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At nightfall, Emily woke up with a scream. It was her favorite way to wake up. She’d dreamed hyenas were eating her alive, howling devilish nocturnes all the while. Enough to make the blood run cold in rapture! She woke her cats, and they all left the dreamhouse together. Emily made sure to grab her slingshot, tinderbox and hexing machine before heading out on her dark travels. Tonight’s goal: slip through the looking-glass and see the world downside up.
Once (or twice) upon a time, you see, Emily had managed to fall into looking-glass-land, and ever after, she’d been trying to get back there. But it seemed her juju wasn’t right for that adventure, or the planets weren’t aligned correctly; whatever the reason, Emily had a sneaking superstition that today was a good day to try again. So she crept silently up the winding stair, followed by Mystery, Sabbath, NeeChee and Miles. When they reached the top, the large mirror at one end of the landing was lit up with moonlight streaming in through a hole in the roof. It made a crazy peepshow of the looking-glass, breaking it up into a wild kaleidoscope of dark and light. Emily knew this was her chance, finally, to enter the mysterious world beyond.
“Join hands—er, paws,” Emily yelled to her cats. Just in time! There was a WHOOSH, and suddenly they stood in a most extraordinary land, where the flowers had curious faces and the wind told spooky riddles. Before them stood a most extraordinary creature, with eyes like cats’ eyes, skin like the moon, and hair like nothing else on earth. Emily curtseyed before such a grand lady, and the cats bowed. They knew they were in the presence of none other than the legendary SIOUXSIE SIOUX.
Emily: Where do you live?
Siouxsie: I live in an 18th century stone house in a cathedral
town in south west
France near Toulouse.
Any where you hope to live later?
Since living here in France, I've also fallen in love with
the north east
coast of Spain. Girona's' 'Dali Land' and Barcelona's 'Gaudi
Land'. The call of the ocean is very strong. Either way,
I know I haven't settled down yet and wonder when or if
I ever will, but I want to try living in many more places.
Do you have any cats?
Do I have any cats? I should say so. I have three 12 year
old orphans:
Spooky - she's orange in colour and waspish by nature.
Spider - a transformed sleek black prince of Siam.
& Dandy - the white and tabby murderer come cutie pie.
Cats rule O.K.
Do you like the ocean or the forest better?
I love both, but unimpeded views of horizon with the sense of freedom and
nature's power does it for me at this moment in time.
What are some of your favourite songs of all time?
Some being the operative word, these are just the tip of the iceberg:
Johnny Remember Me - John Leyton, Riders on the Storm - The Doors, Wild
Thing - The Troggs, Paint it Black - The Rolling Stones, Manic Depression -
Jimmy Hendrix, Walking on Thin Ice - Yoko Ono, Is that all there is? -
Christina, Chain of Fools - Aretha Franklin, School's Out - Alice Cooper,
Hey Ya! - Outkast.
What are some of your favourite albums of all time?
Castles in Spain - Miles Davis, The Idiot - Iggy Pop, Low - David Bowie,
Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus - Charles Mingus, Requiem - Gorecki,
Koyaanisqatsi - Philip Glass, Berlin - Lou Reed, Electric Warrior - T.Rex,
Can Opener - Can.
What album of your own are you most impressed by?
I'm proud of all our albums but I'm most impressed with the Creature's
last album 'Hái!', mainly because it was so unexpected and quick. Even
though it was only for a day, finally working with ex-Kodo drummer Leonard
Eto in Tokyo was a dream come true, planning couldn't have made it more
magical or perfect. It also marks the first album to be entirely finished
and mixed by ourselves here in France. I'm still surprised it happened at
all, but both our confidence levels have been boosted by the experience.
Who is behind all of the art on your album covers?
Over the years many different artists have been used for our record covers
but it's nearly always in conjunction with an idea for the feel of an album
I have, whether found or instigated. The idea of handing it over to someone without
any input is very alien to me.
What drives you to be prolific and creative?
What drives me on is to always do better. Plus the thrill and excitement
you feel when working on a new project is very addictive. I'm well and truly
hooked.
Would you rather have a pad of paper and a pen or a radio if you were stuck
on an island for a year?
If it's only for a year then I'd opt for a pen and pad and treat it as an
experiment. Although a bit scary to most people, I think it could be good
for anyone to try to live without external distractions for a while and see
if they discover something about themselves and/or life in general. Of
course it could be a recipe for abject misery and insanity, like we know
modern life can be, but at least you could end up with some entertaining
reading, or just put it all down to experience.
Do you have any reoccurring nightmares/dreams?
I haven't had recurring nightmares since I was about 16. One was about
being pulled out to sea by a huge wave and finding myself disorientated in
the middle of an ocean with no visible landmarks. Feeling my panic rise I
start swimming in circles trying to decide which direction would bring me
back to the shore, whilst my arms and legs feel more tired by the second. My
most common recurring dreams are of various forms of flight; one of which includes
self levitation with balloons tied to my ankles.
What outstanding goals do you still have? if any!
I've got tons of outstanding goals. Fasten your seat belts 'cos here's
another tip of an iceberg: Work on a film soundtrack. Make that elusive
perfect album. Visit and play in Russia, India and Africa. Go on Safari.
Learn to scuba dive on an unspoilt reef. Learn to ski and water ski. See the
ring tail lemurs in Madagascar. See the Northern lights from a Husky drawn sleigh.
Shoot the rapids in a kayak. Lay alongside a sleeping tiger and feel its
breath on my face and hold its paw. Sit and socialize with some gorillas for
an afternoon. I could go on......
What inspires you to continue...?
Apart from the things in my answer to your 9th question. Seeing other
people's achievements against all odds is always inspiring.
Do ants make you happy or sad?
Depending on my mood, probably both. Size is relative and when I look at
ants they make me wonder who's looking at us in the same way and so on, like
an infinity mirror that just gets bigger and bigger, or is that smaller and
smaller?
What is the strangest thing you've done lately?
Eight months ago I gave up smoking and became very ill as a result. It must
have been a massive shock to the system which I've only recently started to
recover from. I was exasperated and furious, but strangely for me, I
continued to torture myself and not give in. Life still feels strange
sometimes without my Mr Nicotine, but I'm looking forward to being
completely free of him.
Finally, what is this invention I made last night?
This is of course the " School of Voodoo Pencil Hexing Machine (MkV) ",
I myself have one of the original "Witch Queen of New Orleans'" models.
Nothing sharpens your spells better than this baby!
-
XSiouxsieX |
