Pat Geary speaks to Pete Burns on September 17th, 2000. Recorded in the UK. A RIGHT STUFF exclusive!!

Pat: What's the thing Pete, I know we've talked about this before, and I don't expect you to fully understand it, but what's the thing about the Japanese? They have such a conformist society, and yet seem to embrace someone who's so non-conformist, as you are.

Pete: I don't know.

Pat: Yeah, it's a mystery.

Pete: I've tried so many times to answer this question. I've praised them, and praising them's too patronising. I don't know what it is, but they seem to understand, without language. There's a great lyric, I think, written by Bjork, that Madonna did, I can't remember what it was called, but it said "language is meaningless" or "words are useless". And in some cases words just are useless. It just happens.

It's like saying to me, "Why is it going to rain tomorrow?" I don't know. It's just meant to be. And I feel at one with their work ethic. When I do start to work, I like to keep working, and see a project through to the end. I don't like sitting around with the A&R department going, "Oh, we think a remix, we think this, that, and the other...I mean we've done it with record companies, told them this is the remix version, and they've said "yeah, that's much better", and it's the same version we've given them!

Pat: (laughs)

Pete: You know, the Japanese aren't like that because of the language barrier. We can speak Japanese a little now, and they speak a little English. But they just leave me alone. Their saying is, "We buy beer...we take beer. We don't try to change it to Coca-Cola". Which is exactly right, really.

Pat: I get the feeling, and I've never been there, so I'm just purely...

Pete: Well I do hope, and Steve and I have discussed this...because I have taken people along on tour with me before, because I need someone to keep me sane, away from Steve and Lynne, because they're stressed out and we all bounce off each other. I do hope that you could accompany us to Japan in some capacity.

Pat: Yeah, I would love to be of some service there.

Pete: Because I can be calm with you. You're not going to go, "hey, let's hit the bars". Because, you know, I don't do that. I like to look for books, I like to look for culture, I like to look for art.

Sometimes Lynne and Steve are too occupied, with, say, Lynne getting my clothes together, and Steve's too occupied with dealing with the record company, and I need to get out and just see things. And have things pointed out to me. And I need that kind of stimulus.

Me and Steve talked in depth about this last night. And if there's a way we can do it, we would very much like you to come and document this tour. The Pet Shop Boys have had books published about their tour of Japan, and stuff like that. I would very much like something documented, because that Joanne Greene book really gets up my nose.

Pat: (laughs)

Pete: It's so inaccurate. I mean, it's a good attempt, you know, but I do think that I have something to say, and it should be explained the way Randy Tavarelli was on the inside with a lot of the people.

You know, I don't mind "warts and all", because there are warts. It's not "Tantrums and Tiaras".

Pat: No, as long as it's accurate and not just some phoney showbiz crap.

Pete: No, that's what I want!

Pat: Oh, you want phoney showbiz crap!

Pete: No!

Pat: (laughs)

Pete: I want it completely accurate.

Pat: Absolutely.

Pete: And I have nothing to hide. And I also think, even if my career fails, and even if some dusty old paperback is in a thrift shop, someday somebody like me may come along and buy that paperback because of the picture on the cover, and learn something about it.

You gotta leave behind something. I've left behind some records, if I die tomorrow, I've left behind some records. Unfortunately, "Spin Me Round" will be the one they'll play on the news.

Pat: (laughs)

Pete: But there are other things. I want other achievements, and most of all I want security.

Pat: Yeah, I think I would play "Nukleopatra", although this is a gruesome subject, so let's get off it.

Pete: It's not gruesome! Because it's a reality. You know, I also have the feeling that I'll be around for a very, very, very long time, indeed.

Pat: I think so, as well. You know, I was going to say that, even though I've not been to Japan, I think that you to them are what they would LIKE to be like, but they don't dare. Or you express those inner impulses, to be different and to NOT conform. And so you sort of purge them, so they can go about and do their salaryman jobs, all wearing their suits and everything. And they can enjoy you, and that's sort of an outlet.

Pete: It's a lot different now, Pat. We were the first band....hold on, this CD is going psychedelic on me [sound of stereo being adjusted in the background]... Oh, fucking hell, me and technology!

Pat: (laughs)

Pete: No, the Japanese have rebelled a lot. For instance, you see a lot less black hair in Japan now, there are a lot of blondes.

Pat: Oh, I saw something about this in the paper. They wear really dark makeup.

Pete: That's a cult of girls who've adopted rap queen attitudes, which is very negative. They're really nasty girls. But what's so great is, two of them while we were there fell off their shoes and hit their heads! Which is fashion death, which I think is very John Waters...

Pat: (laughs) It is, yeah...

Pete: It's kind of like a youth rebellion, but they were real nasty snots. But in the Japanese culture now, even the office workers are blonde, or at least auburn, not black haired. They do want to westernise themselves. And I was a little disappointed to see the DKNY, Seattle Coffee Shops, and Gap everywhere. As opposed to the origination of the Japanese talent.

I know we were the first band that played dance music to actually play the Budokan and demand all seats be removed and the audience could dance. And in all of our gigs the audience were allowed to dance. Because they can't speak, I can't speak to them. That's the only way they can physically release themselves.

The Japanese people go through a lot of physical discipline. And dancing for them is a release, a joy, because drug culture is practically nonexistent over there.

And I fought very long and hard for that. And I think that we're appreciated for that, as well, because now it's just de riguer, that you dance. We changed something.

TO BE CONTINUED

Copyright (c) 2001 by Pat Geary. Not to be reprinted or reproduced in whole or in part without written permission.