The NE:ONE youth event was held at the Newcastle Telewest Arena with Delirious? The World Wide Message Tribe and Yfriday on the bill. Tony Cummings reported.

We understand there is going to be a new single soon. Any news on that yet?
Yep, we have just started recording a new album and are hoping to release a single the first part of next year. Watch this space!

Stuart, you've developed a very original guitar style which someone recently described to me as "distorted octaves". How would YOU describe it and who have been your major influences?
I would say that my guitar style is evolving every year and I have many influences including, from years ago, Brian May, Jimmy Page, Hendrix, etc and more recently Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, U2 (Edge).

What do you think of the new U2 album?
It's a great album and we enjoyed listening to it - see Q Magazine, November issue for a more detailed review/article.

World Wide Message Tribe

Have any of you read the Left Behind books? What do you think of them?
No, should we have?

There seems to be an awful lot of bandwagon jumping going on in America at the moment with rock orientated worship albums. What's your take on that?
As long as it is genuine and not jumping on the bandwagon for financial gain then we welcome it.

How much time are you going to be spending in the USA in 2001?
We are not sure yet, but somewhere between four to eight weeks.

THE WORLD WIDE MESSAGE TRIBE

By the time you read this everything will have changed for THE WORLD WIDE MESSAGE TRIBE Tony Cummings spoke to Lindsey of the pop dance evangelists.

The band has gone through a lot of changes.
Yes, that's right. Cameron left in the first week of September and Doronda, Claire and Colette all left four days ago at the Christmas Planet Life event. We'll be unveiling the new Tribe line up at Planet Life in January.

I hear that the last Planet life went really well.
Yes, it did. It was a really emotional time for the Tribe with the girls leaving. But it was also a tremendous time spiritually. Andy Hawthorne spoke up a storm and there were probably a couple of hundred young people coming forward for prayer. Absolutely fantastic!

I expect you are looking forward to the ne:one event?
We sure are. The Tribe last played Newcastle when we did the Frantik tour and performed at Newcastle City Hall. I hear God's doing some fantastic things in Newcastle. Personally, I don't know Newcastle too well apart from Byker Grove!

Soul Survivor Message 2000 was such a big event. Have you been suffering from post Message 2000 blues? It must be difficult to stay motivated?
Not at all. In fact, it's really snowballed since the mission. We're getting over 3,000 kids every time we do a Planet Life, the Eden Project has really taken off, there's just a real sense of excitement in the Message ministry.

A lot of people are saying that today's youth has no interest in Christianity. What would you say to a comment like that?
It depends how relevant the presentation is. Not wanting to diss any church or denomination but sometimes Christianity is communicated in a way which means nothing to young people. What enthuses a 65 year old simply doesn't connect with today's youth. Where the Gospel is communicated in a relevant way it still connects with young people.

I understand the Tribe have just come back from Azerbaijan.
We went out there with Operation Christmas Child the ministry organised by Samaritan's Purse. As you probably know, they get people in the churches to donate shoeboxes of Christmas gifts which are then delivered to children in some of the poorest countries in the world. We were asked to make a promotional video for Operation Christmas Child and then got an opportunity to go out to Azerbaijan and deliver some of the presents in person. A film crew from Granada TV came out with us and the footage was shown on 28th December.