Lazy Sunday With Dani Filth

Sunday means different things to different people. For Cradle Of Filth frontman Dani Filth it’s probably a safe bet that it doesn’t involve a quick Sunday service down the village church. This is a man, after all, whose band once released an infamous T-shirt featuring a masturbating nun and a back print proudly proclaiming the slogan: ‘Jesus is a cunt’

Away from the Christian-baiting antics and vampiric imagery of the band, though, Dani comes off as a good-natured guy who's even a little embarrassed at his own youthful antics. So maybe he's just a normal guy who enjoys a lazy Sunday afternoon like the rest of us?

“I don’t really do normality. My house is not normal, nothing in my life is normal,” he laughs. “But you do have to live in the real world every now and then.”

Let’s find out, then, what Sunday looks like in the Filth household…

What’s the shape of your average Sunday?

I don’t have an average Sunday. Last week I was traveling. The week before I was traveling. The week before that I was traveling. Today I was rehearsing though. I also had my mum round, which was the first time she’s been to my house for about two years and she only lives down the road. I did some housework, watched the football. It was all very boring actually. When I’ve finished talking to you I’m going to get on the treadmill and then cook some food.

Do you often have band-related stuff to do on a Sunday?

The rest of the week I do, but not usually a Sunday. I do try to keep at least one day free but we’ve just swapped over to new management. It’s Dez (Fafara) from Devildriver and his wife and they’re amazing. The band’s going on leaps and bounds at the moment, especially in America. It’s ridiculous but the downside is, because he’s American, he rings me at two o’ clock in the fucking morning and then he’ll be on the phone to me for an hour. It’s great but there’s not really that cut-off point any more. That will often extend my Sunday into the early hours now.”

Do you do a big Sunday breakfast when you are at home?

Not usually. My daughter stayed over last night, she’s at university. We went to a friend’s disco night, which was good, but it meant I didn’t get in until about 2:00AM. I told my daughter I wasn’t getting up to make breakfast but she didn’t get up until about 12 anyway to be fair.

Does being a dad have a big effect on your routine?

Well, I wouldn’t have done the Bring Me The Horizon video [for Wonderful Life] had not Oli asked me specifically and then my daughter went, ‘Oh my god, do it, do it, do it!’ She’s the biggest Bring Me The Horizon fan, so I picked her up from university and we went up to Oli’s Drop Dead place in Sheffield. We spent the day up there and not only am I the best dad in the entire universe, I’m also amazing. So that’s what’s changed – I can do some cool stuff sometimes!

While we’re on the video, please tell us you eat your breakfast and go shopping on a Sunday in full corpse-paint.

Unfortunately not. Oli did text me about coming and doing the song live at Alexandra Palace. I was up for that but only on one of the days because we were flying out to headline some gig at the Czech Republic. They were talking about getting me a shopping trolley to walk onstage with. That’s fine, I don’t care about looking a tit, I’m the biggest, best dad in the world.

Can you turn your hand to a bit of Sunday DIY?

Strangely enough, no. Well, I’ve tried to. To cut a long story short, a new house has come into my possession so there’s decorating to be done. I went to B&Q and they didn’t have anything I wanted. No giant robots or anything! I was trying to get some wood to put this massive fucking picture up and they told me they couldn’t deliver it. It was seven foot, I couldn’t get it in my car.

Sorry, we’re still picturing you walking round B&Q with a skull painted on your face…

Well that’s your prerogative, but I was dressed reasonably normally I think.