The Nerve Centre Interview: John Daly.

On the 28th of August John Daly invited you all to bring a favorite scene from a movie along and explain your love for it. You did, and you made him very happy. So much so he's considering another session! Watch this space! I caught with John a few days after and threw some questions at him. The result can be found below:

The Nerve Centre: Any highlights so far at The Nerve Centre?

John Daly: The lad, living on the streets, who wanders in (and) plonks himself on a couch listening to Jay Lewis playing his own acoustic set. After a couple of songs he says, "Any chance of a bit of Led Zep?" A bit later, "What about 'All Along The Watchtower', lar".  Later still, "You must know Hendrix! Go 'ead, lad, play some". At the end, specially for him Jay plays 'All Along The Watchtower' and the second it ends the lad says, "What about 'All Along The Watchtower', mate." Another memorable highlight - Kick Boxing For Snakes poems, very short, ridicuously funny, with a half-arsed delivery and low strident guitar adding to their charm. 

TNC: What type of films came out for the event?

JD: First time out the response was good, which means film buffs brought a 'Movie Moment' from scenes in Mulholland Drive, Cinema Paradiso, Goodbye Lenin, Glengarry Glen Ross, Our Day Out, Crash. The audience, who seemed to materialize from nowhere five minutes before the start, took to the format with lively offerings.

TNC: Do you have a preferred genre of film yourself or are you open to everything?

JD: The only thing that is out for me is horror. Can't stand it!  I am drawn to stylish, mysterious films with cool-edge dialog I don't understand. Other than that anything from 'Treasure in the Sierra Madre' (Bogey) to the hoot I got from the Ron Burgundy character I saw the other night in 'Anchorman'.

TNC: There are various films showing over the weeks at The Nerve Centre. Are there any you're looking forward to or found particularly good?

JD: Liked how Critical Mass, the cyclists who reclaim the roads, got their name. The film showed ordinary people on bikes among the crazy traffic in China - when enough of them had gathered in the middle of the road they all made a right turn because they had the critical mass to do it.

TNC: On September 11th The Nerve Centre has it's closing party. Where and what should The Nerve Centre do next in your opinion?

JD: That's the big one. This stuff works, for me, because there's no one interest (something like Nerve covers a lot of interests, a very lot), it's informal, and it's open. People seem to respond to that. 

TNC: Many have commented on Dave Webster's sculpture, the Centurion dominating the center of the gallery. What are your thoughts on the piece?

JD: He's big, he doesn't say much, and he's in exactly the right place, near but not too near the door. I haven't thought this through but he's had a massive influence on the space and the way it's changed for various events. We'll miss him.

TNC: What is the message of the Nerve Centre? 

JD: How all kinds of brilliant stuff can happen without any obvious leaders.

TNC: We have an ever changing collection of art on show at The Nerve Centre. Is there a piece that has particularly caught your eye?

JD: The happy madness in John O'Neil's paintings. Carl Fletcher's sardine tin. The square, central, yellow blob in the one of Ossie Jones Liverpool pictures.

TNC: Finally, any filmic and sage advice for the many people of The Nerve Centre ?

JD: Not advice just something I'd heard about films and finding out what a character is really like - 'Put him under pressure..... then see what he does'.

Thanks to John for some great answers! 

The Nerve Centre.

Questions and interrogation by Sebastian Gahan.