Date of Birth: 26 September 1972
Personality: He is quite reserved and bashful around fans and this can,
and often is, be mistaken for aloofness. He is nice to talk to and listens
to what you have to say.
Role in Mansun: Chief songwriter, rhythm guitarist, singer and part-time
piano player.
Reputation The group's Richey (Manic Street Preachers)/Kurt (Nirvana) style
tortured genius; courteous to a fault, yet prone to moodiness.
Background: Born in Wavertree, Liverpool to a Catholic mother and Protestant
father. He lived in the same road as John Lennon grew up. He moved to Deeside,
near North Wales, when he was 11. He started to learn the acoustic guitar aged
12. One of his first songs, 'Naked Twister' was written when he was 13 years
old. He attended Wrexham Art College where he first met Stove.
Former Employment Photo Retoucher for Prism Graphics
Lives: With Chad in Handbridge, Chester. In the early days their neighbours
signed a petition to get them kicked out of their house as 'drink, sex and drugs' were going on.
Influences: David Bowie, Howard Devoto, Manic Street Preachers, Prince
(circa 1985), Suede, The Clash, Sex Pistols, Gary Numan, Faith No More,
Glam, Chad, Dr Who, The Prisoner, religious upbringing,
Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Goons, 1970's British sitcoms.
Favourite records: The Holy Bible - MSP, Parade - Prince, Blue Lines -
Massive Attack, Club Classics - Soul II Soul and anything by The Carpenters,
The Clash, Magazine, Suede or David Bowie.
Who are you? "I've been compared to Robert Smith, David Bowie, Kurt Cobain,
John Lydon, Richey Manic... I love the Manics-that's my album of the year
(1996). We get Manics fans, Nirvana fans, people into Bowie, punks, hard
rockers. We used to just get Adidas kids; not now. Stove gets girls who
want to f**k him. Chad gets girls who want to be his mum. I get girls on
the edge of suicide, going on about how I'm the reincarnation of Kurt Cobain.
The `S' word comes up quite a lot...
"I do feel uncomfortable about being the frontman. Taken out of this
context, I feel like f**k-all, a waste of space. I mean, if I wasn't in
Mansun, these girls wouldn't give a flying fig. I suppose that's what my
songs are about. I use sarcasm to convey - what's that word to say
everything's shit? Nihilism? Maybe. The realisation that everything is
shallow and shit. I'm not saying that I'm a miserable bastard, I'm just
commenting on the absurdity of existence. Chad is big on all that - Taoism
and existentialism.
"Do I swing? I wouldn't tell you if I did. I got called queer a lot at
school. Now I just smash my Les Paul over their heads. We're lads, just like
the Pistols, The New York Dolls, the Manics, Bowie, Duran, Japan and ABC were
the lads. Take Andie - he wears a big f**king ostrich feather coat and painted
nails, but I wouldn't want to fight him. We're all from council estates, but
that doesn't mean we want to go 'round robbing shops and wearing Adidas
trainers. Agression is often misinterprated as hooliganism.
"People in the industry say we're going to be the British R.E.M., but
we're a lot more exciting than them. If I didn't think we could be bigger
than R.E.M., I'd give up."
Little known facts: In Paul's words, his biggest achievement was getting
Chad off the drink andinto rehab. He admits to liking 'All I Wanna Do' by
Dannii Minogue (now that takes some courage!) He claims that he has never
been in love and doesn't intend to as he feels the band means everything to
him. Paul used to have a big crush on Fizz (played by Cathy Pitkin) from
Elderado, whom he mentions in 'Moronica'. The strangest place he's ever
woken up is the pavement on Oxford Street! After a drinking binge during
Mansun's 'drink until you lose conciousness' early days, he woke up and
found he couldn't move. This lasted a whole week and scared the shit out
of him. His least favourite Mansun song is 'Thief'. His favourite Magazine
song is 'Definitive Gaze'. Paul is a big fan of the TV Show 'The X-Files'
and once offered Stove ?000 for his season One box set. Stove refused.
Paul on Mansun
"We've got skin as thick as a cow's arse" - On the effect the music press'
criticism had on them.
"The worst thing people could say is 'Oh, their alright, I suppose', because
we're not all right, we're a really exciting live group and we make
interesting records which are challenging and different and totally beyond
the scope of what British bands are doing at the moment."
"If it wasn't for Mansun, I'd probably be a dogsbody in a reprographics
factory."
"All great bands have bravado and self-belief when they start out... the
difference with us is that we still have it."
Mansun on Paul
"I wouldn't particularly want to make up a love triangle with them two" -
Stove on Paul and Chad living together.
"Paul's an amazing fella. He's a better songwriter than Noel Gallagher
because Paul's going forward" - Andie.
Quotes
"It's a horrible, horrible place... it's really violent and has nothing
going for it at all" - on his hometown of Deeside.
"I've always thought that if the band ended I'd just fuck off and be a
hermit. Never, ever speak to another person for the rest of my life. I
just wanna disappear."
"I do feel uncomfortable being the frontman. Taken out of this context,
I feel like fuck all - a waste of space. I mean, if I wasn't in Mansun
these girls wouldn't give a flying fig."
"I don't think I'll ever have kids, but if I did I wouldn't want them
fucking knocking around with me, that's for sure!"
"All I do is play guitar, piano, write words, lyrics and poetry. I have
no other interests. I'm happy doing it."
"When this band's over there will be some amazing lost tracks there. All
our singles have been deleted. You won't be able to get hold of those
tracks and I like that."
"You've got to be at peace with yourself. I'm at peace with myself."