An astonishingly well-researched book detailing every move that GARY NUMAN has made in his recording career is coming at us. But if you’ve ever wondered what he thinks of Eddie Izzard, the Roman Empire and his own funeral arrangements, then read on.
Your house is on fire, loved ones and pets are safe. You have a chance to go and retrieve one thing, what would it be?
The Videotape that all of our baby scans were filmed onto. We have hours of it from 11 weeks right up to a few days before she was born.
Which time in history would you have loved to have lived? And why?
I have a few times and places that I would love to visit for a week or two but I only want to live here and now. or perhaps a few years into the future. I'd like to be hanging around when JeSLis was supposedly stirring things up. Or maybe Rome when the Roman Empire was at Its peak and England when knights in armour rode into battle. Electric Pioneer looks at your career in minute detail. Does inspiring this kind of attention disturb you?
The amount of work required to put together a book like Evy." .‘ is very impressive and doesn't
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disturb me in the slightest. However. l sometimes get a little creeped out by how far some fans seem to want to go into breaking down every Single word I say. or tiny gesture that I make. into weird and wonderful alternative meanings. Thankfully it seems to be only a handful of people that haunt certain websnes.
What’s the longest time you’ve slept soundly in one go over the last five years?
I slept about 15 hours a year or so ago. That was after c0untless nights of not sleeping much at all as our new baby Raven began to make her presence felt.
What was the last thing you stole?
I've never stolen from a shop. The most criminal I've ever been is to liberate a towel or two from a hotel.
If you could wake up tomorrow and have obtained one ability, what would it be?
Ithink the ability to Sing would be a very definite boost to my career. I'm amazed I've got this far Without it.
How many times a day do you look in the mirror?
It's better to measure it in how many times per week. If I'm touring or domg TV or something Similar. then of course it becomes a bit more important. Before I met my Wife Gemina | only had one mirror in the house and that was broken. She finds my lack of self-interest very annoying. When my hair was surgically repaired. many years ago. I lost interest in preening.
You’ve been praised by techno acts and nu- metallers and used as the basis of a Sugababes record. Which meant the most to you?
I'm genuiner flattered by all of it. To have someone say you've been a big influence on their own music or career is quite speCiaI. To have your songs covered or sampled by others is something that I still can't quite get used to. I've been covered or sampled by a wide range of people from Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails to Sugababes. Basement Jaxx and so on. I'm grateful to every single one of them and I‘m very proud that it happens.
Do you consider yourself organised?
l have fire extinguishers in every room in the house. all in date. I have life jackets on my boat for every person that can fit on it. including some for different-sized dogs and children of different ages but I'm always late to anything I go to. I‘m always running out of food and my mobile always goes completely flat before I remember to charge it. What, if anything, is too serious to joke about?
Child abuse and rape.
What’s your favourite biscuit?
Tesco brand shortcake but only when they've been dipped in tea. Come to think of it, I can only eat any biscuit when it's been dipped in tea.
What song would you hate to be played at your funeral?
‘Going Underground". I never was a big Jam fan. And if some smartarse played ‘Things Can Only Get Better'. I'd come back and haunt them.
Have you ever exploited your position to get something? Did you get the results you hoped for?
Kind of. It's useful for getting into gigs that have sold out or getting into restaurants that are normally booked months ahead but apart from that I don't use the 'my name is' ploy. I'm happy to queue and wait my turn.
If they made a film of your life who would you like to see in the top role?
I need to live a life worth filming first of all. I‘ve been
famous a long time but the majority of those years have been spent trying to rev ive a career that's in deep shit. If anyone did it I'd like it to be Eddie Izzard.
When did you last dance? What was the occasion?
I don't remember ever dancmg. Wobbling bizarrely across a stage in a futile attempt to look strange and interesting. yes; but net er danCing
When did you last cry?
A few days ago at a news item ab0ut the tsunami that showed a man from Sri Lanka crying while holding his dead child,
What's your lucky number?
8358. It's my birth date.
Who is the best dressed British celebrity? What gives them that special something?
I don't know and I don't think I could care less if tried. I'm not interested in fashion or clothes. What’s your biggest regret?
Everything has shaped where I am and what I am now and I have no problem with that. I've never been Violent, never hurt anybody. never stolen things. I suppose the only thing I can think of is not being able to have children earlier. It took me a long time to find the perfect partner and it took us a long time to finally have a child. I think that will be hard to deal With as I get very old. not being able to see as much of Raven's life as I could have done. and haying less years With Gemina than I could have. I know my own parents are sad that they are unliker to see Raven as an adult.
Are you a cat or dog person?
Both. We have six cats and two dogs. I'm also patron of a sanctuary in Essex called Caring for Cats.
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QUIZ OF THE YEAR
ANSWERS & WINNERS
Well, we set the questions and you answered them in your droves and now the results are in. As many entrants noted, we boobed somewhat on question 4 by not actually providing the correct answer (Sheila
i Quigley), among the
- multiple choices. We considered claiming it to be a trick question, but what's the point? We messed up good and proper. OK? We’ll call question 4 null and void. 80, here are the correct answers to the 19 questions that actually made sense . . .
1) Birth, Dogville, The Stepford Wives, Cold Mountain; 2) Iceland; 3) 8000m; 5) The Servant; 6) Diana Rigg; 7) Seville; 8) Stan Boardman; 9) Brian Cox; 10) Orlando Bloom; 11) Tanyalee Davis; 12) 286; 13) Let’s Fucking Rock; 14) Brian Keenan; 15) The Beta Band; 16) The Wickerman Festival; 17) Oldboy; 18) Leslie Ash; 19) Hip Hop Don’t Stop; 20) James Kelman
Congratulations go to Holly McCulloch (pictured) who has scooped the grand prize of a Denon M- 51DVS surround receiver and speaker system. Equally hearty plaudits go to Kirstene Lang. Stewart Kinnon. David Hewitt, Silvana \fitale and John Cowan, who all win a year's subscription to The List. Many thanks to all those who entered and better luck next year.