High Line Festival

David Bowie is curating the High Line Festival this year.  In honor of the occasion Time Out New York posted interviews that Bowie did with Ricky Gervais (see earlier post for more Bowie/Gervais fun) and performance artist Laurie Anderson, who will be performing along with Arcade Fire and others at the festival.  There is also an interview with Bowie on his selection of Spanish language films that will be featured at High Line.

The Ricky Gervais email interview is awesome so I'm reposting it :P

On April 10, 2007, at 12:08am, DB wrote:

Time Out New York wants me to do an interview with you. (Your “show” sold out, btw.) Shall we do one? I’m up for it; you can have me ask some questions that introduce what you want to say re: your “thing” (that’s American-Italian) to an American audience if you want (for a fee).

Failing that, would you rummage around for any of those clothes that you wore when you were in that New Romantic band [Seona Dancing]? I need something funny for my High
Line stand-up debut.

On April 10, 2007, at 5:25am, RG wrote:

I still wear the clothes I wore in the band, so I can’t let you have them.

On April 10, 2007, at 1:08pm, DB wrote:

So how are you Ricky? Looking forward to the New York High Line show? (We’ve started the interview. Keep this thread going, pal.)

On April 10, 2007, at 12:53pm, RG wrote:

I’m looking forward to it, yes. Next question please.

On April 10, 2007, at 6:03pm, DB wrote:

Okay. What’s the capital city of New York State? (I’m going out now to get some lunch, and I’ll expect your reply when I get back. You’re on your honour to not look it up. I’m really hungry.)

On April 10, 2007, at 1:10pm, RG wrote:

I just realised you may have been serious about doing the interview via e-mail (I find it increasingly hard to tell). So if you want to do it by e-mail, please just answer yes. Or “Yes Ricky, we should do the interview via e-mail.” Remember, no jokes. It will confuse me. There...that’s the challenge. Go.

On April 10, 2007, at 6:22pm, DB wrote:

Yes, but remember the interview has already started. Now, answer the “capital” question. (I really have to get some lunch, pronto. Do you speak American, btw? A good phrase book would help the act terribly. Also, think about what you want me to ask you.)

On April 10, 2007, at 1:16pm, RG wrote:

Well, the last time you went out to get your own lunch, I believe New York was called “New Amsterdam.” New York. New York is the capital city of New York State. Yes weird, I know. Lazy. They say “They named it twice,” I say they ran out of good ideas. Yes, I speak American. It is actually based on the Indo-Germanic language of English. What schmuck (yiddish) doesn’t know that? No wait—maybe New York isn’t the capital. It’s a trick question. I don’t know. What’s the capital? I’m such a putz (yiddish again). Oh, talk to the hand (modern American).

On April 10, 2007, at 2:41pm, RG wrote:

These are the questions I want you to ask me: 1. What’s your favourite Bowie album and why? 2. Which haircut do you prefer—the one I had on Young Americans, or the one I had on Aladdin Sane? 3. Do you think I’m cleverer than Elvis Costello? 4. I love Jesus, Sting, On the Buses, darts and haggis. What are your favourite things, Ricky? 5. Can I get a ticket to your sellout gig at Madison Square Gardens?

Yours,
David Herbert Bowie OBE

On April 10, 2007, at 3:10pm, RG wrote:

The interview:
DB: Hi Rick, how you doin’?
RG: Great. You?
DB: Sweet as a nut, son. What’s the crack with this old Highlander wotsit?
RG: High Line.
DB: What?
RG: It’s High Line, not Highlander.
DB: Whatever. Do you think I’d win Big Brother?
RG: Uh...I don’t.
DB: I would. I’ve got loads of fans.
RG: Maybe.
DB: Definitely. I did a song called “Big Brother.” I could sue.
RG: I think they got it from 1984.
DB: That was one of mine.
RG: Well, George Orwell originally…
DB: He wrote “The Laughing Gnome.”
RG: No, that was you.
DB: This interview is over.