Emily Williams: What are your Top 5 Paddington things?

David McCormack: You will have to excuse me, because I’ve been out of town for a while, most of these will actually be "things I used to do". Back in the ‘90s, I used to really enjoy going to the Paddo Tavern and sitting on the bar stools that where shaped like saddles. The bar staff, all lovely ladies I seem to recall, always looked terrific in their white cowboy hats. Paddo Woolies was quite pleasant as well. The rest of my Paddington life was spent hiring Goldeneye for the Nintendo 64 from the Plains Video shop.

DMC: One of my first night club experiences was at Café Neon in the ‘80s. I drank a bottle of Blue Voc and vomited a torrent of blue spew all over my parents yard in Kenmore. Later on, I lived in Paddington for a few years. Some of the happiest days of my life were spent drinking beer in a house in Drynan Street. Musgrave Road, Given Terrace – great streets, great part of town. I think me and Paddington have always gotten along quite well. Sure, it can be a little snooty sometimes, but then again, so can I. It seems to have changed dramatically over the last 10 years, but that is no surprise.

DMC: No No’s Lebanese takeway was always a favourite. As was the old fish and chip shop up near Nataraja’s Indian Restaurant. Wee Willie Winky’s was a convenient place to get nitrous oxide bulbs.

DMC: Not really, no. I’m sworn to secrecy.

DMC: Well, I did write a song for Paddington called The New Matthew in a house on Musgrave Road. Don’t ask me why or how, but that song just sounds like that area in 1998. Every time I hear it I think of that house. I think it was house number 167, but I can’t be exactly sure anymore.

DMC: I don’t see him as a stalker. I see him as an archivist. Thank goodness someone is collecting these things, otherwise I’d have nothing on YouTube to show my grandkids. It is amazing how little I’ve managed to keep of all my "output" over the years. Moving from here to there, touring, and general forgetfulness results in a great shedding of documentation. Thank goodness for other people!

DMC: I’d love to have an exciting story of drug addiction, rehab, relapse, rehab again. Unfortunately I do not. Trust me, I’ve recorded and mixed three albums in the last four years, but decided that instead of releasing them, I’d just burn copies and hand them out to friends. It seemed like the right thing to do. Now I am in the process of mixing a whole new bunch of recordings that I did last October with the Polaroids. I wanna get it out in the next few months. It will be called Little Murders after one of my favourite childhood films. The sound of the album reminds me quite a lot of 1993.

DMC: Seja Vogel is quite the renaissance woman. Not only does she make these wonderful little felt items, she is an incredibly gifted musician and song writer. And she is tall. And she drives the same car as my Mum. Where were these young talented people 20 years ago when I was starting a band? I could’ve used people like that back then!

DAVE MCCORMACK & THE POLAROIDS play the free Paddington Fair Saturday Jun 6 at Neal Macrossan Park, along with supergroup The Horrortones, Halfway, Rational Academy & many more.

Be first to comment on this article

Write Comment
Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Poster's IP addresses are logged.
Name:
Comment:
Code:*