Well, Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen, now its time to "get jiggy here" with Courtney Love---
Hehehehe (laughs)

---As I mentioned earlier, I have a whole bunch of questions here to ask you directly from Courtney Love. So I'll be like, the messenger here.
Okey doke.

But just to preamble this whole thing, and you kind of mentioned it a little while back there, when did you first meet Courtney, you said when she was like, 15 or 16?
When did she first meet me I think the question should be. It might have been before she came to Liverpool in New York. I know she came to some of our New York gigs in possibly 1981. If not, it probably was in Liverpool, but it might have been one of them... is this a question from her?

No, this is just some preamble here.
Ah yeah, the old preamble there. I don't know. I'd like to ask her. She has probably got more of a vivid recollection. I mean, I was in a daze as it says in the song "I've been in a daze for days"

Did she ever steal your clothes? Because that's how I first became aware of the Courtney-Ian McCulloch connection. Because I saw some mention that she once stole your clothes. Do you ever remember anything like that?
It's quite possible, I don't know what it would have been, but I know I've got a coat missing from the wardrobe. I think she might have stole a look rather than actual clothes. But if she did steal them, good luck to her, that's fine, I don't mind.

So when was the last time you saw Courtney Love or talked to her, because there was some mention that you were collaborate with her on a solo LP, Ian?
Yeah, well I'd still like that to happen. I have a song that I'd love her to sing on. I think it's down both of our strasses. It's a bit of a rocker, it's a great tune. It's called "Really Really Want You." It's kind of like "Sweet Jane" revisited and I'd love her to sing on it. I was thinking about Courtney, oh, last week thinking, it'd be great to get in touch with her and me to ask her directly, or possibly via a messenger.

Such as me Nardwuar the Human Serviette.
Hehehehhe (Laughs)

Okay, Ian let's get right into this. Questions for Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen from Courtney Love. First question from Courtney Love to you, Ian. Courtney says, "Tell Ian, that to people who matter, he is the most important rock star ever."
Brilliant. That's lovely to hear. I was really pleased when she thanked the band on her last album. What can I say? That's not even a question to be answered. I think it's - I kind of agree, but it's sounds so much nicer, yes, it's so much nicer coming from Courtney. That means a lot.

And Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen, number two question from Courtney, or statement says, "Tell Ian that I was with U2 in New York City and that Bono said 'Ian was always better than me. We just had better management.'"
Hahaha...(laughs) yeah, that's exactly what I've been telling people. That is fantastic! I don't believe this! Can't these people tell the world? That's lovely again from him. After all the things I've said about him, what a gentleman! I'd love to have a drink with Bono, if I could get him to shut up for five minutes, he might learn something. What a dude to say that. I mean he will still embarrass me from time to time, but he's got a really good band I think, you know, and again hats off to him. Or cowboy hats off to him.

It's interesting that Bono said that because one of the questions I had for you was why was U2 more successful than Echo and the Bunnymen and I guess that kind of answers it right there! Better management!
Totally. Because this came up recently. And probably a much better record company to be quite fair. We did everything right. We were the coolest group on the planet. But Bill Drummond, I mean he was a cool maverick manager, but at some point he should have said, early on, "we're going to get a manager because I don't know what I'm doing." And you know that's why we went to Iceland because we were maverick, you know. And it was just, kind of, we didn't realize what was going on. Paul McGinnis, from day one, he obviously saw U2 and thought poor rock band, but these guys can be massive. Bill Drummond saw us, thought we were the best group he had ever seen, or that there had ever been. And thought we could be massive, but if we aren't who gives a fuck. (laughs) That's been the nature of it, ever since. I kind of like it cause at the end of the day we don't have as many millions as U2's got, but I don't know whether I'll ever use them. All I knows is that I'd be still going to the football on a Saturday, still liking pubs to drink in.

Liverpool number one, Vancouver Whitecaps number two!
Hehehehhe (Laughs)

So Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen, Courtney also says, "Ask him if he ever noticed me."
Of course! (Laughs) She became through sheer noticeability one of the most famous, not only women, yeah, women, because I think it's important that there are famous women and not just famous men or famous men's women. Tell Courtney she's one of the few that have mattered as well because she's a southern icon.

When did you first find out that she was in a band? Like after you hung out with her in the early '80s, when did you first find out that she was in a band and stuff that was really starting to happen?
It was when I heard the first single off "Live Through This." I was like, "bloody hell!" I just didn't expect it to be that good. I kind of felt proud, you know, because even though we hadn't spoken since the day in Oakland, I felt like she always kind of cited us, or made us, the main influence. Can I just check who's calling? Hold on a sec?

Sure, no problem. Ian. And we're speaking to Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen, and I Nardwuar the Human Serviette, am going to...
Hello?

Hello! You're still there!
It was some idiot trying to send a fax. Um, yeah, so I kind of felt proud that I was part of, that in some way I was kind of, not responsible, but influential in kind of what she chose to do. To answer the other question that never got answered, cause I was so overwhelmed by what was said, I last saw Courtney at the one of the KROQ Weenie Roasts.

The Weenie Roast, That's hillarious! Using that as a benchmark! Yeah, it's a mad name for it. You know it's like , you had Woodstock---

You have Woodstock, you have the Reading Festival, you have T in the Park, you have Lollapalooza and you have the Weenie Roast. It's like so low down there on the names. Although Kiss got back together at one of the Weenie Roasts!
Really? I mean, I thought it was great. Blur pulled a fast one on us cause they were meant to go on before us. It was Blur, then us, then Oasis I think. And Blur phoned the festival, "Oh the van's been hijacked in Los Angeles with all the equipment and we'll have to go later." And I thought, wow, what a great scam, we should have done the same and gone on after Oasis. And miraculously the Blur van turned up as soon as we'd finished. And it was obviously because in Britain they were much bigger and also it would have looked, because of the Oasis-Blur rivalry, if they were two below Oasis, it would have looked really bad. It didn't matter to us because we blew them all off anyways. But I thought it was funny, these whipper snappers that pulled a fast one on us. But that was a great day, just walking in and seeing Courtney standing there and I was like "Alright, Courtney, nice one" and she was surrounded by people, as was I, but by probably less people. I think on the last few tours our paths haven't crossed for some reason. Obviously, I want her to sing on one of these great songs I've got. Or maybe even write one with her if she's up for it.

Ian of Echo and the Bunnymen, Lorraine is your wife, and there's a question here from Courtney Love, to you Ian, that says, "Ask Ian if he remembers walking down the mall street by the Café Tabac and me and my friend Robin following him and Lorraine for eight blocks."
Hahaha (laughs) yeah, but luckily our blocks in Liverpool are a lot smaller than the ones in America! It was fine. I'm sure I would remember two obvious American girls - by obvious I don't mean obviously American girls walking down, you know... I'd felt flattered, but a little bit shy as well, and nervous, just more about wondering whether me hair looked okay or I had the right coat on, you know.

Ian of Echo and the Bunnymen, who is Dorian?
Is this a question from Courtney?

This is kind of a clarification thing for people to understand what's going on because Courtney's question says, "Tell Ian I thought Dorian was a lame-ass groupie and I, Courtney Love, was there to learn!"
Hahahaha (laughs) Fantastic! Yeah, I mean, she learned very well. Dorian. There's only one Dorian and that's Dorian Gray, who is me. I don't know anything to do with that, but your dog, Julian Cope, I know Courtney gets on allright with Julian... Unless this was still part of your learning process, Courtney, what the hell were you doing hanging around with the Teardrop Explodes anyway?

Ba-boom! Here's a question I have for you Ian. Who is Balfe? Who is Balfe?
Who is Balfe? David Balfe. He co-produced with Bill Drummond, our manager. He was part of our bad management team, but Balfe was the one who, if it had've been just him and hadn't been so annoying... I mean, I actually liked Balfe. But, everyone else, he ended up playing keyboards in the Teardrop Explodes, but they hated him. And Will didn't like... he didn't mind him but he didn't like his interference. But Balfe was the one who first said to us you should go, all the bands should go live in New York or Los Angeles and you'll be absolutely huge. He said there's a vibe already, he knew from day one. As soon as we recorded Crocodiles, he said go and live in America and just tour the arse out of it and you'll be the biggest group on the planet - and we said "No." (laughs) We're going to live in Liverpool, which is where we live, and then we'll go and tour America when we tour. But he had a point - our growth in America, it was kind of every tour just went bigger and bigger, but U2 were doing three times longer tours and getting three times bigger every time they went there. America, in those days, was wide open particularly for groups like us. But yeah Balfe, I don't know how Courtney got on with Balfe. I actually didn't mind him.

Because here's a question for you, Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen from Courntey Love that me, Nardwuar the Human Serviette is relaying to you, this is the question to Ian, Courtney says, "Remind Ian of the night he told me and Balfe that The Birthday Party and The Fall were playing at the Hammersmith. He was eating fries in a little place in Soho I liked and me and Balfe went to the Hammersmith and there was no one playing. Hahaha!"
Hahaha! (laughs) I even don't remember that one, but it sounds like me, yeah.

Very devious there Ian.
Yeah.

Now moving on here, I have a question for you again, who is Paul Simpson? Because the name Paul Simpson is coming up here.
Oh, he's one of me oldest mates. He was actually in the original Teardrop Explodes, playing one-finger keyboards, then Balfe replaced him. But he's still one of me mates, he's great and he lives...when Courtney lived in Liverpool, it was either above his flat or below his flat. And he remembers it fondly I think, even though he said they were mad times. It was Julian on the bottom flat I think and then it was either Paul or Courtney and Robin and then it was Paul possibly on the top flat on a road called Devonshire Road. I passed it quite often, you know, every week. Today as I go into town, it's on the left, and I always remember those heady days.

Because Ian of Echo and the Bunnymen, Courtney says "Ask Ian about that guy Paul Simpson. Tell him that guy was pretty mean to me."
Hahaha (laughs) does she say what he did?

No!
No? Well, tell Courtney I'll have a word with Paul. I know he know he remembers Courtney fondly now. We were all so much younger and so much madder then. There were things running around our heads, we didn't know, you know, why they were there, you know. It's like, you know, the voices in me head. They're still there, but now I can keep them at bay. We probably all had the same voices you know.

It's amazing Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen what Courtney remembers.
I know! Her memory's unbelievable. Me sending them off to a non-existent gig!

Here's a crazy one coming up! Now it's a question about Julian, so I would guess it's Julian Cope.
Yeah.

And the question to Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen from Courtney Love via me Nardwuar the Human Serviette, here it is. Courtney says, "Tell Ian, I was once in Julian's weird storage room looking at letters from his first wife about how she couldn't poop in a stranger's house."
Hahahahahaha! (laughs) Yeah that was Cathy alright... and who poops anyway? Us greatest stars that have ever lived don't need to do that kind of crap.

I thought that was pretty weird though. "Tell Ian I was once in Julian's weird storage room." Julian's weird storage room? He had a weird storage room? What was that?!
Hahahaha! (laughs) I don't know, he cultivated his weirdness whether it was storage rooms...Instead of having a weird attic, he'd call it his weird storage room because Julian tried to be weird, and he never was, I don't think. Tell Courtney that I never believed for a minute that he was weird.

Who was his first wife?
Cathy.

And where's she now, and how is her pooping going?
I think she got remarried or she might be redivorced, I don't know. Lorraine sometimes sees her in the street, but I think she's doing alright. It destroyed her for the better. And he was so horrible to her, and I think it was unforgivable, some of the things he said. I remember reading an interview he was like, he just ditched his first wife. And the things he said, I can't even remember, but it was horrible. Just soul destroying, you know, and there was no need. He could have just said, "we split up, we grew apart," but he had to be Julian about it, thinking the world revolved around him and that we all needed to know the stuff. It was pathetic.

Well that's hard to hear because Julian Cope had some great tunes, I think.
Yeah, he had some good tunes over the years, but I don't like him. He stole three of my tunes, I'll tell you, the tunes you like might like might be mine.

Which ones were they?
"Spacehopper," "Robert Mitchum," and "Read it in Books," he said he co-wrote. So, he's a thief which is worse than anything.

Well, Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen, back to Courtney Love's questions for you, and there's still a few more here. Courtney says, "Let Ian know how grateful I am for letting me play with them that night and it made me feel great."
Awwe, made both of us, me and Will, feel great as well, Courtney! (laughs) This is great, you Human Serviette. This is great, all these combination of questions... and I'm kind of just, you know... it's dead nice, y'know.

What night did you play with her? What is she talking about?
It was The Viper Room (in Los Angeles). It was with Electrafixion, the group that me and Will had just before we reformed the Bunnymen and she came up on stage and did "Do it Clean" with us. And she told me my hair was too sticky up and it was the '90s and get with it. But it's now 2001 and I'll do what the hell I want with me hair. It's actually gone quite long, but I like might get it all spikey-ed up again. But it was a thrill for us as well, cause we actually talked a lot more that night and she was really lucid. She seemed really sorted, and she looked great. And you know, it was a great night I thought.

Did anyone else come out to that Viper Room gig?
No, it was kind of a secret one. We played somewhere else and we were asked by Sal, who owns the Viper Room, if we'd do it, and we did. It was a good vibe. Somebody else might have been there, of course... do you know that someone was?

No, I was just curious if anyone else showed up. There's always interesting people that, you know, hang out around there.
I think, Christina Applegate was there.

Wow!
So, yeah, next question!