Noel Fielding: I Called Alice Cooper At 5am For A Chat

Noel Fielding: I called Alice Cooper at 5am for a chat

The busy comedian is currently on tour with his An Evening With Noel Fielding show but he took some time out to tell us about life since the success of The Mighty Boosh and befriending rock stars.

Russell and I do transcendental meditation together

It’s very special, as it’s hard to learn. We’re good friends. I stay at his house and we hang out. He gets a lot of stick, but whether or not you like what he’s saying, it’s good he has an opinion because I think he appeals to a lot of people who aren’t interested in politics.

Young people might not care about David Cameron, but they do care about Russell Brand. That is a powerful thing. I won’t be reading his politics book, but he’s done a kids story. I’ll read that instead.

There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t get asked to make another series of The Mighty Boosh

The success never ceases to amaze me. Some people even have panic attacks when they see me. It was such good fun filming this advert for the first series. Julian was eating Wensleydale in a back room and I was trying to make it into some elaborate pop video. That pretty much sums us up. It really affected people’s lives, which is weird considering it was such an odd show. I miss the gang, it was magic chemistry.

Courtney Love once said to me, “If you can’t buy an amazing house, just get cool wallpaper”

And look, spiffing wallpaper in the background. This is us at her Hole gig in London. We are good friends and it’s scary how much her daughter Frances looks like Kurt Cobain. She’s a real Anglophile and loves British comedy. She has a reputation, but actually she’s bright, funny and interesting. She invited me to her house for New Year’s Eve once, which was pretty amazing. Her house is cool. Think funeral parlour meets baby doll.

I look alright in a dress

I have quite good legs. This is Julian Barratt and me turning on the Christmas Lights at Stella McCartney’s shop. We ended up performing three songs but in drag, to take the edge off. Stella’s dad Sir Paul is always really nice. I first met him on a bus in Soho. He was just sat on the top deck. I said, “I can’t believe you take the bus,” and he said, “Well, people think, ‘That can’t be Paul McCartney because he wouldn’t get the bus.’ So I never get hassled.”

I think Alice Cooper liked the look of me…

…he knew we would get along. I went to one of his gigs and we kept in touch. Then I phoned him up and it was 5am his time, but he chatted to me for an hour. He’s such a nice dude. He tells stories about his days hanging out with Elvis. It doesn’t get cooler than that.

Apparently, Elvis came up to him and went, “Are you the guy with the snake? I am so jealous.” He then handed Alice a revolver and said, “Come at me with that and I’ll show you my kung fu moves.” Alice hit the deck and the king of rock and roll had his foot on his head. So yeah, he’s an amazing guy.

I look like a giddy fan girl staring up at Stephen Fry

I do know him quite well. He’s good company, funny and clever. He likes me because I’m always dressed in strange outfits. He says, “I wish I could wear clothes like yours!” How sweet is that? I was making tea with him once and the kettle was broken. It kept boiling until the whole room was filled with steam. I said, “Look, it’s a steam room!” and Stephen went, “Noel, steam is see-through. What we are surrounded by is a composition chemical.” I went home thinking, “I literally know nothing about anything.”

Me and my girlfriend Lliana hanging out with some penguins

This was a fashion event and it was fancy dress, but some people didn’t even bother. Obviously, me being me, I dressed up as a skeleton toy soldier. I look very regal in that cape. English people hate costumes, don’t they? Me and Lliana had fun, though, we always have a great time as we were friends for years before we started going out. When you first become ‘famous’ you get invited to loads of parties – it’s like your birthday every day. Then the colours fade and I had to go and play tennis and meditate before I turned into Richard Harris.