Q&A: Gavin Rossdale on Being a Target for Plus-Sized Underwear, the Chances of a Bush Reunion and the Lameness of Shopping at Bed Bath & Beyond

Posted 11/11/2008 1:09:00 PM by Mark Yarm
Filed under: Bush, Gavin Rossdale, Gwen stefani, Interviews, No doubt, Robert De Niro

This summer, Gavin Rossdale cracked the Top 40 for the first time since 1995—when he fronted the British grunge band Bush—with the ballad “Love Remains the Same,” from his first solo album, Wanderlust. It’s also been a good year for Rossdale personally: He and wife Gwen Stefani of No Doubt had their second son, Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale, in August. Blender.com recently caught up with Rossdale to discuss his big solo hit, his Hollywood career and what he’s heard of the new No Doubt album.

Since “Love Remains the Same” appeared in the Nights in Rodanthe trailer have you found more middle-aged housewives showing up at your gigs?

Getting some plus-sized underwear thrown at me, is that what you mean? I think it’s more than just that trailer. Before Nights in Rodanthe, the song was on Hot AC [adult contemporary]. That definitely creates a whole different thing: “Wow, I haven’t seen some of these people here before.” The song’s been out since June, and it doesn’t show any sign of slowing up. It became one of the songs of the summer. That’s an interesting feeling, because I’d sort of gotten used to being slightly more obscure.

So you were competing with the Leona Lewises and the Rihannas for song of the summer?

That would be a quick race. I’m sure they’d win it, so I wouldn’t try to compete with them. Maybe I’d win a running race against them, though.

I bet you could outrun them. So on this album you worked with Bob Rock, who has produced Metallica. Were you easier to work with than Metallica?

I worked longer hours, that’s for sure. And no therapy sessions. But every morning when I’d come in, Bob would be like, “How are you doing?” And I’d say, “I’m doing fine.” And he’d say, “No, really, how are you doing? Are you OK?” “Yes, I’m fine, Bob, leave me alone.” After two years of therapy with Metallica, he couldn’t help it.

You’ve been in some movies over the years, including Constantine and last year’s How To Rob a Bank. Why do you always end up playing the bad guy?

Probably because that’s how I’m seen. Probably because I’ve got the British accent. I usually get killed as well, so I’m usually dead and bad, or bad and then dead. So yeah, I’ve got to try and break out against the typecasting. But it’s pretty good fun. Problem is, whenever I do films, all the gaffers and the electricians are like, “Hey, where’s the record, man? What are you doing?” And I feel like a geek—I’m in a suit or something with a blown-off face.

What kind of scripts do you get now?

Not bad things. But the problem is, the better the scripts, the less chance of me getting it. There’s always 10 really fantastic A-list actors. I did read for the De Niro film, The Good Shepherd, with Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie. I did like six auditions for the part that Billy Crudup ended up playing. I was reading when they had Leo [DiCaprio] playing the lead, and then they switched to Matt Damon. If the lead actor changes, it clearly changes the entire casting. So I blame it on the casting [switch]—that’s what I like to think. I was disappointed. I just wanted to work with De Niro because he’s so brilliant.

When I Googled your name earlier, one of the first things to come up was pictures of you and Gwen and your son Kingston going to Bed Bath & Beyond. What’s the greatest length you’ve gone to avoid the paparazzi?

It’s impossible. It’s taking the mystique away—it’s really fucked it up. I do not want to see the Beatles coming out of Subway, you know what I mean? What a cack thing. “What’s he up to?” “Oh, he’s shopping at Bed Bath & Beyond.” It’s so lame. But it’s part of the fucking landscape.

So what’s it like being 50 percent of one of the most beautiful couples in the world?

I have no idea, I’ll ask one of those couples the next time I see them.

But you and Gwen are always rated as a highly attractive couple.



I think that this whole tabloid thing is so harsh on music. Even when I was getting killed in the music press, I preferred that to the tabloid world. These are such depressed times, of course I understand why those magazines exist. But I miss that mystery, don’t you? Bed Bath & Beyond, however you slice it, isn’t that cool.

No Doubt are supposed to put out an album next year. Have you heard any of the new material?

Just the odd ska beat. But I don’t know what it’s going to be like.

What are the chances of Bush reforming?

Quite high. Wanderlust was going to be a Bush record for about two or three months. And then the guitar player, Nigel [Pulsford], who originally was the one who didn’t want to tour anymore, suddenly didn’t want to leave his family. I understand. I think he felt that he missed his daughter growing up the first few years. It would have been a great year for Bush; it would have been a really good return. No one stole anyone’s motorbike or wife, so it’s always possible.