Electronic rock was the crux for this London based band. Sticking to the enlightening sounds of indie rock, house and techno, Jesus Jones were the avant - garde of the 80's indie dance scene.

They achieved an elevated status with their 1989 album, Liquidiser, which rocked the shorelines of the US, Japan and needless to say the UK. Their careers abstained from the shambolic dilemmas of band splits, reshuffling or additional members. Instead, Jesus Jones were the rampage of musical twists.

Excitedly, Reminiscin' caught up with ring leader, Mike Edwards as he dispels the fracas of being in a rock n' roll band and why they are still 'Right here, Right Now'.

What has been the latest project JJ has been involved in?
Nothing actually, we tend to kinda play at it. The last thing we did was about a year ago. We got asked to do a festival in Portugal. They were paying quite well, so it subsidised everything else we wanted to do, and we put together a short UK tour at the back of that. It tends to be on that basis, if something gets thrown up and it sounds interesting then we want to do it - we do it. There is no kinda big plan; it's not a career for us now. It's not a case of us mapping out what we want to do - album etc. But with that said it does look like in 2007 we'll do something.

JJ has been pretty quiet on the music scene - is it a case of the calm before the storm?
I don't think there is ever gonna be a storm for us. I don't mind that, we were pretty stormy, a tornado like really. We had our time and our fun.

Who's been the most interesting video director you have worked with?
We worked with a woman called Zanna who we did a lot of stuff in the 90's. She was absolutely fascinating; she was a photographer for the FACE originally, so you kinda get the idea of where she was coming from. Everything she did was very kinda sexual; it was kinda weird for me because I don't really operate on that level at all. It was very striking and very strong images. We then used Michel he has done loads of good stuff since then I believe. He was the kinda person who thought in vivid colours and the approach would be imaginative. We also did one with a Canadian guy called Stuart Gosling. Sometimes you get an idea of what you want to achieve. You have an idea of what you want to achieve, or you know the parameters within which your ideas can kinda be exaggerated or built on. The first two directors I mentioned were like that; they would apply their vision onto yours and build on it. Other times you get directors who do entirely their own thing, either way it was great.

How did you ensure your personality came across in your videos?
We had this joke amongst the band as soon as the cameras would come on we would say, "work the camera, work the camera". It became a cliché but you had to feel like you were putting something on all the time, you had to be aware.

Are there still anymore countries you would like to tour - where and why?
Yeah, basically the places we have not been to. I have never been to Iceland, that's one place I would like to go. We never toured in South Africa, which I would love to go. South America we didn't kinda touch on. I loved Argentina; I would love to go back there. We did very little in Asia, we did Japan, but I would love to go to Korea and Thailand or even Singapore.

When touring in the 80's, was it as lavish as today's artists have it - Plasma screen, bars, Jacuzzi's on the tour bus? Was it all 5-star hotels back then?
Oh god no! Absolutely not. We worked on the basis that it was our own money we would be spending, so we were basically camping in tents (laughs) well, a level up from that. I do remember a kinda welfare B&B place we stayed in once. Burnt holes in all the blankets, but it only cost us £35 a night! I don't really know how bands travel now, but in terms of luxury everything seems to be going upwards.

What has been the most rock n' roll thing JJ has done on tour?
We were the type of band who would clean up and tidy up after we had been in the hotel (laughs). Sex, drugs and rock n' roll definitely. Texas was always brilliant for the sex element, god knows why! I do remember for some reason the bass player being held out of a seven- storey window by his ankles.

Where is the most awkward place you have signed an autograph?
It happened in Houston. We had done a gig and I was sitting on this really worn out sofa. In walks these two women, one of them was wearing a really short skirt. She walked right up to me and was wearing a low cut top. She stopped and says to me, "I want you to sign this", so the top starts coming down, but it doesn't stop! It goes way down, so I revert my eyes and write on it. A radio company guy was sitting next to me at that time, and he must have thought this was fantastic. There was a guy who was also standing behind me the whole time, and he came over and told us that he didn't think she had any underwear on. Anyways, five minutes later she comes back. I was a little anxious at this point, but she wanders right over and says she has got something else for me to sign. She puts her foot right up on this bench and wants me to sign the inside of her thigh, and indeed she had no underwear! Even still she returns and says there is one more thing she wanted me to sign, she turns round and bends double!

When on tour who was the first to get homesick?
I don't think any of us did. We weren't that kinda band at all. The whole thing was that it was adventurous. It was like, join the army and see the world without having to shoot people. It was fantastic, that was our approach. I never understood the whole kinda concept of being in a band, but you don't want to tour-I don't get that at all!

Being a cyclist-what has been the most adventurous trek you have experienced on two wheels?
About 10 years ago I cycled across Tibet. It was a 3 week trip. Actually interesting for me, I have been asked by Mountain Bike magazine, which I sometimes write for to volunteer for a medical experiment that is going on at the base camp Mount Everest. Doing the physiological test etc. I have ridden at an amateur stage for the Tour De France five times.

Where would you love to retire and why?
I do love Spain. I love the culture there, the language, the countryside and just the quality of life. I do love the climate. If somewhere more interesting than that, then I would probably say South Africa or Morocco even.

Being a musician, what country/ies have you visited and you were taken aback by their musical culture?
The area I would love to investigate is Lebanon. I think traditional Arabic music is just incredible! Singers like Samira Tewfiq, Faiuz and plenty more have a direct line to Arabic culture and that is what I fine the most interesting thing about music. The emotion that comes out from singing is unbelievable.

Where have you recently visited?
Albania, which was an eye opener.

How did you rate your time over there?
It has fascinating contradictions, at least from an English perspective, it's Eastern Europe but on the Mediterranean - how does that work? It is still in its developing stages.

The best food you have eaten abroad?
In Japan and also the Korean BBQ's we would have. You would sit there and cook it all yourself-sliced meat and vegetables. Chuck it on and cook it yourself. That said, a midnight feast at the bank of River Plate in Buenos Aires that was just stunning! Worst food, undoubtedly Romania! That was highly due to the time we went, we were there a month after the revolution. No diary products, no sugar or salt.

With the band titled Jesus Jones - were you religious at all?
No, not at all. There was always that kind of thing, you know, did we do it to be defamatory. We didn't, to be quite honest it sounded nice together. It wasn't meant to be shocking we just liked the sound of it.

Having gone to a few gigs and attended festivals - What is it like being the audience and not the performer?
Undoubtedly, you do feel what the audience feels, but at the same time you have got half an eye on the technical problems. You can't really relax when watching gigs, 'cos when something goes wrong, I am always like, 'ooh I hope they sort it out or poor bloke I really feel sorry for him'. You do sometimes also think if I was up stage I would do this or that - there is an analytical element.

What's the most famous person number you have in your phonebook?
The most famous in terms of the number of fans he has, would be a guy called Hottei. He is relatively unknown here but massive in Japan. Ermmm, let's have a think. I use to be in contact with Seal. We were never the rock star hanging out band.

What would be written on your epitaph?
Can't stop long, really busy.

Related Links:
> www.jesusjones.com
> Jesus Jones CD - Amazon.co.uk