THE CASE FOR THE DEFENSE IN THE TRIAL OF THE BITTER AND TWISTED FAN

RE: The Johnny Walker Interview with Gilbert - BBC Radio 2 - 11th Feb 1998

Gilbert said and I quote:

"I've been told I had to lighten up because I had an email the other day from some fan who'd sort of read some interviews with me and heard me do a TV interview or something, and the comment on this email which I got wind of was that I was Bitter and Twisted. So I kind of thought to myself Oh my God If that's the kind of impression I am giving I must lighten up."

Who on earth would commit such a heinous crime as to accuse our Gilbert of being 'Bitter and Twisted' and what right have they to besmirch his good character. Well, I must admit that I was that emailer. Me Les(lie) Birchall.

In a note to Joe, when I first discovered his wonderful web pages, I made a plea that I asked him to pass on. That plea was that Gilbert should be better advised about whom he does interviews with. My reasons for this and the comment that has been noted by Gilbert were down to 2 interviews in particular.

The first was with a UK tabloid journalist who Gilbert had allowed into his home to interview him. The interview started with the usual 'Gilbert has been off the scene for 10 years, bitter battle with manager and so on….'. The interview then printed a few snippets of conversation with Gilbert then turned its focus quite savagely on his attempts to keep his public and private lives apart. The main thrust of the rest of interview painted Gilbert as almost a recluse who cut his family out of his (musical) life completely. This was apparently based on the fact that his daughters were not allowed in the music room (Do you take your kids to work) and that his wife had not seen the cover of the new album (it had a nude lady on it…shock!).

The second 'mistake' was the Michael Barrymore show. Gilbert did the usual chat show bit. Come on, sing song and then a little bit about the new album. Barrymores show isn't quite like that though, and he started poking fun at the lyrics of some of Gilberts songs. Gilbert appeared a little uncomfortable about this as he had obviously expected a more straightforward approach and he attempted on more than one occasion to get Barrymore to stop messing about and talk about the songs instead. Gilbert had, in my mind been set up.

It was the following day in work that a colleague of mine made the dreaded remark. He and his wife thought that Gilbert had come across in the 2 situations as 'B***** and T******' and I had to agree he probably had. However I must stress that the comment was never that Gilbert is B&T, but appeared so because of how these interviews had been played by the interviewers. Its an unfortunate fact of life that you can say what you like, but the papers can print what they decide. The two are not necessarily the same.

So Gilbert, no apology for my original comments I just hope you heard them in context. Thanks for all the years of great music and I look forward to seeing you on the 10th June at the Liverpool Phil. I await your wrath on the night. (I couldn't have your smashed up keyboard after the show could I)

PS. My wife is still waiting for the 'Barbie Doll and bicycle' she asked for at New Brighton. (I'll explain this some day)

Thanks Les for coming clean!