A CANDID INTERVIEW WITH FORMER ANT BAND MEMBER, CHRIS DENIRO

November, 1999

When the Ants officially disbanded after the Prince Charming Revue tour, Adam was looking for new band members. Chris DeNiro toured with Adam and his band from 1982-1985 playing bass guitar. Chris also appeared on the Vive Le Rock album.I had the great pleasure of interviewing Chris about the early days and what he's up to now and he had some interesting words to tell us!

ADAM-ANT.NET: First off, how did you adopt the name Chris DeNiro?

CHRIS: Although I was born with the name (well sort of?), Adam suggested "De Niro." I had a bit of a Travis bickle --taxi driver thing going at the time-- (even though I didn't know who he was then) in fact I think what happened was I was pissed one night and tried giving myself a haircut and ended up shaving the lot off and hey presto "De Niro".

The timing was pretty bad -- I was in an elevator with Adam wearing a hat and Adam told me we were about to do top of the pops etc.....(he hadn't seen the hare Krishna I had given myself yet) I thought well Chris you've just gone and blown your 1st Top of the Pops ! Anyway it worked out ok and we did.... I think it was "Puss n Boots" and I got a new name and loads of smart asses saying" you know who you look like...do that line (not the white one--) are you talkin to me" -- Adam used to tell the Americans I was Robert's cousin which was a real laugh especially when I met The real deal himself--Mr. Robert de Niro.

ADAM-ANT.NET: How did you get involved in music? You can give me a bit of history of your childhood with music, etc.

CHRIS: I started off playing guitar--and I somehow ended up with a Fender Precision bass guitar (the one I still have) and thought that I'd better play it. It Looked like an easier option---only 4 strings and two knobs---one for volume and the other for tone---great! I still don't like things with lots of knobs on.

I went to school in Plymouth --Devon--UK---started off playing with some blokes from school and the neighborhood--with this nutter 'Nigel Blenkinsop!' who thought he was Peter Townsend of "The Who" and kept on smashing his guitar up and the rest of the gear--obviously we had to find someone else. Looking back on it now we would have got a lot further if we had stuck with Nigel--- anyway got bored with school-- Rugby -Latin--English and fighting.

I bought a big blue van, rehearsed and wrote about 8 numbers with some guys in my mum's kitchen and left for London the next day. The drummer wouldn't wake up --we had to leave him behind. We parked up the van in a building site (opposite where I have now bought a place!) And that was home for a few weeks--we had a record deal within a month and were out touring--the band was called "Drill"--we were really lucky and got to have Chas Chandler (bass player from The Animals and Hendrix's manager) to produce us and manage us--the Hendrix stories were great--he was my hero ---still is---well I think he was a genius anyway.

"Drill" released loads of stuff and toured and we watched everyone else Get famous---the guitarist left to join "Dire Straights" poor sod--I fell asleep at their gig.

Next up I saw an ad in melody maker "bass player wanted to 'stand and deliver'. I called up and was told it had gone--I thought "no way, Jose" this job is mine-and called up a friend at Adam's record label who had told me that they had auditioned 3 zillion bass players and had not found one yet--so that was that--I went along with a aaaaaaaaaaghhh....purple suit on and played my bass guitar. Marco was highly amused and Adam looked interested-- got a call from Adam asking me to meet him for breakfast and he asked if I wanted to go on a world tour --I didn't exactly have to think about it as they were my favorite band at that time-.

ADAM-ANT.NET: Why did you stop working with Adam and his band? Rumour has it that some people say that Adam was difficult to work with, is this true?

CHRIS: In my experience -- Adam was never difficult with me--he was really supportive to me - like a big brother- and helped me through a lot of stuff. From my experience Adam expects people to do their job well -- he has high standards --doesn't have time for wankers and bullshit--some people may have fallen into the above area and got the appropriate reaction--which they interpret as difficult...well you know everyone is difficult to some degree.

The band came to a natural conclusion - Adam wanted to act -- Marco was bored with touring----Bob was being a Count and also a blinding drummer! I was tired of having such a good time all the time---(fool) in fact I think that I forgot how good a time I was having.

ADAM-ANT.NET: You toured with the Ants and played with the Ants on several TV appearances. Which oneWas your favorite and most memorable?

CHRIS: Several? I seem to recall there being at least 5 zillion tv shows! Hmmm--well you know-- we looked the best ever at the Montrose Pop Festival---leather and all that grease! Live Aid was an experience (I thought we were doing some poxy little charity gig in a church hall until I got off stage at Wembley)

And the first time we did saturday night live was a gas --Eddie Murphy--John Belushi --Robin Williams--and the party was the best!

ADAM-ANT.NET: Did you like touring? If so, what were your favorite gig and/or city that you have been to with the Adam and his band?

CHRIS: So many --so much--where do I begin--the USA was the best---(American girls were a little bit more forward than the English roses) well that is Apart from the girls in Normal, Illinois-- the vastness of the country was great---every single state so different and with different laws--we were given a big booklet on the sex/drink etc., laws for each state by Stan Tippins the exceptionally good tour manager--so we wouldn't get into trouble--ho! Ho! As if.

Mesa --Arizona was a good gig--Adam dived in the water surrounding the stage and did the apocalypse now thing and we had another jolly good party after that---in fact we had a party every night after a gig. Radio city --Roseland--New York was the biz--- I loved most of the touring /gigs cities in the USA apart from the normal --Illinois's of the USA--even Pittsburgh has its merits---great steak sandwiches stuffed with chips (french fries) eggs--bacon--onions--liver--ketchup---yum-- no I wasn't a fat boy all the time--I burned it off-- we had a week off in new Orleans--that was fun and also very weird--anyway I could go on and on with this stuff

ADAM-ANT.NET: Are you in touch with other band members now? Do you ever see Adam, Marco, the count, etc?

CHRIS: I saw Terri a few years ago. I see Bob (The count) he is great as ever----I spoke to Marco a short while ago and I haven't seen Adam for yonks--

ADAM-ANT.NET: Give us a brief history of yourself for the last 10-15 years. That is, since you stopped working with Adam and the band, what have you been doing?

CHRIS: Tried out some acting--thought I was crap and soon gave that up--- formed a band with Danny Kustowe (Tom Robinson band) and the count--S.F.-go.----Miles Copeland managing us---wrote some good stuff and toured and recorded it a bit---Danny got ill and we had to abort----

Formed a band with "Annabella Lwin" wrote a load of tunes--toured it---signed to Sony records---had a hit with single "Do Do what you do" wasn't enjoying it--no fun--left it.

Got my own thing together --gigged it to see if it was what I really wanted to do and could do--and thought ok--yes-- Also read some books and caught up on some sleep.

 

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Special thanks to: Chris for agreeing to do the interview.