After non stop live dates and new single just around the corner, we caught up with Stazi vocalist Owen. Stazi are Manchester's best kept secret who are sure to explode into the top 10 next year with their mighty debut album. Ace!

'Love Is Lethal' is now out in January on Chips Records.

Yo Owen, hows things?

Brilliant, apart from feeling a little fragile. We've just got back from a few gigs in Ireland. It was absolute craziness. We started off with a gig in Thomastown, a small town in Kilkenny. It was a benefit for the under 15s football team to buy them a new kit, with Snow Patrol, who are massive in Ireland and really good mates. We then had to play the team the next day in a match after only 3 hours sleep. We had a player sent off for smoking and four players puked up during the match. We got stuffed. Then I lost my voice completly and couldn't utter a word before our gig in Dublin. I was meeting all these top people whom I couldn't speak to. But they gave me some tablets which helped and I was able to sing. They made me dance a lot as well. I think they called them yokes. You should try them if you're ever in Ireland.

So the gigs went okay?

Well apart from not been able to walk or speak in Dublin it's been great. Everywhere we go I've been seeing great bands who are making me feel good about new music again. I'm even starting to enjoy going to London, although not too much yet.

So is Rowetta a full-time member of the band now and how exactly did that come about?

She isn't full time at the moment because it cost too much for loads of us to go to faraway gigs. She does as many as possible although she has a phobia of Sheffield for gigs. It's great when she makes it though. She has some great stories about her Mondays days. She got in touch with us through a mutual mate after hearing our album saying she wanted to sing with us. She said we are the first band she has asked to sing with since she saw the Mondays. I don't believe her though. I know for a fact she asked to sing with Stereophonics and Tears for Fears.

Your live shows are a bit...strange, why the dancing gimps?

I don't know. People just turn up and do it. I never know who it is cos they are alsways masked . I want to unmask them like someone did to Kendo Nagasaki on Upfront once. I like every gig to be different in a certain way, even if it's just a small way. We've had Troupe doing a song with us, Phantom Flan Flingers and we were talking about wearing Jonathan King and Gary Glitter masks and chasing Rowetta dressed as a kid around the stage at our next gig.

If you were a superhero, who would you be?

Was Niall Quinn a superhero? If not then I would like to be Shoplift Man.

How do you feel about the attention you've been getting lately, like Alan McGee bigging you up in the press?

It's great. Especially from someone like him who has been involved with so many great bands like the Mary Chain, Super Furries, Valentines and Primal
Scream. And then for him to say we were the maddest club night he has put on in 20 years is amazing, It gave me the horn.

When's the album actually out, it takes ages for Chips to release your stuff...

We are having a few cashflow problems at the minute because Rob has spent two hundred grand on fast women and slow horses. We have got Love is Lethal
out in January with Rowetta's vocals on it and some great remixes on it. Then Bane Overlord have a single out and hopefully then the album.

Hopefully as soon as possible.

You look like you could handle yourself in an MC battle, give us an example of your rhyming skills...

Erm, well I can give it a crack...

Yo, I'm an Auteur
Lock up your daughters
A Racounter
Not a munter
I got more rhymes then Edward Lear
I drink vodka and Ginger Beer
So all you other MCs who want to come
and try and have a pop at me.
Up your mum.
sorry.

Give us your top 5 favourite bands of the moment.

Well, I'm gonna name some great bands I've seen on gigs we've done recently cos they have been mostly great..

The Things ( www.thethingsireland.moonfruit.com) who are top R'n'R from Dublin and a pack of nutters, in the best possible way..
The Mighty Stef - (www.cpu-records.com) , a singer also from Dublin who is funny and rocking.
The Unfolds - Sheffield band who we might tour with in the New Year..
Pink Grease - words fail me with these lot.
The Cherry Bombers - four 17 year old girls who sound and look great. A bit rockabilly although I was pretty fucked so maybe they weren't that Rockabilly. Their drummer rocked as well..

What's you fave animal?

Alan Price. Sorry that's awful. Really bad.

And lastly, have you seen the cult classic 'Crossroads' starring Ralph Macchio (the guy who played Karate Kid)?

No. And I haven't seen Weekend at Bernies's 2 either. Although I watched the Ramones film last week and that was great.

Cheers Owen!