 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
Peter Noone is a complex person. At times he has the maturity of a 25 year old and then other times he acts about 15. He is endowed with a baby face and twinkling blue eyes and little boy personality. He can chew gum or read biographies, depending on his mood. Peter or Herman, take your pick, has been in the entertainment whirl since he turned 15. He has had a lot of growing up to do in a hurry, and he has lost a large part of his childhood because of the demands on his time. When Herman's Hermits first started out, they were playing clubs every night and rehearsing by day. There was no time to play or do anything pleasurable. When they became a hit act, they had even less time to themselves. The first thing an act must do is go out on tour to sustain its popularity and for three years that is just what Peter has been doing. The exhausting rigors of being on the road must be experienced to be believed. Life is a constant flurry of airports, hotel rooms, room service and taxis. that may sound like fun, but when you are and out of towns, having to eat every meal at the same restaurant for two or three days, it is not that great. Herman's Hermits have worked very hard for three years and only this year have they slowed down. "we have decided to tour less now. We do promotion tours and less concerts. It is easier to relax in a city now, whereas it never was before. Now I have time to look around," said Peter. Peter was talking from pool-side patio of a hotel in Los Angeles, California. It was 11 a.m. and he had just come down from his room wearing a magenta satin shirt and black slacks. Room service had just delivered his usual breakfast which consisted of orange juice, tea and coffee - and four cigarettes. Life may be more relaxed for Peter, but when he sat down to eat, he had a lighted cigarette in each hand. His comment was, "Smoking is very bad. I don't know why I do it really. I must quit." "Life is much easier now. I have time to enjoy people. I dread mornings when people jump all over me with schedules before I have a chance to think. I went to Disneyland the other day and loved it. People don't bother me. They were very polite and asked for autographs. I enjoy being popular and I would never be nasty to people. I'd much rather have hoorays than knives," said Peter. "I have time to enjoy clothes too. I have all mine made because nothing fits me in a shop. And besides my tailor doesn't lie. Right now I'm wearing outrageous colored shirts and trousers with a new kind of jacket that buttons at the neck and then is cut away. Clothes interest me. I like well-dressed girls. That doesn't mean she has to have on a different outfit everyday, just one that suits her body, face and hair. Most people in the United States wear clothes that make them look like everybody else," commented Peter. Peter went on to explain how his new life has changed his personality. "Now we do very few one-nighter. I just won't do them anymore. We're doing more television shows and we spend more time in the studio. Sometimes during work time I wake up early in the morning and watch cartoons. My new kick is to read books and then go see the movie. I did that with 'Dr. Zhivago' and 'The Blue Max.'" Peter feels that he has worked hard for his success and appreciates it more than someone who just had it thrown at him. He feels he had a chance to learn his capabilities and is able to cope with the future. "I would like very much eventually to branch into acting, not as Herman but as Peter Blair Noone. I've been offered of films but the producers just want to exploit 'Herman'." |
The focal point of Peter's existence is his 17th century house in Kent, just outside of London. "I am totally happy when I am in this house. It is on 15 acres of land and it looks like a museum. There are great portraits of Queen Elizabeth along the corridors and there's a lily pond. The only problem I have is moles. But of course the moles get rid the worms which eat the lawn so I guess they're not so bad after all, " said Peter. Whenever English entertainers visit the States, it is only natural that the eventually centers around the similarities and differences between teenagers of both countries. The "protesting" teens who have been getting all the brunt of Peter's comments. "They all look the same; they talk the same; they dress the same. Some of them aren't rejects but a lot are. This is the fault of the parents. Parents have a moral responsibility to their children. Sometimes it takes the kids until the time they become parents to realize the responsibility before they straighten out," said Peter. Continuing along the line of parents, Peter said that he feels English parents are closer to their children than American ones "They are closer and yet children are not tied down to apron strings. In England we talk to our parents and they listen. My parents listened and understood my problems. I was very lucky. Over here people spend too much time arguing about social problems. If I was hanging around with a guy my parents didn't like, they would say to me, 'Okay, Pete, you think he's a great guy. Well when you find out you are wrong, come back.' My parents were always right and I would see it and come back. We would never argue. I realized that when I did something wrong and was punished for it my dad knew I was doing something wrong because he must have made the same mistake himself," explained Peter. War and the draft also concern young people of today, and Peter is no exception. "In England we don't have the draft. We have enough volunteers, but then that's because they are not volunteering to go and fight in a country they don't know anything about like Vietnam. The Vietnam war is only war where people haven't come together in support of their country. With all of the above comment one can gather that Peter is no longer a little boy thinker. He may watch cartoons in the mornings and talk about moles, but in his head he has definite opinions and is not afraid to say what he really thinks. after all these serious subjects Peter just had to say what was really bothering him: "How could the United States beat us by putting on a TV show like the Monkees before we thought of it ourselves???"
|
