R13 quizzes Chris McCormack, guitarist with rockers 3 Colours Red; and with a little help from his brother Danny (bassist with The Yo-Yos) he reminisces over the good and bad times of 3CR.

R13: Word on the street is that you're splitting up after this tour, is it for different reasons than last time?
CM: Oh yeah, totally different.
R13: Was the last split quite an angry one?
CM: Yeah, we just couldn't get on really, to be honest. Last time it was all politics with the record companies and egos and whatever else, personal differences and all that. Things were never resolved. This time we all agree. It was Pete's decision last time and it was a fuckin' stupid one in my opinion. This time I decided to do it, Pete decided to do it, it wasn't just one person. We're banging our heads against a brick wall really. We haven't got any support or financial backing, we're just fighting a losing battle.
R13: I thought you were happier signing to low key Mighty Atom rather than being 'high profile' on a major label?
CM: Yeah, we're happy doing it because we've got total, total control but it's hard work when you haven't got anybody pushing. I'm not saying Mighty Atom are a bad label because they've got the best intentions [sings] yeah, honestly... They're real lovely guys but they haven't really...for a band like 3 Colours Red, we need a little bit more. There's no promotion and we're not getting...hard work and we've done it for two years now.

R13: Which member do you think has changed the most?
CM: Ben Harding, he left, he was the guitar player. He wears jumpers, he's got grey hair and a fuckin' goatee beard. He works for Help the Aged.
R13: Truth?
CM: That's all true.
R13: What about out of you, Pete and Keith?
CM: Pete, because he's grown a huge Taliban beard.
[Interview is interrupted by 'fans']
CM: I'm joining The Yo-Yos, that's my new thing. Christ, imagine that - joining The Yo-Yos, I couldn't imagine any worse punishment. Fuckin' hell. Big fuckin' come down to Earth that would be. Fuckin' asylum within six weeks.

R13: Which was your favourite 3CR music video to make?
CM: Favourite? The easiest was 'The World Is Yours' because it took me three minutes . But...um...favourite one was probably 'Beautiful Day' because we were all in a big car and swimming under water, that was quite fun, long days though, hard work.
R13: The video for 'Pure' is the only time I've seen you in a t-shirt that isn't black...but can you still do a back-flip like in the video?
CM: I didn't do it, it was a stunt double. I had a stunt double that put a wig on and my t-shirt and jumped up the wall, splitting my pants. Can I tell you the worst thing about that video. I was coked off my fuckin' bonce, coked off my fuckin' nut right. They wanted me to do this revolving bed so they put me on a bed and had this thing through the ceiling so the camera spun round and it looked like the bed was spinning. I had to play a guitar solo. I was saying "I'm not doing it, I'm not doing it." It looked like I was having a wank on the bed.
R13: Yeah, it did.
CM: So the record company said do it and if you don't like it we don't have to use it. We were on tour at the time and they came to play us the video at Wolverhampton Civic. I went "don't use that it's fuckin' unbelievable, that's horrible," and she said it was too late and that it was already finished.

R13: Do you remember your first gig?
CM: First gig? Our first gig was...um...in The Orange in Kensington. I think it's the same gig. Our first gig was televised on some satellite TV thing, it was supposed to be a party so we all got pissed. We had eight or nine pints of Guiness each. We went on stage, about twenty people there and some guy came to the front and went "Yer shit, get off!" on TV and Terry Thomas came down the front and went "You fuckin'..." rude words, rude words. We were so pissed, I walked on stage, it was pitch black I couldn't see my lead or mic. I tried to get it and fell off the stage. We did five or six songs and Pete had to stop. He got off the stage and fell asleep on a table after about five seconds, he was fucked, snoring on the table.
DM: I got a story for you. I'm gonna tell you. I was with 3CR while I was trying to get myself together, I was basically a crap fuckin' stunt double for Chris. Arrived on stage...
CM: Ok we took him on tour because he was trying to get cleaned up with the drugs and all that. He was gonna get up and do 'Nuclear Holiday' with us, but he tried to jump on top of the amp and fell off the amp and landed on his head, broke his nose.
DM: 3 Colours Blue.
CM: Had to send him home.

R13: Have you ever had to make compromises for the label/ do things you didn't want to do?
CM: Which label?
R13: Creation.
CM: Fuckin' tons of stuff. We were promoted like a pop band. We were in the middle of a tour and flying over to do American kid's TV shows, then flying back to London without any sleep for two days.
R13:What's the worst thing you've read about the band in the press?
CM:It's all been true I think. I don't do serious drugs, recreational - candy floss, toffee apples. We drink and do a little bit but we're not addicted. to anything.

R13: Finally, what was your greatest achievement in 3CR?
CM: Splitting up! I guess Reading and Leeds was really good. 'Beautiful Day' getting up there. Playing with the Sex Pistols at the first ever festival we did, that's one of my favourite things we've ever done.