Holiday Habits
We caught up with British singer Marianne Faithfull to talk travel, and her new album and tour.
Marianne Faithfull
“I LIVE IN PARIS AND WHENEVER I CAN, I GO to Ireland. I have a home in County Meath, and lived there for 15 years – but then I really wanted to go back to a capital city, so I moved to Paris. Jeanne Moreau and Catherine Deneuve are two great French actresses that have inspired me all my life – their whole style and way of being women influenced me. Paris and Ireland have been like characters in my life, and they influenced my new record, Horses and High Heels. It’s a fun record, my first consciously ‘happy’ record.
“One of the things that Paris offers me is anonymity – I’m not persecuted by the press. There’s interesting music, theatre and ballet, too. Paris hasn’t changed as much as London, as it’s more difficult to build new buildings. But I do love visiting London. If some people see me as an icon for London in some way then I’m honoured, although I’m not sure it’s accurate.
“My mother [Eva von Sacher-Masoch, Baroness Erisso] was Austro-Hungarian, and her part of the world interests me. I’ve got many friends in Vienna. My friend Dennis Russell Davies, who I recorded The Seven Deadly Sins album with, is the director of the Linz Opera. In autumn 2012 we’re doing The Seven Deadly Sins as a full ballet, with me singing and a whole opera, orchestra and everything. It’s going to be an amazing experience. It’s something that I’m doing because of my Austrian connection.
“I’ve travelled so much that I can pack pretty quickly and I’m used to it, although at my age travelling so much becomes tiring. I have been everywhere, really I have, and I love that. I like going places, meeting interesting people, and doing strange things.
“I’m spending this year touring my new record. I’m going all over the world, to Hong Kong, to South America, playing London, Liverpool, Manchester – I’m looking forward to it very much. My job is to stay healthy and strong, and to work hard and do good work. With a great band!”
Interview by Sophy Grimshaw horses and high heels is out now. For tour dates, visit www.mariannefaithfull.org.uk
Fly to Bratislava (Vienna), Dublin, Linz, Liverpool, London (Gatwick, Luton and Stansted), Manchester and Paris (Beauvais and Vatry) from across the Ryanair network. www.ryanair.com
