By: Juliana Vannucchi and Abel Marinho
Harry Howard: Played bass guitar on Crime And City Solution, These Immortal Souls, The Birthday Party and currently plays on the band Harry And The NDE.
Harry Howard: Played bass guitar on Crime And City Solution, These Immortal Souls, The Birthday Party and currently plays on the band Harry And The NDE.
1. Harry, could you tell us a little bit about your musical career?
I first started to play with friends in 1978/9. I had inherited Rowland's acoustic on which i would try to work out the theme to Get Smart. i was pretty hopeless (so what's changed,?) I didn't know any real chords so I played bass and sang. I moved to London and became involved in music with my more famous friends and relations like Rowland and Mick Harvey. I never made any money but we travelled the world and became notorious in our way. That's not a bad thing.
2. How was your experience with the Australian Punk scene?
Australias "punk scene" was an opportunity presenting itself. A: you could be hateful toward authority and normality and B: you could achieve this on the cheap with less skill required (attitude and style taking up the slack).
There was plenty of inspiration coming from overseas and Australian bands who were scene makers themselves. The Saints were fabulous, snarling, garage punk and there was Radio Birman too who really played proto punk / rock n roll stuff.
3. What do you think of the current music scene and what is your opinion for the future?
I'm always hopeful about music. i don't follow what is happening so much as allow the things i like to find me. And they do. I think people find new ways to say things musically and to break rules because of changing technology and because they are people and its in us to do that.
I first started to play with friends in 1978/9. I had inherited Rowland's acoustic on which i would try to work out the theme to Get Smart. i was pretty hopeless (so what's changed,?) I didn't know any real chords so I played bass and sang. I moved to London and became involved in music with my more famous friends and relations like Rowland and Mick Harvey. I never made any money but we travelled the world and became notorious in our way. That's not a bad thing.
2. How was your experience with the Australian Punk scene?
Australias "punk scene" was an opportunity presenting itself. A: you could be hateful toward authority and normality and B: you could achieve this on the cheap with less skill required (attitude and style taking up the slack).
There was plenty of inspiration coming from overseas and Australian bands who were scene makers themselves. The Saints were fabulous, snarling, garage punk and there was Radio Birman too who really played proto punk / rock n roll stuff.
3. What do you think of the current music scene and what is your opinion for the future?
I'm always hopeful about music. i don't follow what is happening so much as allow the things i like to find me. And they do. I think people find new ways to say things musically and to break rules because of changing technology and because they are people and its in us to do that.
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| Harry Howard & The NDE. |
4. Is Punk still alive? What does it mean to be Punk?
Is 1977 punk rock still an active viable thing? No. Punk is alive in different ways. Punk broke down the demand for highly skilled players and allowed people to make it up for themselves and feel ok about that. i don't think that will ever go away ~ punk reclaimed that for us all ~ nice punk.
5. You have not only lived the scene of Punk movement, but also lived Post Punk scene. How did you see the changes from one musical style to another?
It didn't take long at all before punk morphed into post punk but really that just meant you could be more arty and draw from broader influences from pre punk musicians like Bowie, Roxy Music, Iggy Pop's work, Eno, Can and blues and even reggae etc.
And then Bands like The Boys Next Door, The Young Charlatans, Whirly World, The Laughing Clowns and Crime and the City Solution all became important in my life.
6. I have already seen comments that associate you with the Gothic culture. Do you consider yourself part of this culture?
The gothic scene was never something i never felt involved in. I like some aspects of it but i thought t was a bit embarrassing that i might be identified as part of that.
Gothic is a useful word though and the Gothic Scene certainly doesn't own it.
7. As far as I know, you admire the poet John Keats. What do you like about his poetry?
Keat's theory of negative capability. look it up if you are unaware of it. Being a very lazy scholar i have never pursued my interest in poetry. My loss.
Is 1977 punk rock still an active viable thing? No. Punk is alive in different ways. Punk broke down the demand for highly skilled players and allowed people to make it up for themselves and feel ok about that. i don't think that will ever go away ~ punk reclaimed that for us all ~ nice punk.
5. You have not only lived the scene of Punk movement, but also lived Post Punk scene. How did you see the changes from one musical style to another?
It didn't take long at all before punk morphed into post punk but really that just meant you could be more arty and draw from broader influences from pre punk musicians like Bowie, Roxy Music, Iggy Pop's work, Eno, Can and blues and even reggae etc.
And then Bands like The Boys Next Door, The Young Charlatans, Whirly World, The Laughing Clowns and Crime and the City Solution all became important in my life.
6. I have already seen comments that associate you with the Gothic culture. Do you consider yourself part of this culture?
The gothic scene was never something i never felt involved in. I like some aspects of it but i thought t was a bit embarrassing that i might be identified as part of that.
Gothic is a useful word though and the Gothic Scene certainly doesn't own it.
7. As far as I know, you admire the poet John Keats. What do you like about his poetry?
Keat's theory of negative capability. look it up if you are unaware of it. Being a very lazy scholar i have never pursued my interest in poetry. My loss.
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| (...) I have enormous respect for Rowland's talent. it was fabulous to play in bands with him (...) |
8. Do you have other literary influences? Which are? And what's your favorite book? Why?
I have been influenced by so many books from The Odyssey, Don Quixote, Notre-Dame de Paris, Moby Dick, trashy 30's crime novels, private detective type hard boiled prose, science fiction, dystopias, social satire, Victoriana. Never limit yourself to one book. Silas Marner by George Eliot is a very beautiful book which makes my heart ache but i don't have a favourite book.
9. What do you feel when you think about your past and the story you wrote in your whole life?
I feel mildly pleased that i was born me and had my own particular adventures.
10. You already played with The Birthday Party. How was the experience of playing with such a chaotic band?
Yes extremely chaotic certainly, but also quite a civilised intelligent group of people. It was terrifying being on stage with them at first but it is something I have always been proud of.
11. What was it like being part of bands with your brother? You played with him in Crime, These Immortal Souls and briefly with Lydia Lunch in the '90s.
9. What do you feel when you think about your past and the story you wrote in your whole life?
I feel mildly pleased that i was born me and had my own particular adventures.
10. You already played with The Birthday Party. How was the experience of playing with such a chaotic band?
Yes extremely chaotic certainly, but also quite a civilised intelligent group of people. It was terrifying being on stage with them at first but it is something I have always been proud of.
11. What was it like being part of bands with your brother? You played with him in Crime, These Immortal Souls and briefly with Lydia Lunch in the '90s.
12. What are your favorite bands?
All the good ones! (i don't like the bad ones.)
13. Which band would you like to collaborate with?
All the good ones! (and maybe some of the bad ones because they are rich)
14. Has any band in which you played that is more special to you? Why?
All the bands I have played in have been special to me. Because Rowland is no longer here those bands i was in with him are now the most special to me.
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