Shirly Manson of the Scotland band, Garbage
Q: Do you still live in Edinburgh?
A: Yes I do.
Q: Do you feel that Scotland is effectively part of Europe?
A: Oh yeah. I believe in unification full stop, that's just my thing. I think that's an interesting point to make. I do think people — particularly in the UK — that they very separate from Europe, but I don't. I feel like a Scottish person first, but I also feel like a European. Definitely.
Q: Is Edinburgh where you first delved into music, or did you travel outside?
A: No. I grew up in Scotland, and that was where I first became involved in a band, and I'd never been outside the country before I joined a rock band called Goodbye Mr. MacKenzie.
Q: I actually interviewed [Goodbye Mr.MacKenzie lead singer] Martin Metcalfe a number of years ago and "Blacker Than Black" remains one of my favorite singles.
A: Oh my God!
Q: And I was a big fan of [Goodbye Mr.MacKenzie guitarist] Big John Duncan from his days with the Exploited, which is why I sought them out to begin with.
A: Wow. Yeah, I mean...I love both of those boys.
Q: Do you still stay in touch with Big John Duncan?
A: Yes I do. He was in a band called the Gin Goblins, but I think he's now in Amsterdam. He's in some sort've performance group, EXTREME performance group. He does kinda weird things. He plays guitar while people pierce their genitals, that kinda thing.
Q: Do you think there's still a thriving Scottish music scene, so to speak?
A: Oh yeah, absolutely. There's a lot of great things coming out of Scotland now which is really exciting.