Latitude Stars Grinderman, Julian Cope and Sam Issac Reveal Stage Tricks!

• 25th May 2008

JIM SCALAVUNOS (GRINDERMAN)

1.) Who are you most looking forward to seeing at this year's Latitude festival across the Arenas and why?
Grinderman happen to be playing the same day as Interpol, whom I know from NY. Good band: I remember when they used to play tiny Manhattan clubs like Brownies, way back when. I haven't seen them perform in a long time and I'm really looking forward to seeing them again most of all. It will also be nice to hook up with The Breeders; The Bad Seeds spent an entire summer touring the US with them on the 1994 Lollapalooza.

2.) What aspect of Latitude Festival interests you the most and why?
The audience: they seem more easygoing and relaxed than most festival crowds. Not frazzled, like they've been engaged in trench warfare for days, rather than enjoying themselves in the outdoors. Latitude seems to attract an interesting diversity of types and ages too.

3.) What can people expect you to bring to the festival and do you have anything special planned?
A pink suit and a sturdy umbrella. Eating ice cream in the sunshine in a sheep meadow – my idea of a good time. Maybe see what's happening down at the Bimble Inn??

4.) If you weren't doing this what would you be doing?
I can't imagine a more pleasurable way to pass a summer's day.

5.) What is your favourite colour Sheep?
Pink, of course, to match both my suit and drum kit.

JULIAN COPE – pictured.

1.) Who are you most looking forward to seeing at this year's Latitude festival and why?
I don't go to festivals to see anyone in particular. For myself, what makes a festival great is not who you saw but who you missed, as it is evidence that there was so much going on you could not hope to take it all in.

2.) What aspect of Latitude Festival interests you the most and why?
The name of the festival is its most essential aspect, for its title sums up everything about living here in these islands. We are lucky to be in a geographical location where food is guaranteed through our highly temperate climate, and where there is some kind of balance between the sexes.

3.) What can people expect you to bring to the festival and do you have anything special planned?
People can expect a beautiful array of instruments, including 2 Mellotrons and several marching drums plus the strangest percussion rack this side of a Harry Partch composition. There will be epic amplifiers and extremely pretty guitars, plus anecdotes and strange tales. Also, I shall be playing both old and new material at the festival.

4.) If you weren't doing this what would you be doing?
I'd be researching for my next book, which is a study of the Ancient Law.

5.) What is your favourite colour Sheep?
I'm interested only in the black sheep.

SAM ISAAC

1.) Who are you most looking forward to seeing at this year's Latitude festival and why?
To be honest it's got to be the big acts on the main stage this year. I think they're pretty much the best of any festival all summer. Sigur Ros, Death Cab! Getting to see those bands play at such a great festival is one of the things I'm looking forward to most all this summer. Also my good friends Luke Leighfield and Tim and Sam's Band on the BBC Introducing Stage on Sunday. They're doing a collaborative set and its going to be amazing.

2.) What aspect of Latitude Festival interests you the most and why?
It's just so different from any other festival. The beautiful site, the amazing range of both music and literary and comedy stuff. All in such a small site that you can walk across in just a few minutes. It's much more easy to get around than something like Glastonbury.

3.) What can people expect you to bring to the festival and do you have anything special planned?
I'll probably just be bringing my six piece indie-pop band. We'll be playing some new songs and hopefully getting some musician friends that are playing in other bands on stage to sing some gang vocals. It will be great!

4.) If you weren't doing this what would you be doing?
Recording my album in a hot studio near London Bridge. Probably fretting, worrying if the songs are ok, wishing I was at Latitude.

5.) What is your favourite colour Sheep?
Plain old white. None of these multicoloured new-age ones.