armchair suede
dave thompson’s armchair guide to suede is set for publication in early 2005. recently, suede fanzine caught up with dave for a chat about this project.

sf: i know you're a much published author. what made you decide to write a book on suede? are you a suede fan yourself?

dt: definitely a fan... i was a contributing editor at alternative press (in cleveland) when the first singles came out, and really pushed for band coverage... since then, i've reviewed each of the albums for various magazines, interviewed the band ditto; so, to answer your question, i wanted to do the book because suede are, quite honestly, one of only three or four bands of the last decade, that actually made it worthwhile listening to new music. (the others, by the way, were st. etienne and pulp. always had a very soft spot for sleeper, though. and carter usm)

sf: which one out of your books (how many are there?) are you most satisfied with?

dt: i just counted up 82 published (or soon to be published) books .. and the guardian said it was "unhealthy" when i reached 75, so it must be positively disgusting by now. anyway, i’m most satisfied with... to major tom, a novel full of letters to david bowie; wheels out of gear, reflections on the late 70s/early 80s seen through 2-tone/mod/oi; and a couple of football books i wrote in the 80s, two volumes of those we have loved... ex-league clubs.

sf: did your opinion of suede change any as a result of doing all this research and writing?

dt: not really... obviously there were moments when you'd look at an event, a record, a decision or whatever and, with hindsight, wish they could have done something different; and i did find myself humming more songs from head music than i had previously. but that's about it.

sf: did the publication of david barnett's love & poison biography change the scope and direction of your project?

dt: totally... i originally intended to write a straightforward biography, but l&p did the job so well i completely restructured/rewrote mine, to become a discographical account instead.

sf: did suede's split change the scope and direction of your project?

dt: not at all... in fact, it gave me a lot more satisfying an ending than i originally had!

sf: did you interview any of the former band members for the book?

dt: for the book per se, no; but, as i said, i've interviewed everyone (bar justin welch and alex) over the years, and had an awful lot of material that i never used elsewhere. i did make a few stabs at getting back in touch, but with l&p and then the split on the horizon, management were a little less than helpful....

sf: what was your biggest obstacle in writing this book?

dt: probably distance... i'm in seattle, but the bulk of the story takes place overseas. thank goodness for frequent flyer miles!

sf: who was the biggest help to you in writing this book?

dt: i think brett, simply because you'd ask him one question and he’d answer half a dozen more... which was great when i came to play back the old interview tapes and - a-ha!

sf: how did this project compare to other rock bio's you've written? did you enjoy the project? was it harder to work on? easier?

dt: it's always a lot easier when you know the band's story, already own all the records , and have paid close attention throughout their lifespan, as opposed to the books where you're basically starting from scratch. so i'd say it was one of the easiest.

sf: does your book contain any surprises for the suede aficionado?

dt: that's for them to say!

sf: how long did it take you to write the book? when did you start/get the idea to do it?

dt: it probably took around 3 months of actual writing/extra research although, again, having so much info to hand did speed things up considerably.

sf: did you write it because of your own interest to suede or were you asked to?

dt: it was my idea.

sf: what do you think of brett & bernard's new band? are you excited? do you believe it'll be a success?

dt: i hope it'll be a success... but i also hope that people allow it to be. i think everyone's expectations are going to be so high, though, that it could be a difficult time. after all, if the first single isn't as good as the first two suede albums combined, the media fall-out, at least, could be murderous. but they should both be used to that now... either way, i'd rather have brett and bernard back together, than read another article pleading for a smiths reunion.

sf: have you been to many suede gigs?, if so, which was the best one?

dt: hopelessly boring answer... first us tour with bernard, first us tour without him. the only other time i saw them live was filming later with jools, during the coming up period.

sf: what's your favourite suede era if there's one?

dt: another hopelessly boring answer - dog man star is one of my all-time favourite albums, therefore....

sf: what will your next project be?

dt: another discography-style one, this time on the cure. followed, i hope by a book on roman polanski.