27 f 12 shots from the fRoots

Rocket Launcher a dozen leading questions to fire at Olivia Chaney

If you were given the funds to organise a concert bill, who would the artists be?

Mozart, Purcell, Stravinsky in a band – either a fight would break out or something rather radical might come of it. Also watch- ing their egos and very different personali- ties deal with each other would be fascinat- ing… and all brilliant keyboard players/per- formers in their own right. I wouldn’t mind getting up and singing a few numbers with them too if they’d permit me!

Which totally obscure record do you most treasure and would like more people to know about?

Contemporary ‘field’ recordings of old ladies from the East End singing old Cockney/ Music Hall songs via a project with Wilton’s Music Hall – some of them are hilarious and sung with such wit and life even though you can hear they’re pretty old and tired.

What was the best live gig you ever saw?

Theodora at Glyndebourne 1994 –my favourite Handel opera with the late Lor- raine Hunt-Lieberson and Dawn Upshaw… who amazingly I’m now label-mates of. But truly, watch the DVD or YouTubes of it… earth-shattering music and performances. I was never quite the same after I think.

And what was the worst?

LOL, I really can’t say ’cos I always get something out of watching humans express- ing (or trying to express) themselves – at the least it’s fascinating, infuriating, a lesson in what not to do, and at its best it’s moving and life-affirming. My friend once had a laughing fit at a gig I had to partake in – that was his worst gig he ever saw and I was in it… mildly traumatic but funny.

What was your own best ever gig?

Just recently in Gottingen Handel Festi- val the day after my album launch here in London. I’d barely slept and there were German train strikes on. My manager advised me not to board the plane, but my musical accompanist Jordan Hunt and I intrepidly drank coffee and cheerfully wait- ed to board with all my instruments and suddenly we’d managed to be late and had to rush! The result being I arrived at Frank- furt with no bag – complete with shoes, concert dress, CDs, pants, toothbrush, dig- nity, decorum etc.

The theatre was gorgeous as were the people working in it, and though I was utterly daunted by performing as a guest in such such a distinguished festival, they wel- comed us. They found me a pair of jeans from the basement and Jordan found me a plastic, broken belt to hold them up. I had

some red lipstick and I always perform bare- foot anyhow. I was just honest with them and told them I had planned to make an effort and dress up for them, but that my dress was in London City Airport security. They roared with laughter… and we pro- ceeded to play one of the most enjoyable, present, magical shows to date. I think it helped with the communication and any cultural barriers!

And what was your worst? Too many to mention, haha.

One very funny one was doing a live art piece with my dear friends mmmmm in the back of a pub in Peckham hosted by a man who always wore a cabbage hat. I’d carved up a special a cappella version complete with salt and lentil shakers made in our kitchen and ankle bells – Carmen Miranda’s glorious Chic-a-boom. We were wearing very tight gold tubes in two halves and I had little else on. I had my back turned to the audience whilst I wiggled my way through the percussive song and each wiggle I begun to realise the bottom half of the sewn gold tube was gently slipping down. My dad, sister and her work colleague were all in the audience along with various friends. It was one to remember and the show went on…

Also more recently playing a really great club in Louisville Kentucky opening for a stomping bluegrass band but with a pinball tournament going on in the back- ground and about five people there to lis- ten and broken aircon that was blasting such cold air down on us on stage we had to play the gig with our coats on even though it was like the tropics outside, fireflies, frogs, storms etc. Very surreal and kind of painful in a funny way.

What’s the professional achievement you’re most proud of?

Signing to Nonesuch Records (thanks to you lot!) and putting out my first record The Longest River.

What’s the most embarrassing thing you ever did in public?

Too many to mention, most days.

Which song or piece of music would you most like to have written yourself?

Ditto the above… but not including some great arias and Baroque stuff – proba- bly Cactus Tree by Joni Mitchell.

Who was the first musician or singer you were inspired to emulate?

Whitney Houston singing Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You (!) – and Joni Mitchell.

Who was the last-but-one musician or singer you lusted after?

Bob Dylan’s always there in the back- ground… (I love the last-but-one: is that for diplomacy?!)

If you had a rocket launcher, who or what would be the target, and why?

Any big cities increasingly loaded full of

greedy, cheap, badly designed and planned architecture! Makes me so sad and cross. I don’t think I’ll always live in a city… so per- haps I could put myself on the rocket launcher too…

Olivia Chaney’s actual real genuinely long- awaited debut album The Longest River was recently let out by Nonesuch Records, and she is now embarked on the never ending tour to promote it. www.oliviachaney.net F

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