Interview with Dave-ID (The Virgin Prunes, The Prunes, Solo)

Hello! Tell us a bit about yourself, how are you doing these days?

Hi, I’m well thanks and living in Dublin. Still writing and recording, some autobiographical and some observational. Still finding inspiration in everyday situations. Draw on my own times including periods of illness when I was a child which nearly resulted in death, However, I remain optimistic and honest in my approach to both life and art.

How did you end up meeting the other members in the Virgin Prunes?

Well we all go back a long way. I met Bono at school and my bother Nigel was good friends with Gavin Friday and Reggie The Bad Dog. I met Gavin in my house but was quite shy at that time. However we struck up a friendship which endures and later Lypton Village evolved from being mates, sharing interests and sense of humour.

How would you describe your first being in the Virgin Prunes? I have read you did things like sitting on stage eating a chicken covered in ketchup…..

The times spent as a member of Virgin Prunes were brilliant, fun and hard work. I enjoyed the challenge of writing songs and performing live with the group. We had a lot to share and yes, my initial live appearance involved some of the more performance art aspects of our vision including narration. Also In the early days we sometimes used to play new material on a specific occasion live and then never reproduce again in any context. Willfully perverse or a nod to a Dada sensibility I guess?

What is your relationship with the band members like today?

I share very good friendships with Gavin, Guggi, Dik and Mary. Strongman perhaps not always so cordial.

What was the music scene like in Ireland in the 70s/80s for you?

The Irish music scene in the past 30 years has produced some great artists and some not so inspired. Like anywhere else we have an abundance of creative souls, talent and diversity. I’m pleased and hopeful that the spirit which produced a band like Virgin Prunes still haunts the city and perhaps can help motivate interesting original groups and writers both in Ireland and elsewhere.

What is your favourite memory from touring?

The ‘If I Die, I Die’ tour was a wonderful experience. There was a lot of interest in the band and we played some great shows in Europe, the UK and North America. Met some wonderful, crazy and inspiring people too.

What was it like for you when the Virgin Prunes broke up?

The Virgin Prunes disbanding was sad but necessary in some respects. We had toured and recorded extensively so the time was right. It was of course sad but everything changes and life goes on. We still remain friends and appreciate similar things. But the adventure continues in different directions.

What has been your favourite song to record? Why?

It would be hard to single out one individual song or piece of music as mood often dictates what people choose to listen too and why. ‘Mother Forgive Me’ always speaks to me, sometimes providing solace and sometimes illumination. ‘Sol Sunset’ has a bittersweet vibe and still sounds strong. The Virgin Prunes albums still sound very fresh and influential. Of my as yet unreleased new songs, ‘Babydoll’ shares a sense of that surreal humour we collectively expressed at times. While ‘One Love, No Secret’ is a personal favourite.

What was it like after the break-up, and continuing with Strongman and Mary as The Prunes?

The Virgin Prunes had nearly a decade of touring, recording and travelling worldwide. So while we all enjoyed this time, it was also felt the time was right to diversify and try new projects. Gavin commenced his solo work and The Prunes began in 1988. It was good to work with Mary and Strongman and later with the other friends and musicians that were around during that time.

What happened to The Prunes?

The group had more or less run it’s course by the early 1990′s. Again we felt that we should move into other directions with a fresh outlook. Some of The Prunes work still sound interesting and experimental while some remains of it’s time.

Who/what are your biggest influences?

Anyone who expresses their imagination, heart and soul with both integrity and a degree of honesty. I guess when I first started listening to music seriously as a teenager, the touchstones would have been Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, The Stooges, Marc Bolan and some of the more theatrical of the Progressive bands such as Peter Gabriel-era Genesis and Queen. Later Springsteen, Nick Cave, Bjork, Eno and Tom Waits became and remain inspirational on different levels.

So now doing solo work, do you find you prefer this or prefer being in a band?

Well I love solo work as it is both a challenge, big responsibility and a catharsis but I also enjoy working with other musicians and artists for similar reasons. Whatever the project the collective contributions can often be both interesting, stimulating and diverse. Different people bring their own perspectives and techniques which can take you into other territories. This would certainly have been true with Virgin Prunes, The Prunes, my work with Toshiyuki Hiraoka, The 3 Pruned Men and my own projects.

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

Hopefully alive, well and still creating!

Tell us how you ended up working with Toshiyuki Hiraoka. Any stories you’d like to share from working on the album?

Toshi contacted me with the idea of working on an album. I was intrigued about collaborating with a composer who was coming from a different culture and who also had a strong sense of his own creative methods. I think that the results on ‘Bushy Luxury’ were unlike any of the songs I have written in the past and Toshi’s soundscapes enhanced the intensity of the themes running through the record. His film soundtracks really do take the listener on a journey and we remain friends and hope to work together again at some point in the future.

Do you think the world in music has taken a change for better or worse these days?

Well like any period of cultural and creative history, there is so much diversity within the arts. Human history has also reflected and probably always will, the internal and external dialogues people have. The results are of course a matter of personal taste, empathy and connectivity. The results speak and indeed sing for themselves.

If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be? Why?

That would be a big ask of anyone. Depends on personal mood and what other aspects of life the album may also be soundtracking? Last album I enjoyed revisiting was Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’. I loved the record when it was first released back in the !970′s and it remains a favourite to this day.

What are you up to these days? Any plans for another album?

I’m always working on new lyrics, songs, ideas and possible projects. I have recorded new songs for an album, which is certainly my best work. I’m looking for a label which might be interested So I’m hopeful of a release for the new material soon but I’m happy to work on different media with other interested artists in a recording or live situation.

What other hobbies do you have, apart from music?

Life remains a glorious, heartbreaking and wonderful mess. So, that being the case, hobbies tend to take second place.

What has been your favourite venue to perform at?

The Virgin Prunes shows at The Venue in London back in the early 1980′s still live with me. They were unique, complete and powerful performances. We had so many ideas, emotions and humour to share with our audience and thankfully we did.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Thanks to everyone who takes time to listen to my music and visit the websites. Hopefully, I will be bringing you some new work soon and look forward to hearing your work too. Take good care, be inspired and inspiring and look after each other.

Thanks for your time

Thank you for your interest.