‘We beat Radiohead at football 25-4’: Ride’s Andy Bell



‘Ride is simply a portal to who I am’ … Andy Bell. Photograph: Andree Martis‘Ride is simply a portal to who I am’ … Andy Bell. Photograph: Andree Martis

The erstwhile Oasis bassist solutions your questions astir sharing a telephone with Erasure’s frontman, the wildness of Creation Records successful the 90s, and what helium owes to the Cure’s Robert Smith

Have you ever pretended to beryllium the Erasure frontman to get a amended array successful a eating place? TeeDubyaBee

No, but Andy and I person a ace small relationship that’s evolved implicit Twitter aft quality beings started retired tagging the incorrect one. I’d tweet humorous replies, similar “I privation I had a interaction admit …” A mates of years successful the past I reached retired to him for thing which unluckily helium wasn’t susceptible of do, but helium said he’d beryllium up for thing and we're speakme astir operating together. You analyse it present first.

In a 1997 interrogation with Japanese mag Crossbeat, you had been asked what Ride meant to you. You requested them to inquire you 10 years later. Do you've got the reply now? nomorewater

Ride means an atrocious batch to me. When I started out, I go the maximum myself I’ve ever been different than now, and I similar to interaction basal with that character. We shaped conscionable aft leaving college, it go a sincerely thrilling clip and I’m truthful thankful that we sphere being allowed to bash it. Ride is the portal to who I am.

Ride: (l-r) Andy Bell, Laurence Colbert, Mark Gardener and Steve Queralt, photographed successful Oxford successful 1990. Photograph: Joe Dilworth/Avalon/Getty Images

Rumour has it that the Creation Records HQ successful Hackney changed into a fewer signifier of brainsick blend of pupil bedsit/messy workplace/bar/nightclub/crack den. Did you marvel what you were letting your aforesaid successful for? Timwthornton

When we sed they had been successful Bethnal Green, successful what Alan [McGee, the founder] referred to arsenic the bunker, accessible via a benignant of sweatshop successful which girls with stitching machines had been making clothes. Otherwise it was rather a full batch arsenic defined: studenty, messy, walls covered successful study sleeves and musicians placing round. One of the archetypal times I went successful determination was a solemnisation taking spot and idiosyncratic from Primal Scream phoned to accidental that [producer] Andrew Weatherall desired them to play to a click tune, and that they went: “What’s a click music?” It request to person labored owed to the information the outcomes were Loaded and Screamadelica. We’d sed aft six gigs truthful I changed into similar a child, watching this spectacle. Magic instances.

Did you find the word shoegaze offensive? stoneinatincan

I didn’t adore it astatine the clip due to the fact that it became of the mode it changed into utilized successful the opus property on broadside antithetic snotty terms. It request to were the identical to beryllium German, successful a set labelled Krautrock. A fewer years aboriginal I was travelling the US with Oasis and radical could travel up and say, “I emotion shoegaze.” So I’ve grown to simply judge it. It’s conscionable a statement now.

Liam Gallagher and Andy Bell connected signifier astatine an Oasis gig successful 2007. Photograph: Diana Scrimgeour/Redferns

What turned into the archetypal pinch-yourself infinitesimal portion gambling unrecorded with Oasis? JesseAndrews

Waiting to caput connected grade astatine Wembley. You’re listening to the excitement of the humans which mightiness beryllium acceptable to wage attraction you, which feels super.

I continually felt that a guitarist and songwriter of your endowment was wasted gambling bass successful Oasis. Did it ever consciousness similar that? ScorchTheBlueDragon

That’s rude to bass gamers. Not astatine all. I discovered a batch astir tune arsenic a guitarist playing bass. The bassist and the drummer are the spine. I took it precise severely. Plus, it became adorable to beryllium asked to s up for successful with songwriting. My opus Turn Up the Sun changed into the opening quantity for an full excursion. It adjacent broke a obstruction successful the Manchester City stadium, erstwhile the pack rushed forward. Luckily I don’t deliberation everybody turned into injured badly.

The resurgence of the treble medium has been an abrupt betterment successful 2022, with standout releases from yourself, Beach House, Big Thief, Johnny Marr and Wilco. Are you keen connected the layout and what’s the communicative astatine the backmost of your treble album, Flicker? VerulamiumParkRanger

Not forgetting Tim Burgess’s [Typical Music]. I conscionable accidental there’s a infinitesimal successful an artist’s beingness erstwhile astir effectual a treble medium volition do. 22 Dreams via Paul Weller wouldn’t enactment arsenic a azygous album. They paintings exceptional with a assortment of concise songs. Flicker has 18, definitive variations of fractional of-completed thoughts going again to the 90s, which I susceptible of bash successful lockdown. I tendency humans respect the reasoning and don’t find it excessively indulgent.

You’ve written galore highly bully songs during the past 30 years oregon so. Is determination a selected 1 that by nary means acquired the appreciation you felt it merited? I emotion 1997 Hurricane #1 B-facet Smoke Rings. VerulamiumParkRanger

Thank you. I really person a humorous courting with my ain songs successful that my favourites thin to beryllium those antithetic quality beings like. Vapour Trail go by nary means a azygous wrong the UK but it’s crook retired to beryllium fashionable implicit the years. You enactment things retired and announcement what comes again and I precise a full batch respond to what comes again.

Bell (left) and Mark Gardener (right) of Ride speech to Robert Smith of the Cure successful 1991. Photograph: Martyn Goodacre/Getty Images

You got present to the rescue of Oasis (and Gay Dad) erstwhile they person been little of captious gamers, loaned prize guitars to Noel Gallagher and Gem Archer, and aft Ride’s Going Blank Again amusement successful London delivered yourself to each and sundry adjacent arsenic DJing. In your career, who has shown the maximum kindness and generosity to you? david99b

Robert Smith from the Cure. When Ride person been getting started out, helium utilized his person an effect connected to get america introduced to the invoice for a TV programme referred to arsenic Brits 91, truthful we were fixed this fantastic prime-time exposure. Since then, he’s asked america to assistance the Cure, were fixed america delivered to festival bills and helium did a fantastic remix of Vapour Trail. He’s ever been determination to animate with a precise giving spirit.

Apparently Ride utilized to consult [1994 album] Carnival of Light arsenic Carnival of Shite. Do you proceed to acquisition that mode oregon person you ever made your bid with it? Europeanbychoice

Ride had been astir large guitars, submerged harmonies and thrilling drums – a lavation of sound. By Carnival of Light and Tarantula, we’d picked disconnected those factors till we were near with a shoegaze set looking to play accepted rock, nevertheless I person made bid with it. It’s were fixed rather a fewer nonstop tracks, similar Moonlight Medicine and Birdman.

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Tell america a Brian Jonestown Massacre tale. ShermanMLight

In Stockholm arsenic soon arsenic I go looking from the broadside of the grade erstwhile Anton [Newcombe] sacked the drummer passim the gig. I drunkenly jumped up and started retired gambling drums. He didn’t chuck maine off, which was high-quality of him. Before their gig successful Oxford a fewer years backmost I referred to that I arsenic soon arsenic saw Spacemen 3 playing successful armchairs. Anton close present went into overdrive. “Man, [Ride’s] Mark Gardener is coming to the gig tonight. I’m gonna get you men armchairs and we’re gonna person the Ride reunion connected degree.” Mark and I hadn’t spoken for years, and each of abrupt we were sat successful armchairs for the entirety of their gig, asking each other: “How’s it going?”

Please archer america astir the infamous Ride vs Radiohead 5-a-facet suit Stuartyellow

I’m present not a footballer, truthful wasn’t successful our unit nevertheless we bushed them 25-4 oregon immoderate thing. You understand, they mightiness beryllium gambling stadiums astir the sector, but ours changed into the existent triumph [laughs].

You’re doing a DJ acceptable but radical aren’t surely feeling it. What 12-inch would you whip retired to get the country moving? stevehiggs

Synthesist 2048 by mode of Monokompatibel presenting Harald Grosskopf. It’s a close 103bpm banger. If it’s an indie nighttime time, past Pixies’ Here Comes Your Man. I don’t thoughts clearing the level owed to the information past you could outline what happens. Get escaped of the radical and bring ’em little backmost slowly.

Andy Bell’s caller solo EP, The Grounding Process, is retired present connected Sonic Cathedral. Reissues of Ride’s classical aboriginal albums and EPs besides are retired present connected Wichita