Stick ‘Em Up Punk: VIVA Talks To Huey Morgan

Amelia Ryder | 5th February 2016

The Fun Lovin’ Criminals made their debut in 1996 with the release of Come Find Yourself. The album bagged the band a top ten spot and spent almost a year in the charts. It was released by Capitol Records which in itself speaks volumes of the bands brilliance. Signature tracks like Scooby Snacks, King of New York and Fun Lovin’ Criminal secured the three-piece a successful home in the nineties music scene. Since their debut release the band have recorded five more studio albums and become multi-platinum selling artists.

Formed in 1993, the band is fronted by New Yorker Huey Morgan, whose quirky attitude and laid back style make him one of the coolest frontmen around. His lyrics have a likeable realness to them and his riffs provide the infectious flow characteristic of the FLC sound. The multitalented Brian Leiser and drum maestro Frank Benbini complete the FLC line-up.

This week, Fun Lovin’ Criminals kicked off a huge world tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Come Find Yourself. They’ll play numerous cities throughout Europe before heading to Australia. VIVA caught up with Huey to talk about touring, life outside FLC and ‘philosophuey’.

So you’re about to embark on what looks like a huge tour…

Well, it’s a world tour. We’re doing the first leg now, which is the UK. Then we’re going to Europe for a while. And then I think we have a month off, before doing some festivals in the summer in the UK and Europe. Then at the end of the summer we’re down in Australia. And we don’t know where we’re going from there, probably South America, North America, Asia. Then Antarctica, play for the penguins.

Giving it to all the fans…

Yeah, anybody who wants to see us play we’ll play for. After twenty years we owe them.

The tour’s celebrating 20 years of Come Find Yourself. How does it feel to be back on the road?

Yeah, it’s ok. I mean, we’re not as crazy as we used to be. So it’s a little less of a boarding problem. When we played Dublin last week, it was the first time we’d been in Dublin Airport not hungover. So that’s saying something.

So you’ve got quite a few UK dates haven’t you?

Yeah, starting in Leeds. Friday we’re playing in Newcastle. And then Saturday we’re playing Rock City in Nottingham.

And when you come to Manchester on the 28th, you’re playing the Cathedral aren’t you. That’s a beautiful venue.

Yeah, we played there once before and wanted to play there again. It’s a really nice spot. And, you know, its sold out now which is really good.

Do you have any support on the tour?

No it’s more like ‘an evening with’. So what we’re doing is playing Come Find Yourself from start to finish. And then we’ll let everybody go to the bar. We’ll go to our bar. Or in this case, backstage where the priests hang out. We’ll have a tequila shot, then come back and play some more songs for people.

FLC’s sound has been described as lots of different things. Funk, jazz, hip-hip and so on. If aliens landed, how would Huey Morgan describe the sound of FLC?

Well, that’s the whole point of music. I don’t think I’d be able to describe it. I’d just have to say look guys, sit down with your big green heads and listen to us.

What kind of bands are you into?

Well, I’m listening to a lot of, I suppose it’s kind of electronic. You know like people putting beats together in their basements. That’s where I’m feeling stuff. I like Post Malone, I think he’s doing some good stuff. Check him out on YouTube, he has a song called White Iverson. That’s his new joint, it’s really good.

Is it true that a judge once gave you a choice between the Marines and prison?

Laughs. Yeah I was given that option. And I chose the Marine Corps.

So from Marine to multi-platinum selling artist. How does that feel?

Well, a lot of folks that are in the entertainment business were Marines. You know, Steve McQueen, Gene Hackman, there are loads.

Oh, so its where all the greats come from…

Yeah, I mean, we get out of the Marines and we just wanna do everything after that.

You have your own show on BBC Radio 6 – The Huey Show.

Yeah, and I have a show on Radio 2 called The Huey Show on Radio 2.

So you have two shows. Well, Radio 6 has a good reputation for playing a nice eclectic mix of stuff and a cool mix of genres. How much freedom do you have to play what you want?

I’d say it’s about 80/20. You know, I have to play some of the playlist stuff. But other than that… You know when I was doing my show on Sundays, I was doing it for about six years, I’d choose 100% of the music. And when I moved to Saturdays, 10am-1pm is a slot where they have some playlist songs. But I can choose a lot of the playlist songs that I like. So it’s around 80/20 in my favour, which is pretty cool.

Yeah that’s really cool because you hear about some radio presenters who have no freedom whatsoever in terms of what they play.

Yeah, I mean I just wouldn’t do that. It’s like, when they moved me, I was like why do I have to do something I don’t wanna do. And the people at the station were like ‘well, we want you to do what you want to do’. So I was like okay cool.

That’s nice.

Yeah, very nice of them. And the people like that too. I think they kind of understand that if I’m playing something it’s because I like it, not because I have to. I think everybody can smell b******* a mile away now. You know, if I were to say oh this new Foals record is outstanding, it so cuddly and warm people would be like ‘he’s full of s***, he doesn’t believe that’. And I’m not saying the Foals suck or anything like that. You know, that’s just an example.

I love ‘philosophuey’. Is that an ironic thing or does it represent a part of you?

Well yeah, that’s just something I started doing when I got back on Twitter. I figured the best thing to do was give people something to think about rather than harping on about b*******. I just see it as something I can be helpful with, you know a lot of people like to be snide on social media. And that’s cool, a lot of people just like to be snide. But I just maybe give them something to think about for the two minutes they’re swiping their Twitter.

Yeah, hit them on a deeper level.

Yeah, why not. A lot of people do that. I know Ricky Gervais does that, he’s good like that. I like him on Twitter.

So what’s your personal philosophy on life then, Huey?

Well, my ethos has always been, I’m in the service industry – I’m here to do what I can to help people out. It’s plain and simple.

So, aside from touring and being a smooth mother f*****, what do you have planned for 2016.

Laughs. Did you just call me a smooth mother f*****?

I did.

Laughs. You learnt that from your grandpa right?

Maybe. So, aside from that, what does 2016 hold for you?

Being a dad. Being a family man. My wife and kids are really important to me, so that’s what I do when I’m not on stage making a fool out of myself.

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