Last updated
May 16 2008
Xbox Gamertag:
DVDfever co uk
The Wombles:
Complete Collection
Just £9.48!
Alien/Predator:
Complete Collection
for just £44.99
Harry Potter
Complete Sp.Edn
for just £40.96
|
Elly Roberts reviews
Mick Hucknall book signing
at Selfridges, Trafford Centre, Manchester
Wednesday, 17th October, 2007
|
|
Mick and Elly.
|
If You Don't Know Me By Now: 
Live at Royal Albert Hall DVD:
Over two hundred Simply Red fans lined up at the Home department in Selfridges Trafford Centre on Wednesday.
Mick was back in his home town to sign copies of new book If You Don’t Know
Me By Now (Carlton Books - see Amazon link above), by Brian Southall with
Mick Hucknall.
Before the signings, Mick was interviewed by media, including BBC North West,
in a makeshift interview room in the anals of the store. Arriving 20 minutes
late, due to a misunderstanding, he pointed out, a lean-looking Hucknall,
dressed in grey pinstriped suit, open necked pink shirt and smart beige brogues,
he sat for approximately 20 minutes, politely responding to our questions.
He was asked how he felt about coming back to Manchester, during which he’d
been baby shopping with his partner Gabriella Wesberry for 9lb arrival Romy
True Hucknall.
"It’s been three years, it seems longer actually. I don’t really know why.
We’ve had a few days here, when I’ve seen family and friends. I’m just always
amazed at the change in the architecture and how European it’s becoming."
Of his fans in Manchester, Mick said, "I’m going to meet some of them later.
We don’t have a kind of pre-arranged meeting like this, signing books is a
one-off really. Naturally it’s good to come back, I don’t think twice about it.
I’m very relaxed here."
|
|
|
Mick signs a book for a fan.
|
When asked why Simply Red remained popular after 25 years, he said, "I don’t
know actually. I just make this music that’s popular, and as long as it
remains reasonably popular, that’s good."
When talking about the book Mick was keen to explain, "It’s a very human
story of Simply Red. I’m a very shy person, and I’ve tried to be objective
and explain why I reacted in a certain way. We questioned everything between
'76 and '78. I didn’t fit in with fashions. The Punk thing made me go that way.
Because I’m largely a shy person, we wanted to get across the multi-dimensional
side of things. I didn’t want it to be too much of a powder-puff piece."
Refering to his recent fatherhood, he said, "I don’t even remember my life
before I became a father. It’s absolutely changed my life, and I’m loving every
bit of it."
Mick made a personal reference when introducing his song For Your Babies
on the new Live From The Albert Hall DVD. How did he feel about that?
- "Naturally, I was emotional. I welled up actually."
|
|
|
|
Mick chats to a fan.
|
On his band Mick said, "People think Simply Red is a solo project and it’s
not, it’s a band. I will be doing a solo project with Bobby Bland – a tribute to
Bobby over in Memphis, a kind of documentary and I think it’s more appropriate
to do it myself. With Simply Red, we’re a kind of victim of our own success
with the soul thing. I was on the dole for sometime, then we had a hit in
America with 'Money’s Too Tight To Mention'. It was surreal."
On the ‘Stars’ tour interview Mick said he hoped he’d be around for a long
time, like Sinatra. He now said, "I didn’t want to be like Sinatra, but yes
I think I’ve achieved quite abit of longevity after 22 years."
And on the future of Simply Red. When would they be back? - "I really don’t
know when Simply Red will be back".
I mentioned that on the DVD interview, he said they would probably be back in
2009, doing a greatest hits tour. When asked if this signalled a retirement,
he stopped and thought carefully, replying with, "Mhh. I don’t know. That
would be, let me think, 25 years. I think that’s long enough."
Interviews over, Mick was ushered to meet his adoring fans on the shop floor,
where he signed copies of the book until 8pm.
|
Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2008.
For prints of any of Elly's concert pics online,
email Elly
or call 07765 862017.
|
[Up to the top of this page]
DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV
connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and
played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
Since Nov 2005: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0Ghz, 1Gb RAM, 128Mb nVidia GeForce 6700XL, Windows XP
Since Aug 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb GeForce4 MX440 graphics, Windows XP
Since May 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.6Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb ATI Radeon 9600TX graphics, Windows XP
Since Jun 2002: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, 64Mb ATI Radeon 8500LE
Since May 2000: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, Voodoo 3 3000 AGP
|
