Interview; Robert Smith: Dream Of A Kennedy At Downing Street
Robert Smith: Dream Of A Kennedy At Downing Street
Since he's been able to vote, the singer from The Cure has never been happy with his country's government. He's making a mockery of the
Blair-Gallagher relationship and offers his support to the Lib-Dems.
You welcomed Tony Blair's election in 1997.Are you still satisfied with his policy?
No, I was indeed very pleased the first time around, only because for the first time since I was born, the country was going to be run by someone else than the Tories. There's nothing worse than being under a Tory government, or to see their leader, Michael Howard, wearing sunglasses for effect...Anything is better than Tories.
Even for the next election?
Lib Dems should have the right to win, they should be asked to run the country for just one year. Because they'll never win the election. People
in this country are too stupid to look further than a right wing/left wing political landscape. There aren't just two parties in England. If Lib Dems ran this country they might be able to change things. I've had the right to vote for 28 years, and in 28 years I have never, and I mean never, been happy with the successive governments. So yes, let the LibDems run our country for a year so we can see if they can do better than the others. They might turn out to be as useless as the others are as well.
Do you agree with their program?
I agree with most of it, like a lot of the British people, it seems to me. Let's not forget people have a social conscience. Labour has been going on about a new ethic for the past 10 years, but this ethic keeps on being degraded. It's quite funny to notice actually, It's like looking at anonymous people meeting famous ones. It reminds me of the first time I met David Bowie. People around were very impressed to meet him, even without any knowledge of his music or his songs. They were impressed with the idea of meeting a star. Tony Blair and Labour are going through the same thing. They were seduced by power and glamour, and forgot to run the country. When Blair talks about Cool Britannia or invites Noel Gallagher at Number 10 you have it there.... complete bollocks...
What can you do about it?
Nothing.. but vote.
You could talk about it in your songs?
Expressing political ideas doesn't go with pop music, it doesn't work. I've belonged to many social organizations for years, but as a person, not as the leader of a more or less well known rock band. I am socially active, but I have never wanted The Cure to be socially involved in one way or another. The group is neither a platform nor a voice for political ideas. When I was young I was never attracted or drawn by how a band might speak out or show their political activities.
Protest singers have some sort of influence though..
Yes, but who remembers that? I was too young to remember that. I was told much later than Dylan or Joan Baez were politically active, that they were the voice of a generation.
You can't deny the impact The Cure has had during the 80's, especially in France..
I have only ever represented a minority. When I started I never wanted to be famous. Today people come and see me like if I was a dinosaur, and
I'm not sure I like that. Because we've had a certain level of success people think they know me, think they know who I am. I don't like that feeling. There's a reason for not appearing on the cover of our first records, for a long time nobody knew me and I could happily live with that.
You've been around for 25 years-how do you keep faith?
I don't feel my age. A part of me tells me I must be over 100 years old, and another part is stuck at 15. Partly because I don't have kids. It allows me to remain selfish. I have very little responsibilities outside of the group, apart for my wife , Mary. But Mary's family and mine we have 25 nephews and nieces. The younger ones ask themselves questions about us, they don't know our exact age, they even wonder if we really are adults.
Do you regret not being a dad?
Ever since I was a teenager, I always told myself I wouldn't be a dad, and I haven't changed my mind. I wouldn't know how to bring up my child, having to lie, create an illusion about life in general. It's too hard. If Mary had wanted to be a mother I would have had to say yes, but she, too, never felt the desire to have kids. She's got enough work with me, I'm a real child.......
Translation from COF