PLEASED TO MEET YOU
written by Sarra
photos by Gill Flett

GIRL'S NIGHT IN
A night at Louise's pad isn't something that happens very often. For the life of a pop star is a busy one, full of parties, film premieres and contemplating your band's smelly socks as you hurtle along motorways.
"I have blokes' nights in on the tour bus where I try to get them interested in make-up," laughs Louise. "It's so nice to have a night in by myself where I'm not surrounded by roadies showing their bum cracks and sweaty underpants." Charmin'!

So what does Louise get up to when she's chilling out on her own?
"I'd have to watch Pretty Woman on vid and replay the shopping scene about 50 times," she confesses. "It's my fantasy to do some massive damage with someone else's credit card. I've been into so many snotty shops in London when I'm just wearing jeans and a T-shrt and all the assistants look at me. I just feel like saying 'Do you want a slap?'"

And what does she scoff?
"I'd have pizza, Pringles, pickled herrings (you don't want your bloke around when you're eating them) and lots of beer. And then I'd just sit there and burp."

Louise also has a bit of a thing for nail varnish - she's a girl after our own hearts.
"I've got a fantastic brown nail varnish which I'm really into at the moment," she says happily. "I collect nail varnishes, I've got about 20 different colours. But when you're playing guitar, nail varnish tends to chip really easily. You need a heavy plectrum or you're in real trouble."

SLEEPER'S LOUISE WENER WELCOMES J17 INTO HER LOVELY LONDON HOME AND SHOWS US A FEW OF HER MOST TREASURED POSSESSIONS…

LOUISE'S FAVOURITE THINGS

SECOND-HAND LEATHER JACKET
"Essential black leather indie wear that I bought at Camden market in London for a fiver."

A PULLING SHOE
"This is my pulling shoe 'cause it's snakeskin and very tall which is good 'caus I'm very short. I used to actually have a pair of pulling shoes but I lost the other one during a er, pulling event and that's as much as I care to say!"

SLEEPER CLOCK
"This was made with a Sleeper picture disc by John [sic] (from the band) 'cause he had this clever idea of selling clocks with lots of different band's picture discs in them in a moment of madness. But he got bored so this was the only one he made."

INFLATABLE ROCKET
I did a photo shoot in Japan with this and an inflatable pink chair. In Jana if you say you like something, they give it to you. So this was delivered to my hotel with a note saying that I could keep them both. The pink chair is huge, it takes about an hour to blow up."

PLATINUM DISC FOR THE IT GIRL
"We didn't have a swank ceremony to get our platinum discs, I just woke up one morning and there it was outside the front door. It isn't even our record - it was just some record that was lying around that got dipped in silver paint. It usually hangs in the bog."

PLASTIC SANDAL
I got these in a little shop in New York because they've got the Statue of Liberty in the heel. I've only worn them once and I got this sweaty jelly-shoe-blister thing going on. I really bought them for their kitsch novelty value.

GUITAR
"I wrote all the songs for the album on this I've got a few guitars but that's my favourite because it was the first one I ever bought. I'd just left university and I had to save it up for ages before I could afford it."

LAVA LAMP
"I don't have much luck with lava lamps. I bought one in New York and my plug had the wrong sort of voltage so it just exploded! There was wax and coloured liquid everywhere."

MAKE-UP KIT
"I'm a real label queen when it comes to make-up. I love photo shoots and nicking stuff from make-up artists - brands like Stila and NARS. I love the packaging more than the actual make-up. I have to say that my make-up box looks tidy, usually stuff's strewn about."

TIARA
"I haven't had the gust to wear it yet. If I ever have a Courtney Love phase I'll need a tiara. They're good on a bad-hair day."

Related