Setting: Fab, Nick and Albert are in the Hotel on Rivington in a suite, it’s cold outside, but overheated inside by the guys. There’s a New York Times on the table and they’re stoned
Did you read the story about the so called “Ubersexual” in the Marketing-part?
Fab: No, that’s not usually the first part I read… But, let me have a look.
The days of the metrosexual are obviously counted. The future of the man is the Ubersexual
Nick: What’s that supposed to mean? The extremely manly man?
A macho, that’s not chauvinist, but who’s also changing diapers and showing feelings
Albert: The only one for that job’s Marlon Brando.
Nick: That’s Ubersexual? He has to be manly, strong, athletic and feeling?
Albert: And he has to cope with diarrhea…
Examples for the Ubersexual are Bono, George Clooney and Bill Clinton. In this order.
Nick: Okay, we fit in there perfectly.
Seriously? What kind of men are you really? Metrosexuals like Beckham, hetrosexuals or Ubersexual?
Albert: I think, I’d rather get a sex change. These kind of men scare me.
Fab: Who thinks of that stuff? Everybody that thinks, he can think of a trend for all men, is just stupid. The beautiful thing about the US and the men living there is that we’re all different. Thank God!
Is it scary that the Ubersexual should portray the future of men?
Fab: The claim that the Ubersexual is the future of men is very contemtuous towards lots of homosexuals that live way more exemplary than many heterosexuals.
Nick: But the Ubersexual only bears reference to heterosexuals, like the metrosexual did.
Fab: That’s a totally confused examination that ignores very important aspects of our society. ]
Nick: They only thought of a new trend so they can sell something. The story with the Ubersexual seems even more idiotic than the metrosexual-thing to me. And that one has already been sick.
Fab: There has been metrosexual men before that term existed. Maybe they’ve seen an increase in the sales figures of perfumed shaving cream or something. And then it was like: Men worry about their skin.
What about good old bisexuality? They’ve been very favored in the rock business. E.g. David Bowie…
Fab: Lou Reed, Iggy Pop…
Nick: What, it’s not cool anymore to be bisexual? Dammit! (laughs)
Fab: Was it a conscious decision to be heterosexual? No, it’s just the way it is. There’s been moments in my life where I didn’t have to choose. I just “was”. People that have the feeling they have to choose something because it’s cool, e.g. being bi, do something wrong from the beginning.
Nick: But I do think that a few people in the 70s deliberately chose being bisexual. I can’t imagine Iggy Pop really being bisexual. He probably did it to get this mysterious androgynous coating.
Albert: It was just fun at that time.
Nick: And way more shocking than today.
Your frontman Julian emphasized his heterosexuality by marrying his girlfriend Juliet Joslin in February. Were you invited?
Fab: No, I had to wait outside, they don’t like Brazilians in the “Tavern on Green” (laughs)
Nick: Sure we all were there. Nikolai was the best man and the three of us were there as a backup.
What did you do as a backup?
Nick: Being there and just in case Nikolai fucks up.
Fab: We had all gathered in this small room behind the altar and I felt as if we were about to have a concert. That was really strange.There you can see how deep the Strokes are in us.
So in the church was one side for the bride’s family, one for the broom’s family and in the middle The Strokes?
Albert: Yeah, a bit like in the video “November rain”
Nick: With a big lightshow…
Fab: The guy run out of the wedding cake panicked by the rain..
Nick: The pyrotechnics had a lot to do. When they both said: “I do.” on both sides of the stage started big fireworks. Because it was really a stage, the thing happened in Madison Square Garden.
Albert: Nothing of that is true. The wedding was quite traditional, Juliet had her bridesmaids and all…Â Fab: We shouldn’t really talk about the wedding with Julian, a wedding is something pretty personal, right?
Nick: True! It’s a pity, I was just getting started… But, let’s drop it.
Okay, let’s talk a bit about the album instead. Because The Strokes sound quite different now.
Nick: We just didn’t want to make another record with the atmosphere of RoF or ITI. It was clear to us that we had to take a step in a different direction. We just didn’t know what should sound different and how it should sound and most importantly, how to do it.
blond: A fact is, it thunders and is more fierce and rocky than its predecessors.
Fab: This forthrightness was a big benefit in the end. We finished every song little by little. So, after the first songs we could see in which direction it develops. And we allowed things we would’ve never done on the first two records. “Evolution” is the key word.
(Christine from the record label comes in)
Christine: Hey guys, are you finished?
Nick: No, we talked about metrosexuality all the time.
Christine: Okay, count me in.
Fab: What do you think: Does Ubersexuality come into play now?
Christine: I agree, yes.
Nick: So, you like the Bill Clinton- and Bono-type more?
Christine: Yes.
Fab: Damn, cause we’re all more metrosexuals.
