SUPERVAMP!!!!
Hit Songwords Magazine July 1991 -Australia
[submitted by Justin Whyte]

Transvision Vamp have been away for what seems like eons, but now there back and Wendy James not only wants to B With U, she wants to talk to you as well! She's fully recovered from a nasty stomach bug that forced her to cancel her original interview - "It was awful I was in no fit condition to talk to anybody." - and she is on the line from London, talking about why Transvision Vamp disappeared, the movie she's rumored to be making and why she thinks having a career is more important than getting married and having kids!

What have Transvision Vamp been doing? "Well the actual tour for Velveteen took us up to the end of 1989 and our original plan was to go straight into the studio and record the third album, but Nick and I were so exhausted cos we hadn't really stopped since we signed in 1987. So we really did need a break, not only for ourselves, but for the music. There's a certain tolerance level as well for the public, and if a band is continually releasing a record every three months for three years, after a while they're going to say, "Oh not another one." Even if they love it you know. So we decided to take the summer months off and just relax, see our friends again and I don't know, go on bike rides, just be normal for a little while which is what we did . And because of that break the album is so much better than what it would have been if we had just carried on working. And in a way it's just like we never went away."

Is it true that you are going to be in a movie? "There has been one movie - well there have been a few but only one that I have seriously considered, which was by the director of Betty Blue, Jean Jacques Beineix. I went over to Paris and he asked me if I would meet with him. he said he would like to write me a movie and I said 'Well go ahead lets talk about it when you've done it,' that's as far as it got. But it's very flattering, because Betty Blue whether I had met Jean Jacques Beineix or not is one of my favorite films"

Have you done any acting before? " Only what everyone else does... which is in school plays. It's something that I personally believe I can do very well, but on the other hand it's nothing something that I'm trying to do, because I have a world tour to do and then a fourth album and then another world tour. So I'm not exactly planning to go off to Hollywood or anything like that. On the other hand, if the script is marvelous, then who knows what will happen."

Do you like the glamorous part of your job - getting dressed up for video's and photo shoots? "I don't regard that as a job at all yeah. There's a new magazine out at the moment that I am on the cover of and that's all Jeans and shit...But generally it's nice to be able to put on exciting clothes that you wouldn't necessary wear down the street because everyone would go. 'Oooh look at her', So yes, it nice to dress up."

Do you like having your photo taken? "Depends on the photographer. I mean this year I've told everybody that I'm not doing a photo session unless it's world class - which may sound pretentious, but the bottom line is there aren't many people who photograph well. There are many people who do photos and they look OK, but I'm not interested in OK. If I am going to be photographed then I want to look brilliant. So I've only done a few photo sessions this year and we've controlled all of them."

How do people react when they see you in the street? "Well it depends if they know me or not. If they don't know me then it will be like 'Oooh there's Wendy James' and the younger ones will come up and get autographs. Obviously, the people in the area of London I live in it's like 'Morning Wendy' , nothing special, but I suppose it cause's quite a stir when I venture out of my hometown.'

Does it bug you? "No I mean there are times when you have a stomach bug or a headache and someone is saying 'Can I have your autograph' and you think 'Fuck this' but obviously I'm not stupid. I'd be alot more worried if they weren't asking for my autograph."

What is the best thing about being in Transvision Vamp? " The best thing is doing what I want, when I want, making money from doing what I want, when I want; traveling around the world; meeting people I'd never have met if I hadn't been in this business and on top of that having a good feeling with the public. I mean it's just beautiful. I wouldn't change my life for anything. I mean it is stressful - for any readers that may have misconceptions, it really isn't a bowl of cherries. It really is a very stressful thing. Especially if you are trying as Transvision Vamp do to keep control over everything you know, single covers, photographs, interviews, everything. There's a lot of pressure on you, but at the end of the day it's very gratifying to walk out on stage and see people that are happy that you're there...it's brilliant!"

What would be the worst thing? " Public rejection. That would be the worst thing that could happen. It hasn't happened - of course not! But there is always the possibility it may do and that really scares me, cos I don't know if I could handle it. After feeling so wanted, it would be awful to feel like you are not wanted anymore."

So is being in Transvision Vamp the best thing you could be doing? "Absolutely, there's nothing...(She launches into an anecdote!) I haven't had a boyfriend for six months and I was actually talking to my ex boyfriend the other day and he said 'What have you been doing?' and I said 'I have been incredibly busy. I've been getting up, working and sleeping...' and he said to me. 'You haven't got a life have you? Why don't you get yourself a life?' and I got so angry because these men who are meant to be strong and wordily wise are completely fucked off at the end of the day - well I am talking about him., that he couldn't convince me that getting married and having children was more important than having a career. But I don't care whether the man is fucking superman, cos I don't wanna be with the one person forever, cos that's gonna bore me and I don't want to look after children forever cos that will bore me too. In my career something new happens in it each day and I get to achieve things - my own personal achievements and that's the most fulfilling thing I can have in my life, more than any man, any sex and any fucking homelife. God I'm going on abit now. but oh, it really made me angry! That's just so weak. That is weakness, the desire to conform to an easy life... I am 25 years old and I am quite convinced that even I fell head over heels in love with someone tomorrow it wouldn't last for the rest of my life. How could one person keep you interested for 60 years?"

Have you started touring yet? "No, were just preparing for it, we're rehearsing and then in about 5 weeks time we're off to Europe for the summer festivals - big festivals with 70-80,000 people a night. and then we will do our own gigs which will be slightly smaller than that! And then we go out to Japan and then on to Australia which is around about your springtime."

Have you ever played to that many people before? "We've done 50-60,000 so I shouldn't think the extra 20,000 will make that much difference! But it's going to be brilliant, we have quite a few headliners on those shows, so oh I cant wait." Do you like touring? "There is nothing better for the ego than 80,000 people screaming your name... Please print that with a sense of humour otherwise people will think I am a right bitch. But I mean it's brilliant! I mean for any person that felt they weren't loved in their younger life, in their early childhood years, to have 80,000 people screaming your name, it is quite nice." \

Is that you, did you feel as though you weren't loved? "Well I should imagine that's a contributing factor as to why I have to seek this kind of public adulation."

AAWWW, Wendy James, she rants, she raves, but really she just wants to be loved ( as long as it doesn't include marriage )