News

Mr Nice's New Tune

• 5th Oct 2010

Howard Marks – infamous drug smuggler and Super Furry Animals album cover star – has been immortalised in a song.

Along with the new film named after his autobiography Mr Nice, which opens on October 8 and stars Rhys Ifans, the Oxford graduate is the subject of the 'Mr Nice EP' by former Happy Mondays' guitarist Kav Sandhu.

“It was completely inspired by Howard. I guess you could call it his theme tune,” Sandhu told NME. “I was working on my album and the 'Mr Nice' track came up after a massive session on the weed, naturally. I'd taken some of his quotes and used them as lyrics. He loved it. It's great Howard's got a film and a single coming out. He'll be running for London mayor next!”

The EP follows the film on October 18, and Marks has declared that he “would introduce this, perhaps rather arrogantly, as the best tribute that's ever been made to me”.

Sandhu added that might be down in part to Marks himself and the nights out they've shared.

“I first met Howard through Shaun Ryder. Shaun brought him down to London to DJ at the club night I started. He kind of just appeared in the DJ box,” he explained.

“After that we ran into each other all over the place. I remember once having an afterparty at the Metropolitan Hotel after the Getloaded festival. I'd just played my first gig with the Mondays, and we had the party of parties with Mani, Bez, Shaun Ryder, Carl Barat and Keith Allen, I think even Tony Wilson was there with Peter Hook and Clint Boon. Howard was pretty much running the hotel party from his room. He kept sending a man down in the lift to summon people to join him throughout the night. It's always a blast with Howard, it's never dull.”

Watch out for Glasswerk’s review of the EP soon!!