CHRIS DIFFORD
“I wanted to just share my experiences and I hope, give strength to other people.” Legendary lyricist and music producer Chris Difford has used his way with words to tackle his autobiography. Some Fantastic Place: My Life In And Out Of Squeeze charts Difford’s phenomenal rise and spiralling fall in the iconic British band – and then the rise again.
The process of writing an autobiography was completely different from writing lyrics, the 63-year-old Difford says. “It’s very personal – more longform I guess. You’re in a place where you can let yourself go and make mistakes and it doesn’t really matter, because you’ve got good people around you who can help you. I am hoping to write another book.”
Never one to do things the ordinary way, Chris is currently on an acoustic book tour of Some Fantastic Place. He will be reading excerpts from the book and performing, accompanied by fellow singer-songwriter Boo Hewerdine. “Hopefully some of the songs will reflect some of the chapters in the book, so it will all somehow make sense, I’m not quite sure how but it does!”
Chris writes about his childhood growing up in south-east London in the 1960s and 70s, and Squeeze’s pithy lyrics have vividly portrayed working-class life. But amidst rising gentrification, does that image of London still hold true?
“It doesn’t really exist, for me anyway; I can’t afford to live where I want to in London. That’s probably true for a lot of Londoners, they’re outpriced and they’ve got to move to the suburbs. I’m very fortunate, I lived in a great part of London, with the historic river, I’m a great fan. I think I had the best of that, really.
“But things change and you have to accept that. I don’t think you should try and compete with change, there’s no control over how people want to react in this world. Ultimately I can’t really romanticise about that part of the world anymore.” A sanguine and melancholy response, but alas the world moves on.
CATHERINE JONES
Laugharne Festival, Sat 7 Apr; Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff, Sun 15 Apr. Tickets: £18. Info: www.thelaugharneweekend.com / www.acapela.co.uk