Blues Man Interview and Video

Sam Lindo plays out most days in the streets of Nottingham. He's been doing it for several years now. Walking up into the Old Market Square from the Broad Marsh, you can hardly miss the soulful vocal strains of Notts' very own Blues Man.

He is a near permanent fixture around Listergate, whether it be providing a home-made bluesy soundtrack for the weekday shoppers, or later at night, as you stagger back from a few beers drank at one of the riverside bars.

I caught up with Sam for a chat one Saturday afternoon. He is a wise and spiritual bloke, but is also genuinely eager to please.

His music is hugely inspired by gospel and blues and he is determined to get it out to the masses. Sometimes the hours he puts in are phenomenal, with him regularly playing seven or eight hour days to city shoppers. 

Aged somewhere between 40 and 60 (he's not giving much away), he's unlikely to be the next Pop Idol, but in Nottingham thousands of us appreciate the soundtrack he brings to our shopping.

Tell us a bit about yourself

"My name is Sam Lindo. I've been busking for a couple of years now. I started playing guitar when I was a kid, probably about 14 or something like that. It was always my favourite instrument and from the point I got the first pone of my own, I was hooked."

What musicians have inspired you?

"Over the years a number of different artists have been an inspiration to my music and life. The route I'm coming from is a mixture of gospel, blues and rock. Jimi Hendrix and BB King are in there somewhere, as well as a lot of gospel singers and a lot of Elvis."

You first came to Nottingham in the sixties. What was it like back then?

"It was great. I was a youngster then and it was a new world to me. At first when I came I was a little homesick but that quickly faded and this is my home now. It's a nice city, it's got a lot of life to it. A few negative things are happening, but there are great things going on too. It's a very friendly place. When I first came to England from Jamaica I lived in London and you can't even compare the two places. Nottingham is not too big, but it's not too small. I like this town a lot."

I understand you've got an album out at the moment?

"It's called `The Blues Man In Town'. There are two types of it available, both the full album and a completely instrumental version. All the songs are ones I wrote myself and it was self produced and everything. You can buy copies of this album in HMV and Fopp (as well as in the LeftLion shop)."

What music do you put on the stereo at home to chill out to?

"I put on the blues or a bit of gospel. I play quite a mixture really. I listen to a lot of Elvis Presley, BB King and a guy called Andrew Crouch. I don't know whether you'll have heard of him, but he's a contemporary gospel artist from Los Angeles who has been a big influence on all my music. When I was a kid there were also people like Jim Reeves and Otis Redding who have helped me make my own sound."

What do you reckon to the Trams?

"I think they're great. It's fantastic really and brings a new vibe to the city. I haven't been on them yet, but they look good and bring the city into the twenty-first century. It adds something a little futuristic to Nottingham."

There must be a lot of people who recognize you these days...

"I seem to have made a name for myself as `The Blues Man in Town'. It's the reason I put it on my album and also put 'Love To Nottingham' on there. I do love this city. I've had a lot of inspiration and encouragement from the people that see me playing every day. It's given me a lot of different experiences.

So what's next for you?

I'm just trying to move into getting gigs indoors now to promote the album. I've got a show coming up at the Lace Market theatre at the end of May. I'll have my backing band playing with me at that one. There are also a few other things in the pipeline... you'll see me around"