Pancho Interview

Pancho

Mike Locke, or Pancho as he’s more commonly known, hails from the delightful town of Port Talbot. He’s the drunk narcoleptic from the Dirty Sanchez quartet, whos lack of fear and endless need to self-destruct by any means possible seems to have no limits.

Dirty Sanchez have had four television series, countless live shows, adverts for Nike and a movie that sold 4 million in America. He insists he’s not a celebrity, just the same Pancho that loves to drink and party.

I caught up with Pancho at his local pub, watched him sink a few and had a chat.

Alright Panch what’s the news?

Well you know, the usual, getting boozed up, having a laugh!

Been doing a bit of work, just started my own clothing label so I’ve been busy with that.

Oh yeah, that sounds good, how did that come about?

It just seemed to happen really. I met a fellow Port Talbot boy on a train to London last December. He was in the clothing business and we got talking about starting an urban clothing range. By the time we got to London we had a name, ‘El Loco’.

Are you trading, is it in the shops yet?

Yeah we started in January and it’s going really well. It’s on sale at Asos.com, Chemical Records, El Loco clothing.co.uk, and soon to be in House of Fraser. Also, keep an eye out in your local skate and surf shops.

Do you still skate?

I haven’t really had much time. But I still have a roll with the boys now and then. If you skate you need to be doing it regularly or you just loose it. There’s a bit of a difference in throwing yourself down a set of stairs on a skate board and smashing yourself up on stage. With everything that’s been happening, and now the new business, I just don’t seem to have the time.

Sounds like you’ve gone all serious Panch, turning into a business mogul?

Hahaha oh yeah, I’m like the ultimate entrepreneur. Want another pint!

How are things with Dirty Sanchez?

Good, everything’s really cool. We’re kinda keeping Sanchez on ice at the mo, every one has a lot of things going on and to be honest I’m still recovering from the movie.

Are there any plans for future shows?

I’d say watch this space with Dirty Sanchez, there’ll be something coming up, not sure what though, maybe something like the rise and fall of Sanchez, then it’ll be over and I’ll probably end up in a coffin.

Pritch and I have done numerous pilots so we’re just waiting to see what the score is with those.

The movie was a big success for you boys, were you surprised by how well it did in the UK and abroad?

 Yeah kinda, the series did really well from day one, we didn’t really expect to get past pilot series. It ended up being no.1 for home grown shows on MTV in the UK and was the no.1 MTV show in South America. The movie was in another league really, the opportunity to do a movie was a massive step for us. Harvey Weinstein bought the rights for the film in America and it sold like 4 million copies. It was weird, one minute we’re  messing around on skate boards in South Wales, then the next we’re rubbing shoulders with the stars in Miami.

 Was it weird being recognised in America?

 We weren’t  really recognised there but I can remember one particular time in Nogales Arizona, when we decided to go over the border to Mexico to celebrate my 25^th. We were  walking down the street and people would be shouting out our names, it was quite surreal!

 Is that when you felt as though you’d become recognised as worldwide celebrities?

 I wouldn’t say we were celebrities, more like world wide renowned idiots, untrained stuntmen or something.

Mind you, it was bizarre being asked to present an award in The Latin America MTV awards. I was sat next to Iggy Pop, I remember thinking ‘how the f**k did I get here’. In fact a weirder occasion was when we did a talk and Q&A at Oxford University, that was so mental, felt a bit out of place if you know what I mean.

 What about the live shows, do you boys still tour?

 Well we haven’t toured in the UK for a while, we are doing a tour of Australia in November, I can’t wait for that. We went there a few years back and we all had an amazing time. We’ll be over there for 6 weeks.

What motivates you to get up on stage?

 Dunno, all the women,  it’s like rock n roll!  Ha only joking, it’s like a rock band gone wrong more like - you know without any instruments! Well in fact we do play instruments, but it’s Sanchez style.

 There seems to be no limits to what you boys are prepared to do, has anything been declared off limits?

 The one area where no male should go is sexual acts with other males, and lets just say that certain members of the group went where men shouldn’t go.

Nice! Are you feeling the effects of all the years of abuse and torture?

 Yeah a bit, nothing bad mind. Hammering your body like that is tough, I’m not gonna be able to do it for ever, but I’m only 29, I feel like I’m in my prime, haha! I’ve got loads left in me, my kidneys could do with a good drying out!

I would say it’s had a more mental effect on me, when you’re spending that much time with a bunch of delinquents it’s bound to take effect! I’d actually say I’m mentally scarred for life.

 You’ve seen and done some outrageous things, what sticks in your mind as the pinical of all the madness?

 That would have to be when we were in Bangkok and Thailand,  it’s scary over there, some of those lady boys! Thankfully I didn’t indulge in any of that sort of thing. But the one thing that really sticks in my mind is the liposuction. I really didn’t think it was gonna be that bad, but fuck was I wrong! I was in agony, it felt so wrong! Then of course Joycey drank my man fat.

 Arrh! Was he ill after that? Joycey must get ill a lot!

 Naa he was fine! The man fat was OK, I’d had an AIDS and Hepatitus check just before, so he was drinking the good stuff.

He was ill once in Manchester from the beer enema though. He was really ill actually, he had to miss the show and the doc had to give him antibiotics to sort him out! - so sorry Manchester.

 What’s coming up in the future?

 Well, we’re doing that tour of Australia in November, so look out for us if you’re over there. Also look out for EL Loco clothing.

 Ok cheers Panch any last words?

Increase the peace in the Middle East.