FELIX TAYLOR INTERVIEW WITH QUEEN ONLINE - OCTOBER, 2006 (INTERVIEW-2)
What kind of father is Arty? How you do describe him?
He’s a very nice man – generous and kind-hearted, and actually very funny when you know him well. My brother and sisters and I are quite mean to him, we’re always taking the piss, but we all love very much. He’s as much a friend as a father to me. Good drinking buddy too.
I know you're writing a new novel. Are you planning to publish it one day?
Of course, why else would I bother writing it? No takers as yet unfortunately, and I’m working on my second book – an occult thriller.
What is your unfulfilled dream?
To learn how to surf, become really good at skiing, and have a wicked job that allows me to do both for a good spell of the year. Oh, and have a lovely wife and kids, be really successful, and generally the don of everything. I’d like to be seen as a cross between James Bond, Sir Walter Scott, the Beach Boys and Ghandi. I’m quite clumsy and the idea of being super-dextrous appeals to me, but I know that I will always fall over if I do anything physical (it’s actually quite reassuring now – at least I know what I’m going to get if I try t show off).
Would you like to become a writer?
Very much, you can choose your own hours and be the master of the worlds you create. It’s such fun coming up with storylines and characters. What a great job if you can make any money out of it! The bit I like less is the actual writing, but you just need to grind on with that I suppose. I’ll carry on writing till I’m senile or I get a book properly published at any rate.
In East London – it’s fun, and it’s the oldest part of London along with the City, so there’s buckets of weird stuff to discover. It’s also changing faster than any other part of London, and you can literally watch the buildings come down and go up.
Are you in contact with Brian's and John's children?
Not as much as I should be. We should see more of each other really.
What was the first single or album you ever bought?
I have never bought singles. I would like to be able to say that the first album I bought was something g really cool, but unfortunately it was Bon Jovi’s Keep the Faith. I later learnt the error of my ways and started liking proper music.
Did you often follow your father when he was and is on tour?
I went to quite a few dates when I was very young, but they stopped playing live when I was six. The only one I can really remember is Live Aid (glad that’s the one that stuck in my mind). I joined my dad on their last tour quite a few times (we got very, very drunk one night in Japan in particular – bet he remembers that one!), and boy was I impressed – they are leagues ahead of most bands in terms of live performance.
Have you ever been in Italy? If so, when and where exactly?
I’ve been to Rome, Sardinia and Naples. Great country, fun people and good food, and the attitude to life is very different. Bad politics though, such a shame for italy to have so many crooks in power (I suppose the UK’s not much better).
What kind of education your parents gave you and your sister?
I went to a French Government school in London, and then boarding school when I was 13. I was very lucky to get such a good education, and I loved boarding school – don’t understand why people would knock it as a concept (though I do understand why people have a problem with the idea of private schools).
Is your personality more on the same wave-length as your dad or as your lovely mum? And why?
I’ve got a temper, which comes from my mum’s side, and I’m quite stubborn (not sure which side that’s from – they’re both a pain like that). I look like my mother, but I’ve got my father’s tastes when it comes to most things, and we share the same sense of humour. They’ve both made me who I am, and I ask them for different types of advice. I love them both to bits though.
What are you currently listening too?
Hot Chip’s new album, but there’s only one good song on it. My friend Kamila Thompson’s music, which is quite brilliant, lots of the Who, Muse’s new album (superb), Stevie Wonder’s Inner Visions and a little bit of Razorlight.
Do you plan to promote this single on MTV or other TV channels, perhaps with a video to accompany the song?"
Not up to me, trying to get it out there, and would love to have some video footage, but we need some radio play first.
As Arty and Brian May are close friends I was thinking if you and his son are in contact and if so do you see him often?
I do see him, though not as often as I should. He’s just got married and he’s one of the nicest people you could ever meet.
What did you study at College?
European history, philosophy and politics, with French language and literature. I loved my degree and worked really hard for it, but it was a fat lot of use to me really – a degree’s worth nothing these days, too many people have them.
When you were a child you often stayed with Chris Taylor, Arty's personal assistent. Are you still in contact with him?
No longer. Lost contact with a lot of people since those days. It’s a long time ago.
Is your nature similar to your mother's or your father's?
Bit of both really – good and bad elements from both.
Would you ever consider starring in We Will Rock You?
No, I’m not an actor and I don’t like musicals either. I think they’re silly (apart from the one you are talking about of course, which is the greatest show on earth, a must see for the whole family etc.) Besides, nobody’s asked me to do it anyway.
You have a wonderful voice, you said back in Part 2 that your teenage brother is a drummer, are there any other musical members of your family (apart from the obvious)?
Nope. My sisters are all very talented in other ways (medecine, painting/drawing, showing off…) but my brother is the musical one. He’s quite cool too, and good-looking, the cocky bugger – really annoying actually.
You had mentioned your favorite album by your father is Happiness? which contains a few political statements. Are you as politically opinionated as your father, or share similar beliefs with him?
Yes, I’m quite intolerant sometimes, and have to stop myself from being a dick in conversation when I get too passionate about certain things. I share many of my dad’s beliefs, but we differ on some things. I’m a liberal in the old fashioned sense I suppose, and I think everyone should have the same opportunities and freedoms, but not at anyone else’s expense. I think both socialism and neo- liberalism/Thatcherism are bogus, and don’t concentrate on what actually makes people happy, which is feeling like they are part of a community with those people around them and being free to make their own decisions.
Will we be hearing more of your music in the near future?
I hope so, depends on whether this record goes anywhere. We’ll make some more, but we need to see how well this one does at the moment.
What artists, past and present, do you enjoy listening to?
Anyone with soul, balls (not in the literal sense – there are women on my list of favourites) or an attitude.
Are there any other creative outlets besides music that you wish to pursue?
Writing, writing, writing. I’m quite a good mimic too actually, and I want to submit a voicereel for radio, just to see if I get anywhere.
You can save one thing from your burning house, what would it be?
Passport – doh! No, it would probably be my girlfriend, though I might be tempted to take the playstation at the time instead.
What is your favorite memory during your childhood?
Playing doctors and nurses.
Are there any popular songs that you would like to give your spin on (i.e. "cover")?
Several – I don’t like Mondays, concrete jungle by Bob Marley, do you wanna dance by the Beach Boys… loads.
Who created cover to the " 'Woman You're So Beautiful'" single?
I drew it, the graphics dudes coloured it.
What music you DON’T you like?
Middle Of the Road, contemporary R & B (what is it for?), contemporary hip-hop and things like Justin Timberlake… even a pop song has to have soul. Nothing wrong with good pop. I also hate pretentious music which is rubbish but trying to be clever: Captain Beefheart, Franz Ferdinand et al…
My first question is, how did having a famous father affect you as a child? Was everyone eager to be your friend because of your dad's status or were most people pretty relaxed about it? Did your classmates give you a hard time about being related to a rockstar?
No, was always very lucky. Made sure to make friends with people before they knew my dad was a popstar. Never teased about this or anything, always had good solid friends. Never really helped with the girls either – I had to win them over with my natural good looks and charm.
Second, I was reading your answers from your last batch of questions and I was wondering if you would care to elaborate on your ambitions of being an author.
What a vague question. I want to write a book and sell it to lots of people. I like odd stories that involve the macabre or political/spiritual ideas. My favourite twentieth century authors are Lewis, Huxley, Robert Graves and Orwell.
I'd like to see how you look like. How about showing us a recent pic of yours? A real one of course, not that comic thingy. Wink
No sweat, I’ll post one on the Myspace site then. I look better in cartoon though.
What are your 5 desert island discs?
Not necessarily my favourites, as I would play them often…
Dark side of the moon, Inner Visions, The Who, live at leeds, Catch a fire and 2 Many DJ’s (the Soulwax mix comp.)
What did you think of the Queen + Paul Rodgers tour?
Brilliant, my dad has never played so well as on some of those dates… not just saying that. I was really impressed.
Beatles! The Stones are a silly joke band after the Brian Jones period… they vastly inferior songwriters compared to the Beatles, they can’t do the harmonies or perfect vocals that the Beatles managed to put together, and they’re a twangy, plinky-plonky white blues band, so much less groundbreaking or sophisticated than the Beatles. They just had attitude when they played live.
Do you have any guilty pleasures?
Drink, being naked, taking a valium and walking around the house a couple of times a year. I like cold leftovers more than hot food as well, doesn’t matter what it is , if it’s been in the fridge overnight, it’s gold.
Roger’s PA is lovely could you introduce me?
I’m afraid she’s a taken woman! She is lovely indeed, a really special person, and I think of her as family. She can be scary sometimes though – she’s very good at her job.
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