ALEX GREEN, MUSICIAN AND PERSONAL FRIEND TO ALAN MOORE

(digitalised and translated by Jose Carlos Neves)-(leia versão livre em Português logo abaixo)

In an exclusive interview for APOLLOX, Max Akropolis (A .K.A Mr Alex Green) talks about the project that spawned perhaps one of the rarist singles from the early Eighties...During his time with Bauhaus, David J. had an extra marital affair the result of this affair was the bastard spawn...The Sinister Ducks; A Northampton based three piece, the Ducks were the above mentioned Max Akopolis, Captain Jose da Silva (David J.) and the Translucia Baboon (Alan Moore). The origin of the band can be traced as far back as 1978 when Alex had placed an advert in the Northampton Chronicle and Echo, seeking musicians for a band he was putting together...but first a little history.

APOLLOX: Can you begin by giving a brief explanation of the various bands that you have been involved with?

ALEX: Escalator (1976-1980), an embarrassing Northampton jazz-funk band. The line up included Adrian Utley, now in PORTISHEAD, and the excellent drummer Coach York who later played on David´s “Crocodile Tears” album.” Stanton Walgrave” (1976-1978) Wildly avant-garde outfit that attempted everything from Henry Cow style  multiple time signatures to Faustian free improvisations. Line up included Glyn Bush & Pickle. “The Mystery Guests” (1978-1979) Avant-garde three piece comprising, myself, Pickle and Buster Skinner. We covered the “News At Ten” theme. We also supported Bauhaus at early gigs. “The Emperors of Ice Cream”(1978-1979) The dream band that never got beyond rehearsals. All music and lyrics by myself and Alan Moore. Much of this material was performed by Glyn Bush´s Birmingham-based band THE DEGO TEE´s. “The Army”(1980-1982) Ska Reggae, line up included Adrian and Coach again, two singles were released. (1982-1985) Self-imposed exile in Sweden, except for a couple of guest apprearances and “THE SINISTER DUCKS” of course. “The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy”(1986-1995) plus many sessions with David J., Kevin Haskins, Spacemen Three ETC...ETC...                                             (Bauhaus Band)

APOLLOX: So how and why did THE SINISTER DUCKS come to exist in he first place?

ALEX: The genesis of THE DUCKS is dark and mysterious by its very nature. This odd birth must have occurred during one of my return visits to England. I had know Alan Moore since ´76 and David since ´78. I can remember that we were all hell bent on total world domination by the stealthiest means.

APOLLOX: Was the project ever ´´serious´´?

ALEX: Yes, it was always deadly serious.       (Kevin Haskins)

APOLLOX: Tell me a little about the recording of the single.

ALEX: The single was recorded at Beck Studios in Northampton (Wellingborough).`March Of The Sinister Ducks´ was built up in layers on top of a basic structure of  Dave´s guitar and piano. The cabaret saxophones on the choruses were augmented with kazoos played by Alan and myself. Vocals and duck effect came later. “Old Gangsters Never Die” was recorded live with us all together in the same room. I seem to recall that the version released was the third take.

APOLLOX: Do THE DUCKS still actualy exist or is the thing extinct?

ALEX: Evidence would sugest that THE DUCKS may not currently exist. We don´t exactly get together, but I last saw Alan about three weeks ago, and will be seeing Dave later this month (September-1995).

APOLLOX: How did you manage to get single released in the first place, surely Dave´s involvement with Situation Two must have been beneficial having put out his debut solo album out at around the time of the single?

ALEX: As you have guessed, the single was accomplished on the coat tails of Dave´s solo work for Situation Two.

APOLLOX: How did yourself and David get together with Alan for this project then?

ALEX: I first met  Alan in ´76 when STANTON WALGRAVE were invited to do the music for the play “Another Suburban Romance”. This great surrealist drama, a cross between Beckett and Peyton Place, had been written by Alan and Jamie Delano and was then in rehearsal. Glyn Bush and Pickle wrote an incredibly complex score which was exhaustingly perfected and mostly recorded only for the project to founder when a couple of actors dropped out. “Old Gangsters Never Die” was originally a soliloquy in the play. After this I kept in close touch with Alan – amongst other things we worked on the material that would subsequently become the set for the EMPERORS, when we had a dozen songs ready I placed an advert in the Chronicle & Echo seeking felow conspirators – this would have been October or November. 1978. Dave was one of the respondants – we met in the Angel Hotel. Although he was really into the idea of the EMPERORS  he couldn´t stop talking about this other band, BAUHAUS 1919.                                                       (Samuel Bekett)

Subsequently he did not have any spare time for several years       and so had no involvement with the EMPERORS – and did not in fact, meet Alan until years later.

(This is an accompaining interview to THE SINISTER DUCKS álbum, ‘’Old Gangster Never Die”, story by Alan Moore – Art by Lloyd Thacher)

MAX AKROPOLIS – Possibly the last surviving example of the Wild Scandinavian Reed-Duck, whose insane squawking has brought a fanatical terror to the Fjords since the dwan of time, and is thought to be largely responsible for the area´s high suicide-rate.

CAPT. JOSE DA SILVA – Formerly known as the Spanish Dancing Duck of Del dementia. Famed for the Flamenco or “applauding his own duck´s arse” until a bizarre accident involving a disgarded Box of cheap hotel matches and a metal “heel-saver’ cut his dancing days tragically short.   Jose then turned to the guitar, as he could not find a bottle. His virtuosity on this is undisputed. He is also improvising on the guitar.

In 1981 he wandered into a Sinister Ducks youth rally, looking for change for the telephone, they liked his looks and he has been with them ever since.

TRANSLUCIA BABOON – Not a duck at all. Man pretending to be duck. I have a gun. I´m not afraid to use it. Don´t come any closer.

............................................................................................................................................................................

Numa entrevista exclusiva para APOLLOX, Max Akropolis ( isto e´, sr. Alex Green) fala sobre o projeto que gerou talvez um dos mais raros compactos do inicio dos anos 80...No seu namoro com a banda Bauhaus, David J. teve um caso extra-conjugal e o resultado foi uma ninhada bastarda...Os Patos Sinistros. Uma banda de Northampton, na verdade um trio composto pelos patos: o supra-mencionado Max Akropolis, o Capitão Jose Da Silva (David J.) e  Translucia Baboon (Alan Moore). A genese desse trio pode ser traçada desde de 1978 quando Alex colocou um anuncio no jornal Northampton Chronicle and Echo, buscando contatar músicos para formarem uma nova banda...mas, primeiro, uma pequena historia:

APOLLOX: você pode começar nos dando uma explanação resumida sobre as varias bandas com as quais voce esteve envolvido.

ALEX: “Elevador” (1976-1980), uma embaraçante banda jazz-funk de Northampton, formada por Adrian Utley (agora com os PORTISHEAD) e o excelente baterista Coach York, que mais tarde também tocou para o álbum “Lagrimas de Crocodilo” , de David J.;” Stanton Walgrave” (1976-1978) uma equipe muito doida, bem avant-garden, que tentou de tudo, desde o estilo Henry Cow ate´ o da livre-improvisaçao faustiana. Era composta por Glyn Bush e Pickle; “Os Convidados do Mistério”(1978-1979) outro trio avant-garde, constituído por mim, Pickle e Buster Skinner. Nos cobrimos o tema de “Noticias `as Dez”, alem de termos dado uma força para os primeiros trampos da Bauhaus; “Imperadores do Sorvete” (1978-1979) a banda-sonho que nunca passou dos ensaios, sendo a maioria das musicas, leras e composições, minhas e de Alan. Muito desse material foi aproveitado pela banda de Glyn Bush, baseada em Birmingham, chamada “THE DEGO TEE´s”; “Exército” (1980-1982) Ska Reggae, novamente com Adrian e Coach, quando lançamos dois compactos: (1982-1985) Exílio auto-imposto na Suécia, quebrado apenas por duas participações especiais e “Os Patos Sinistros”, naturalmente. Teve também a “The Jazz Butcher Conspirary”(1986-1995) e diversas outras colaborações com David J.,  Kevin Haskins, Spacemen Three, etc...etc...

APOLLOX: Como e porque surgiu “Os Patos Sinistros”?

ALEX: a GENESE DOS “Patos...” e´ misteriosa e sombria por as própria natureza. Deve ter sido incubada num das minhas visitas `a Inglaterra.  Conheço Alan Moore desde 76 e David desde 78, e sei que vivíamos tentando dominar o mundo pelos meios mais furtivos possíveis.

APOLLOX: Mas era um projeto realmente serio?                 (David J.)

ALEX: Sim, tudo era mortalmente serio.

APOLLOX: Fale-me agora um pouco sobre a gravação do compacto.

ALEX: Ele foi gravado nos Estúdios  Beck, em  Northampton (Wellingborough).”Marcha dos Patos Sinistros” foi composta em camadas, sobre uma estrutura previa formada pela guitarra e piano de David. Os saxofones de cabaré nos coros foram incrementados com kazoos tocados por mim e Alan. Os vocais e os “efeitos de pato” foram adicionados mais tarde. “Velhos Gangsters Nunca Morrem” foi gravado ao vivo, com todos nos juntos numa mesma sala. Preciso lembrar que a versão finalmente lançada foi a terceira tentativa.

APOLLOX: “Os patos” ainda existem ou já  e´ coisa extinta?

ALEX: Evidencias sugerem que OS PATOS não existem mais. Nos não continuamos juntos exatamente. Mas vi Alan há três semanas e me encontrarei com David no final deste mês (setembro-1995).

APOLLOX: Como você  administrou o lançamento desse compacto? Com certeza o envolvimento de David com o “Situation Two” foi benéfico, não? Já que eles lançaram seu álbum inaugural naquela mesma época...

ALEX: Como você próprio deduziu, realmente nosso compacto pegou uma carona no lançamento do solo de David com o Situation Two.

 APOLLOX: Como voce e David juntaram-se com Alan para empreender esse projeto?                                                                                 (Kevin Haskins)

ALEX: E conheci Alan em 76, quando o STANTON WALGRAVE foi convidado para fazer a musica para a sua peça “Outro Romance Suburbano”- um grandioso drama surrealista, mescla de (Samuel) Beckett e Peyton Place, escrito por Alan e Jamie Delano e que, na época, estavam nos ensaios. Glyn Bush e Pickle escreveram as marcações de forma incrivelmente complexa, que foi exaustivamente aperfeiçoada e grava exclusivamente para o projeto decolar, justo quando um par de atores pularam fora. “Velhos Gangsters Nunca Morrem” era originalmente um solilóquio naquela peça.

Depois disto, eu fiquei bem ligado a Alan e entre outras coisas, nos produzimos juntos o materal que depois integraria o set de “IMPERADORES”. Quando nos já tínhamos uma dúzia de canções prontas, eu coloquei um anuncio no Chronicle & Echo buscando “novos conspiradores”  - isto deve ter ocorrido em outubro ou novembro de 1978. Dave foi um dos que responderam e nos nos encontramos no Hotel Anjo. E ainda que ele tenha mergulhado de cabeça na idéia dos IMPERADORES, ele não parava de falar em sua outra banda, a BAUHAUS 1919.                                                          (BAUHAUS Band)

Subseqüentemente ele ficou totalmente sem folgas por muitos anos e acabou não tendo realmente nenhum envolvimento com OS IMPERADORES – e na verdade so veio a conhecer Alan alguns anos depois.

(Esta e´a entrevista que acompanha o álbum “OS PATOS SNISTROS”,’VELHOS GANGSTERS NUNCA MORREM”,  estória de Alan Moore e arte de Lloyd Thacher)