Craig Potter Appreciation Thread

Yeah, c'mon craig

yes, i do http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=126963372

that's my profile thing

sweet!!

oh yeh... the organ in ive got your number is MID-BLOWING!!!!!!!!

Are you guys for real?

Stay on topic or I lock it, and believe me this topic is the last one I want to lock.

The conversation you have just had belongs in the PM system.

Is there anywhere Craig is interviewed alone, I know Guy handles most of the interviews with contributions from the rest of the band but I would imagine Craig has a lot of things to say of great interest on how the music comes together for folks like us especially SSK what with his massive input in producing it.
Without getting too technical on one level and even getting technical for those who really get off on that sort of thing on another level

Make room for Elbow's return
Lawrence Poole
27/ 2/2008


“I’VE not been through that sort of situation thank God, but probably jellied eels and chillies I think!” guffaws Craig Potter, keyboardist for much-respected Bury outfit Elbow when I put to him that the cocktail named Grounds For Divorce, which is name checked in the quintet’s comeback single of the same name, would surely have some kick to it.

“You wouldn’t try it more than once anyway!” Indeed. Back on the promotional bandwagon after a protracted two-year hiatus, it is such wit - mixed with hefty slugs of melancholia – which have made Elbow into such a life-enhancing concoction themselves.

Further proof can be found on new track, An Audience With The Pope, taken from their forthcoming new LB, which has been described by their amiable bear of a frontman Guy Garvey as being “a Bond theme if Bond was from Bury and a recovering Catholic.”

Quite a picture he’s painted there, but which of the five would make the best bond I ask Potter to ponder.

“Well me! I’m by far the best looking and fittest and would look the best coming out of the sea in trunks! Although saying that, we have let ourselves go a bit in recent months so it would probably be Juppy (Richard Jupp) as he’s a drummer and naturally stays in shape!”

Sadly, due to numerous false dawns, which seemed to have followed each of their album releases, not enough people to date have been exposed to the delights of the band – a situation, which has increasingly irked Potter and the rest of the group.

“We were very disappointed on the way it was going with our last album Leaders of the Free World because we absolutely love that album and it just seemed so frustrating that a lot of Elbow fans didn’t even know it was out, because the whole promotion thing was virtually non-existent with V2.”

Deciding a stand needed to be taken, the band effectively went on strike.

Mercury Music Prize

“We actually downed tools with them and said what’s the point in writing music if no one’s going to hear? Don’t get me wrong, they’d been brilliant with us for a long time they got us from the bedroom to the Mercury Music Prize, which we’ll never forget, but we’re getting older now and we want more people to hear our music.”

With Universal sister label Fiction eager to take them on, the timely move – particularly considering V2 subsequent collapse – was a no-brainer as Potter confirms.

“Fiction wanted to take over and promote the last LP as there were people at the label who loved the record and couldn’t believe it wasn’t doing better – a deal was struck between them but it was so complicated it dragged on and on.”

Now in the mutually beneficial situation of having an album on their hands both they and their new label fully believe in and want to back to the hilt, Potter is understandably thrilled.

“It’s great to have a label with so much faith behind us. We’ve had decent radio coverage already and played on Jonathan Ross’ show last week, which was great – we got to sit in the green room with Brucie (recent octogenarian Bruce Forsyth) and the actor Forest Whitaker, so that was fun.”

An appropriate date to release and toast the man their fourth LP is dedicated to - The Seldom Seen Kid is out on St Patrick’s Day and is packed full of emotion.

I asked Potter to give us more of an insight into their late friend and Manchester singer-songwriter Bryan Glancy.

“He died two years ago now and it hit us very hard, he was loved by so many people - there must have been hundreds of people at his funeral.

“It was never in doubt that he would feature heavily on the record, he was closer to Guy (Garvey, singer) than he was to me.

“I don’t write lyrics but I imagine it was always going to affect everything he does – it changes your life when a friend dies.”

With Garvey fully concentrated on encapsulating the emotions swirling round his head on paper, Potter had the time-consuming task of full-time production duties on the record, how did he find it?

“We’ve always sort of co-produced everything we’ve done, so it was a natural progression really. My confidence has grown, but it wasn’t like I was suddenly bossing everyone around!

“We tried to do it on the last record, but got a bit stuck I guess, but this time I was ably to take it all the way including the mixing, which was great – I’m really chuffed, little details aside, with how it’s sounds.”

Enforced

Thankfully, during the band’s enforced sabbatical there has also been new life to lift the mood - Potter himself is now a proud dad to two boys.

And by taking on full production duties for the record it was a period in his life which saw him find a happy Manchester-based medium between his home life and work.

“It’s been great because no matter how stressful the day's been all you’ve got to do is come home and play with the kids, then you realise what’s important – I just can’t wait for the summer now to get out in the garden with them.”

But first off is the smaller matter of their first UK tour in aeons, the fledgling father is understandably excited and apprehensive in equal measure.

“It’s fine in the UK as you can drive home every couple of nights, but it’s going to be difficult being away as the oldest will be missing me too now – but as far as the gigs themselves I’m really looking forward to them.”

So of course the million dollar (or perhaps two million dollar question considering the state of the American currency at the moment) is will Elbow’s fourth album allow them to, well… go forth and conquer?

The music business’ increasingly unpredictability makes this a tricky one to answer, but several important factors do appear to have fallen into place to put the band in with a fighting chance - so all eyes will be on the album chart come this spring to if Elbow have finally blossomed into the commercial prospect they always threatened to be.

Sorry MT, i tried PMing him but had no reply

cheers very much for posting that I bet he is an interesting bloke to have a pint with, some of the sounds are awesome I keep discovering more which I guess is the gift that a great producer brings to music.

Sorry, MT just got the PM there, never noticed it sorry

Craig rocks

bluefield wrote:

cheers very much for posting that I bet he is an interesting bloke to have a pint with

Yeah, but would you like to have a pint with a man who has a muesli hand?

That's a brilliant pic!
Especially the expression on his face! It's like: "Oh no, not this again..."
Also, am I correct in spying 2 Potters in this pic?

Aw, I hate when that happens!

great pic!

MagicalTrevor wrote:

bluefield wrote:

cheers very much for posting that I bet he is an interesting bloke to have a pint with

Yeah, but would you like to have a pint with a man who has a muesli hand?

He has a definate... That serum i injected to give me superpowers has some pretty fucking odd side effects... face!!!

Happy Birthday Craig!

Happy birthday to you....

Come on folks, fans and admirers, join in....

Happy Birthday to you...

Hope you had a grand day, Craig. (y)

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!!

Happy belated, Craig!

I'm glad you were born.

Happy Birthday Craig.

Have a gudden for all of us; and keep ship Elbow a steady and brilliant one!!

Congratulation Craig on your double award from the Music Producers Guild for best album and best single.

Sweet, I didn't know about that! Congratulations indeed

Congratulations Craig!!!

Among his many talents...have long appreciated Craig singing lead on the Elbow song "Loss" (Guy harmonising in the background )

lucky with disease wrote:

Among his many talents...have long appreciated Craig singing lead on the Elbow song "Loss" (Guy harmonising in the background )

Really?! Wow! Never knew that! Listening now!
How did i never notice that it wasn't Garvey!