We met FRANK TURNER in sunny Berlin and said down for a coffee and cigarettes and asked him a few questions.
I’d rather write for myself or for someone else?
For myself, definitely. The idea of writing for somebody else is really appealing because you basically make money without having to go on tour or do any work which is fucking great. I’ve tried it but I can’t do it. If I get this far as actually writing something down I start caring about it and it’s mine and I don’t wanna give it to anybody else (laughs).
I’d rather relive the last three years or the last minutes and lost evenings?
Last minutes and lost evenings, I suppose. Counterfactualism like “what would have happend if” however I think is a really fucking boring waste of time. Things happened – deal with it. You know my life is not bad: I get to play music for a living, travel around and I’m doing it reasonably successful at the moment and that’s a good thing so I am not complaining in any way but like there are a fair few evenings that I cannot remember the exact details so I maybe need another go.
I’d rather talk to myself or somebody else?
I’d rather talk to somebody else but I talk to myself too much (laughs). I’m trapped in my own fucking skull too much sometimes.
I’d rather destroy or build and create?
Build and create! How I understand the question..The way that people tell you that they don’t like your music is like “Cool, now go and listen to something you DO like and stop wasting your time looking up my fucking twitter so you can let me know”. You know what I mean? It’s like get a fucking hobby, man, and there is so much more music in the world. If you really have to fucking tear somebody else down to make your life better than you’re an asshole.
I’d rather decide fast or think things through?
This is again funny cause it’s both sides. I’d rather think something through but I’m not really good at it. If there would be an Olympic medal for shitty drunk decisions I would be a gold medalist. I would be famous. I’m a gold medalist in drunk-texting for example… that kind of shit (laughs).
I’d rather know what’s going to happen in my future or experience it without knowing?
I’d rather experience it without knowing. Easy question, because finding out is the fun part, isn’t it? I like not knowing what’s going on.
I’d rather play festivals or club shows?
I am happy that I don’t have to choose.
I’d rather get tattooed drunk or sober?
(Laughs) I’ve done many of both. I’ve kind of got into a good habit now which is I got this kind of reflect reaction that if I am drunk I point my drunk leg. This is my stupid tattoo leg so all of my stupid tattoos go down here. I have some fucking stupid tattoos on my leg. And its kind of a safe place cause I usually wear trousers.
I’d rather believe or know?
In what would be the question? I’d say in a philosophical way I’d rather believe. I was raised in a very religious house and I think life is more interesting if you just… okay here’s not quite what the question is about but I always had this view that you should probably say yes, because life is short you know. Say yes, believe, fuck it. I do believe in Rock’n’Roll however. It is not gonna safe the world but it might safe me.
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