The La's tuned guitars to the hum of a fridge 

I love how John, despite everything he's gone through with Lee, won't play along with the host in trying to make fun of Lee. Classy bloke fairplay.

"Talented I like to say...." Well said, John.

The media ALWAYS thinks that it's OK to be matey and irreverent with bands from Liverpool or Manchester. They disrespect the intensity of emotion and intellect that the catchy tunes contain. For the presenter to banter that Lee was nuts is one thing but to not wholeheartedly agree when John Power said 'Talented, I'd say'...Yet some privately educated violinist from southern England will go on a radio show and they'll treat this pretender, who's spent her life connivingly acting like she's made of glass throwing out rainbows, as if she is a true sensitive 'artist'.

My CD of the La's BBC Sessions is one of my most valuable possessions. It's absolutely magical, enchanting and inspiring. Crank that up on a decent stereo in a nice-sized area, give it room to breath, it will knock your socks right off.

Just tuned my guitar to the hum.. can confirm it does work and it gives you a perfect full step down

Fantastic on John...he knew exactly where that line of questioning was going eh? Talented rather than nuts, rightfully so put on a pedestal, scratching the surface to be different rather than the same old shit...yep, that's the La's!

Just to explain for those who don't understand, or think this is "mad", all sound has a frequency (obviously), the frequency of the recognised standard musical tuning is 440hz, electricity operates at 50/60hz, the main reference point or note on a piano, which is taught right from the start is the "middle C", the middle C emits a frequency around 260hz. So a frequency of 50/60hz like that of an electrical hum, would give you the note A#. Like John says perfectly here, there's nothing wrong with scratching beneath the surface of the idealised norm, The La's encapsulated that perfectly. Musicians out there, try playing along to songs like Feelin' or Looking Glass in standard tuning, you'll see what I mean 😉.

John Power is a cool , intelligent Liverpudlian.

' Feelin ' is my favourite song. Ever. All time.

I imagine they tuned to the fridge so they could use the electric hum as a backing drone. I remember playing a D chord on my guitar at home once and the water pipe or something started making a noise and it was exactly in tune with the D chord. Went perfectly! So I can see where they're coming from, not so strange really.

'And those who were seen dancing were considered insane by those who could not hear the music"

Lmfao tuning to the hum of a fridge....thank god for the la's

la's were legandry

Fairplay to John remaining a gent .... what a disrespectful helmet the interviewer is

50hz is it G - G# depending on supply conditions, the famous 50 cycle hum.

Legend in his own right Power.

the interviewer sounds really rude

The interviewer knows nothing about Mavers.....

I tune my drums to the hum of a DeWalt DCD778M2T SFGB 18v drill. They sound shite...or maybe that's just my playing?

he did learn from The La's, isright John

Presenter didn’t get it although he said he did!

In the U.S. the 60 cycles per second A.C. hum is pervasive. Not a bad idea to tune to it at all.

That explains why they were so 'chilled'.

2nd La's album please

"... otherwise your just running with the standard status quo settings" "mmm... yes" Cue the Absolute radio muzak filler 😁

I don't see what is so 'out there' about tit...it's a fairly elementary principle. My fridge hummed fairly consistantly at middle C, handy when you ran out of batteries for the tuner....needs be, where needs must.

mad lads

Legendary

The funny thing thanks to modern technology people have remixed There She Goes to the frequency Lee was on about and there is a subtle, noticeable difference. Maybe the mad man was on to something?

DJ classic smarmy media man (in this interview clip at least - sue he’s a good fella). So glib and casually disrespectful of a decent bloke who was an eccentric, exploratory and great songwriter. Arguably a seeder of the Britpop movement and just a man who was walking his own path in life.

I mean he could've just tuned to the centi tone thats what speedy slug does to mimic the old british sound

This interviewer is terrible. Seemingly jealous of someone with genuine talent

Explains why half of their songs seem to be about a fucking quarter semitone off from standard tuning.

Did he wake up in the skip outside the studio before coming in? I wouldn’t know whether to interview him or give him some Big Issues to sell.

They we're Rootsy

I think we all know Mavers was a rare genius and that word 'rare' characterises the sense of genius in the first place. His songwriting skills were second to none and his understanding of The La's purpose was complex and multi-faceted.. But when you consider his ceaseless perfectionism, rejection of top drawer producers and ultimate opinion that the album was nonsense i.e. fans should give it a wide berth, we're moving into familiar 'bonkers genius' territory, made clear from this clip. I mean come on, the man thought only instruments with original '60s dust could possibly achieve the sound he envisaged for the album! 🤣

Jock the commentator needs smack.

Tuning to the clothes washing machine would be relaxing. And I wouldn't answer to anyone about it.

The problem with Lee Mavers is that he can spend thirty years thinking about the theory of sound. I mean, I spent about 3 months learning about the theory of sound and was bored shitless. Pick up a guitar, write a tune, record it. Simple. Stop thinking, start doing.

Does the interviewer really think it's nuts to be able to use your ears and not be dependent on standard tuning? He needs to learn about the simple concept of frequencies.

johns better than this.

I'm not an electrician, but surely the hum of a fridge isn't any more natural than 440htz. I'll leave it at that.

I don't believe for a second that they tuned up to fridges

Stinky Beard

johns intelligent the interview wasnt

Dj is a bloody numpty

all great musicians are "nuts". i hate that sort of dismissive shit.

nob....

a band with an apostrophe in it.

CAST are pretty fucking solid. Specially the first two records