Vic Godard

Best known as the front man of Subway Sect, Vic Godard is a fantastic singer and songwriter who’s been making great records since 1977. Vic’s songs that have been covered by The Jesus & Mary Chain, Orange Juice, and Blue Orchids. This Summer Mr Godard released the rave reviewed, ‘Moments Like These’ L.P. which was produced by Mick Jones. Now read on...

Vic Godard by Travis Elborough

LD We’re post lockdown, and it’s only a few weeks to go before Xmas: Are you feeling happy? Albert Camus said he had 4 conditions of happiness (living outdoors, having someone to love, being free from ambition, and creation).What would your 4 conditions be? 

VG It’s a good quote from Camus and I am lucky to have all four. I don’t really know what they mean by happiness really-it’s not a human condition I don’t think. People you’d think were happy are actually in a stupor most of their lives. I think it’s for Stepford -Wife type people or fantasists! The way I see it you either do stuff and struggle or you don’t do stuff and still struggle. Happiness consists of brief recollections of past moments that weren’t probably that good anyhow at the time. Ambition has been good for me, but I’m glad I didn’t have any. I would’ve hated University as I wasn’t keen on students as a kid.

LD Do you prefer Edwyn Collins’s version of Holiday Hymn to your original or the later version you recorded? What do you remember about composing that song? 

VG Holiday Hymn is great by Orange Juice. It would be the definitive one but the chords or words or both may be slightly different to what I wrote. It's still my favourite though. At the time I loved Nightflight to Venus and had just heard my first batch of singles from Wigan Casino. I was reading a Nerval story that involved Rousseau’s tomb I think. I was still friendly with Paul Myers who’d recently been sacked as bass player, and he played bass on the early demos, with Rob Green (Fallen Leaves singer now ) on tambourine in the bedroom, drums in a rehearsal room. We worked on a few songs and soon had enough in that style to do a set supporting Siouxsie and the Banshees.

LD The tracks from Moments Like These that I've heard are fantastic. Do you think it’s one of your best albums and was it fun to record? 

VG Moments Like These is my best so far so they say, and it was easily the easiest to record as the group knew the songs and had Mick to crack the whip. So it couldn’t fail with Declan on the desk. It was a right old schlep for me though on the underground so I’ve re-located to Kev at West 11 as it’s my side of London.
It really took me back to the early Sect days especially with Mick being around. I haven’t played in a proper studio with a group playing together since the early 80s

LD I read somewhere that you’ve been playing piano and that you can play some Fats Waller songs ... how good are you can you play things like 'When Somebody Thinks You're Wonderful'?

Vic Godard by Travis Elborough

VG I do know that Fats Waller tune so I played it today. I can’t do the rhythm like he could though but I love playing it. I don’t get around much anymore I’m afraid. (I'll have to work that on out on the piano as well.)

LD When you're putting bands together to record or tour what tends to be the stumbling block? (e.g. finding a bass player, getting people to perform your songs rather than theirs, money etc) 

VG I don’t think I’ve ever put a group together since the first one in 1976. Then it wasn’t to do records or gigs. We weren’t really sure what it was for but none of us liked pubs so it was a way of avoiding hanging around with what we used to rather impolitely call 'dockers' Edwyn told me they called them Neds in Glasgow. When I look back though most of the adventures that stood out as a teen I was with mixtures of the two. Other people have often put groups together for me and usually it works. I think I could work with anyone who had a good attention span. If the group has to do a gig or tour with one or two nights rehearsal it can be really scary if you take it seriously but fortunately I love a bit of comic potential. Looking back at the shambles years later is funny. I love the look of fear in a music person’s eyes! The biggest stumbling block when you have the group is their inability not to be a writer. I’m sure it can work but it’s all a bit too committee-bitty and a ten minute task can take two hours. And when you add that to the main stumbling block, the lack of a budget, you realise it’s a struggle too far. 

LD These days John Lydon appears on TV praising Trump and Farage and gets into legal battles with the other ex-Pistols that seem unnecessary — does he still have a place in your heart? Or do you think he’s gone over to the bad side? 

VG Yeah I’d always reserve a place for the man who started it all for me. I’m still glad Paul won the right for the others to use the songs but I fear the film may prove John right when its full mediocrity is revealed. I honestly don’t know how any living creature on the planet could be taken in by Trump 'n' Farage’s barrage but there you go! 

LD What was the last great film you saw? 

VG I saw a great documentary only last night about Barbara Rubin that was very good. I watch Channel 81 usually and there was an excellent film on there with Stanley Baker, Michael York and Dirk Bogarde. Accident may be the title.

Artwork on Fag Packets by Vic Godard

LD Are there any Christmas Carols you have a soft spot for?  

VG I hate Christmas songs. They make me puke. When you work in a sorting office they’re pumped through the Tanoy at full blast 24/7 from early December. I had 31 years of it so I don’t go near ‘em if I can help it. Oh the holly bears a berry is a good tune and has nonsensical lyrics so I’ll go for that as a carol. Luckily we didn’t do religion at my old school so I don’t mind carols as much!

LD Do you like brass bands?

VG Interesting question that I’ve never been asked. Actually I dislike them almost as much as bagpipes but I couldn’t tell you why. I’ve always loved the North and Scotland but those two sounds irritate me in totally different ways.

Check out Moments like these on band camp here.

Vic’s website is here.