James Bond actor Daniel Craig is a huge fan of Asian Dub Foundation.
The 007 star – who makes his final appearance as the suave spy in No Time To Die, out this week – loves live music and has revealed that his favourite every concert was watching the electronic dub group in London in 1996.
When asked what the best ever gig he’s been too is, he replied: “Asian Dub Foundation, Shepherds Bush, Empire, 1996.”
Daniel admits one of the worst things about the COVID-19 pandemic apart from No Time To Die being delayed is that he has not been able to go to any concerts.
Speaking in a BAFTA talk, he shared: “There’s nothing quite like cinema, there’s plenty of other things, I love the theatre, I love seeing live music – God, I’m gagging to see some live music – it’s just it’s important for us.
“We’re defined by our culture, by what we create culturally, and our art. This remains to me one of the most important art forms, and I want to entertain people. I want to be in a cinema screaming at the screen and you know, enjoying that moment.”
Meanwhile, it’s been revealed Daniel initially didn’t actually approve Billie Eilish’s theme song for ‘No Time To Die’, which she wrote with her brother and collaborator Finneas.
The track’s producer Stephen Lipson told Music Week: “I asked Finneas and Billie to give me a climactic vocal moment which Billie wasn’t too sure about, but when I heard it I knew it would deliver.
“Most important was getting Daniel’s approval. I finished the mix and everybody was happy but we still had to get Daniel on
“From the start, quite understandably, he wasn’t all that sure that the song delivered the right emotional climax for his final Bond outing, so satisfying him was key.”
Lipson invited the actor to his London studio to hear the track in all its glory, and he made some last-minute changes to really appeal to the star.
He added: “Listening to it as if I was Daniel, I realised that the climax needed to be enormous so I spent some time massaging the mix so that, without any perceivable change, it was very much louder at that point.
“I then set the volume of the song so that it was pretty muscular, knowing that the climax would be earth-shattering.
“They arrived, I sat Daniel in the chair between the speakers, hit play and waited for his response. When the song finished he didn’t look up but asked to hear it once more.
“Barbara [Broccoli] and I had no idea how he felt until the end of his second listening, when he looked up at me and said something like, ‘That’s f****** amazing.’ “