ONE SMALL SEED MAGAZINE Issue #30 dig.05 | Page 43

YOU DID A DUET WITH MICK JAGGER TITLED ‘LOVE IN VAIN. ARE THERE ANY
SENSATIONAL BACKSTAGE ANECDOTES YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE?
I supported them in Vienna and Sheffield. Mick comes over to me and introduces Ronnie,
Charlie and Keith, and says 'Paolo? You’re Scottish?' [Mimicking Mick’s English accent] 'If I
knew that I wouldn’t have booked ya'.
For the duet we commandeered a hotel room to rehearse the song. I show up and there’s
a mic stand and the bed’s been taken out. Keith plays an E instead of an A chord and
Mick shouts: ‘for fu*ck sake! Not in front of the boy!’ While they’re all laughing, you can’t
help but feel they could be any age. You’ll be pushed to find a more precious moment.

YOU’VE STATED THAT YOU ARE ‘HARDLY THE DARLING OF THE "NME"’ (BRITAIN’S
LAST-REMAINING WEEKLY MUSIC MAGAZINE AND THE CHAMPION OF NEW
BANDS FOR GENERATIONS). SO AS A THREE-TIME "NME" NOMINEE, WHAT DO
YOU THINK ABOUT NOEL GALLAGHER AND KASABIAN’S STATEMENT THAT "THE
BRITS" ARE BLAND AND BORING?
I completely agree. This year felt like a music conference that’s
being televised. In the '90s there was an element of recklessness
and rebellion. You didn’t know what to expect. You had Jarvis
Cocker comin’ on with his arse out and Michael Jackson is
playing. The closest you get to that now is Madonna falling
down stairs. It has the potential to be different. There’s always
next year.

I CAN’T HELP BUT NOTICE THAT YOU’RE REFERRED
TO IN THE THIRD PERSON ON YOUR FACEBOOK AND
TWITTER POSTS. DO YOU THINK SOCIAL MEDIA, AND
THE LIKE, HAS MADE BUSINESS EASIER AT THE EXPENSE
OF MYSTERY?

‘I’M NOT
MUCH OF
A TWERKER.
BUT I’VE BEEN
TOLD I HAVE
THE ASS FOR
IT.’ - PAULO NUTINI

I find that in the past [before social media], there was a of
lot mystery. You had to go and see someone to find out who
they were. That’s how you got insight. Now it’s like ‘do I really
want to know who is doing their laundry?’ Everything that gets posted is factual. I don’t
even have my own Twitter account password. I’ve only ever twittered [sic] once in my life.
I tweeted for this young boy [an 11-year old Celtic fan] who won goal of the month. I had
to get my manager to do it. I’m way behind on all of that.