An Interview with Ian Browne (Part 2)

[daniel_v]

Alright. Finally done. 

Again, my apologies for the delay to the few people who might have been waiting for this. Hopefully it's enjoyable. 

Anyways, I'm tired so I'm going bed now. I'll be back tomorrow afternoon to clarify a few things.

Hope everyone is well.





Edit- Okay, so- a few clarifications and explanations for anyone who might wonder: 

-As I note in the introduction, most of this interview is focused on Ian's time with MGB, hence why I shared it in the MGB section on the Bored here again.

-We had some technical problems connecting on FB Messenger originally so before the recording starts we were actually talking on the phone a little. Part of our discussion touched on Edward Snowden and cell phones which is why I was laughing a little at the start of the interview. Ian had mentioned he's not a fan of using FB Messenger in general for private conversations which is why we had trouble connecting at first. I thought we were going to have to try and connect on Google Hangouts again, but he simply realized he had to enable the microphone and camera on FB Messenger and that's the point where the interview starts recording.

-From about 1:10:00 to 1:21:30 the video becomes rather choppy. I believe this is simply a flaw that occurs in the conversion upload process to Youtube because that was not in the original version we recorded. It passes after about 11 minutes. 

-Big shout out to Chad for letting me use picture content from his website that I spliced into the interview. I also used a little bit of video content (without audio) from his Youtube channel. 

-Like the last one I think the vast majority of this interview stays on a positive path of reflection and I was glad for that. The last thing I would ever want to do as someone who is grateful for the music that Matt- and everyone he has ever worked with- has helped create, is facilitate and produce something that causes any more unneeded tension between people. It's been a crappy enough year for most people (especially Matt based on his Instagram posts) and I wouldn't release this if I thought it would cause him or anyone else to feel angry or bad in general. Again, I think the vast majority of this interview is positive. And yet, as is the case when people talk for hours on end about a large time period of their life, not "everything" is reflected on in a way that is 100 percent positive, and I think that is definitely understandable. After all, very few people are lucky enough to be able to look back on their lives and be happy or content with "everything" that happened. With regards to the very small amount of content in this interview that wasn't 100 percent positive, the question I had as the producer and editor of this was whether I had the right to edit someone else's freedom of expression in the name of preventing any possible extra tension in the future.

Now, in the previous interview all three of us agreed there were a couple small parts that were best edited out. Given what happened literally a week later we definitely made the right choice. In this interview, upon review, there was nothing Ian flagged that he felt needed to be edited out. However,  there is a small section in here where Dave's influence on the music is discussed. Most of it is positive, but there is a little that is not completely positive and I'll admit I was uneasy about leaving it in because I am never comfortable discussing someone else when that specific person is not around to offer their own perspective on everything as well. However, everything that was discussed has, for the most part, already been discussed publicly by both Matt and Dave, so that played a part in why I chose not to edit it out. Likewise, that's why I included a small section of Dave's talk at 1:35:00 that he gave at the Nimbus School of Music back in 2016 where he discussed his time with the band a bit. As I said when I originally shared the full link to the talk on the Bored here over 3 years ago, I thought he came across as very humble, mature, introspective, and even somewhat regretful. Lastly, in the end I ended up leaving in the full section about Dave because to have edited it out would have meant editing out Ian clarifying that he didn't feel it was really accurate for himself to have been lumped in with Dave as having been around simply because he was supposedly only interested in money at that time period. Indeed, Ian took the time to do this with me and since he has never really spoken publicly about that time period I felt it would have been rather unfair to cut that section out. Ultimately I was glad that specific part of the interview is immediately followed by an interesting discussion about Dave's positive influence on the albums too. Anyways, while it might seem strange to some people, that is also why I'm posting the entire interview that he (Dave) did as well back in 2016- because if someone is going to be discussed I think it's only fair to share their perspective too:
 

-All that considered, I know in the past that Matt has commented how he is not crazy about the fact that people sometimes focus on the past at the expense of the present, and that is completely understandable too. As such, I hope that me posting all of this here doesn't bother him because I honestly believe the majority of us here are able to appreciate both the past and the present at the same time (in most cases). Aside from the fact that Ian is just a really interesting and easy guy to talk to, the fact that we've never really heard much from him about his time with the band was also another reason why I felt this was worth doing and sharing. 

Anyways, as usual if anyone has any questions feel free to share them and I'll do my best to answer them. 

Cheers. 

 

Edited September 8, 2020 by daniel_v

[adam_777]

Haven't had a chance to watch this yet, but just wanted to say thanks again for doing these interviews.  Throughout the years we have as fans gotten a good deal of Matt's perspective mainly because in the MGB days Matt was a primary presence on MUCH and in print for interviews and quotes.  Also because many of us here continue to follow his career we have heard subsequent interviews, comments made at concerts or in Matt's posts on social media or this site over the years.  Many of Matt's recollections these days tend toward the negative side of things, which is fair if that's how he remembers those moments, it's certainly his history to write and retell.  But during those years there were four other men on the stage as well who's stories we haven't usually heard from their mouths.  Dave would be present at some of the MUCH interviews and he has done other interviews like the ones above that offer some insight, but certainly nothing really career spanning or in depth.  We were fortunate to have Geoff here on the forums for a time before he passed and he was able to tell his side of things and answer some questions which lead to some hilarious back and forths and provided some interesting insights.  But with Geoff and now Rich passing many of those stories will sadly remain untold.  Because of that I think it's been incredible you and Ian have done these very indepth interviews over his time with MGB so that we can hear another perspective that hasn't been known to many in the fan community.  Everyone in a band is going to remember different things and sometimes in different ways, so it all helps to create a kind of tapestry of memories of the band, their history and some of the best and worst moments.  One thing I'll say is everyone involved has been very honest and forthcoming, there is no sugar coating and I appreciate that because you know you are hearing how they really feel.  All in all it was an interesting time for us as fans and we relate to the music in almost a spiritual way, interviews like this help to ground us in the reality that for these guys this was also a job, a way of life, a form of expression and a way to provide for their families, candid interviews like this help us to appreciate the reality above the romanticizing we tend to do as fans.  Very much looking forward to this Daniel and thanks for all the hard work! 

[Sly Botts]

Thanks for taking the time to do this for us Daniel.  You really put a lot of work into this and other things over your time here and I just want to acknowledge that.

[trufflepigs]

Great interview, thanks for doing this.

[Prairieboy]

I’m partway through the interview and I hate to be that guy but I’m pretty sure Ian is mixed up on the release of the Underdogs singles. Automatic then Indestructible then Apparitions (not vice versa) then Rico was last. I have very very vivid memories of the order of those singles!  Rico came after Apparitions because the Rico video was supposed to be a kind of a continuation of the Apparitions video. The same girl in the Apparitions video (I think I read somewhere her name is Caroline???) shows up at the start of the Rico video (she’s an emotional wreck because the guy shot himself and she ends up going to the bar for a drink)

Anyways - this interview is fantastic and I can’t wait to finish it!

Edited September 12, 2020 by Prairieboy

[Sly Botts]

8 hours ago, Prairieboy said:

I’m partway through the interview and I hate to be that guy but I’m pretty sure Ian is mixed up on the release of the Underdogs singles. Automatic then Indestructible then Apparitions (not vice versa) then Rico was last. I have very very vivid memories of the order of those singles!  Rico came after Apparitions because the Rico video was supposed to be a kind of a continuation of the Apparitions video. The same girl in the Apparitions video (I think I read somewhere her name is Caroline???) shows up at the start of the Rico video (she’s an emotional wreck because the guy shot himself and she ends up going to the bar for a drink)

Anyways - this interview is fantastic and I can’t wait to finish it!

You are right.

[Prairieboy]

Just finished watching that whole interview - well done again Daniel.  To Ian’s point - yes AOB was issued on vinyl.  In fact it’s still available in the MG store. 
 

This whole interview has made me appreciate the “band” more and the MGB albums more. We’ll never see anything like that again...everything was just clicking at the time for those 6 years that they were together recording music. And sadly - there’s very little audio and likely no video from MGB concerts of that era. There’s no vault of b-sides or unreleased tracks. This is it. 4 albums and 2 EP’s.  But having listened to Ian talk about it wants me want to go back and listen very deeply to each album more. I’m glad I’ve picked up the vinyl of each of those albums too. 
 

I’m going to have to try AOB again too. Not going to lie - it’s my least favourite of all the albums. I don’t know why. Maybe it was the timing of it all...the fact that it was the end of the band and there was no tour around it, or just personal things in my own life. Great to hear Ian talk about songs like Fall of Man and Jenni’s Song though, that was great insight!

[daniel_v]

Hi everyone, glad most of the people who watched this enjoyed it. Definitely happy I could share something that was of interest to people here. 

With regards to the confusion on the release of Apparitions, it happens. It was so long ago I don't blame Ian for having a slightly mixed up memory about it, especially when their lives were so busy. But yeah, upon rewatching it the Much Music clips I spliced into the interview when we were discussing it even lists that it was the third single. 

With regards to Ian, Dave, Geoff, and Rich- and how all of them contributed to the band in their own ways that some people miss- I definitely don't disagree that I miss their contributions too and wish the three surviving members could find a way to work through their issues (if for no other reason than peace of mind for themselves because they all do truly seem like honestly good human beings). After all, baggage is called baggage for a reason. However, as I've stated before, I do have a lot of respect and admiration for all of the players that have worked with Matt since MGB broke up, and I also feel lucky that as a fan base we've all gotten to be exposed to so many amazing musicians who have each brought something unique to the table. 

For example, as undeniably amazing as MGB were live (and as utterly grateful I am that I got to see them live) I also think it's undeniable that Christian, Pat, Mark, and Rich were a part of some of the most amazing live shows Matt ever did. The extended versions and endings of certain songs were just out of this world. Christian had incredible texture (as seen in his live performances of Advertising on Police Cars), Mark was a beautiful pianist (as heard in Apparitions when he played with them in 2002) and Pat was just an atomic bomb of energy behind the kit. 

I also think Jimmy, Milos, and Anthony (along with Blake) brought amazing songs like Garden of Knives and Empty's Theme Park into even higher levels than they were in the studio.

Or think about the amazing, Daniel Lanois like guitar work Stu did in helping remake Running For Home. Or the Beautiful bass work that Pete does on the new version of Born to Kill.

And as I've said before, as much as love Ian and Pat as drummers, there is no denying how kick ass Blake is. The work he does during the bridge of LMU in that clip, for example, is just unbelievable. 

So I guess my point is that while people are definitely free to feel however they feel, I hope my appreciation and discussion about MGB with Ian doesn't also lead to people forgetting how amazing all the other people Matt has played with (and still does play with) are too, because they really are. And at the end of the day, Matt seems to be really happy with the current people he works with, and that's the most important thing, imo.

Anyways, just my two cents. And again, glad people enjoyed the interview and thanks for all the kind words. 

Cheers, folks

Edited September 14, 2020 by daniel_v

[Stwlegend]

Just finished the entire interview.  Really great.  Besides the fact that getting any new information at all from the MGB era is rare, to get it straight from a band member was pretty much all you can ask for. Like everyone else is saying, great work Daniel.  Lots of great questions and when you had an opinion, it was known, and when you were quoting something, a clip or picture popped up.  It was really a great piece.  Putting aside the logistics of getting a band member to discuss and setting up the time to do it, just the editing and uploading of the video looked to be a lot work.  Really enjoyed the couple hours of listening it provided.  Thanks again.

[Prairieboy]

8 hours ago, daniel_v said:

Hi everyone, glad most of the people who watched this enjoyed it. Definitely happy I could share something that was of interest to people here. 

With regards to the confusion on the release of Apparitions, it happens. It was so long ago I don't blame Ian for having a slightly mixed up memory about it, especially when their lives were so busy. But yeah, upon rewatching it the Much Music clips I spliced into the interview when we were discussing it even lists that it was the third single. 

With regards to Ian, Dave, Geoff, and Rich- and how all of them contributed to the band in their own ways that some people miss- I definitely don't disagree that I miss their contributions too and wish the three surviving members could find a way to work through their issues (if for no other reason than peace of mind for themselves because they all do truly seem like honestly good human beings). After all, baggage is called baggage for a reason. However, as I've stated before, I do have a lot of respect and admiration for all of the players that have worked with Matt since MGB broke up, and I also feel lucky that as a fan base we've all gotten to be exposed to so many amazing musicians who have each brought something unique to the table. 

For example, as undeniably amazing as MGB were live (and as utterly grateful I am that I got to see them live) I also think it's undeniable that Christian, Pat, Mark, and Rich were a part of some of the most amazing live shows Matt ever did. The extended versions and endings of certain songs were just out of this world. Christian had incredible texture (as seen in his live performances of Advertising on Police Cars), Mark was a beautiful pianist (as heard in Apparitions when he played with them in 2002) and Pat was just an atomic bomb of energy behind the kit. 

I also think Jimmy, Milos, and Anthony (along with Blake) brought amazing songs like Garden of Knives and Empty's Theme Park into even higher levels than they were in the studio.

Or think about the amazing, Daniel Lanois like guitar work Stu did in helping remake Running For Home. Or the Beautiful bass work that Pete does on the new version of Born to Kill.

And as I've said before, as much as love Ian and Pat as drummers, there is no denying how kick ass Blake is. The work he does during the bridge of LMU in that clip, for example, is just unbelievable. 

So I guess my point is that while people are definitely free to feel however they feel, I hope my appreciation and discussion about MGB with Ian doesn't also lead to people forgetting how amazing all the other people Matt has played with (and still does play with) are too, because they really are. And at the end of the day, Matt seems to be really happy with the current people he works with, and that's the most important thing, imo.

Anyways, just my two cents. And again, glad people enjoyed the interview and thanks for all the kind words. 

Cheers, folks

You're 100% correct - each player has brought something unique to each of these songs.  ie. the Christian/Pat/Rich version of Load Me Up might be my favourite version of all.  I'm also a huge fan of the Hello Time Bomb version from that era that slows down for the very last chorus before firing up again, and that version of Symbolistic White Walls with the alternative end lyrics might be some of the best lyrics I've ever heard.  Thx again for being able to get Ian's perspective on it!