SHE’S been hailed as a “rock star poet” and “rock goddess extraordinaire”. Coupled with double platinum selling albums, international musical acclaim and industry awards you might think Shirley Manson would be a difficult interviewee – especially as the gutsy glamour singer of rock band Garbage doesn’t usually do interviews.
Such fears, however, prove to be completely unfounded. There’s still that unmistakable fiery red hair, the love of black eyeliner and those red lips that led to Shirley becoming the face of MAC makeup in 2002. But as the diminutive 40-year-old star strolls into the room in a vintage-looking gold and black striped shift dress and skyscraper heels, she is all smiles. Her only entourage is her mum Muriul, dad John and strikingly similar-looking sister Lindy.
“I’m really happy to be here,” she grins, as she scans the Lord Provost’s opulent private quarters within the City Chambers. “I’m a horrible, cynical whine so this is something special.”
The Edinburgh born and bred singer, who grew up in Stockbridge, was awarded a civic reception on Tuesday evening for her musical achievements and her much-publicised love of the Capital which led her to be hailed as an “ambassador.” And Shirley couldn’t have been more proud.
“I was really surprised,” she says. “This means more than a lot of awards that we’ve had as a band. I’m very proud of where I come from and I feel this plays a large part in my success, so to be honoured by the city I grew up in is a really big deal.
“It also means a lot to my family, especially my parents – they’re beside themselves!”
A quick glance over to mum and dad reveals just that. Both Muriul, a former big band singer, and John are beaming with pride, posing for pictures and joking with Lord Provost Lesley Hinds. Shirley says that even her rock star friends, such as Gwen Stefani, were delighted to hear of her latest accolade. “Everybody that I know – my pals – those who are really jaded, are all really chuffed for me,” she admits. “I feel rather unworthy, but hey.”
Despite being able to entertain at sell-out shows around the world, hold her own in televised interviews and meet some of the world’s biggest celebrities, Shirley is refreshingly modest for such a big star. And while she cringes slightly at being called an ambassador, it’s clear she is just that.
“I’ve had a lot of international success and I have possibly travelled to every major city in the world, so to a certain degree it’s always been in my head that I’m representing my country and, in particular, my city.
“It is a mind-blowingly beautiful city but we also have a liberal spirit at a time in the world where there’s incredible strife. It’s good to know that we Scots don’t want to pick a fight with anyone – except each other!
“There’s an incredible bonhomie. We have a wonderful characteristic of humour and joie de vivre, as well as our many cultural and social backdrops.”
The interview turns to chit-chat – about her fond memories of Stockbridge, her love of the shops in St Stephen Street, the Modern Art Gallery, fish and chip shops with “that amazing brown sauce you can’t get anywhere else in the world”, not to mention her love of the Castle and the cobblestones.
Although she now lives in Los Angeles, she still sees Edinburgh as home. “Edinburgh is still my home, definitely. I have my own house here and I still pay my taxes here!” she jokes.
Often in life, we don’t know what we have until it’s gone, and we don’t appreciate something – even our home – until it’s no longer there. For Shirley, this is certainly true.
“I’d totally agree,” she nods, resolutely. “It stunned me that the more I travelled the more I realised how Edinburgh can hold its head up high with all of these major cities.
“When I went to Paris, New York, Toyko I realised just how stunningly beautiful Edinburgh really is. I do miss it. And I do miss the Scottish sensibility a lot. Scottish people are just really funny and down to earth.
“A Scotsman is a friend instantly until proven otherwise. And that is really quite rare in the world these days.
“I’ve been on a variety of big shows abroad when they’ve had me on the couch and all they want to do is talk about Scotland. They don’t want to talk about me or my career. And it’s really lovely!”
Shirley comes home as often as possible, returning to her house in Joppa for extended breaks three times last year. She has been in the Capital for the past eight weeks, chilling out and catching up with friends and family.
“I was here for Christmas and New Year, the whole kit and caboodle, the whole [Hogmanay] cancellation! I ended up staying in with my sister and my mum and dad. It’s my mum’s birthday on Hogmanay so we always have a big family celebration.”
Shirley is in good spirits. A year out to re-charge those batteries has worked. But her life in the Capital wasn’t always so positive. Like many teenagers, she was bullied at school, which prompted her to self-harm. And those mental scars take years to fade.
“Fame doesn’t make you more confident,” she once said. “Maybe a lot of it stems from my childhood. Kids can be cruel and they were. They slagged me off, laughed about the way I looked and compared me to animals, bloodhounds, dead fishes.”
To cope with the bullying, a teenage Shirley cut herself. She has said: “There is a sense of euphoria that follows cutting yourself. The quick pinch of pain and the sight of blood snaps you back to the surface and you start to appreciate being alive.”
But Shirley is a fighter. She got over it. And to help prevent other teenagers go through her pain, as well as helping those who are going through it, she told her story in the documentary film CUT: Teens And Self Injury.
“It needs to be talked about,” she says. “I think I started cutting because I was an inarticulate teenager which came out in strange ways, and the cutting was one of them.”
So what’s next for Shirley? And Garbage?
“I’m making a solo record in Los Angeles so I’m busying myself with that. And we’ve got the Garbage Greatest Hits coming out this year – but we’re recording another song to go in it. We want to make it really good.”
“I’m not putting any pressure on myself as I feel I’ve had that for ten years.
“I’ve taken a year off, I’ve had a life, I’ve actually had things in my refrigerator!”
And are the rumours of a Garbage split true? “Bands are like the mafia,” is her carefully-worded answer. “Once you’re in, you never really get out.
“I love them [the band]. We just needed a break from each other. We’re actually playing a benefit show together next week as a friend of ours has had throat cancer and it’s hard to have medical insurance over there.”
So will she ever come back to Edinburgh for good?
“As I get older I think I’ll want to come back, but right now I have a lot of business in America,” she says. “My record company are based there so it makes sense to be near them – otherwise they’ll forget all about me. The girl’s gotta hustle, you know.”
CITY GIRL WHO STRUCK GOLD WITH GARBAGE
SHIRLEY MANSON learned to play the piano at seven, and later attended the City of Edinburgh Music School.
Her career took off when she joined Goodbye Mr Mackenzie as a backing vocalist and keyboard player. The band became Angelfish, with Shirley taking lead vocals in 1993. Guitarist and Garbage founder Steve Marker saw Shirley perform on the video, Suffocate Me, on MTV. His offer of a position in his band was quickly accepted.
The self-titled album, Garbage, released in 1995, contained hits including Stupid Girl and Only Happy When It Rains. In 1999 Shirley became a Bond Girl of sorts, when the band recorded the title track for The World Is Not Enough.
Source: Edinburgh News, thanks to thetrickistokeepbreathing from the forum for the news! – Video Footage from STV.tv
Interesting article.I almost missed it way down here.
Her dad’s name is Mitchell. Unless her biological parents got divorced and they were referring to her stepdad. Anyways, great article.
That definintely looks like her dad, she has a smaller version of his nose! My GOD she looks BEAUTIFUL!!! I want her to be my tourguide!!!
oh my god, and again she look so fine. this article is too interesting for my file. I like read that things about her life.
it follows princess ahead. and a salute from medellin (colombia) I’m waitting for you lady.
Trully cool article.
Hey Rob.What kind of music you like?Remember,I told you about djs.I listen to it, only sometimes.
I like Garbage,U2,Madonna,Cranberries,Mylene Farmer,and Sinead O’connor and also one band from my country,but you don’t know them.Yeah,you right.Dj’s so boring sometimes.Also I can recommend you Deftones,but I don’t listen to it anymore.I became old.Sorry about writings about american music,I think I was upset about something.It’s a new country for me,and sometimes I have problems.Anyway people,if you love garbage,you can listen to these artists.I also heard that most garbage fans like Nine inch nail.I have cds,but I guess I became too old for this.
Mascara:
http://www.last.fm/user/garbagedisco/
I got it and thank you,but I see no U2 on that website.Right now I listen to Joshua Tree album.
hi there guys…its a cool article, and im glad 4 shirley, obviously. Im also glad there’s a lot of stuff coming soon from garbage, even if i expected a dvd collection of their videos (all of em…theyre gorgeous anyway!!) and maybe a b-side collection…but a best of with a new smashing hit is marvellous! im not quite sure about the solo album4shirley…i mean…its quite an occasion 4her to show what shes made of ;) looking forward to that!!
One of my goals in the future is being in a picture with Shirley&the band, and maybe become her bosom friend ahah
ciao from rome guys!!
dave
a really gripping and moving article. this is the way good articles are written!
now i understand that there is an autobiographical element in Bleed Like Me! :-O
and… God, how i love Garbage
Shirley: WE LOVE YOU. it is LLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEE, love love love!
she looks beautiful as allways, mua mua mua
and looks like her father, really :)
Hey Rob.I watched the Coven movie, and I heard accidentally garbage song push it during adds to other movies,before the movie.Also I think
this movie is bad,exept I heard garbage song push it.I bought this movie accidentally,and I’m not recommend to buy it.This movie very old and not healthy for some of you.It’s horror, and especially not everybody can watch it.In which movies I can find garbage songs,if you know?Do they have any soundtracks?And ,like I said this movie very old and sick,and I bought this accidentally.I’m not recommend to buy it.
I think I would like to hear garbage songs in cooler movies.I watched Catwoman movie for example,and I liked this movie a lot.I think this is one of my favorite movies.Also I watched James Bond movie with video the world is not enough by garbage.I think this is my favorite video.Any other movies with garbage songs or videos?
Hey Rob!Congrats for the wonderful article.I really enjoyed it:)
Shirley ROCKS.As usual:)
Greetings from Bulgaria!
Stay cool:)
there are cool videos of the “beat it wally” concert in youtube. sounds cool! and shirley’s dress is lovely!
Nice article, and well done to her. And I must say she looks totally gorgeous, as always!
Where I can download Beat it wally?Is there a garbage videos,or a concert?And is it safe to download it for my comp?
there are some clips on you tube and the pro boards forum has some footage shot from the crowd
http://garbage.proboards60.com/
Okey.Thanks.I will try to download.
Hey Rob.Do you still buy cds?Last time I went to russian store, I bought cd.The name of that artist was Mara.I tell you only one thing,one time, when I watched tv,I saw her live performance,and she took off her top and had nothing there,the crowd where jumping.And my grandma said it’s disgusting, she is old.She saw that too.You have to hear what she sing.Plus,her one song is very very disgusting,even,if I like her several songs.She is bisexual I think,I think she not a ….. you know,but I’ll skip that disgusting song, even if it’s true,I still like some of her songs.But I mean,when my grandma saw her without bra,she was like,I guess she wanted to kill me.And I said, nothing special,that girl is crazy.I also wanna say,that Shirley Manson more sexier,then Mara,and has more taste.She is not a freak like her,and,if she would do something like that,she was in police department long time ago.Haha.Of course,we don’t wish her this.But in russia I think,you can do whatever you want.Show striptease, or jump without pants in metro,or act like an idiot or lunatic.And this is so funny.But I think I liked Mara’s striptease part.It was cool.Also I saw one weird guy dancing like lunatic there and it was so damn funny.But Shirley of course still more saxier,and cooler,then she.And yeah about me,I do not like girls,I like boys guys.This is it.
And yeah,she is vulgar,more aggressive,then Shirley and crazy.She reminds me of my aunt.Moohahaha.It’s so damn funny.By the way,any news about Shirley’s solo?Can’t wait to hear more news.
Hey Rob.I think you can download live performance of this artist.In latest album I like only few songs like Angel Schlesser.This song in russian,but I have no idea what second word means.
Can you download russian artists in internet or not?I can’t find beat it wally, can’t download.I wanna say maybe this artist(Mara) blah blah a little bit,but some of her songs vulgar and sexy , I like it.But I always thought Garbage’s songs sexy as hell and nothing on this earth like garbage.And I need your help with beat it wally.Any web address,I mean where I can download it.Thanks a lot.And another questions: how popular Tatu in your country?Cuz I think they suck.They so awful and suck a lot.I think both of them have boyfriends.I mean Tatu girls.They even not a band anymore,they even not lesbians.This band have to change their name.Hahaha.I even heard one girl has a boyfriend,and another one became a mom.They suck and not popular anymore .But I mean it’s up to people what they like.They can listen to this trashy music,even,if they not gays.And this is very stupid,I think.I would never like this band in my life.
Well,people may think that I’m blah blah too.Please,for those who heard this song Angel Schlesser,do no think about me bad.Haha.I even do not understand honestly what this song means.But I guess this artist blah blah,but it’s her problem.Some people still like several songs.
Mascara, we’re fed up of you!
Mascara
I’ve just deleted your reply to mask’s comment. He refers to you going off topic and chatting about other stuff in your posts. As I have said before join the forum
http://www.garbagedisco.com/forum you have said before that you can not post replies on the forum and can only post new topics, this can not be the case because if you can do one, you can do the other so I suggest you try again to sign up.
Thank you,I probably will try to do that.
wanna hear some news!! what’s up?!
Oh Shirley Manson, such a delight to find out anything about her, or the band for that matter. Garbage has been my most fav band for 5 years without change, i was lucky to see them in australia in 2005. Without a doubt the Shirley IS the most beautiful human on the planet, and the talent to go with it. Butch Vig deserves praise too for discovering Garbage. I expect great things from Shirley and Billey Corgen in her solo, best combination of artists i could have hoped for, as my fav band is Garbage then comes The Smashing Pumkins. Love u Shirley.
TE AMO CON TODO SHIRLEY MANSON.!!!
I LOVE YOU FOREVER !! GARBAGE IS THE BEST
OKKK
MY LOVE SHIRLEY MANSON