he rides the waves

Seth from My Vitriol talks Tsunamis, sharing siblings records and scary reputations with ink

What was your first gig?
Um… wow, probably the one I did at my rock school concert. That was the first, but the first proper gig was The Pixies in Oslo in 1989. I hadn't heard them before and they blew my head off. I was seeing some Norwegian girl and the best thing about my two weeks there was the Pixies, because we didn't get on. I was at the back and all these people were standing around, but I couldn't but jump about. It changed the way I play the guitar, that night.

I never caught anything like Wham! - I wish I'd got to see the Police or The Clash, but that isn't going to happen. No way the Clash will reform. But I'd like to have seen the Sex Pistols when they reformed. I knew some people who went, and it was like "Oh, what are they going to be like now?", but it turns out they were excellent.

Your first record?
Regatta De Blanc by the Police. Having an older brother, you hear a lot of music without actually needing to buy it - Siouxse and the Banshees I liked, particularly Kaleidoscope; Vintage Stones as well, from the Let It Bleed era.

Whats your most embarrassing record?
Lets have a look… [sound of records being shuffled]… something like Elton John Love Songs, probably…
You're on shaky ground with Elton John, but the Love Songs album just clinches it. Do you have a good reason?
Falling in love I used to listen to one of the songs when I was about fifteen. Well, when I was having a crush, more likely… No, I've looked, and theres nothing worse than Elton.

Your most embarrassing moment?
The time going out with an ex-ex-ex girlfriend to a Chinese restaurant. After dinner, I get up and leave and somehow the tablecloth had embroiled itself into the top of my belt buckle, and I pulled the whole thing off the table. And no-one even looked - if they'd have laughed or said something, but the silence made it worse. Like they think I do that sort of thing all the time. There was sauce all over the floor. We paid quickly and left.

If you had a gun, who should be worried?
I don’t believe in violence, so myself, probably.

Do you think you're seen as a scary band?
No, I wouldn't. I've been in scarier. We're quite schizophrenic, one minute smashing things up (well, one of us is) and making scary noises, the next breaking people's hearts. Maybe that’s where the scary thing comes from.
But I was at the side of the stage at the Reading festival, watching Slipknot - it was raining and dark and felt really medieval -that’s more my kind of idea of scary.
We have our moments, but when people think we're being scary, to us it's just a release.

Are you looking forward to playing Liverpool?
Yeah, we are because we haven't played there before. Whats the venue like? I've heard of the Lomax, but don’t know much about it - it sounds like it should be a great gig…

Whats your favourite fantasy?
Going on Top of the Pops probably isn't my idea of a fantasy, and .I have a lady, so I don’t want it to be a sexual one… I’d love to see a Tsunami. It would probably mean witnessing mass destruction, so it would have to be one that wouldn't do much damage. And that I'd be able to watch safely. There was a thing on telly about these fishermen who rode a wave about three quarters the height of a skyscraper - imagine that. So, it'd be that. Though perhaps in my dreams. I have a lot of dreams about tidal waves.
Have you ever had them analysed?
I think they're about things building up and crashing over and drowning me, literally like a wave of water. But I haven't had one for a while. I just have this thing about tidal waves.

Have you ever been in trouble with the police?
Nothing particularly exciting. I was pulled over - while completely sober - for swerving all over the road. I'd only had a cup of coffee, and was trying to drive really well, as well.

What's your worst fashion disaster?
A yellow and green tank top which comes up to my diaphragm. I love it, but it's just too small. And it has a huge V as well, which comes down to my sternum. I wish I could redesign it.

What cartoon character do you most identify with, and why?
Mutley. When I get laughing, it just always goes likes that [does Mutley laugh]. Or someone like Shaggy, when I haven't shaved. But especially Mutley.

My Vitriol play Liverpool Lomax on Tuesday 17th October, and are on tour throughout the UK with Mansun. The new single, Pieces, is out on Infectious on October 30th