Do you have the confidence to ask for what you want? We didn't always have that ability, but now we do - well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. So Bryan Ferry was in Bristol and after lots of emails with 'his people' which actually turned out some of the time to be his lovely son, the interviewed was arranged and we went to one of Bristol's chic boutique hotels. Sitting in the bar having a drink (no alcohol we may add), we are collected to meet Bryan, as unbeknown to us the interview is taking place in Bryan's suite. Well, don't know about you, but we are not quite used to going into some - however fabulous - man's bedroom. We walk in and introductions are made with 'Mr Cool' himself. There was a huge double bed - and we mean huge - and TV blaring away. The room was sooo hot, just like a sauna, and we were obviously overdressed! Bryan was sitting on the sofa in his trademark chic , cool style: the shirt, the thin tie and the pair of suit trousers - perfect clothes for a room heated like the Mediterranean, and as we were the envy of quite a few people at work to even be meeting him, the setting seemed a fitting backdrop.
Only problem was he wasn't feeling well, which we discovered when Chrissie started rearranging the furniture to create an intimate setting for our recording, and on the table was lots of lemon and honey, chopped up ginger, and other cold remedies. What is it when you are a mother and you are in the room with someone poorly? What is it that turns you from sexy, sassy women to mothers and carers? It must be in the genes. So Livvy turns into Dr Liv and starts asking what he is taking to cure himself, as he is performing the next day, and starts to extoll the virtues of Manuka honey - all good but not the sexy start we had imagined, although the room was very hot, which he commented on. Don't think that was because of us though unfortunately!
Things got better though when we started the interview. After talking about the music and who inspired him, the conversation turned towards what it was like getting older and still performing. It was poignant and moving - maybe because Bryan was poorly and had been on quite a tour of the country already; maybe because age starts to be considered more when you are over 50 - but he told us that he would keep on until the body gave up.
From poignancy to hilarity, which is our way really; just when it becomes too painful there is always humour somehow. We moved on to his new album to be realeased in a few months time, and were talking about the amazingly beautiful models he had had on his covers over the years, Jerry Hall being one of them (by the way, we met up and interviewed Jerry recently when she was performing with her new band. Yes, she is singing with the beautiful Jeanne Marine, Bob Geldof's fiancé!).
It turned out that Bryan had another album coming out in the New Year, so in true Livvy and Chrissie style - well you have to ask, don't you - we said: "what about US for the next album cover?" Well this is definitely the moment Mr Bryan Ferry showed us why he was called MR. COOL as, without skipping a beat, he responded by saying: "Well....I was too shy to ask." At that point we all collapsed into laughter, but to add cream to the cake he then said: "I thought you would never ask" and finally he added: "Aah, two for the price if one!" Well, we were all laughing so much we forgot to respond - but can we now let you know, Mr. Gorgeous Bryan Ferry, that it's not two for the price of one - it's double the price! Just to let you know when you are booking us for the photo shoot....and we've had our hair done in preparation, so we're ready for the call.
Next blog, how we actually really were impressed....by a Byrd!
