Top Gear Live – A Conversation with the Boys

Richard, how do you feel about being in NZ?

Richard: Very excited to be here. I’ve never been to NZ before, but its great to come to a place where people really seem to get what we’re about.

Jeremy, you’ve said that NZ is one of the best countries in the world. Is this true?

Jeremy: I’ve been here a few times before and have extremely good memories of it. That is everything, the people, the place, the food, the scenery, the wine, the place – I really love it here. A few too many Nissan Cedrics, but that’s about the only drawback.

Do you say that in every country you visit?

Jeremy: I promise you that I do not say ‘ this is the best country in the world’ in every country in the world or I would have said it in Australia as well, and that simply is not possible. No, NZ and Iceland really are my two favorite countries in the world – because I like countries that are based on volcanoes.

I understand you’ve been to Waiheke Island?

Jeremy: Waiheke Island was fantastic – right up to the moment a bee carrying a fork and knife and napkin attacked my arm and now a man pretending to be a doctor has put me on steroids and I’m going to be Governor of California in the morning.

Does that mean you’re going to be unable to perform?

Jeremy: No, I’m just going to be performing with an Austrian accent and I’ll say ‘Get owwwt’ at the end of the show.

Greg, what are you expecting from being a part of Top Gear Live?

Murph: Just to enjoy myself and learn such amazingly witty comments from two such well travelled gentlemen.
Richard: So I’ll be playing soccer against a rugby playing nation – am I going to get killed???

Greg, are you having to teach the boys anything about driving?

Murph: I’m not sure we’ve got enough time for that to be honest, but if they watch closely I think they’ll pick up a few bits and pieces.

Can you understand why so many kiwis like these two so much, to have bough so many tickets?

Murph: Top Gear is a massive show here. People get their kind of humour down here for sure.

So Greg, are you frightened of the Stig?

Murph: Yes! Well, he’s certainly a daunting figure – there are a lot of questions to be asked about the Stig.

Are you NZ’s greatest ever driver?

Murph: Ahh,hmmm – I’m the wrong person to ask – Ask a Ford drver
Jeremy: Maybe the Stig is NZ’s greatest driver. It is possible that he is New Zealandish
Richard: He could be – a lot of people think he is – in these parts.
Murph: It’s not me – I’m going to prove it’s not me – in the show tomorrow.

Does it feel like you’re a rock band at the moment?

Richard: Yes, it does, it feels exactly like a world rock tour; if you were to take away any discernable talent, the looks, the money, the glamour, the fan base, the sense of purpose, those few things aside, it feels like that.

Jeremy, why did you go on a world tour?

Jeremy: Because I wanted to know what it would be like to be a rock star.

Do you know now?

Jeremy: Yes, fantastic, the best bit was having a girl throwing contest on Waiheke Island, and I won. I threw my girl almost the length of the pool.

Have there been some terrible antics?

Jeremy: No, not yet, but as we come to the end of the tour, as we leave NZ we’ll start to crank up the rock star bit.
Richard: I like the Rock star question – if the opportunity comes, you’ve just GOT to do it. Who wouldn’t?
Jeremy: But we do always brush our teeth before bed and get an early night – I’ve had four different types of orangeade this trip, and once I stayed up til midnight, and stuff like that – it’s been mental!

Have you boys got the best job in the world?

Jeremy: No, because somebody is Angelina Jolie’s gynaecologist.
Richard: That really is a job though. That’s a Monday morning you’d look forward to isn’t it?

Well, do you have the second best job in the world then?

Richard: Job? Are we working? I don’t know why everyone thinks we’ve got a job. We go and drive other people’s cars – quite badly.
Jeremy: We get middle aged. We fall over. We catch fire. We drown. Everything we do goes wrong. We are ambitious, but an eternal disappointment to ourselves, our nations and our mothers…on a daily basis.

Does each country treat you differently?

Jeremy: I’m not making this up. I really, really like coming to NZ. I’ve been like a little boy all around the rest of the world; Birmingham, Ireland, Jo’Burg – because I knew that soon I would be in NZ, sipping wine on this lovely terrace…