Gavin Friday covers T-Rex for Moulin Rouge soundtrack

One of the most anticipated films and soundtracks this year is “Moulin Rouge”, director Baz Luhrmann’s new musical extravaganza starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. Though apparently the film isn’t completely finished yet, it debuted at the Cannes Film festival last week.

For the soundtrack, Luhrmann asked Bono, Gavin and Maurice Seezer specifically to do T Rex’s “Children of the Revolution”. It is the theme tune of the ‘Bohemians’ in the film. A song that is “a pre punk pop anthem, full of pure ‘I DON’T WANNA GROW UP’ teenage angst… with one of the best guitar/string riffs of all time,” says Gavin, speaking to us from the studio in Dublin.

Gavin and Maurice, who are currently working on their fourth studio album, took time out to record the song in their own “HORSE studios”, after seeing “a snippet or two” of the movie, which according to Gavin, “looks amazing, like Fritz Lang in the 21st century”.

“T Rex/Bolan have always been a love/interest to me… “take me back to ’72″…”The Slider”, “Rex Mortuus Est”, “Life’s a Gas”, “King of Trash” (all songs Gavin and Maurice played or recorded). Over the years myself and Maurice have tipped our hat to Bolan many a time. The music of T Rex will always be close to my heart, it’s a ‘you never forget your first kiss’ type of thing.”

When we ask Gavin how roles in the studio were divided, he says: “We are one but not the same… Bono took the role of Bolan and I took on the role of Flo & Eddie (backing singers on the original) at the request of the director. The recordings were very free form, just the three of us dossin’. It was chaos ‘n’ fun, mad jams, very uncontrived with our tongues firmly in our cheeks.”

Two versions of the track were mixed by ‘Biffco’ at Windmill Lane. The mix used in the film is different from the one on the soundtrack: “It’s a demented camp/handbag/heavy metal/pop kind of thing.”

Will it be released?

“Maybe?”

Friday and Bono have known each other since they were kids, growing up on the same street in Northside Dublin. As teenagers they formed ‘Lypton Village’, a group of individuals who ‘saw the world differently’. For musicians who have known each other and remained friends for that long a time, they have recorded remarkably little together. Yet when they do team up the results can be potent. Take 1993’s “In the Name of the Father”, arguably some of the best work either have done.

When two strong characters get together, we wonder who’s the boss in the studio: “The old Lypton Village roles still come into practice, I am in charge of being in charge, and Bono is judge & jury, some things don’t change.”

Any chance of more collaborations in the future?

“You never know,” Gavin answers, “perhaps when we’re in our fifties.”

Now, we don’t know about you, but we’d like to hear this done live. We suggest a session at Slane Castle.

Gavin: “You must be joking… I have a fear of large fields and castles.”

Yes, we were joking.

Finally, some T Rex advice… if we want to hear more, what should we get? “”Electric Warrior”, every home should have one.”