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Fantasy Interview

From This Might Be A Wiki

Supposing They Might Be Giants gave us an interview, what would we ask?

If any wikians can shed light, they can answer as well.

Put your questions below:

HearingAid wonders:

  • 1. There are many references to drugs in TMBG songs, but by all accounts you live moderate lives (for rock stars). What do you know about drugs?
  • 2. Why are so many of your songs about sadness and failure? Is it because of personal problems or experiences or does it just sound cooler that way?
  • 3. Are or were either of you fans of disco, country, rap, or even all three at once?
  • 4. Why are so many metal bands into mythology?

ThePoorRichFellow asks:

  • 1. Are you considering ever returning to Chicago for another preformance?

SweetAfton23 wants to know:

  • 1. If you don't like being called 'quirky, wacky, zany', etc., what do you want to be called?
  • 2. Is Henry Linnell old enough to understand that his dad's a rock star?
  • He must be. I think seven is enough to understand your dad's job. ~AgentChronon
  • 4. (answered) Did you actually see "I don't want the world, I just want your half" painted on a bridge somehwere? Where was it [for the sake of pilgrimages]?
  • 5. What does "Apologies to Mr. Walker" mean?

Tenniru would kill to know:

  • 1. Although Dan Miller says the Beardo 2006 shows can't be released due to the presence of the new songs, will they ever show up on the website after the new album hits stores in '07? Many people would LOVE to hear the show they went to.
  • 2. Will there ever be a rarities collection that sums up what Misc. T and They Got Lost don't? (Superfueled Freaksicle, maybe?)

Desck wants to know:

  • 1. Okay, so we've heard about Flans's musical background, but Linnell seems to have always remained mostly silent on his childhood and start in music. I'd kill to know how he managed to master so many instruments in such a short period of time (What, like, 25 something years? Not to mention the number of band both had already been in by the start of TMBG!)
Didn't Flans say that the key to TMBG is they are willing to play any song very badly? I don't think they have mastered most of the instruments they play, just play them well enough for their purposes. I mean, how do you know when you have mastered the Kaoss pad? I think Linnell said in an interview that he was interested in guitar, but his brother already played, so when he was young, he got piano lessons instead, so as not to overlap. The bass clarinet he claims to have taught himself in the easy-going band room atmosphere at Lincoln Sudbury High, something about "they let you wander around" in there or something. The accordion was later, in his twenties, again, he taught himself, partly because he got tired of lugging the keyboard around and accordions let you and walk around on stage.
  • 2 On a follow up note, neither of the two Johns have talked about when/how they started to sing. I know Flans has said that when he first started in the band he couldn't sing and play guitar at the same time, but other then that, nothing I'm aware of.
Flans did say that early in their career, he took some lessons from a Broadway singing instructor on "how to belt it out" and still save your voice, because he was singing so much, said they taught him tricks for singing for several hours at a stretch.
  • 3. Another Linnell question. In an interview I read on the internet, supposedly transcribed from a newspaper, it mentions Linnell answer a letter he got about how it was hard to get their albums in Japan....in Japanese. It also said Linnell responded with a tape, and a letter...again, in Japanese. If indeed this is true, how'd you manage it? Have a Japanese-speaking friend?
  • 4. In fact, given the existence of the Greek translation Number Three, is Linnell actually a closet linguist? I've heard the Greek version actually mostly rhymes, even.
I think he said Number Three was translated for him by his roomie Chris, who is half-Greek and spoke enough to help him out. This was in Hell's Kitchen? I think, where Chris' Dad owned the building, and John got a break on the rent by rooming with Chris, who acted as the super? Is that right, people?
  • 5. ...And the latest: What drum machine did y'all use? (I think I've read this somewhere in an interview, but can't find it now that I've thought of it)

RWS relentlessly wants to know:

  • 1. Why do you guy's come to Australia very few times? We all miss you
  • 2. In Number Three you talked about writer's block, but from all your Dial-A-Song songs and podcasts, you guys never seem to be stuck for songs, have you guys ever really had writer's block?

Steve Worek will probably confront Flansburgh face to face with this question one day:

  • 3. For the love of God, can we see the Rabid Child video?
  • 4. If I told you my dog was dying, could I see the Rabid Child video?
  • 5. If I told you *I* was dying, could I see the Rabid Child video?
  • 6. If I broke into your house and stole the Rabid Child video, would you be upset? I mean, you're a nice guy and all, that'd be cool with you, right?
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