Graeme Wilmington’s work in Close Lobsters helped to drive their amazing songs. From “Too Bloody Stupid” all the way to “Knee Trembler”, his guitar work sometimes rocked, sometimes grooved, and sometimes created a poignant emotional atmosphere. At all times, there was an intensity. Who can forget the sonic ferocity of “Nature thing”, the thick groove of “I Take Bribes” or the melancholy of “Violently Pretty Face”? After 3 albums on Fire Records, Close Lobsters broke up in the late 80’s. For the last 20 years, no one knew what was going on with the members of Close Lobsters. Once again my friends, I found another one! Graeme Wilmington’s is alive and well in Scotland!

T.JONES: “What goes on?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Time and space.”

T.JONES: “For the people who do not know, can you tell the readers which one you are in the pictures?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “I am the one on Andrew’s left! The guitarist with occasional long hair!”

T.JONES: “What have you been doing these days?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “A vain attempt at keeping together my mind, my body and soul.”

T.JONES: “How have you been making a living?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Preaching and influencing young people on the ways of the sound.  I teach music and audio technology at a college in Glasgow.”

T.JONES: “How did you get involved with Close Lobsters?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “I needed a vehicle. They needed me…because they couldn't drive.”

T.JONES: “How involved were you with writing the music?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Everyone wrote the 'music'. Mostly all the songs were collectively written from a stramash of influences and ideas.”

T.JONES: “What is your favorite Close Lobsters song?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “Toss up between ‘Mother of God’ and the unreleased ‘Van Morrison’s Trousers’,  which was a working title. Both are cerebral visions to the core.”

T.JONES: “Favorite album?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “Foxheads Stalk This Land.”

T.JONES: “Why do you think Close Lobsters broke up? Can you tell us the story?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “Too many cooks…  The story goes… some of us wanted to be mindless rock-n-roll casualties, others wanted to be leaders of the new beat(en) generation…all for one and one for all wasn't a motto we had really heard of. I can’t remember too much detail, sorry, must have been trivial though.”

T.JONES: “Would you like Close Lobsters to get back together?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “One over indulgent studio album and no touring would be nice.”

T.JONES:” What would have kept The Lobs together?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Filthy lucre.”

T.JONES: “Musically, who are some of your influences?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “Elvis, Beatles and The Rolling Stones.”

T.JONES: “Outside of music, who are some of your influences?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “D A Kolb”

T.JONES: “Favorite movies?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “ ‘T2’ and ‘The Good, Bad & The Ugly’.”

T.JONES: “Favorite alcoholic beverage?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “Amber Nectar.”

T.JONES: “Drug of choice?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “The real thing.”

T.JONES: “Abortion – pro-life or pro-choice?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Pro-choice.”

T.JONES: “Death Penalty – for or against?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “Against.”

T.JONES: “Were you in Scotland during the Sept. 11th Terrorist attack on the U.S.? How has it affected Scotland?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: ”Yes, no one, nowhere is safe.”

T.JONES: “What other bands were you in?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “The Uprising. They are a ska, mod, punk, metal combo.”

T.JONES: “Do you still play music?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Yes, of an insipid variety.”

T.JONES: “What is your favorite guitar?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Gibson Explorer.”

T.JONES: “Are you married? Involved? For how long?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Attached - for years.”

T.JONES: “Generally, are you a happy person?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Maybe more specifically.”

T.JONES: “Word association. I am going to say the name of a group or an artist or a person and you say the first word that pops in your head. So, if I said ‘Beatles’, you may say ‘Apple’ or ‘Yoko’. Okay?”

T.JONES: “The Wedding Present”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “The toaster.”
T.JONES: “The Jesus And Mary Chain” 
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Howl.”
T.JONES: “Ballboy”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Tracksuit.”
T.JONES: “Severed Heads”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Jellied eels.”
T.JONES: “Momus”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Dadus.”
T.JONES: “Felt or Denim (Lawrence)”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Interior design.”
T.JONES: “The Beautiful South”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Go north.”
T.JONES: “Blur”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Focus.”
T.JONES: “Pulp”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “All products.”
T.JONES: “Oasis”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Not if I was dying of thirst.”
T.JONES: “Public Enemy”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “At large.”
T.JONES: “Jay-Z”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Heavy ZZZ's.”
T.JONES: “Eminem”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Minstrels.”
T.JONES: “The Jasmine Minks”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Nice coat.”
T.JONES: “The Fall.”
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “Pride.”
T.JONES: “The Stone Roses”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Keech.”
T.JONES: “Happy Mondays”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Comedown Tuesdays.”
T.JONES: “George Bush”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “I could see…”

T.JONES: “What did you think of the movie ‘Trainspotting’? Did you think it was a good representation of Scotland?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “A bit too Disney.”

T.JONES: “What musician would you like to work with someday?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “Jimi Hendrix.”

T.JONES: “Out of the 3 albums, which one did you have the best time recording? Why?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “‘Foxheads Stalk This Land’ - because of Gerhonimo and a good producer.”

T.JONES: “The worst time? Why?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “None was worse.”

T.JONES: “As producers, how was Phil Vinall and John A. Rivers different?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Professionalism on John’s part and alcoholism on Phil’s.”

T.JONES: “Did you ever contribute to any of the lyrics? When?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “No.”

T.JONES: “Was there a formula to writing Close Lobsters songs? How did a typical Close Lobster song get created?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Different combinations of 3 chords usually till they got in the groove. Then, jam it.”

T.JONES: "Close Lobsters toured with Stump. I love their album “A Fierce Pancake”! How were they live and what were like as people? Why do you suppose they are no where to be found nowadays on both the music scene and the web?"
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Funny, peculiar, tall - live. Great bunch of guys. They have sense.”

T.JONES: "What’s your opinion on The NME?"
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Consistent.”

T.JONES: "Many people (young kids especially) think that once you get a record deal, the money just rolls in.. (Lawrence of Denim writes about Cherry Red “They’ll sign you up for 50 quid, you’ll be making records in a shed”) Were you disappointed with the amount of money the Lobsters made or was it what you expected? Did the record companies swindle you guys ?"
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “All record companies swindle all guys. Was never really in it for the money.”

T.JONES: "What albums or artists have you been listening to lately?"
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “Jerry Lee Lewis, Thin Lizzy, Biffy Clyro and Muse.”

T.JONES: “You are up in Glasgow, right? In one phrase or sentence, how would you describe Glasgow?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “No mean city.”

T.JONES: “Who is Mags? What happened with her?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “She was our stylist. Now, she has her own salon.”

T.JONES: “What was ‘Warpin’?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “An personal imbalance due to impure crystals.”

T.JONES: "Did drugs or drinking ever seriously get in the way of the performances live or in the studio? Which lobster was more into drinking or drugs than the others? Which lobster was opposed to it? "
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Never enough. The fuel of the creative artistic mind should burn on fires.”

T.JONES: "What would you do if you had 24 hours to live? What tape or CD would you have? What kind of alcohol would you drink? Where would you go? What would you do?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “Incite riots while listening to the Uprising singing ‘Burn the Fucking Churches Down' and drinking Tequila/absinthe slammers tooled up on a Harley Davidson. Then, I’d probably go home.”

T.JONES: "Could you describe the C86 scene for the people who don't know about it? What was your opinion of the C86 scene?"
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Unfortunate compilation of wannabees inflicted on us from NME. Don’t trust it.”

T.JONES: "Did you ever consider becoming a solo artist?"
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “I am a solo artist.”

T.JONES: "Buzzcocks or The Jam?"
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “Buzzcocks.”

T.JONES: "The Beatles or The Stones?"
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “Stones.”

T.JONES: "When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?"
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “Fashion photographer.”

T.JONES: "When Close Lobsters just broke up, what did you do?"
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “Look for a job.”

T.JONES: “Do you still speak to any of the Close Lobsters these days? When was the last time you spoke to any of them?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON:  “Yes. Andrew & Fadge. Drunken haverin'.”

T.JONES: “Do you have any hard feelings towards any of the members?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “None.”

T.JONES: "Out of all of the bands that you opened up for or opened up for you? Which did you like the best? The least?"
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “That Petrol Emotion. Inspiral Carpets.”

T.JONES: “What do you think of the Close Lobsters website?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Excellent.”

T.JONES: "What is the most defining moment in your career as a singer? In your life in general? "
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Can’t sing. The defining moment hasn't occurred yet.”

T.JONES: “What do you want on your epitaph (your gravestone)?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “And so what.”

T.JONES: “Any final words for the people who will be reading this?”
GRAEME WILMINGTON: “Love, peace, and serenity.”
 

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