So when I set out from London for my weekend away in Cambridge to catch Paul Goodwin live at the Portland Arms, even the most psychic journalist couldn’t have foreseen the drama about to unravel before me.
Arriving at the Arms perfectly on time…only to find that there is, basically, nothing happening. I find Paul sitting with some friends having a pint, musing over exactly who will be playing tonight as, due to some less than par organisation from the promoters, 2 of the 3 original acts are now unable to make it.
What this all means for me though, and the other 8 people that turned up for the gig, is a short but sweet newly revised, two act show featuring David Greeves up first, and Paul to follow.
Continuing on with the error filled evening, there is some problem with the guitar/lead connection which persists in making a horrible popping noise – but I decide not to blame the guys who are trying to salvage the evening with some tasteful, and nevertheless tuneful music.
Paul starts with ‘Alabaster’, which changes the mood of the 1/16th full gig room from awkward to relieved. Following with ‘Watertight’, I’m reassured of Paul’s stellar vocals and genuine talent in song-writing and the evening improves then and there.
Paul comments, “I’ll play that one right one day” after finishing ‘This Place is Dead Anyway’. ‘And So Finally a Love Song’ makes up for anything that has turned to complete crap tonight as it is genuinely a great song.
‘You Can’t Spend Your Whole Life Hanging Round with Arseholes’, ‘Radio Silence’ and ‘Closure’ round out this brief performance. The odd thing about tonight’s show was the overwhelming feeling of watching a young school boy playing songs well above his years. Paul is constantly rocking back and forwards, finishes his pint before the third track and actually gets his coat stuck in his guitar strap at one point (which even Paul found hilarious).
If he would just chill out, or even take a note out of David Greeves’s book and sit down, he may be as relaxing to watch perform as his songs are to listen to.
On the up side, I did have a chance to catch up with Paul, and get his insight on all things Scars, some Beatles bashing and even a bit of higher education…
Altsounds: When I first suggested an interview with Altsounds today, you asked, “Would you prefer it before or after I perform – I’ll be either nervous or drunk?”! You’ve been playing these types of live gigs for a while now, do you really still get nervous?
Paul Goodwin: Yeah I still get nervous. It’s better, I think, to get nervous, makes you play a bit better. But I also think I play well when I’m drunk as well…
Altsounds: So nervous and drunk both work well for you then?
PG: Well, people tell me otherwise!
Altsounds: Do you think we will have the benefit of either tonight?
PG: Nah, I’m neither nervous nor drunk tonight, more just a bit embarrassed about the whole thing!
Altsounds: Ah well, onwards and upwards! This will give you something good to blog about, at least! Speaking of which, there’s a lot of interesting stuff in your blogs, is there any reason in particular you start writing them?
PG: I don’t know why I do it. I just started doing it, and people started reading it – I think it’s almost more popular than the songs.
Altsounds: So Scars is available on your website on Monday [2 February], are you doing anything to celebrate? Are you excited?
PG: Um, I’ll go to work! Oh yeah, it’s very exciting. It’s a good thing, it’s been a long time making it.
Altsounds: What is it you do during the day then?
PG: I make websites, the programming, behind the scenes stuff. Although, well, I was nearly a Chemist.
Altsounds: Nearly?
PG: Well yes, I did a PhD, and then it turned out I wasn’t very good at it. I spent 8 years learning chemistry.
Altsounds: Wow, impressive! So back to the album, obviously, the perfect thing to happen now would be someone coming along and saying “Alright, let’s move on to the next step”…
PG: Yeah, that would be pretty cool, but I don’t know. It’s great that I’ve done it, I’ve been doing this for such a long time and I really like doing it, which is the main thing.
Altsounds: Exactly, and Scars has gathered some pretty great reviews so far…
PG: Yeah, there have been some not so good ones too though!
Altsounds: Well, we at Altsounds liked it! Being such a proficient songwriter yourself, if you could have written any other artists song, which would you chose, and why?
PG: At the minute, probably something by Okkervil River. They have excellent lyrics, if you read them without having any song behind it, it would still be really good.
Altsounds: There is a debate going on at Altsounds at the moment about who the best songwriter of all time is, any thoughts on the matter?
PG: I think I would stick with [Will Sheff from] Okkervil River! …So who’s winning that debate at the moment then?
Altsounds: The Beatles presently…
PG: Oh no, I don’t think I’d agree with that, what song of theirs is good lyrically? I would never have said the Beatles. There’s been a lot better since that I’m sure. You know, people improve on things, so it works.
Altsounds: Interesting, I’ll add your comments to the discussion! You gave a sum up of all the gigs you had been to during 2008 on your site, which was a very sizeable list…
PG: Yeah, I missed some out too, which was a bit naughty…
Altsounds: I saw one artist was described as “beyond shit - worst gig ever”, who was it and why was it that bad?
PG: Oh yeah, Kimya Dawson. She used to be in a band called Moldy Peaches, and has done an album of children’s songs, and she was singing them out of tune and I just thought “oh, I don’t like this at all”. I think people were just watching it because they used to like the Moldy Peaches. It didn’t do it for me, but my friend Kevin liked it, so what can you say.
Altsounds: And I think it was Vampire Weekend you described as “good, but with no right to be”. Why was that?
PG: Well, it’s just a bit weird, these guys from America, putting on Liverpool accents, but when they speak in between the songs you can tell. It was strange, but they were good. It’s not the thing I usually like, but I did enjoy it.
Altsounds: It’s been well documented that it took a fair while for you to write the tracks for Scars. Are we going to have to wait until 2019 for another record!?
PG: At this rate, yes. I’m thinking about doing a little EP of less musical songs. But I need to write one more, then I’ll have four, so that might be this year – I’ve got a couple of them recorded.
Altsounds: So how long does it usually take for you to write one song?
PG: A long time! ‘In Sure and Certain Hope’ took 3 years to write the words. I find it’s better to let it come out on its own, rather than trying to make it come out. The tune is there first, and then the lyrics come over top slowly, really slowly!
Altsounds: Alright, one final question, Top 5 songs to fall asleep listening to?
PG: ‘Possession’ by Sarah McLachlan (or pretty much anything on Fumbling
Towards Ecstasy), ‘Apologies for Apathy’ by Small Town Boredom, ‘February’ by Dar Williams, ‘Blindsided’ by Bon Iver and ‘Farewell’ by Rosie Thomas.
And so, I packed up my things and started to head back to London, all the while wishing that Paul had just that little bit more confidence to really sell Scars and pack out even the most random of gigs. He’s better than even he gives himself credit for.
And then it started to snow…
Paul Goodwin 
| 
Clutch Interview w/Jean-Paul Gaster
| Features 
Paul Goodwin, Interview and Live Review
Re: Paul Goodwin, Interview and Live Review
