Although one enlightened critic was moved to say "if Tony Hancock had made pop records they'd have sounded like this" about Manchester-based singer/ songwriter VINNY PECULIAR, to our ears he sounds like he ought to be included in the roll call of superb English maverick singer/ songwriters that already boasts the likes of Luke Haines, Peter Perrett and Jarvis Cocker. Whatever, his two recent albums "Ironing The Soul" and "Growing Up With Vinny Peculiar" are on quaffing terms with greatness and his new band now features legendary ex-Smiths' ryhthm section Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce. Good times for a change, then? W&H couldn't wait to find out more.
Vinny is entirely convivial and brilliantly entertaining to talk to. We thought starting with some background would be a good idea. Are your songs really as autobiographical as they make out? I mean, most of "Growing Up..."s songs seem based on childhood recollections, but also "Flatter And Deceive" from "Ironing The Soul" - is that your early life story, growing up in Worcestershire and training in Birmingham to be a nurse?
"Yeah, it's pretty true," Vinny confirms.
"And a lot of the other content in there, like the bit about seeing the Sex Pistols. I did see them on the secret tour as SPOTS in Wolverhampton. I mean, it's almost TOO true, that song, though it's written in a very self-deprecating way. It's mostly just guilt and apologies (laughs). That's the boring answer to the question, but the truth."
I'd mentioned in a couple of my reviews that your work as a psychiatric nurse is a career you have in common with the likes of Thom Yorke and Kevin Coyne. Has your non-musical occupation influenced the way your music has turned out?
"Yeah, I suppose it has," Vinny considers.
"I mean, I am in touch with people who are marginalised in society and there's still a social stigma going with that. And sometimes it's truly inspiring to be around people who have lost the plot."
And it's directly influenced your songs?
"In some cases, like the song "Operation" from "Ironing The Soul," Vinny explains.
"I mean that's a about a bloke I met who thought he had lost his heart, y'know - seriously. So yeah, I guess sometimes it does inspire me and it can be a positive thing in a way, but there's inevitably a very grim side to it as well. I mean, I get to encounter hardcore schizophrenia, which is...very difficult," he finishes, grasping for an acceptable term.
"These days I balance it out with music and I only do the nursing three days a week, but it's good to have a reality balance, because doing music on a professional level can be so speculative."
Tell us about it. But what about another subject that often permeates your work: religion. It's in "Flatter & Deceive", "Jesus Stole My Girlfriend", " Work For God"...
"And "My Father The Organist", says Vinny, laughing.
"Yeah, that's all related to growing up. It's all because of an orthodox, methodist, Sunday school, Salvation Army kinda background," he elaborates.
"I mean, coming from a little sleepy village, it's very much a part of my early life and those songs are mostly just straight recollections. Everyone has those and there are always the little things you remember from those days as you go on through life."
So, when you're at work you're still Alan Wilkes, but when you perform you're the dynamic Vinny Peculiar. When did this starstruck alter-ego first emerge from the cocoon, so to speak?
"In 1998, when I did the "Gone" album, the first Vinny album," replies the man himself.
"Sam Taylor,a writer in The Observer gave it a great review and that helped me get rid of most of the 1,000 pressing at gigs since. I've also been involved in the poetry arena, and I've been working poems into the gigs as well. I think I started doing that because I was seriously bored with the standard, straight-up singer/ songwriter gigs I was inevitably doing."
I notice you give Auteurs/ Black Box Recorder genius Luke Haines a thank you on the sleeve of the "Growing Up.." album. I feel you both do that 'iron fist in velvet glove' thing very well, musically and lyrically. Do you feel your songs have anything in common with his?
"No, not really, it's just I love his work with The Auteurs. I think they're a radical concept, and some of the songs are just incredible, like "Lenny Valentino,"...I love that, and "Unsolved Child Murder." I think their last album "How I Learnt To Love The Bootboys" is my favourite....the Glam nostalgia aspect in songs like "1967."
Right, and of course the song "The Rubettes," which tailors a Rubettes song...
"Absolutely," Vinny agrees.
"He's really urbane and has a great, suave way with stories. I can picture his girlfriend being slightly unhinged actually. I also love his song "Future Generation", where he discusses how people will view his work in the future. It's funny, arrogant and I love the way he doesn't give a shit. "
"And, of course, he's got a peculiarly English thing going on, which I can relate to."
Talking of which, VP'S record label Shadrack & Duxbury comes from the name of the Undertakers' firm in the classic English cult movie "Billy Liar". Is this type of film a major influence on you?
"Yeah, totally, I've loved that film for years, because it's got a lot of truisms and sadness and all kinds of little things," says Vinny wisely.
"Mind you, I love all kinds of stuff in the cinema world, but discovering the likes of "Billy Liar"...well, it sure beat reading Thomas Hardy."
Yeah, I suffered through "The Mayor Of Casterbridge" and "Return On The Native" myself at school...
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"Mmm, mind you the film version of "Far From The Madding Crowd" has Julie Christie in it - always a good thing that."
Couldn't agree more. At a tangent, though, I can sometimes feel a scary kinship with your songs. "Everlasting Teenage Bedroom", for instance, feels frighteningly accurate in terms of a bloke in his thirties still getting excited about bands and the whole circus. Is it healthy to still get so excited do you think?
"Totally, " laughs Vinny.
"The guy in the song hasn't worked out the thing abut not caring for the older generation when in fact he IS the older generation. But of course it's right to be excited about the prospect of change no matter what age you are. You should be that up for it in your '70s."
Yeah, I feel we live in a really ageist society.
"I agree," says Vinny. "Look at the art world, you only come into your own in your 50s in that universe. So I suppose "Everlasting Teenage Bedroom"s saying that you maybe do feel a bit ridiculous when you get a bit older and you still get so excited but you should feel excited. Good people don't just abandon everything they care about because they're a bit older."
Right, well fast forwarding (a short way) into the immediate future and the fact you have Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce, The Smiths' brilliant rhythm section in the new Vinny Peculiar line-up. How did you meet up with them?
"That was down to me doing club nights at The Star and Garter in Manchester," Vinny reveals.
"I was both playing gigs and compering. Andy caught my act first, got an album and contacted me because he was into it. He'd played it to Mike and they were both really into the songs, which was great for me as you can imagine."
What sort of musical direction are you going in now with Andy and Mike. Will it differ from the witty, pithy songs on "Growing Up..."?
"Well, it's a bit different. It's slightly more abrasive, certainly," Vinny considers.
"I can hear a bit of an XTC, Talking Heads thing in there. Obviously we've got a great rhythmic dynamic now with Andy and Mike, whereas wit the last record it was samples, drum machines and so on. It's a different, more organic approach."
You're recording soon?
"Hopefully, yeah. The new songs are sounding more raw and very exciting. We're not sure as yet which tracks will make the EP we want to do, but we'll be using Rob Ferrier (Clinic and Cranebuilders producer), who also did the "Ironing The Soul" album."
And the new VP live experience?
"It'll be Andy, Mike and myself, also with Tim Browne who produced and played on "Growing Up With.." and another chap called Craig Whitfield, from Liverpool. He's also in a band called Lovecraft and he's a big VP enthusiast..."
Sensible bloke. Vinny, we're going to have to sign off shortly, but before we do so, tell us about another venture you've been involved in featuring another living legend, Bill Drummond, ex-KLF and Bunnymen manager and all-round doyen of cool. You played in Belfast with him, I think?
"That was great," Vinny enthuses.
"I was the artist in residence at th Cathedral Arts Festival in Belfast, which involved compering with several female comedians actually."
"Bill (Drummond) and I shared a flat for a week and did "Soup Runs."
Whaaat?
"It means playing gigs in peoples' houses. He's worked out a geographical line from Nottingham to Belfast and if you live on it, there's a chance he might do one in your house. He turns up, makes soup for you and plays a gig in your house."
"It's entirely serious," Vinny stresses, "and a great laugh as well. It's not some silly artsy thing. He puts up low-key adverts in libraries and art galleries in the relevant area and he turns up. It's a great idea actually, very friendly and a cool way to connect with people."
I imagine. Has he done any KLF songs?
"He wants to. I think he wants to do "What Time Is Love"? But he hasn't as yet. It's a great revolutionary idea, literally playing in someone's front room. We had a ball doing it. Who knows? It might catch on."
Let's hope so, Vinny. Whether it does or not, though, W&H would seriously suggest you don't wait for the mountain to come to Mohammed and instead search out both "Ironing The Soul" and "Growing Up With Vinny Peculiar" as soon as you can. The VP story is about to enter a new chapter and - unlike Tony Hancock's book - it's one that deserves to run on for a long time and without any missing pages at the end.
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