Huey Morgan, the much loved frontman of Fun Lovin’ Criminals, is back with a new album, as well as hosting duties on the new VIVA show, Slips.

Slips is a street racing show, in which two friends get their old cars made-over and then bet that their newly transformed vehicles can beat the other in a timed race, and while Morgan hosts, Slips fixers Elo and T take control of the technical transformations in which the cars are tested and modified.

Taking influences from the uber-cool Grand Theft Auto and The Fast and The Furious, Morgan sets the stakes high for the competitors and, ultimately, the loser who walks away with nothing (the victor gets to keep both cars). Morgan loves cars, but in Slips he also manages to control the contestants desperate to keep theirs.

We got a chance to chat with Morgan about Slips, what he drives, and (perhaps a little more importantly) his views on U.S. troops in Afghanistan, or not, as the case may be.

How did you get involved in the show?
I was approached by the guys who put the show together because I think they had a vision in mind of what they wanted. Actually I think they wanted someone like me who knew how to keep these kids in line. It’s pretty much one of those shows where the kids can get a little crazy. They wanted Huey, they got Huey.

What has been the biggest transformation?
To be honest, it wasn’t so much the cars but the kids who don’t think they are race drivers, without much experience. But when they get on the racetrack they become different people. It’s interesting to see how they come out - that’s one of the biggest things.

Any Changing Rooms moments when they hate the cars?
It’s not a Pimp My Ride kind of show; it’s more about the engines and racing. Contestants choose the packages to race with, so, if they know that their car is a certain type, we might make it a different colour, but it will still have a better exhaust system, speed induction kit, better cornering packages, better brakes. They pretty much like what we do. Sometimes you get a couple of girls who don’t like the aesthetics, but that’s not really what it’s about.

The loser really loses their car?
There have been some people literally losing it as they wait for the results of the times! People get really impatient. There’ve been some pretty crazy reactions. Some of the races have been within half a second of each other, which is pretty close. So you can’t really say they lost, but technically they did.

Do the friends remain friends?
They’re still friends. I think they’ll be able to hang with it.

How was it working with Elo and T?
T, Elo and I hadn’t really met before the show but we were fast friends. We have a lot of friends and things in common. It was a pretty good chemistry right there off the bat.

And then there are the flash cars just sitting outside someone’s home. Are they asking to be stolen?
They could possibly very well get stolen. They’re very fast, desirable cars but they have killer switches. You pull a switch out of the engine, so the car can’t start. So it’s all good.

What do you drive?
That’s my business, ain’t it! I have a BMX.

And you haven’t let the guys loose on it?
I do have a car. It’s a classic old Jag and there’s not really much you can do to it that hasn’t already been done by the Jag people. But it’s a pretty quick car.

To come back to an earlier baseball reference here’s a curve ball question: Should Obama send more troops to Afghanistan?
Either you do it there or you do it on the streets of London or New York. It’s where you want to have the fight.

What do you mean?
It is going to go down. These people, these extremists, are definitely going to either keep the fight over there or, if we don’t fight them over there, they are going to bring it to the streets of London like they did in July or they are going to do another September 11th. It's just where you want to fight them. Do you want to fight them on your home streets or do you want to fight them over in Afghanistan.

So Obama should send more troops?
They’re already more than half of them there. I think if you’re going to do something then do something right. Or don’t do it at all. But I don’t want get too political.

Okay... so how’s the new album going?
It is out in March.

And it’s called?
I ain’t going to tell you that! But the album’s going to be a good one; I’ll let you in on that much.

Slips is on VIVA now.

words: Clarence Allen

A Day in the Life - Huey Morgan (1 mb mp3)