Paparazzi Whore – A Blast From The Past – October 07

 

Subject	Paparazzi Whore Interviewed – October 07
DateCreated	10/12/2007 10:33:00 PM
PostedDate	10/12/2007 10:26:00 PM
Body	Click On Image To Vist Paparazzi Whore Website Paparazzi Whore are hard to pin down musically as they fuse indie, punk and a little rock thrown here and there. That can only be a good thing as there’s too many bands that place it safe these days. Their lyrics are thought provoking and it’s fair to say this band don’t take any prisoners either!! I came across them while flicking through Sky TV where they took part in a reality show ‘Singing With The Enemy’. This is a show brings two bands together who are complete opposite to one another and they share a house where they are expected to write a song together. Paparazzi Whore took part in this show with a christian rock band ‘Dweeb’ and while I’m not enamoured about reality shows I liked some of what I saw. The next day I checked out Paparazzi Whore on My Space and since then have been in contact with Micci the vocalist. On the strength of what I’ve heard on their My Space page I asked for an interview and here it is. All questions are answered by the gorgeous Micci. Street Voice: First off can you introduce the band members to the world please? There are 5 in the band – Micci (Vocals) Chris (Bass) Shaun (Guitarist) Olly (Keys) & Garth (Drums) Street Voice: How come you chose the name Paparazzi Whore? It was a common term that i kept using to describe people in our society that want to be famous for doing absolutely nothing! We chose the name Paparazzi Whore to describe the society that we live in today. Most people want their 15 minutes, we are all at some point a slave to the media and that is what Paparazzi Whore means. Street Voice: So how long have you been going as a band? We have been going as a band for 2 years. Street Voice: Have you any releases available for people to buy? Our debut album is out now called “I’d rather be infamous than famous!”. It is available from your local HMV store and HMV online, along with most web sites such as iTunes, Napster, Tune Tribe, Amazon, Play.com & Record store.co.uk – to name a few. Street Voice: Micci since you write the lyrics what is the inspiration behind them? My inspiration is society and what pisses me off. Some of the songs are drawn from personal experience and how i feel about a particular matter, such as bi-sexuality. Street Voice: When you have strippers or/and women topless on stage does this still really offend some people? We never insist on any girl that gets up on stage to strip. Sometimes when they get carried away with all the excitement of being on stage they will take their clothes off, it doesn’t always happen. I invite a few girls that have caught my eye on stage to dance with me for the song “I’ll be your boyfriend”, as this is about my sexuality as i am a bi-sexual woman. The song is saying to people to not be ashamed of their make up and to be proud of who they are. If it offends people watching others having a good time then maybe they need to get laid!!! Street Voice: You’ve played some high profile shows so how did these shows come about? The people who organise these shows sought us out. So i guess we are very fortunate that our reputation proceeds us lol! Street Voice: Talking of shows you’ve a fair few lined up so looking forward to them? Yeah, we always look forward to getting out there and showing people what we are made of. We love to express the energy and to project it to a crowd. It’s such a buzz to see people having a great time. Really looking forward to our UK tour, especially Scotland as they know how to let themselves go. Street Voice: You’ve just done the TV show ‘Singing With The Enemy’ so how did that come about? They contacted us via e-mail at first, asking us if we were interested. They interviewed us quite a few times to make sure that we are the real deal and not pretending to be something that we are not, like some bands do. We past their tests and we were accepted. They interviewed thousands of bands across the UK. They wanted to make sure that each band wouldn’t just sit on the sofa, like a lot of boring reality shows, and say nothing when the cameras are rolling. We always have plenty to say about most things. Street Voice: You are obviously pissed off with how certain things were portrayed so would you do it again? Yep we would do it again. We knew that the production company would edit it how they see fit, i guess though they have to simplify it for the viewer to make entertaining viewing. We have had amazing response on My Space and e-mails from people all over the UK, the comments and friend requests just keep coming in thick and fast. This experience of doing this show has certainly raised our profile, so of course we would it again. We love playing live to reach audiences but reaching over 4 million people in one go on a BBC TV show is better than slogging your guts for the rest of your life and not even coming close to that amount of exposure. Street Voice: Didn’t you think you may have been a little naive to think that the show would see you in a better light etc etc since reality tv seems to be about humiliating people and winning viewer figures? No we are not naive. We were fully aware that reality TV shows will be edited out of our control. I certainly don’t think that we are portrayed in a bad way. My Space will support this by the comments and e-mails of support! People seem to have truly identified with my character on the show in an amazing way. If the show had of been like Big Brother, where it was vote for the best band, we wouldn’t of participated. The show is about having musical and ethical differences and overcoming these to write an amazing track together and we certainly did that! Street Voice: I noticed Dweeb ran to the back when the strippers came on stage so did you think that was hilarious that they felt they may have been corrupted by seeing naked women in real life? I was amazed that their faith wasn’t strong enough to face something that they believed was wrong. Turning your back on temptation? Surely if it’s a temptation that would mean that you are fighting your true emotions, therefore you really want to act in the opposite way that your belief tells you too, otherwise it wouldn’t be classed as a temptation, it just wouldn’t bother you. If your faith is strong then you will face it and not be affected by it. They seem to live in fear of themselves. I didn’t find it hilarious, i found it disappointing. Street Voice: Micci you’re very open minded but it don’t it make you want to cry sometimes that many humans still get offended by the naked body? It doesn’t make me want to cry – it makes me want to laugh!!!! People who are not comfortable within their own shell are the people that give out problems to others. They expect everyone else to be as prudish as they are. The naked body is nothing to be ashamed of. We were once heavily ruled by Religion and it has certainly left a huge mark on the world, even to people who say that they are not religious. They have been brought up in a society that is still governed by it, as it is religion initially that tells people to be ashamed of the naked body. This is being passed down to each generation. It’s control has not yet been broken. Street Voice: Do you get much sexist attitudes because you’re a strong woman fronting a band? Nope no one would dare lol!! What i do find is that some audiences back away from me when i perform to them. I’m sure they think i’m going to eat them he he!! I think men feel more intimated and threatened by a woman that is strong and wont take any crap from them. Street Voice: So any of the band into animal rights or/and politics? I am vegan, Chris and Shaun are vegetarian and we will not tolerate any harm to any creature. All creatures to me are equal, life is a very precious gift, it should be respected and be allowed to live out it’s natural course. I have wrote some political songs – “Stranglehold” is anti-Bush and how he has a stranglehold over our country. I’m saying that we know why his government goes to war and we want no part in it. I’m also telling them to get out of our faces, we are sick of fighting their wars for them, for them to claim land and oil. Their propaganda is transparent. Street Voice: Apart from the tour dates what other plans have you for the rest of 2007? We have loads more press coming up, i have been asked if i want my own rant column in a new sub culture magazine. In the new year we have been asked to tour Ireland, we will be shooting a new video and we are in talks about touring Japan and America and in between all that we will be finishing our 2nd album off, which we are half way through. So busy 18 months ahead for Paparazzi Whore! Street Voice: Who’s the party animal of the band and have you any good drunken stories to share with our readers? We have all had our fair share of drunkenness lol!! We have to watch our guitarist cos as soon as there are a few beers around, he loves running around naked in public places! Much to the amusement of the band!!! I was once in a gay club very drunk and i went into the girls toilets and came out looking like a phone directory!!! All the girls had written their phone numbers with lipstick all over my body lol!! Nowadays i tend to not drink that much as in my teens i drank enough to sink a ship, which is a very immature thing to do. I don’t want to end up looking like Keith Richards lol!!! Street Voice: Anything you’d like to add? It’s been a very exciting year for us and it just seems to be getting better and better!! The most pleasing thing about it is that we have done this all off our own back, opened up our own label to distribute our album, i produce and work the studio side of the business and Chris is the manager as well the bass player, we are very proud of how far we have come off our own hard work and tenacity and belief. Thanks to Micci for doing the interview which is an excellent read. For those who want to know what Paparazzi Whore are like live you should visit their My Space page as they have several dates lined up inbetween now and christmas. I don’t think I need to wish the band luck as I’m sure they’ve got a bright future ahead of them and with Micci fronting the band I’m sure you’re all going to read and hear alot more of Paparazzi Whore as it’s obvious they aren’t the kind of people to sit around hoping and dreaming. These are a band that will come at you like a storm that you’ve never experienced – You’ll see!! Click On Image To Vist Paparazzi Whore On My Space