David Devant
THE VESSEL/ MR. SOLO from DAVID DEVANT and HIS SPIRIT WIFE
1. Who are you?
I am Mikey Georgeson scrabbling University Lecturer -‘a strange mixture of
ambition and diffidence’ and the’ laziest boy in school’. These two
descriptions may have been more random than I have come to believe, perhaps
less so with the former as it was written (by my university lecturer), but
they have both played a part in forming my self image if self image is a
list of neuroses. The problem with being diffident is that on those
occasions you chose not to be you come over as big headed. Its like a lurch
on a lie detector – one that would never appear were I Bono, a man who has
always let everyone know how great he knows he is. I recently heard him
boasting that a recent review had said he must have his skin on inside out,
such is his sincerity, but can you imagine a truly sincere person pointing
this out? It is this kind of thinking that led to my diffidence – ambition,
on the other hand, is an accident of birth. Speaking of which, were I
Gwyneth it was all yellow Paltrow, I would say that being the father of two
dynamic boys either side of toddlerdom has given my life meaning. Not to say
that it hasn’t but I would say that wouldn’t I? No pressure son but my life
is meaningless without you oh and on me head!
A defining act of ambitious diffidence was waiting nexto Alan McGee for
quarter of an hour while he finished talking to Liam to give him a copy of
Power Words but then failing to explain it let alone big it up which may
explain why l felt myself powerless to prevent him ‘stowing’ it behind the
dj booth. I suppose at the root of this is a feeling that if he doesn’t know
who I am I’m not going to tell him. Terrible I know but such lunacy is made
easier to bear by my inability to tell the difference between the real Liam
(it was) and a looky likey (what I thought it was).
2. No, really, who are you?
The Vessel singer in David Deviant and Carfax and soon to be singer/bez
figure in The Green and Mr. Mike Solo plus the above .. Oh and I do paint
pictures and make books also.
3. What are you up to at the moment?
Preparing a lecture on the origins of modernism – Baudelaire to Baudrillard
ho ho!
4. What three rules would make up your manifesto?
A manifesto implies that there is a solution where as I have always avoided
making a statement even going to the length of talking nonsense in order to
do so. Kindness is a virus. Whoops!
However this is from the dadaist manifesto and I wish I’d said it:
“I am against systems, the most acceptable system is on principle to have
none. To complete oneself, to perfect oneself in one’s own littleness, to
fill the vessel with one’s individuality, to have the courage to fight for
and against thought, the mystery of bread, the sudden burst of an infernal
propeller into economic lilies….”
5. If you were the dictator of a modern industrial country, what would
you abolish? What laws would you implement?
Silver cars and plasma screens and possibly economic lillies. Mandatory
spouting of nonsense like a call to prayer – failure to comply would result
in instant dismissal. Oh… and school.
6. What are your lyrics about?
I should say nonsense but the over riding theme is probably how we live
within a construct which ultimately leads to a lot of hypocrisy.
7. What is your opinion on the contemporary music scene? What do you
like/dislike?
From where I am it feels like C86 on steroids. C86 I believe derived its
name from a cassette free with the NME in that year. There was a real DIY
pop ethic with plenty of shambolic guitar playing very much in the vein of
the Libertines. Problematically a lot of the vocal delivery was quite fey
which is fine if you are a girl (the shop assistants) not if you’re a boy
(the razor cuts).
8. What distinguishes you from your peers?
Age, modesty and my peerles qualities.
9. Where do you see yourself in five years time?
I don’t know but its probably there in one of the songs due to their
propensity to predict the future. Savant gnosis?
10. Any regrets?
Turning down the Karelia ha!