20 Questions: Mogwai

Rave Tapes is the eighth full-length since Glasgow post-rock titans Mogwai first opened their doors in 1995. The record mines the same potent refrain as their finest work, and it’s testament to their ongoing relevance that it hit the Top 10 UK Albums. Oh, and they’ve released their own scotch too.

Naturally, we leapt at a chat with the band’s de facto leader, Stuart Braithwaite, but rather than inundate him with the same tired topics, we decided to ask the questions we really want to know the answers to. In fact, we asked him twenty.

What was your favourite cartoon when you were a kid?
Hmm, probably the Ewoks.

Who’s your favourite Wu-Tang Clan member?
That varies, but I’d probably say the GZA. I think he’s the best rapper basically, and he seems like a cool guy. One time me and Dominic (Aitchison, Mogwai bassist) saw him playing chess in the park with the old guys in Manhattan as well. I thought that was awesome, that it wasn’t just a schtick. Wu-Tang were actually out, playing chess.

And your favourite Slipknot member?
We’ve actually met them. I think I liked the Pig the best.

You know he’s dead?
Really? Shit. I feel like I’ve lost a friend.

Do you support a football team?
Yes, Glasgow Celtic.

What’s the most overrated album ever?
That’s a hard one to answer cause if I don’t like it I probably haven’t heard the whole thing. I’ve never heard Dark Side of the Moon. Oh, and my friend Mark’s just said it’s pish, so I’ll say that. But who knows, if I listened to the whole thing maybe I’d think it was good. Nope, Mark says I wouldn’t.

Favourite board game?
Scrabble.

Happy hardcore or jump-up drum ‘n’ bass?
I don’t know what ‘jumped up drum ‘n’ bass’ is, but it’s probably that cause happy hardcore is pretty horrific.

Wayne’s World or Bill & Ted?
Oh, Wayne’s World, definitely.

What are you wearing?
Err, a grey hoodie. It’s a bit sweaty actually, I need to go for a shower.

If you could pick a surrogate grandparent, who would it be?
I’d probably go with Iggy Pop.

Ever taken acid?
Yes.

How was it?
Which time? I’ve done it lots of times. The first time was at a Primal Scream concert, on the Screamadelica tour, when I was about 14 or 15. It was pretty amazing.

Is there a piece of advice you’d give to yourself 10 years ago?
No, I hate advice. I hate getting it and I don’t give it.

What’s the furthest you’ve ever run in one go?
Fuck, well a few years ago I was really into running, I probably ran about 20k. But I’m back into skateboarding now, so I do that instead of running. It makes you kind of fit.

Have you ever been arrested?
No.

Never?
You sound surprised! [laughs] That’s racial profiling.

Who’s the most famous person you’ve ever met?
I met Aiden Gillen, who plays Lord Baelish in Game of Thrones. He’s pretty famous.

Would you go for a pint with Kanye West?
Yeah, sure. I’ve got a few of his records, he’s probably quite an entertaining guy.

Rate these actors in order of how much you like them: Danny Dyer, Danny DeVito, Daniel Day-Lewis.
Out of ten? OK: Dyer 1, DeVito 4, and Day-Lewis can have 10.

Do you ever send post second class?
I do it all the time cause I sell a lot of crap on eBay. I’d never send something second class to someone I know though.

Describe yourself in 3 words beginning with S.
Short, syncopated … skateboarder? [laughs]

What would you want written on your tombstone?
Err … short, syncopated skateboarder! I don’t know, nothing, I’d just like there to be a date on there that’s in the very, very, very, very distant future.