"Why me?" John Hall of Kissing The Pink is asking over the phone. "Why do you want to interview
me?"
He pauses to think. In the background can be heard crashes and bangs as the group set up for a show at Sheffield's Limit Club.
"It's not because of this stupid apron I wear, is it?"
Well, actually, it was because we quite liked your new single "The Last Film". But hang about, what apron? The garment in question
is apparently a green-and-black kitchen apron that used to belong to their guitarist. Nick's mum. Oh
well.
In the brief history of Kissing The Pink (a name that, John claims, has nothing to do with snooker), Nick's mum seems to feature
quite a lot. She lived above the flat where John Hall, Peter Barnet and George
Stewart used to rehearse when they began in autumn 1980. That's how
they found Nick.
She also heard Charlie Gillett advertising on the radio for bands to record on a small label called Martyrwell records. She
promptly sent
off a tape, and before they knew it, the band were recording their first single with Joy Division producer Martin Hannett.
Meanwhile, Pete's mum let the band rehearse in her front room, and they did their first gig there: to Pete's sister, her
schoolfriends and
some garden gnomes.
From here, 'twas but a short step to a contract with Magnet Records and one album and several singles with Duran producer Colin
Thurston,
the latest of which is, of course, "The Last Film".
When asked to explain this somewhat bizarre ditty -- all military percussion and gloomy electronics -- John shrugs:
"The reason it's confusing is because Nick wrote the words."
Seemingly it's about a soldier setting off to war (hence the drums) who realises that he's been "fed a constant stream of
propaganda".
Kissing The Pink like using things like the drums, sounds that conjure up particular images. They also use machine noises for a
song about
industry and tribal drums for their "Desert Song". John admits that this is "a bit obvious", but asserts: "We'll get it right soon
and then
it'll be brilliant."
We wondered whether John had any messages for the readers of Smash Hits. He replied:
"My bum's getting bigger and I don't know what to do about it."
Makes you wonder, doesn't it?