end to this post about Carlos D.'s djing:

"When I DJ I try to bond with the people at the bar or club through mindfulness of their mood. I try to gauge what they want to be listening to in order to get them into a good mood and also to get them dancing and partying. I try to create essentially a festive atmosphere through my choices behind the decks and that requires that I try to “feel” the crowd. This is why I get so irritated when [Interpol] fans come to my DJ gigs only to stand there and stare at me twist knobs and change records. They interfere with my job because their inertness prohibits me from connecting with them. When they relax, turn the other way and try to enjoy the music it frees me up to come up with the best possible DJ set for the night. Then it becomes a party and that is the whole point in the first place...”
Carlos D. Inpress Magazine, 20th July 2005-07-21