FROM "ASK THE ORACLE" WISHING WELLQ. Also, which song would you most like to see them cover live?Q. Are the guys superstitious? You know, black (chocolate-coated) cats, lucky charms/t-shirts/underwear/headbands, horoscope...etc.? Q. Do Ben or Andrew like mustard? do YOU like mustard?Q. Do you know if ... Andrew and Ben could have a planet, what would it be like on their planet ? ( examples: what organisms would thrive on the planet, is it a magical place, ugly, fun, waterslides are the source of transportation?) Q. Is there anything you'd like to tell us? Anything you think we should know? A. Know only that Andrew and Ben love you and wish you peace.
Q. Oracle, since you're an oracle... what are their plans for 2009 and beyond?
...and are they coming back to Sziget fest to promote their 2nd album?A. After spending December holidays with family, in January 2009 they will retreat to an as yet undisclosed location to write and record new songs -- and savor all their year-end "best new artist of 2008" awards. About Sziget, who knows. They do plan to learn how to spell it properly.
Q. If the boys weren't in a band, or lets say had no interest in music, what do you think theyd be doing? A. Soho, that would only be a guess. The oracle doesn't get paid to guess. What would any of us be doing if we weren't doing what we're doing? Even the oracle doesn't know.
Q. Are they as funny as they appear in interviews?A. They are very witty guys. The best examples of their humor are the "MGMT in London" vignettes on youtube. They are sardonic and absurdist, but subtle, not slapstick.
Q. If i were to take them a gift, what would you suggest?A. Gift? Whatever you think is cool, they'd probably like. They get lots of headscarves, I think, so you might want to try something different. Like headcheese. JKJK.
Q. Oracle, is there a cat heaven? A. Cats, I'm afraid, are consigned to be reborn as fleas for nine lifetimes, then they become baby birds who fall out of their nests to be consumed by neighborhood cats. And the cycle of life repeats.
Q. Any troublemaking in the past?
Like setting a dog on fire or smearing chocolate on the walls?A. I don't know of any real trouble-making in their past. They both were pretty normal if slightly nerdy guys who met and clicked musically. I think they're as amazed by all this as anybody.
They do sacrifice a cat by smearing it with chocolate before each show.
Q. How did Andrew and Ben meet Will, James, Matt and Hank?A. Will went to school at Wesleyan with A and B. Hank was Andrew's buddy in high school bands and they reconnected when Andrew and Ben spent a summer in Athens GA, where Hank went to school. James and Matt were friends of friends, I believe, and they met in New York
Q. What do you think is the most surprising/random fact about the boys? A. The most surprising thing about the boys that I hear from most people who meet them is how down to earth and nice they are to fans. They are consciously trying to avoid becoming assholes. I think it's because they both come from middle-class backgrounds and don't take any of this fame stuff for granted.
Q. Do you know if there's any song they'd wish to cover but are afraid to? A. I don't think they're afraid to cover any song. They've done "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," and if that doesn't scare them, nothing will.
Q. Oracle, are you the "mystic referee" mentioned in Metanoia? A. I'm not the Mystic Referee and I actually don't know who it is, though it looks like the principal on Welcome Back, Kotter.
Q. Do you know anything about their plans for the second record? Where will they go, musically-wise and stuff like that?A. Don't what their plans are musically for the next album. I've heard them say things like "brothers Johnson meet the Zombies." That would be interesting. Supposedly next January/February, they're going to hole up somewhere and write.
Q. Oracle, if you were me/us, what question would you ask and what would be an answer? A. I would ask: What is the biggest change in the boys since they got famous? And I would answer: At first, they were nervous and tentative about whether it was real; Now, they're more relaxed about it and used to it and they've kept their sense of humor, even through stressful traveling, constant media, and having little free time for the last year.
Q. Are they really good friends or more business partners? A. Both. They've been friends since freshman year at Wes in 2001. The "business" side and the travel have caused some friction once in a while, but not enough to kill a friendship. Remember, these guys had to drive around the country for months in Andrew's pickup truck, just the two of them, touring with Of Montreal. If they got through that, they can handle fame and glory, I'd say.
idea is simple, someone posts a bugging MGMT question, we try to answer it, first post (this very one you're reading at this very moment) is updated, so that the topic is all neat and clean.
Q: What are the live members of MGMT called?
A: Currently:
James Richardson (guitar)
Matthew Asti (bass)
Will Berman (drums)
past:
Hank Sullivant (guitar) while James was on the drums
