What's On Your Rider?

Jerry Fish

Jerry Fish

What's on your rider?My rider is a bit lame these days. In fact, I don't really have one ...I really don't mind mixing my M& Ms.

What would be on your fantasy rider?Airline tickets to exotic locations.

What's your pre-gig ritual/routine?I do a lot of pacing. I probably walk a few miles before a show.

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What's the best gig youve been to, and why?I'm lucky to have seen a lot of great shows – The Ramones in Belgium, Blondie in Brixton, Iggy Pop in The Stadium, The Beastie Boys in The Tivoli, Dublin – those shows were all way up there. This year I really enjoyed Pixies at the Olympia and Jape at Electric Picnic.

And the worst?I don't tend to remember bad gigs, but if you insist I recall one, it would be an American band called Skid Row I saw in London years ago. That was really shite.

Ecologically speaking, are you closer to Radiohead or Motörhead?Motörhead. I met Lemmy once actually. It was at that Skid Row gig. I guess every cloud does have a silver lining.

Who is the most famous person to have shown up at one of your gigs?Ahmet Ertegun and Bob Krasnow famously showed up at the same show in Dublin. One of Kate Moss's first jobs was appearing in a video for An Emotional Fish.

What's your crowd-pleasing number?It used to be Celebrate, but with Jerry Fish the Mudbug Club the show is so eclectic, I have a lot of fun with a song called Bob & God, while Back To Beforefrom the new album goes down a treat.

Chatting between songs – good or bad, and why?Too much chat is boring, but I think it's important to acknowledge an audience.

Groupies – would you?I used to love her, but it's all over now.

How many roadies does it take to change your lightbulbs?The Mudbug Club frequently changes in size. It's often a big band with guest performers, and we have also started to add circus performers to our entourage, as well as our sound engineer, Candy, and Dee on lights.

Have you a special stage wardrobe?A suit and motorcycle boots.

What's the worst thing ever thrown at you?I supported U2 on the Zooropa tour in stadiums in Italy. At one of the shows, someone threw an apple from way past the halfway line; it appeared to travel in slow motion and ended up hitting our guitar player on the head. It was an impressive shot, the crowd erupted. We were a hard act to follow that day.

Who's invited to your aftershow party?"The party's over, I'm going home."

  • Jerry Fish the Mudbug Club play Vicar St, Dublin, tonight
Tony Clayton-Lea

Tony Clayton-Lea

Tony Clayton-Lea is a contributor to The Irish Times specialising in popular culture