newspaper

Review (Dutch): “Gavin Friday – A Slippery Customer”

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Bart Steenhaut in Belgian newspaper “De Morgen”:

“During the songs, Gavin totally confronted the people in the first rows. He looked them straight in the eye, walked all the way to the top of the venue and got out his megaphone to emphasise his statements even more. Often he crouched down like a snake ready to bite his prey in the neck. But during the conversations between the songs you felt that the emotional bond with his audience goes deeper than the average artist.”

 

Interview: “I think music should have a roof on it” – Something for the weekend

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The Irish Sun newspaper (“Something for the weekend” – 12-08-2011)  talks to Gavin Friday about ‘catholic’, Irish family relationships and his upcoming gig at Electric Picnic.

On Irish fathers: “I started writing a lot after the death of my father. Coming from an Irish background family relationships can be strange. Over the generations there was a lot of conflict with fathers and their sons. I didn’t get on great with my own Da. He didn’t understand me and we had this sort of war. “These Irish men didn’t know how to show compassion or love to their own children so it was like this monkey on yer back. But when they’re gone, you go `Wow, is that what I was fighting against? Was that what was driving me?’ That experience had a profound effect on me, but not in a negative way because these are the people who bring you into the world. But the truth is that most of them love their children, they just aren’t very good at showing it. They had the Catholic Church lashing them around the head for decades. Then our generation came along and suddenly started talking back.”We weren’t looking at the Catholic Church or any government for guidance. We were listening to David Bowie and the Sex Pistols, so you told yer Da to `fuck off’ and they thought that we were from outer space.”

On Electric Picnic: “I’m very nervous on one level but then again, I’m very excited. “Although I’m glad I’m playing in a tent. I think music should have a roof on it. I’m on about 9.30pm on the Friday but I don’t think there will be a lot of the Catholic material in the set. I’m looking at dipping into the last 20 years of my career, I might even open with a revamped Virgin Prunes song.”

 

(thx to John for the photo & ocr scan)

Review (Italian): “Friday wins thanks to his voice” – Il Fatto Quotidiano

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Guido Biondi writes in Italian national newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano:

“The former Virgin Prunes,” says my editor. (Thank you.) Known above all for the excellent work on the soundtrack of “In the name of the father”, Friday wins thanks to his voice, similar to that of his friend Bono, and by the sound of Ken Thomas, producer of Sigur Ros. The ethereal “Epilogue” is excellent, while “A Song That Hurts” is moving.”