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Charlie Simpson, there
Charlie Simpson's Things!

Gin! Vomit! Chafing! Sandwiches!


We spoke to Fightstar frontman Charlie Simpson and asked him whether he'd like to tell us all about his favourite things and some things he's not too keen on at all, actually. "Frankly," he said, "as long as it doesn't involve nudity or rabbits, I'm in."

So here, for your pleasure, are Charlie's things...

Hi Charlie, what thing would you like to do before you die?

"Skydiving. Both my brothers have done it. Freefalling would be the ultimate feeling of adrenaline. Going on stage, you get a massive adrenaline rush so I think jumping out of a plane would be fucking awesome. It could literally be the last thing you do before you die. If I was told I was gonna die tomorrow I'd just go up in a plane and jump out."




It'd be nice. Is there a thing you've done that you wish you hadn't?

"When I was 15 I got let out of boarding school to go to my friend's 21st birthday party. They said I could go out as long as I didn't drink. I ended up getting so drunk I was sick on my friend's mum. Which is an absolute shocker and I got into such absolute shit. I don't know what I was drinking, I just know it was really strong. Then I remember passing out and waking up in the toilet. I remember waking up at different points throughout the evening then waking up next to my best friend's mum having been sick on her. Then I went back to school, puked in the taxi and my parents had to spend £100 cleaning the taxi out. It was not a good experience."

We'd not advise anyone do that but is there a thing you've done that you'd recommend everyone do?

"I'd recommend everyone go and see a band called Mono. They're a band from Tokyo. They're post-rock, just instrumental, soaring guitars. It was one of the best gigs of my life. It was literally a mesmerising experience and I'd encourage anyone to go and see them live. It's just the type of thing you watch and if you're into music it'll just blow your mind."




Ours blew a long time ago. What one thing would you like everyone to stop doing?

"I wish everyone would stop making ridiculous reality TV shows. 'Big Brother' is not as offensive but these shows like 'X Factor' and all that crap are so sickeningly boring and not that good for this country's music. I think it makes the music industry look a bit silly, to be honest."

Chico says he thinks this series made 'X Factor' cool.

"Ha ha, I very much doubt that. It's just not cool.
I just don't understand it, it's such bland boring TV. The amount of people who've that've released singles from it and how many have actually stood the test of time. The couple of people who've done well seemed to have some genuine talent and would probably have done just as well without it. But name the fifty others and they've gone into obscurity. It's so ridiculous."

Just absurd. Name a thing you'd thought would be brilliant but turned out to be rubbish.

"'Chronicles Of Narnia'. It was fucking horrendous. When I was a kid I liked the original but they remade it and it was so fucking boring I almost walked out. It felt really cheaply made, though it probably wasn't and I didn't think the acting was particularly brilliant. It's always dangerous when they remake something from your childhood because you get attached to things."



And how about a thing you thought would be rubbish but turned out to be brilliant (do you see what we did there?)

"A film called 'Lord of War'. Nicholas Cage was an arms dealer. It's such a good feeling when you go into the cinema thinking it might be a bit rubbish and come out thinking 'that was fucking awesome!' That was definitely one of those moments."

We've not seen it. Was there a thing you loved as a child but now hate?

"McDonalds. I really don't like McDonalds anymore. Maybe 'Supersize Me' probably had something to do with that. I used to look forward so much to Saturday morning when I could go into town and get McDonalds and now if I have McDonalds I always feel sick. It's all about Subway now. Subway is incredible. Meatballs...steak and cheese... I'm accustomed to all the Subways now."



And was there a thing you hated as a child that you now love?





"When I was growing up, my Dad used to drink gin & tonic and I'd find them disgusting. Now I fucking love gin & tonic. Red wine too. I think your taste buds change."




You were downing G&Ts as a toddler? Heavens! What thing do you wish someone would invent?

"Guitars that don't go out of tune. If you had a guitar that automatically tuned itself if the heat and humidity made it go out of tune, that would be incredible. Something subtly adjusting it."

Isn't that called a roadie? What thing made you vomit recently?

"I haven't vomited in fucking ages. I can hold my red wine and gin & tonic. When I was a kid I used to puke through alcohol but now I hardly ever puke. I can't actually remember the last time I was sick."

Wish we couldn't. Tell us about a thing that makes you feel a bit funny in the trouser department.

"I went skiing at Christmas and had to wear those really tight long-johns. They chafe a bit but they're needed because it's fucking cold."

Is it? Finally, what thing would you rather be doing than this interview?

"If anyone asks me what I'd rather be doing I always say I'd be in the Maldives, lying on a beach, listening to my ipod - maybe Jeff Buckley 'Hallelujah', A gin & tonic in my hand and my girlfriend by my side."

Aw! Thanks Charlie.

"Thanks a lot Slashmusic!"

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