Speed Round Paul Allender Cradle of Filth

MTV2 HEADBANGERS BALL TOUR III Cradle of Filth Arch Enemy Bleeding Through Himsa HOB 12/7/04

Cradle of Filth's guitarist, Paul Allender Interviewer: Karma E. Omowale Photos: Erika Kristen Watt

Click here for Pt I of Paul's in-depth interview w/Erika Kristen

Karma: Happy belated birthday! [He was born on 11/17]

Paul: I'll tell you one thing, they got me a cake for on stage.

Karma: Oh that's so cool!

Paul: Because I'm 34, they put 34 candles on it and they made me blow them all out on stage in front of everybody. I manage to blow them all out. I got a bloody male, gay calendar [as a joke gift]!

Erika: Oh the love!

Karma: I think it's awesome you guys have an "Ask Dave" fan section. It's an awesome way for you to get to your fans!

Paul: Yeah!

Karma: Here's a series of quick Speed Round Questions. What's your mantra?

Paul: I actually live quite healthily, I do a lot of exercise and sports and stuff like that.

Karma: Is there a phrase on how you lead your life?

Paul: Yes, on tour very badly! And at home very cleanly. If that's a word…clean!

Karma: [smiles] Spiritual or religious?

Paul: Spiritual.

Karma: As your best friend, how would you describe yourself?

Paul: A bit too generous for my own good.

Karma: Asides from your artwork you do dim mak, karate…you actually have spare time left? How do you spend your "spare" time?

Paul: I make time 3 nights a week, I teach. Like on Monday nights and Thursday night we do full contact. So I physically make time.

Karma: As far as the DVD creation's concerned, is that strictly for the band?

Paul: Yeah, it only for the band. Every thing I do art wise is for the band. The DVD Heavy Left-Handed & Candid that came out a couple of years ago, there was a live gig on there filmed in England and there was a behind the scenes on tour where we did this weird thing, a spoof like the Blair Witch Project. We drank lots of Absinthe, did lots of drugs and just walked off into the night somewhere and filmed it. It was funnier than shit. But we're doing another one of those.

Karma: How cool is that! I am particularly fond of "The North Gate" [One of his paintings]

Paul: Oh really? Wow! Somebody actually takes a look at it!

Erika: See!

Karma: What is your guilty pleasure song/CD/Artist(s)?

Paul: Guilty pleasure? I don't know but food wise it's everything! Oh fuck, I LOVE grub!

Karma: Well I also was reading that you love roasted dinners, Indian food…anything extremely spicy, liver and bacon and fennel seeds… And that you like trotters, I can’t help but ask what are they?

Paul: Pigs feet

Karma: Oh! [Look of disgust fills my face]

Paul: They cut them off so if you can imagine a pig's leg, and you've got the hoof. The hoof is the trotter. What they do is they cut right above the ankle and roast them. In which I haven't had them in years.

Karma: So do you eat that in conjunction with the pig hearts? [His other food love]

Paul: No, that's separate thing. A lot of people talk to me about the hearts [scrunches up face] "Oh my god, that's disgusting!"  And they really aren't! You roast them like a normal…joint you know what I mean.

Karma: Organ

Paul: Yeah, yeah!

Erika: How long does it take?

Paul: I don't know my mum used to make them. It's really funny though, I remember she used to do this gravy with lots of stuffing lumps in the gravy. And with this big sharp knife, it's really quite gross, it's really nice meat but you have to cut the tubes [arteries] and everything out of it.

Erika: Well I know that here, pig's feet is a part of the southern, African American meal but they don't roast them…

Karma: …they pickle them!

Paul: Uggh!

Karma: Exactly!

Paul: I don't know if I could do them pickled!

Karma: Well I'm not a fan! Live or dead, who would like to meet?

Paul: I'd like to meet Brandon Lee just so I could rip of… um, just so he could teach me some stuff. Because Bruce would be far too extreme, I couldn't handle it!

Karma: Who's your favorite act on this bill?

Paul: Arch Enemy.

Karma: What's your favorite quote?

Paul: No enough for you.

Karma: How about your favorite color?

Paul: Depends, I like the whole spectrum of colors; you know what I mean because I'm into graphics and stuff. I used to really be into black but black is really boring now, then I went to purple and then I went to light green. Now, I'm just into everything now.

Karma: What was the first album you ever purchased?

Paul: Oh my god, I can't even remember! Actually, this ties into my first gig; I went to my very first gig when I was 12. And I saw a band called Spider, and that was one of the first albums that I physically properly bought for myself. I was an impressionable 12-year old. But it was one of the best things that happened to me, you know what I mean!

Karma: How about your first job?

Paul: I was actually trained as a welder, I welded bikes and cars and stuff

Karma: The best live show you've ever seen?

Paul: Oh, it has to be Iron Maiden, hell yes!

Karma: How do you view death?

Paul: It's scary! [Laughs]

Karma: If invited to do an 80's album, which song would you do Filth style.

Paul: [laughs] …It would have to be "Eye of the Tiger"! Cradle of Filth doing "Eye of the Tiger"

Karma: [laughs] Now that would be interesting! What's the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?

Paul: Sex!

Karma: Favorite TV show?

Paul: Father Ted; have you ever heard of it before?

Karma: No.

Paul: It's an English TV program. It's about a house full of Vicars in Ireland, it's the funniest shit you've ever seen!

Karma: Is it in the same vein as the show Vicar of Dibley?

Paul: Yes, but only more extreme!

Karma: What's your favorite drink?

Paul: Guinness.

Karma: If not music, then what?

Paul: Sex! [we all laugh] Well the thing is I've always been into graphics so if wasn't for this, I'd be finding a job somewhere I could get into the graphics field.

Karma: Do you still get nervous on stage?

Paul: No.

Karma: What's your first thought when the lights go up and the curtains open?

Paul: Let's go…have sex. [we all laugh hysterically] Sorry, sex isn’t usually one of my answers for every question but I’ve been on the road for 7 weeks and I’m frustrated!

Karma: Well at least you’re honest! Since you dislike the smell of shit [taken from his bio on-line] what is your favorite smell?

Paul: I quite like the smell of a lot of women’s perfume, that’s nice and incense sticks. When I’m at home training I like to burn them. When you have the incense [burning], it’s just fucking amazing.

Karma: Any scent in particular?

Paul: Not really, I don’t really go for one particular type. I mean I don’t spend about in the shoppe sniffing every single one of them…

Karma: Summer or winter?

Paul: Winter.

Karma: If you were stranded on a desert island, with whom would you like to be marooned with?

Paul: Brooke Richards, playboy model.

Karma: You could take an iPod with you, what would you fill it up with to round out your Desert Island Soundtrack?

Paul: [laughs] “Eye of the Tiger”! I mean it would be enough to drive you mad if you’re stuck on a desert island! As long as you talk to yourself, you can keep yourself company!

Karma: Well Thank you very much Paul!

Paul: I am sure that was nothing like you expected!

Karma: It’s always the best kind of interview!!                           

Click here for photos from tonight's show