Latitude Festival Interviews: Round Three

• 26th Jun 2008

More of Latitude Festival's multitude of wonderful artists are here to tell us of their soon to be seen performances, potential highlights and their favorite sheep at the now sold out event at Henham Park, Southwald, Suffolk over the July 17 – 20 weekend. Let the gloriously introverted Tindersticks kick it off; what a highlight they will be – play 'Tiny Tears', the greatest ever Sopranos closer, and their performance could be up there with another deeply dark Latitude Sunday night headliner – Interpol.

DAVID BOULTER OF TINDERSTICKS (Uncut Arena)

1.) Who are you most looking forward to seeing at this year's Latitude festival across the Arenas and why?
I'm only there Sunday, so I'll miss Julian Cope. Barry Adamson and Jonny Trunk in the Film and Music Arena sound good to me. Hope I'm there then.

2.) What aspect of Latitude Festival interests you the most and why?
Latitude seems to offer something else, and diverse acts get space. It seems to make sense.

3.) What can people expect you to bring to the festival and do you have anything special planned?
We're playing as a 12 piece band at the moment and it's been great fun, so some of that.

4.) If you weren't doing this what would you be doing?
Sat in one of the many beer gardens of Praha, where I live. Probably in a 3 piece suit, so pretty much the same as at Latitude.

5.) What is your favourite colour Sheep?
I once saw a huge orange sheep. Like a really rusty orange. That was pretty funky. It may of been the mushrooms from the meadow next door though. Or maybe it was a cow?

TOBY LITT (Literary Arena)

1.) Who are you most looking forward to seeing at this year's Latitude festival across the Arenas and why?
On the main stage it has to be Grinderman. Middle-aged lust is the new teenage kicks. I'd like to catch Tindersticks, just in case they play 'If You're Looking For a Way Out', which is one of my top three songs. Otherwise, I'll just listen and remember a few choice break-ups and breakdowns.

2.) What aspect of Latitude Festival interests you the most and why?
Because it's a nice chance to use the word, I like the smorgasbordiness. You can give things a go that you wouldn't otherwise, because you know that you're snacking rather than choosing one main course.

3.) What can people expect you to bring to the festival and do you have anything special planned?
I may be bringing a guitar. The question then is, do I dare play it?

4.) If you weren't doing this what would you be doing?
Generally, I think I'd be a bookseller. Specifically, I'd be at home thinking 'Why didn't they invite me to do Latitude this year? Bastards.'

5.) What is your favourite colour Sheep?
Blue. Particularly the Bluefaced Leicester.

TIM MINCHIN (Comedy Arena)

1.) Who are you most looking forward to seeing at this year's Latitude festival across the Arenas (Obelisk, Uncut, Comedy, Theatre, Literary and Poetry, Film & Music) and why?
Foals cos they're young and I met that lead-singer dude and he amused me; Franz Ferdinand cos I ain’t yet seen em; anything Stewart Lee does cos he's smart and funny and grumpy, anything Robin Ince does cos he's smart and funny and grumpy; Michael Nyman because he does what I used to want to do; some poetry, because it's so poetical sometimes.

2.) What aspect of Latitude Festival interests you the most and why?
Sleeping in a tent with my wife and baby, because I love a challenge.

3.) What can people expect you to bring to the festival and do you have anything special planned?
Comedy that will rock harder than the rock bands and a bearsuit, maybe.

4.) If you weren't doing this what would you be doing?
That.

5.) What is your favourite colour Sheep?
Dirty, off-white, woolly sort of colour.

GEORGE PRINGLE (Music & Film Arena)

1.) Who are you most looking forward to seeing at this year's Latitude festival across the Arenas and why?
I suppose, The Obelisk arena but it's not as intimate as I'd like, but the line-up is great on the Sunday. I also am looking forward to the film and music and poetry. Poetry is nice to go to when you have a hangover. Last year I fell asleep in there (not because it was boring). It's nice having people talking calmly at you when you're feeling fragile and aren't quite ready for a full sonic onslaught.

2.) What aspect of Latitude Festival interests you the most and why?
It's a very beautiful setting and it's smaller, less corporate and more relaxed than most of the other festivals I've had the pleasure to go to. Latitude is probably one of the only festivals I would go to if I weren't performing because I usually loathe festivals because I'm not a natural camper. I like the Southwold area and I like the woods with all the ferns and the proximity of all the water even if it means that I get drunk and pass out and get bitten by mosquitoes and they have to check into the Betty Ford Clinic.

3.) What can people expect you to bring to the festival and do you have anything special planned?
Well, I'll be playing in the Film and Music arena so I'm very excited by the visual opportunities. Am planning something unusual and exciting, that's for sure. I'm also doing some Poetry in the Poetry Arena so, it'll be me without beats and with some exclusive pieces of writing that aren't part of my musical repertoire.

4.) If you weren't doing this what would you be doing?
I would probably be trying to get freelance photography or video work because that's what I did on my degree. To be honest, I'm looking for work because being a bleep-beat poet doesn't necessarily pay the bills, however glamorous it seems!

5.) What is your favourite colour Sheep?
I'd say blue but the pink is less aggressive. I can't decide. I like them all!

LUKE WRIGHT (Poetry Arena)

1.) Who are you most looking forward to seeing at this year's Latitude festival across the Arenas and why?
Stewart Lee is always a treat, so I'm hoping to catch him in the comedy arena. I've also never seen Blondie so I'm looking forward to that. As programmer and host of the Poetry Arena I'll be spending a lot of time there and I'm really looking forward to Carol Ann Duffy, Adrian Mitchell and my fellow compere Tim Clare, who is always tip-top.

2.) What aspect of Latitude Festival interests you the most and why?
I love the fact that it's as much about poetry and the other art forms as it is about music. I love the fact that a punter might come along to see a band like Franz Ferdinand and end up spending four hours in the Poetry Arena. The number of people who have contacted me saying that Latitude was there first introduction to live poetry is huge and they keep coming back.

3.) What can people expect you to bring to the festival and do you have anything special planned?
I'll be compering for about eight hours a day in the Poetry Arena. I have a stack of new poems planned and the late night Aisle16 & Friends sessions are always a shambolic joy.

4.) If you weren't doing this what would you be doing?
Going on holiday. But who needs sun loungers and trashy fiction anyway?

5.) What is your favourite colour Sheep?
Pink!