A PHP Error was encountered

Severity: Notice

Message: Only variable references should be returned by reference

Filename: core/Common.php

Line Number: 257

Psychedelia Online :: News

BEZ (Interview)

Talking politics with The Happy Mondays dancer, Bez, before he took to the stage last week at Lennon's

Mark Berry, otherwise known as Bez, is struggling to juggle between not hitting his head on the low roof of the night club’s cellar and pour his triple vodka and god knows what. Greeting us with a warm smile and friendly hug we get straight into a passionate conversation on The North of England.

We’re going to ask you first about your reality party, how is it all going for you?

“This thing about recent affairs, with Jeremy Corbyn, cus’ if you look at our policies as The Reality Party – look at our manifesto, what Corbyn is saying is exactly what we’re saying pre-election.”

At the time I was saying ‘why am I stood up doing this?’ Labour should be doing it. I kept saying this at the time cus’ I couldn’t believe that we’ve got into such a position myself just dancing with The Happy Mondays – that compelled to set up a political party. There’s something drastically wrong isn’t there?”

Do you feel now that political parties are supporting us or do you think you could do a better job – or who could?

“At the moment we need a voice in opposition, from someone who is suffering. We cannot allow what is going on, what’s happening is we’re moving into corporate dictatorship, with this thing called TCIP and all that – Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, you should check it out, basically it’s a corporate dictatorship and its got to be stopped, or there’s so much going on, one hand we’ve got the extreme left opposition with Corbyn and Labour, extreme right in Farage. He has really scary speeches at the moment, appealing to the country, a mad propaganda going on.

What I fear the most, you’ve got all the British army, all sworn to elegance to the Queen so, my fear is that they want to start this dictatorship and the best way to create it is chaos.”

How do you feel about Corbyn not singing the national anthem?

“I don’t give a fuck do you know what I mean? Cus’ at the end of the day I truly believe if humanity is ever gonna experience peace in our time we’ve got to get rid of the blood line and get rid of religion, cus’ religion is custodial and if anything was to be ‘delivered by a fallen angel’ it’s custodial.

We’ve got to stop fucking believing in Satan man, stop fucking religion, get rid of the bloodline and then we’ve got peace on earth.”

Just as Bez starts to get lost in the controversial conversation on religion and… Satan? We’re interrupted with a very important statement.

“I fucked up your joint Bez!”

So obviously you play live with the Happy Mondays, what do you prefer, DJ sets or playing live with the band?

“I guess I prefer doing nothing if I can! One of my favorite things is doing fuck all. Just hanging about chatting. If it weren’t for The Mondays I wouldn’t be in the position that I am now. I’m so lucky to be in this position. But I love all occasions, all variety, any social event…where’s that bottle of vodka gone?”

“Dunno but ive got martinis”

“How dare I say no to a martini!”

So Bez, what do you think of the current music scene, will it ever be as good as the 90’s?

“What the sad thing is, is through the 90’s and The Mondays, that era, was the last of the whole fashion/music business, unfortunately comes to an end, don’t think them days are ever gonna come back. Not on that sort of huge popular scale, but now we have all of this great underground music on offer and there’s so much of it it’s unbelievable, but the sad thing is with programs like the fucking Voice or x-Factor…

Is that shaken or stirred?”

The plastic pint glass of martini mixer distracts Bez and it seems we’ve lost him for the night, he dances over to fuel his drunken state before he takes to the stage for his own version of the Hacienda nightclub.

Interview by Ruby Munslow and Briony O’keefe.