THE FAMOUS ELSEWHERE QUESTIONNAIRE: J. Willgoose of Public Service Broadcasting

Let's get out of the way quickly here because you'd rather hear from this gentleman than Elsewhere. But just to say the debut album Inform Educate Entertain by the British duo Public Service Broadcasting was an immediate favourite at Elsewhere (see review here) and so it is pleasure to have the knob-twiddler and sampler J. Willgoose Esq from the group answer the Famous Elsewhere Questionnaire. 

The first piece of music which really affected you was . . .

Nik Kershaw’s ‘The Riddle’. I remember getting so excited as a kid strapped in to the back seat, hearing the snare drum roll come in and knowing the song was about to start.

Your first (possibly embarrassing) role models in music were . . .

I think I did ok – my brother got me into the KLF, although I also loved Foreigner. I’m not going to apologise for that though.

Lennon or Jagger, Ramones or Nirvana, Madonna or Gaga, Jacko or Jay-Z?

Hmmm. Lennon, Ramones, Madonna, Jacko.

If music was denied you, your other career choice would be . . .

I’d probably be a geography teacher. I’ve already got the outfit, after all.

The three songs (yours, or by others) you would love everyone to hear are . . .

Well if we’re talking mine, I think our best song is ‘Everest’, although I like the positive message espoused in ‘ROYGBIV’ (‘I believe in this world to come – I think it’s going to be a pretty good world’). Otherwise I think two songs by dEUS should be on everyone’s listening lists – ‘Little Arithmetics’ and ‘Nothing Really Ends’.

Any interesting, valuable or just plain strange musical memorabilia at home?

I’ve got a framed Kid A poster that’s probably worth about £70, but that’s about it… I don’t really collect much of our own memorabilia but I do have a flyer for my first ever PSB gig which I’d like to keep hold of.

The best book on music or musicians you have read is . . .

I very much enjoyed ‘South by Southwest: A Roadmap to Alternative Country’ by Brian Hinton. It turned me on to a lot of good early bluegrass and other American music.

If you could get on stage with anyone it would be . . . (And you would play?)

Jonny Greenwood, ideally. I wouldn’t play anything, I’d be too in awe.

The three films you'd insist anybody watch because they might understand you better are . . .

Ha – The Conquest of Everest would be a good one! More contemporaneously my favourite films are Blade Runner and The Big Lebowski, I’d say. Both of them get better each time you watch them, and both have fantastic soundtracks too. Oh, and honourable mentions for Dr Strangelove and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The last CD or vinyl album you bought was . . . (And your most recent downloads include . . .)

I bought Soca Girl by Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, as well as Little Dragon’s Ritual Union. Both well worth checking out. Downloads include Jahtari’s series of 8-bit dub classics – excellent fun!

One song, royalties for life, never have to work again. The song by anyone, yourself included, which wouldn't embarrass you in that case would be . . .

One of the classics. Something like Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head. A song that you know is only going to spread warmth and happiness forever more – what a feeling that would be.

The poster, album cover or piece of art could you live with on your bedroom forever would be . . .

See earlier – Kid A. Weirdly it reminds me of these strange dreams I used to have as a kid of speeding across wireframe landscapes – kind of Tron-ish, but I hadn’t seen Tron. As soon as I saw it, it struck a chord with me.

You are allowed just one tattoo, and it is of . . .

I’d go with ‘this was clearly a mistake’ in a very discreet and unlikely-to-be-seen location, I think. Not a big fan of tattoos.

David Bowie sang, “Five years, that's all we've got . . .” You would spend them where, doing . . .?

With loved ones, travelling the world. Hopefully seeing some of the great mountain ranges – I have a real desire to see the Andes and the Himalayas. And I hear New Zealand’s not too bad either!

And finally, in the nature of press conferences in Japan, “Can you tell me please why this is your best album ever?”

Because it’s my only album ever!

(Hey, I’m using that one while I still can…)