Wendy James of Transvision Vamp is Ready To Rock: 13th Floor MusicTalk Interview
Transvision Vamp are about to tour New Zealand for the first time since 1991. In fact, front person Wendy James has got big plans for the once-dormant rockers.
The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to Wendy, who was in Australia, getting ready to play the band’s first gigs in ages. Listen or read along to find how how and why this unlikely reunion is taking place.
Wendy: We’ve all been working together publicly for quite a long time, but the additions turning it into a six piece band. There are new band members, and the big change was the fact that Dave (Parsons) from Transvision Vamp joined me in whatever iteration a year ago…Christmas time, a year ago.
MD: All right, so what happened then? Was there some sparks, flew? Something happened?
Wendy: The sweetest thing about Dave is that he is the nicest person in the world. Every time I’ve ever played…he lives in the location of Bristol, which is South West England…and so whenever I would play there with Jim (Sclavunos), with Alex (ward), Dave would always show up and pop into the dressing room and say, “Hello, everyone”. And and then last Christmas, I mean, not this one that just passed, but the one before, I phoned him up and I said, “Do you want to play again? Do you want to be the bass player?” And he said, Yeah. And it was as simple as that. And now Jim, who I respect and love enormously, because I’ve played with him for 10 years now. He actually said, he’s one of, let’s say, the best bass players I’ve ever worked with. And in rehearsal studios, Dave’s bass sound is so rich. It’s so full. And I don’t think you can teach that. I think that’s just a natural thing.
MD: So once you got together and started rehearsing, what did it feel like? What it sound like? How did you feel about it all?
Wendy: Well, yesterday, we started, we did our we have two days rehearsal in Australia, and yesterday, when we did our first rehearsal, I have to say it was a little bit creaky, because we we hadn’t played since January. You don’t keep it fresh. You know, things slip your mind. We did one run through yesterday morning in the hot Brisbane sun, and it was, you know, oh my God, we’ve got to do a gig on Wednesday. How on earth are we gonna…and then we did the second and then we went for lunch, and then we did the second run through. And because we are who we are. Yes, it all fell into place and was hitting all the right parts, and it started to feel very, very slick. So we have another day of rehearsal today, and we’ll just get into our comfort zone, which means there is no trepidation of the stage. We go on Wednesday and just deliver, what we deliver.
MD: And what will you deliver? What’s the set list looking like? Was there a lot of discussion about that?
Wendy: Basically, I have quite a few Australian Transvision Vamp fans, and, um, and they all sent me their wish list.
MD: Oh, good. That makes it easy, doesn’t it?
Wendy: Yes, and so, because you know, obviously, I Want Your Love, Baby, I Don’t Care. But Revolution Baby there’s Sister Moon. So I looked at my wish list messages from my friends, and included basically all of them. So currently, right now, the the set is 140 minutes, and that’s with no talking. So if I do some talking in between, then we are looking at a two hour show.
MD: Do you like to talk to the audience?
Wendy: You know, eehhh!…that was Larry David, by the way. Every night I go to bed watching Curb Your Enthusiasm. But anyway, so yes, of course I do. I’ve got so many anecdotes, so many funny little stories, and they all pop into my mind at any given time depending on how the song is or how the audience is, or what the vibe is, I’ve got an anecdote for most things if I’m prompted. So, yes, I’ll do some talking and some heartfelt messaging as well, because it’s incredible. You know, I first came here as a teenager. And New Zealand as Transvision Vamp in the very, very beginning. And to have the privilege, and the that really is the right word, the privilege of coming back and playing my life.
You know, 35 currently, nearly, you know, nearly 40 years later is extraordinary and not something that everyone gets to do. Because, also, I haven’t been retreading the kind of retro scene, you know, doing all those kind of 80s festivals and things. I haven’t done it that. I’ve been carrying on working as THE Wendy James, all this time with new music. And so I’ve had my hand in but I haven’t clung on to nostalgia or anything like that.
And somehow or other, that’s made me in a stronger position, because fans can see that, you know, I wasn’t just, I don’t know what the word would be. It was not necessarily money, but cashing in, on the past. I have carried on to be an artist in my own right, with wonderful songs and great musicians, and a lot of output, you know, 10 albums, a lot of tours, and some genuine communication with my fans. And so when I land back here, not only is there the ‘Oh, I loved you when I was 16’, you know, I’ve got some I’ve got some ballast underneath me. I’ve got some solid ground.
MD: Yeah, because you played in Auckland, I think it was in 1991 in October, in a place called the Logan Campbell
Wendy: That was our last World Tour, yes.
MD: Do you remember anything about being here?
Wendy: I do? And it’s the most random thing I remember going go karting. And I don’t know if it was Auckland or Wellington or Christchurch. I know that Nick Sayer, from original Transvision Vamp, he was born in Christchurch.
MD: Oh, really!
Wendy: Yes, no, yes, he was. He was born in Christchurch. Although I don’t know why he didn’t get a New Zealand passport, I don’t know why. Actually, I never asked.
MD: It gets complicated.
Wendy: He was, but anyway, that I don’t know where the go karting was, but I know we had one day off in New Zealand. I know that the promoter at that time took us on a speedway for go karting. I’d love to know where it was. And of course, you live in the most beautiful country in the world. That is an actual fact. Literally, I mean we all know around the world, you have the most lush beauty around you, and no poisonous creatures. That’s what we’ll grow up learning.
MD: Well, we have a few politicians that might pass for poisonous creatures. But other than that, we’re good. Oh yeah. Everybody has them.
Wendy: Tell me about the political scene in New Zealand,
MD: Its just like everybody’s else, good, bad,
Wendy: New Zealand hasn’t gone MAGA has it?
MD: They’re tiny pockets, but we’re okay.
Wendy: Yeah, there’s tiny pockets everywhere. They have to be tamped down.
MD: I agree. So the band itself…you know, it’s one thing to do some live dates, do you see it going further than that? Do you see going in the studio?
Wendy:This is not a nostalgia, you know, flash in the pan. We are very active and very talented musicians, and so I do foresee a future, but I’ve got two bands now, that’s very, very clear. I’ve got the Wendy James band, and I’ve got Transvision Vamp. And when Transvision Vamp go out, we play the Transvision Vamp songs, plus a little bit of Wendy okay? And when Wendy James goes out, I don’t like to speak in the third person, because that’s what Trump does, but when the Wendy James band goes out, then it’s all the kind of little bit tougher, rougher songs that I’ve created myself, and I also foresee, perhaps not confirmed in any way, not even in my own mind, a fourth Transvision Vamp album. There most certainly is a future.
MD: Well, speaking of future, I mean, we just had Iggy Pop and Joan Jett here a couple of…
Wendy: I saw…I climbed on their adverts and put my own writing on top.
MD: Good on ya! I mean, and I mean freaking Iggy. He’s, what, 78 years old, so almost 79 he’s still tearing his shirt off, and there’s no sense of nostalgia about what he’s doing. You know, it’s so in the moment.
Wendy: Exactly! And that’s what differentiates. You can either kind of join on, glom on to the 80s slash 90s memorabilia, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Or you live in the moment and you keep creating, That’s certainly the way that I’ve lived my life.
MD: And I’ve got to ask you about Mick Jones…
Wendy: Oh, no!
MD: Well, he and I have both the same favorite band, which is Mott The Hoople, I think, at one point. So yes, and I went to the reunion that they did in Hammersmith Odeon in 2009 and he was there as well. So, so I’m just wondering if…
Wendy: Well, I went to the original…well, I went to the wake in…where did he come from Leeds? No. Where did he come from Birmingham?
MD: Are you talking about Mick Ronson? Mick Ronson, he came from Hull I believe.
Wendy: Yes, that’s right, I sang at that.
Marty: Did you? He’s my favorite guitar player. Mick Ronson.
Wendy: Yeah, Mick Ronson, insanely brilliant. So yes, no, that’s definitely Mick’s favorite band. And, um, which accounts for why, quite far into the punk period, he still had his long hair.
MD: Yeah, there you go. And Ian Hunter, he’s like, 86 years old. He’s still got the…
Wendy: Yeah, he’s still rocking. And he lives in Connecticut, yeah. And I’m very, very good friends, some of my close, two of my closest friends, because I lived in New York 17 years…Chris and Tina from Talking Heads, just a couple of you know, miles away from Ian Hunter, and they anyway so and Keith Richards, they all live in a stone’s throw of each other. I think I’ve even heard of you.
MD: I don’t know about that…are you still living in the States, or are you elsewhere now?
Wendy: Well, no, no, I’m kind of more often than not, because I’m not always, you know, permanent, but more often than not, in the south of France. I haven’t been a resident of Britain for since 2002. I do have a flat there.
MD: Okay, alright, just in case?
Wendy: You know, I am English.
MD: My only sense of being English is that I just drink tea all day long, because my mother was English and I, she made me do it. When I grow up, I don’t drink coffee at all, just tea.
Wendy: Oh, look, I’m drinking a green tea right now!
MD: Lovely. My preferred brew is Earl Grey, black,
Wendy: Lovely, very aromatic.
MD: Yes, it is. And when I want to get in touch with my feminine side. I have a Lady Grey.
Wendy: lovely,
MD: Alrighty, enough of this banter. I’m looking forward to seeing you guys, because I got to tell you the truth, being an American, really, I’d never heard of you guys until this show was announced. And all these Kiwis around me are going, oh my god, you guys are amazing. And I’m like, Okay, let’s see. And then I checked out…
Wendy: Where in America do you hail from? Because on the coasts, we were very, very popular,
MD: uh, Pennsylvania and upstate New York, Rochester.
Wendy: Oh, you should have heard of us.
MD: I know I should have.
Wendy: And for some reason, because we kind of did start breaking America, and we were very, very hip on the coasts, and for some rather Texas. I don’t know if that’s bragging rights or not, but I remember distinctly feeling really great in Amarillo. I think that’s MAGA country, isn’t it?
MD: Every place, but Austin is the only cool place, you know, the place where the hipsters are at. But if I was going to go back to the States, I think I’d move to Austin.
Wendy: Yeah, it seems really groovy. Yeah,
MD: And Nashville’s kind of cool now…
Wendy: Nashville, yes, I lived in New York for 17 years, and it was the best years…there’s nothing like New York. There’s nothing like New York.
MD: I agree. It’s an entity unto itself, but there you go. Alrighty. So I’m, I can’t wait to see you guys. I’m very excited, and I think everybody else in New Zealand is as well.
Wendy: So well, I’m very, very thrilled to be coming back, and we will turn out a performance that will thrill everyone, including ourselves. And I just think it’s an honor to be able to return around the globe and sing these songs.
Transvision Vamp tour dates
Thursday 26 February – James Hay Theatre CHRISTCHURCH with The Response
Friday 27 February – Meow Nui Fran WELLINGTON with Dropper
Saturday 28 February – Powerstation AUCKLAND with Dropper
Final tickets are now on sale at Plus1.co.nz
Full tour information at Plus1.co.nz and thewendyjames.com
Transvision Vamp: how we made Baby I Don’t Care – The Guardian
