Interviews

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Our very own the_lex interviews Mary J Blige in the Guardian today. It's a really interesting, excellent interview I thought, better than the Ciara one even: Lex they should give you more interviews to do! (Alexis P did an interview with Los Campesinos! in the same section which basically seemed to be an extended - and quite knowing - demonstration of what a dick Mr Campesinos is: anyway Lex's is better.)

I find even the prospect of interviewing anybody an absolute HORROR so I am very admiring of anyone who can do it reasonably well (and Lex does it very well). I am less forgiving of reviews cos I think I'm good at them, but obviously they're easier to do, you don't have to try and shape a story in real time.

Do any of you lot have any memorable interviews (read as well as conducted!) What do you enjoy in an interview with an pop star?

Comments

[andthatisthat.livejournal.com]

1st interview: Darren Hayes. He was very nice and put me at ease. He also stroked my knee. Was followed in quick succession by interview with Rachel Stevens, who was also lovely but incredibly hard to get an entertaining answer out of.

Favourite interviews:
Kelly Clarkson, because she could not have been sweeter or friendlier, and just seemed really excited that anyone in the UK cared who she was (this was a month or so before 'Since U Been Gone' came out).
The Feeling, because I talked to them about great hairdos in pop.
Hilary Duff, because I got her to make pictures with fuzzy felt while I was talking to her, and took pictures at various intervals.
Girls Aloud, because Kimberley always remembered me and asked how I'd been since she last saw me.

Most terrifying interviews:
Erasure and the Pet Shop Boys (not together), because those were the only two where I was interviewing someone I'd near-worshipped as a child.
Will Young, because I was working for TOTP Online at the time and it was rumoured that he hated us, and also because the first thing he did was tell me how boring and inane the woman who'd just interviewed him had been. (Luckily my interview went fairly well, as far as I can remember.)

Worst interview:
Brian McFadden. What a cunt.

In terms of what I enjoy, I really like interviews that throw the promotion of the latest single out of the window and just get people to be spontaneously funny. The interview with Girls Aloud (the problem page one where they had to give people no-good advice) from the first Popjustice Magazine will stay with me forever. Or any interviews with people who are well aware of their own sense of ridiculousness and don't mind having it pointed out (eg Christina Milian on Popworld, gamely insisting that when she rolled around in oil for her video, it was "art".)