Old Basford play LeftLion Unplugged this Tuesday. We look back at an interview we did with them a couple of years ago
Old Basford are four Nottingham guys who met through other bands, to find a shared love of boogie blues, rock and roll and playing hard. With a new record out, interest from record companies and a string of successful gigs they are a Notts band on the up and not to be missed.
What’s the story behind Old Basford?
Ceri: Old Basford is a refuge for four men whose mental health is maintained by its existence. We’re clearly a bunch of dreamers, who can string a song together from time to time
Chis: We’re into good times and playing boogie blues, getting out there and enjoying ourselves as much as possible.
Nick: The band is like striding through the pissing horizontal rain to practice huddled, like some kind of snapped otter colony.
Describe your music to those who have not heard you yet.
Nick: The first urban morning sunshine on naked belly against belly. Mango and chilli, deep heat, poppers and a glass top coffee table.
Ceri: We’re trying to describe our music here Nick, not your morning routine!
Nick: What was the question..?
Dan: We write a lot about food, music and sex. We play rock’n’roll laced with heavy boogie blues.
I hear you may have a record out soon, tell us about that...
Chis: Field records approached us after seeing a couple of shows and offered to put our stuff out. So, over the Christmas period we recorded five tracks in five days at Random recordings. We’ll call it Red Mist and there’ll be an animated video for one of the tracks on the CD.
Nick: It should be out in spring and we’re really pleased to have such cool people working on it. Hopefully it’ll sound, look and taste delicious.
You play a lot both in and out of Nottingham. Do you prefer home or away gigs?
Nick: It’s the city I was born in. Place of my roots. I love to travel and get away, but when you’re playing to more of your mates, they really know how to heckle…..a recent best was “Jesus in a pork pie hat!”
Chis: We’d definitely like to play more gigs out of town, but it’s also about creating a scene where we are. We’d rather fill a room in Nottingham and have a great time than drag ourselves to London on a Tuesday night.
Dan: We always try to get the best from a gig whether it be here or there.
Ceri: Still, it’s a great feeling driving to a venue you’ve never played before to do your stuff in front of an unknown crowd. But like every band must, we’ve driven for hours to play to empty rooms before.
What are your favourite places to play around Nottingham?
Chis: Parties, basically. Playing on the floor, squashed into the corner of the room, there’s no us and them like that. That’s the vibe we like. Sweaty, dancing, pissed up and squashed in.
Ceri: I’m glad the Maze is open again. That’s a great little late night venue.
Are you looking forward to playing at the Malt Cross for the first LeftLion Unplugged?
Chis: We’ve never done an acoustic set before. Normally we have a wall of sound behind us so it will be completely different.
Dan: It’s a nice place. Seems clean!
Ceri: The Malt Cross has a great feel to it. That old music hall should create a certain atmosphere for the Unplugged gigs that you wouldn’t get in Rock City or the Social. It’s been good to re-discover the songs and pull out some tracks we haven’t played in public before. We’re also playing our first ever cover version on the night and it’s come out beautifully.
Tell about how you’ll be changing your set for that...
Dan: We’ve added a load of new songs to the set that were hanging around unfinished and the acoustic format really seems to work for them. We’ve tried not just to convert the existing set but to re-work it.
Nick: Stripped down, a musical loft conversion of sorts, but backwards. It’s been a refreshing inspiration, reassessing what’s needed for a song to work.
Chis: Not a big muff in sight!
Which other Notts bands would you recommend at the moment?
Dan: Heard some of Huw Costins’ new stuff at the studio over Christmas which sounded really strong. Also love seeing Grain play live again.
Ceri: I’m liking Huws’ stuff too, it’s very emotional. The Smears kick ass, and the Hellset Orchestra are unusual in the best possible way.
Chis : The Stoatz are superb. The nearest thing to Cream I’ve heard in ages.
Nick: I saw Elshaday play ‘enjoy the ride’ at The Malt Cross. She’s a solo artist on electric guitar and vocals all bluesy and raw with great songs. Grain and Stone Soul Picnic do it too.
Any other gigs coming up?
Chis: There’s the LeftLion event on 7 Feb. Then on the tenth we play The Horn in Hand with The Smears and Ed Bannard. Back up to full volume for that one!
Ceri: Should be a very good night that one : get there early folks I think we’ll hit capacity pretty quickly. That’s it so far, but we’ll hope to support the EP release with as many gigs as possible.
What’s next for Old Basford?
Ceri : We want to support the EP with as many gigs as possible. Sell all the CD’s! Then make some more and sell all of them. Stay sane through the long dark winter. Eat more fruit, maybe by adding it to the cocktails.
Chis: Gigs, gigs, parties and more gigs. We’re never happier than when we’re on stage.
Dan: Raise our standards, become a better band.
Old Basford website
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