Easy Ryder

Liz Nicholls

Liz Nicholls enjoys a chinwag with Shaun Ryder ahead of Black Grape’s UK tour to mark the 30th anniversary of the album It’s Great When You’re Straight…Yeah

Q. Hiya Shaun! How are you? “Really good, ta, just back from Amsterdam; we did two nights at the Paradiso. Watching old people dancing off their t*ts is really funny… It’s even more fun than being on stage, haha!” 

Q. Does it feel like 30 years since Black Grape’s debut album? “Where does the time go? Mad. People often ask if I miss the old days and all that, and, well… no! It was great back then, mega, but I’m enjoying now just as much. The sex and drugs have gone and we’ve just got the rock and roll. With us two old f***ers!” 

Q. What’s your first memory of music? “My mam and dad was kids, really, when they had me, so I had cool parents. My dad was banned from buying records so on birthdays, I got them! But really they were presents for him, and I just got to hear them and have ‘em. I got the first Rolling Stones, Beatles For Sale, Bob Dylan. I used to draw big d**ks and t**s all over the covers… I wish I still had’ em!” 

Q. What was school like for you? “S***e! I was always in trouble: I used to rob all the sweets out the teacher’s desk; my mam was not happy when she found out I was the famous ‘toffee thief’! Secondary school was worse. I now know I don’t just have simple ADHD, I have proper learning difficulties. I left at 15 to work: no one minded! I learnt nothing. But my brain retains info that means I can win a pub quiz.”  

Q. How does it feel to be called a national treasure? “Well, it’s better than being called a c****head, know what I mean!? But I don’t deserve that title. I met Fatima Whitbread, when we was in South Africa: now she is a proper national treasure… I’ve just been lucky!” 

Q. Have you ever been starstruck? “Yeah! When I met Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Mick Jagger in the ’90s in Los Angeles. And he kept asking us to play the Black Grape album.”  

Q. How’s Bez? Do you ever row!? “He’s great. We just landed straight from the Netherlands last night to film Gogglebox. It’s good fun as we get to have a proper chinwag! Well, we have plenty of… discussions! How Channel 4 find enough bits that are usable for telly is beyond me. Because, put it this way, we’re not very PC, haha! We get on great and it’s just a pleasure having, like, 40 years working together in this f***ing great world that is our music!” 

Q. Who would be your dream collab? “We love collaborating, like we did with Gorillas and Russell Watson. With the next one, I don’t want it to sound like the past, but the future. There’s something exciting in the pipeline but I’ll probably get in proper f***ing trouble if I tell you! Every day, you know, there’s always something coming in. We’re doing a new Mondays album, starting in October, and I’ll be in the studio next in about two weeks’ time. It’s a joy to share skills and ideas and keep it fresh!”