After leaving Infectious records, Symposium have had a busy time touring and recording a new single 'Killing Position'. Robin Tucker took some time out on their tour-bus to ask Ross and Wotjek a few questions.

What caused the break from Infectious records?

Ross - Rupert Murdoch bought it out. We had a clause in our contract, that if anyone took over record label we could leave, and we exercised that right. Things weren't going that great anyway. Wotjek - We just thought things had gone from bad to worse. If the company changed, lots of personnel would change, along with priorities. Infectious was always an independent, artist lead label, to do with bands growing up. We felt if a big company took over, it would be geared more towards chart hits, and that is like the business oriented record label we didn't want to sign to in the first place.

The chart positions for 'Bury You', 'Blue' and 'Average Man' were disappointing. Why do you think this was?

W - Infectious made us release 'Average Man', which was not our first choice of single at all. They said it could go on the radio, and become a crossover hit. We were duped, na�ve maybe and when it didn't do that well Infectious stopped putting so much money into promoting us, especially with 'Blue' and 'Bury You'.

Do you agree with putting out singles on 2 CDs?

W - We thought it was good to begin with, as people got more tracks. 'The Answer To Why I Hate You' had 5 b-sides, so you got 6 studio tracks for �5, which we thought was really good. Then with 'Average Man', we needed 2 CDs to make up the sales, and just 'Hard Day's Night' was put on it, so we're not doing that anymore. We are putting stuff out ourselves it is quality and what people want. R - We don't care about not making the chart, as 'Killing Position' has four tracks.

Your live performances are legendary, and you have all injured yourself on stage. How did the worst injuries happen?

R - I've done loads of things, I dislocated me knee when we were supporting No Doubt. We'd only done two nights, but the next day I came on and did the show in a wheelchair, one of those electric ones, that was good. I've had glass through me toes, cut my eyes. Lots of cuts and bruises, but it doesn't matter.

Will you keep this up into your old age?

R - I'm going to be one of those health-freak granddads. W - Like Mick Jagger. R - Yeah. We respect people like Iggy Pop, and Mick Jagger who are blatantly past it, and they are still doing it well. The Rolling Stones might be crap now, but Iggy Pop is the best, he is the king.

Ross, you don't write the songs, which is unusual for a front man. Do you ever desire to write the hit songs, or are you happy as you are?

R - I'm happy singing the songs Wotjek writes, as I really like them. I can relate to the things he writes about. I think that's important for when I'm singing, otherwise I can't get into it. I write a lot myself anyway, and we work on riffs and stuff together, more so than before when we just left it to Wotjek.

If you were Prime Minister, what would be the first thing you'd do?

W - I'd stop the Millennium Dome being built, and put the money into useful projects that would be good for the people. We went on tour, and we noticed millennium projects such as in Manchester, there's this new art gallery, and a massive swimming pool. I think things like that are really excellent. Don't you? (Ross laughs).

Have old people ever turned up at a concert thinking that 'Symposium' was a classical recital?

R - No, but we do get old people at our gigs. They are crazy types. We always get the young kids at the front jumping about, stage diving and what-not. Then behind them you get the people who have seen the Buzzcocks and the Clash, Sex Pistols whatever from the 70's and a lot of people from that era come and see us. Loads of people come up to me after gigs and say that it reminds them of their youth. W - What's really scary is when they push their way to the front, and there's this old bloke in a Symposium T-shirt.

And finally what do you see in the future for Symposium?

R - We've written most of the album. W - The next thing is to record that; we want to find someone good to work with. We've played the Reading festival, which was great as we had Suggs come on stage to do 'Fizzy'. There will be another single (due out October 25), and there's another tour in the last week of October.

Interview by Robin Tucker

First printed in 'Get Knotted', Staffordshire University Students' Union Newspaper

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