Andy Partridge Interview - "Bay TV" March '99

[@NordicMother]

Andy Partridge is, without a doubt, the best composer/musician/songwriter that has ever walked the Earth. He's the standard that other songwriters should have to compare themselves to.

[@SirHatchporch]

I met Andy and Colin the day after this interview, when they did an in-store at the Virgin Megastore in L.A. One of the best days of my life! They were great guys and Andy was hilarious. It took five hours to get through the line because Andy was spending so much time with people. I have some wonderful signed and drawn on mementos from that appearance.

[@ShanntahnPininchula]

This interviewer was totally great. Great questions and responses.

[@kidsmoked]

Agreed, he was very present and authentically interested.

[@YorgosDimitriadisunofficial]

I am so glad I watched this interview with Andy Partridge seeing how smart he is and what a great sense of humour and self-sarcasm he has...Also I don't see him too worried as to why they did not become something like U2...the man seems quite content as he is and that is what makes me admire him even more...

[@michaelb8273]

So refreshing to hear a intellect. XTC one of the most underrated bands ever.

[@TRextasyOfficial]

Absolutely - brilliantly inventive with twists and turns but still returns to commercial choruses. An amazing talent and such an underrated guitarist.

[@gardnerreese6755]

He said we aren’t a performing band. We aren’t good live. Maybe he was referring to the present. There’s no fucking way they weren’t good before he flipped out. They were awesome. I love you Andy. Thank you for the music

[@itchyego]

Andy is such a present, personable, authentic, and wonderfully funny individual! Love you Andy!

[@marioiacolucci]

Dear god was a good song

[@jen3800]

i adore this band and his writing and i can't believe Apple Venus is 20 years old. i would love to meet Andy

[@TheFullyBookedCoach]

I saw them live and they were awesome. Andy is an amazing lyricist and they were and are a great band, but just admit it man, it's the social anxiety that stops you performing, not the fact you can't. Yes you can!

[@TheFullyBookedCoach]

***** he had (not sure if he still does) crippling stage fright. I saw them in Sheffield around 1979/80 and they kicked ass. He's up there with Ray Davies as one of England's greatest songwriters imho. Maybe not at McCartney/Lennon level, but oretty damn good.

[@TheMightyHartley]

Andy, please don't give up on music completely following XTC's break up. Keep producing stuff, whether with others or by yourself. I guarantee there are many out there who NEED your music - it's so enriching, unique and beautiful. I hope you read this!

[@susanm1526]

Andy, you are so wrong. Your live performances were incredible.

[@kidsmoked]

That's right. He just doesn't want to travel around on a schedule anymore - which is fair enough.

[@andybernard9674]

I talked my mum into letting me go and see XTC at the Round House New South Wales University Sydney Australia, as i had school the next day,,I got in no problem and had the best time ever,,dancing and jumping around, Thanks Andy, for a great moment in my life, O" and congrats to the rest of the band, sorry i forgot your names,,,I love you all, REGARDS.

[@kidsmoked]

Your mum is the best! Does she know how rare seeing XTC was?

[@kinksboss1]

wow, thanks from a SF Bay Area XTC fan...one of the very few bands I didnt get to see in my 35 plus years of concerts (along with Beatles and Be Bop Deluxe)

[@absolving]

He has a great sense of humour. Always had

[@4darin5]

great insight into Andy. Thanks for the video.

[@nicolasmrn]

my hero

[@ZuGineeris]

He's such a darling

[@aciaroch]

This interview totally speaks to me!! righton, Andy!

[@PennsylvaniaHistoryBuff]

Apple Venus is a great album. "Greenman" & "Dictionary" are two awesome songs.

[@NordicMother]

You are so lucky!! Must be an incredible memory.

[@dkdrums5815]

Sorry Andy, but you're wrong, I've just been watching the precious few live clips of XTC that are out there and XTC was a FANTASTIC live band! Reunion shows, yes.

[@NordicMother]

Sorry that I'm three years late into this discussion, but just wanted to say that if Virgin had not completely screwed them over on every single thing they ever did, possibly we could have all enjoyed more XTC. None-the-less, my favorite of all time.

[@crimsondynamoo]

I'm sending Andy a chair.

[@kidsmoked]

Let's all send him chairs. :D

[@cleverbobby]

Good to see Andy talking about the 'stage fright' etc. Interesting clip !

[@stripedhyenuh]

Andy's such an amazing guy. I think he's right up there with Brian Eno as one of my favorite musical Brits.

[@matako07]

XTC is KILLER live band! Andy is way too humble.

[@cominroitover80]

as you sit in the crowded Broadway theater you begin to wonder why there is a dehydrating dolphin on stage being sprayed with a hose, which is leaking water onto the floor everywhere. All of the sudden the trumpets sound and a giant foam Pirate ship floats into the center, atop its mast, Andy Partridge, globe in one hand, sword in the other. Can you say BEST MUSICAL EVER!?

[@oiyabastard]

they rock live

[@krollpeter]

If I was not paid for 5 years worth of live performances, I would also develop stage fright.

[@db1815]

just for writing 'dear god' he is worthy to be called a hero!

[@BassByTheBay]

Thanks for posting this! @mfactor88 Nah, they'd never have been as big as U2. Ever. They're far too quirky. U2 is much more basic and hence universal. XTC resides a bit more in the head than the heart. XTC is my favorite band ever... but they just weren't ever mainstream enough to break as big as U2 (thank goodness).

[@mfactor88]

IMHO they would have been as big or bigger than U2 IF they had continued touring...plus i think Andy more than Colin and the guys would have loved to keep touring. especially when you see how extroverted Andy is in interviews and ALL their video clips ps yes i have all the albums and was "hooked"when "Black Sea " was released so im a big fan and always will be ...still wear my Üffington horse Ts with pride :)

[@chachabends3823]

The best!

[@cagwa]

And here we are 10 years later and indeed he disappeared

[@embracethemystery]

it looks like they're recording this in Letterman's studio on a Sunday or something

[@powerist209]

Harry Patridge (Martin Septim) Andy Patridge (Uriel Septim VII)

[@tsopuaifa]

I totally agree. You can make good music without touring, unfortunately not any money. Damn!!!

[@davidsanderson5918]

I've just watched XTC Live On Rockpalast 1982 and I disagree with Andy's first answer. They were extremely compelling live!!! Even at the end.

[@MrHairyNeck]

Hard to believe Andy is 60 this year.

[@kidsmoked]

Coming up to 66 this year! 💗

[@Egurenkone]

70 now! ❤

[@NordicMother]

I must plead ignorance and say only, " Huh? "

[@villababy8748]

I like the Generals and Majors music video. Haha

[@cominroitover80]

@MrBlockishMark Its pretty obvious, similar sense of humor, rhythmic way of speaking etc.

[@MoveOverCasanova]

"they´re not touring anymore" .. ah all this serious rock´n´roll cliche crap - that´s what i love about xtc, how they bring pop into the living room, with demo albums and frank talk about being a muso-nut, and not shrouting themselves in high rocker-mystery! "tending my fruit, ah you ve got to have a hobby.." bless you, two sheds xtc

[@TheOBOM]

@Culpano Yep! I totally agree with former speake;, hear, hear! XTC deserves much more than their shady place in musical history as it is now.

[@therealsoulproduct]

Yeah, it seemed like XTC got screwed by the business even moreso than Prince did with his old label.

[@dpGettingTighter]

Well.... the most underrated along with Gentle Giant. Wouldn't you agree?

[@gardenvariety9957]

I saw them both...yay me!

[@anononomous]

3:20 "Five Guys Named Mozart" would be a good (?) name for a band.

[@DouglasLippi]

"Imagine working your art for 20 years and not getting paid for it." Yeah I'll have to try REALLY hard 🙄 to imagine that...

[@davidsanderson5918]

Ok, maybe he should've said "imagine working your art for 20 years but someone else is getting paid from it."

[@kittenmittentheatreadventu3185]

Love the Prince line; Prince was a dick and no slave. XTC were slaves to the music industry. Greatest Rock music (along with the Cars) created so far.

[@crzysteve159]

^ also Harry Partridge's father

[@benjaminbermiller3709]

Ooooh.... back to the plantation? Still got forgiveness in my heart, but that is so wrong to say in light of record contracts.

[@vincevirtua]

I believe he said, "get off the plantation.. get out". Maybe Andy really felt that way. I don't know, I haven't been in a terrible record contract like Andy and co were.

[@augustusbetucius1572]

Do you have any idea the sheer number of music artists that have been royally screwed since rock and rock began in the fifties? It's an all to common complaint. As one musician put it, actors don't have to wait to be paid until a movie makes enough money. The music industry has as a practice screwing musicians. Do some research and you'll see that record contracts aren't written with the artists best interests in mind, at all.

[@rawsongs2443]

*Oh do shut up*

[@ZJProz]

Speaking of contracts.......

[@riharunner]

@thechangingman8 You clearly are either too young, or too uninformed. He HATED performing live and it did frighten him to the point of sickness.

[@xnonsuchx]

If you have AOL??? WYF??? ;-)

[@MrNaKillshots]

Shame on Virgin. I cancelled my broadband.

[@wishicouldshowmyname5815]

Lame questions from an interviewer that had no clue. Andy was quite polite and good sport. Wish they had an educated interviewer, but too late now.

[@EmptyMindlessSpectre]

each time i break your broken hurrican sandy too many electric prunes /watch?v=F-kVFfKezVo 2012 off to the left side

[@PeterWesleyBastone]

*****

[@michaelkadunce3155]

Peter Wesley Bastone.

[@lindah3954]

They did make pedestrian videos except for Dear God. The Beatles HELP clowning school of acting employed by them was pretty insufferable.

[@bandcouver]

Does having the ability to improvise and come up with witty asides qualify a person as a verbose bore? Hmmmmm...Andy can be a bit much at times ,but, I'd rather hear an interview with someone who has something to say, other than an interview with someone who has nothing to say and comes across as practically braindead. Is appearing to be braindead the smarter move in interviews these days? hahahaha...Just an observation.

[@bonzodog6872]

Andy moaning about money there's a surprise

[@JouniKyyronen-nv1ep]

bonzo dog so u work 0 dollar are u slave or just idiot

[@suzannewooten2849]

I’m sure you would feel the same if you were basically robbed by managers and record companies.

[@dave-jk6en]

XTC created the highest quality of music too, so definitely deserved to get paid for it