Hello. You're looking lovely - What an amazing hairdo! How long did it take you to get that done? I just woke in the morning and it just looked like that - miraculous! I was in the photo pit taking pictures and I heard you saying that this was your first festival | "It's not so much exhausting; it's more that I just really want to dance about on stage!" | | Imogen Heap on why she wants to perform with a band |
Yes. I've been at festivals as part of Urban Species and LHB and done things with other people. But this is my first, you know, my thing. I've had a great time.
Listen to Josh's interview with Imogen Heap
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I've been feeling a bit weird all day actually because last night I drank a little bit too many vodka and red bulls. I didn't have a hangover, I didn't feel bad... but I had this weird [feeling] like I'd drunk 60 cups of coffee and really on edge all day. As soon as I was on stage it was gone... and now I'm just really excited. It was an amazing gig. You literally jump on stage and then you tell everyone all about the things you play. What's a parrot firstly? My parrot is my sampler, that basically copies everything that I do. I press record and then I say this is my parrot... it'll keep saying 'this is my parrot, this is my parrot'. And then I also record the piano in there and I record my mbira, which is this kind of huge oversized thumb piano thing... and all kinds of bits and bobs. Drum machines.... I have to explain it because when I first started doing the gigs with all my gear everyone, I think, well they didn't have any idea what I was doing because they couldn't see. I don't have any cameras (I should do really - I will get it together). So it's all a bit of a mystery... but I do go round all my bits of gear and introduce them... so that when things come in people can go 'oh right' - they can connect with that piece of gear. Would you feel that it would spoil the show if you had separate people doing different things for you? Well it started more of necessity. I was going to the States and I was doing small shows and it wouldn't have made sense to bring over a whole band. So in the beginning it was more for that reason, but as I started doing it I realised that people were really into it because it does look kinda cool. But now I've done a few gigs like that and I'm now looking forward to the next tour I'm doing, which is in September, all around the UK - please come and see me! I'm going to do some like that where it's just me and my gear, and others where I'm going to have a band around me and they'll come on and do drums every now and then. I suppose if you're touring it can be really exhausting if it's just you It's not so much exhausting; it's more that I just really want to dance about on stage! You want to get your hands off the keyboard? When you had your vocoder keyboard you were walking up and down saying hello to everyone...
 | | Imogen Heap at V Festival 2006 |
I need someone to invent something that I can wear on my body so that all the things that I have to stand behind - this big rack of keyboards, samplers and things - they're all linked, bluetooth or something... I can press record on my shoulder or something... so if they're on me, a load of buttons inside my jacket and things like that... sliders on my arms and things. What was really brilliant about today was the fact that it was wet, it was horrible and people still came out and saw you. Well that was the blessing, cause I was in a tent. I think maybe if I'd been in the open air I don't know whether everyone would have rushed for cover. So I was very lucky I was in a tent... and it did really pelt it down as soon as I came on stage. Hey don't give the rain all the credit! ...The new single is coming out, Headlock, a gorgeous song... Thanks - yes I've got Headlock coming out on 4 October I think and there's a great B side on it, which is inspired by doing live shows, by doing Just For Now. The way I do that live, I sing 'just for now' then I sing 'just for now... just for now' and I create all these harmonies. I wanted to do something like that, but on record, cause it's kinda cool. So there's actually no lyrics, it's all just like [sounds], funny little noises... all chopped up. It's quite fun, it's called Mic Check... But come and see me live - that's the most important thing. I really want everyone to come and see me live. We're going to have great visuals as well. There's this amazing young guy from Poland who is doing my visuals. We've been working together making video footage and he's so, so talented. So it's as much his show as mine. He just does so much amazing stuff with the visuals.... And there'll be a tree on stage, because I want to have a tree... it's very important [laugh]. Thanks very much | 
