Long before he took the stage with alt-rockers Mogwai, guitarist Stuart Braithwaite could be found roaming the streets covered in Styrofoam all in the name of the Empire. "For Halloween when I was a kid, I dressed up as a stormtrooper with loads of bits of polystyrene taped to me," Braithwaite laughs. "The whole first trilogy was huge for me when I was young. I still feel that Empire is one of the greatest films ever made."
As a toddler, Braithwaite saw A New Hope, but the other films in the original trilogy resonated with the young fan more. "I actually remember seeing Empire Strikes Back a lot more vividly, but my favorite memory is probably of waiting to see Return of the Jedi," Braithwaite says.
Braithwaite continued the tradition of seeing Star Wars films when he caught Revenge of the Sith in 2005. "I saw it at a midnight showing on the Wednesday night at my local cinema in Hamilton, Scotland," Braithwaite recalls. "I loved the tragedy of the Jedi's downfall. I thought that Phantom Menace in particular had played down the darkness that Star Wars had used in the past."
References to Star Wars show up in everything from TV shows like The Simpsons and Robot Chicken," as well as comics, books, games and other movies. Braithwaite has his own theories as to why the films have saturated pop culture generation after generation. "They take the place of modern day fairy tales," Braithwaite explains. "I think that people yearn for the simplicity of a good vs. evil universe. The films are simply brilliant."
Now that the unaltered versions of the original trilogy are available on DVD, Braithwaite can't wait to watch his favorite parts including a musical performance a little out of Mogwai's range. "I love the original Ewok song at the end of Return of the Jedi," Braithwaite smiles.
It's not just the Ewoks' vocal talents that impress Braithwaite. He's always been a fan of music composer John Williams and his iconic scores. "The traditionalism of the music alongside the futuristic imaginary made it seem very timeless," Braithwaite says. "The music is really special and instantly recognizable."
Often referred to as one of the trailblazers in the growing experimental music genre of "post-rock" (richly dense guitar textures with art/math rock undertones), the Scottish five-piece Mogwai are influenced by such bands as Joy Division, My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth and The Cure. The band formed in 1995 with members Braithwaite (guitar), Dominic Aitchison (bass), Martin Bulloch (drums), John Cummings (guitar), and Barry Burns (keyboards, flute, and guitar). A year later the band released the Tuner/Lower EP on their own Rock Action label, and have since gone on to develop their distinctive style across four more albums including remixes for the indie music darlings Bloc Party. In addition to their latest album -- Mr. Beast, the band followed in John Williams' footsteps and contributed to the original musical score composed by Clint Mansell and the Kronos Quartet for the sci-fi/fantasy film The Fountain.
Music and movies aren't Braithwaite's only passions. He's also an avid gamer with LEGO Star Wars at the top of his favorites list. "I used to love the SNES games and love LEGO Star Wars," Braithwaite says. "I'm going to get LEGO Star Wars II for my PSP to play when we go on tour!"
To find out more about Mogwai, visit the official band site here.
