Interview with Chris Dale by Neo Vega June 2002

Do you take yourselves seriously?

It’s hard to take myself seriously when I wake up one day and found I’ve recorded an album about Penguins.

 If someone offered you a record deal would you accept?

We’ve had some interest from them, but they’ve had none from us. It’s like most things in life, I’d like to have a good one but if there’s only crap ones around I’d rather not bother. The thing is most record companies are nasty big, wasteful, corrupt, global corporations who care only about making money for their bosses and doing cocaine. Because my priorities (making music and drinking lager) are so diametrically opposed to theirs, I feel myself naturally repelled by these loathsome parasites on the music scene. I’d rather record the albums ourselves how we really want them to sound, then give them to smaller labels like ORG and Infernal that actually like listening to music in their spare time. I think that an interest in Music should be a pre-requisite in the music industry, rather than an option.

How many Sack Tricks can you do, name them?

Oh, not many, just the basics, you know...Flying Squirrel, Bombay Banana, Last Chicken in the Shop, Julius Caesar, Hamburger, Dresden by Night, Half pint of Roses, Two parrots and an ashtray, Mexican Delight, The John Prescot in the bath, My Uncle was an Interior Decorator, Flock of Geese, Constable’s Haywain, Coconut Souffle, Half Rice/Half Chips, Exodus Pt 1 (the baby Moses is found in the bullrushes), Exodus Pt 2 (The burning Bush), Exodus Pt3 (Moses leads the Israelites to the promised land)- bit painful that one, The Slippery Eel, Mozart’s Requiem, Up in Smoke, The Milky Cigar (I usually play that one on my own), Laughing Hyena, The Brandenburg Gate, Three and a Half Inch Floppy Disc (quite easy, that one), Junction 22 on the M1, Pig in Sunglasses, Chicken and Mushroom Pie, David Beckham’s funny voice, Don’t Touch that it’s the Ejector seat,  The Murder of Gonzago, The Office Filing Cabinet, "Baby When You’re Gone" by Bryan Adams and Mel C and a couple of others...

 Worst job you’ve ever had?

I don’t tend to stick around long enough to see if I like them or not, I’ve always been fired or left before really getting a chance to make up my mind. I worked on London Buses for a while which was fun but they fired me for not turning up very often. I worked in a Hamburger Van but that burnt down. I was a roadie for Shack Attack but went to the pub instead. I cleaned toilets for a while but once they were clean I left, then they got dirty again and I got fired. It wasn’t me that dirtied them even, I always shat in the sink to make sure. I was an extra in an ASDA advert but kept forgetting my “That’s ASDA price line”. I was a Pizza taster for a day, which was nice but unfulfilling. Then I thought I’d try playing Bass instead.

NY or LA?

NY, of course, that’s where Kiss are from.

 Forgiveness or Revenge?

Revenge was an awful album, I’ve never heard Forgiveness but it can’t be worse.

 Mr Nice Guy or No More Mr Nice Guy?

Mr Nice Robin Guy, please.

 Star Wars or Star Trek?

Both are fictions, Dr Who is the only true way.

Britney or Christina?

I’m not really into teen-pop myself.

 Why animals in your albums titles?

Rabbits aren’t animals they’re just bits of string put together. And Penguins aren’t really animals, they’re Fish. I suppose Sheep are animals, sort of because they live on a farm.

 How many members of Sack Trick does it take to change a light bulb?

One. We’re actually quite talented in a domestic kind of way.