At The Basement - A Tribute

I don’t usually do stuff like this as advertising and marketing isn’t really my thing, but I Just thought I’d give a mention to a music programme I’ve been watching lately on Sky Arts channel called ‘At the Basement’ that I think is absolutely superb. As per usual, and in the true spirit of this Blog, it got me thinking … What I love about the programme (apart from some of the superb bands they have on of course) is the pure simplicity of it. They have no crazy wild-haired presenter shoving a microphone in a rather intrusive fashion into someone’s face ‘presenting’ the show, they have no headache inducing intro music followed by one of those annoying adverts that are 80 decibels higher than the actually programme itself, they have no song titles before and after each song has been performed and best of all is that they have no talking. Just music! And that’s it! They even film the band at the end of their set putting their stuff away (can you imagine MTV or E4 Transmission asking Pink or Kelly Clarkson to pack away their guitar leads? – I don’t fucking think so) that, in my opinion, is a true reflection of what a music programme should be all about. Now don’t get me wrong here, some ‘TV DJ’s’ are actually quite watch-able to a certain extent, most notably being Zane Lowe as he can be quite knowledgeable when it comes to asking a band a question that doesn’t sound patronising. But he (and many of his colleagues) do have tendencies to kiss a lot of musicians’ arses in a big and rather embarrassing way especially when they talk to them about their latest album release (you never hardly hear a bad word said about them, but when they’re not face to face on the Brown couch they slag them to death!). But, the most annoying, embarrassing, arse-licking utter slimy piece of shit of them all has to be Jools Holland!! Urgh! The man really does make me feel like I’ve just ate a bucket of two day old cold sick! And have you noticed that he always has his ‘mates’ on his show (Tracey Chapman, Jeff Beck, KD Lang, Van Morrison, etc, etc) along with the usual jaaag un-known indie band and jaaag un-known African beat combo (who have about seventeen members with some superb Nelson Mandela shirts on by the way) And finally, the most annoying thing about Jools Holland’s show is the god awful way he goes over to sit and chat to the latest hip celebrity while they drink a bottle of Becks and talk about their latest book or TV show they have coming out. So much for the BBC’s impartiality on advertising eh? Corporate wanking and ego enhancement more like! Other ‘TV DJ’s’ that get on my tits are Jo Whiley and Lauren Lavern!! Sadly, the dreaded festival season is upon us now and I’m already fucking sick to the back teeth of these two dickheads portraying themselves as some sort of cool hippy chicks with her over-friendly nature sitting on a bails of hay with no shoes or socks on sucking up to the singer from The Kooks or Kasabian telling the, hoe great they are. I think they just fall short of sucking their cocks to be honest (then again, when the cameras are turned off, who knows what happens eh?). And as for the BBC’s coverage of Glastonbury & T In the Park, I’m sorry to say, but they should re-name them Celeb-bury or Celebri–T in The Park as they’re too busy focusing on what Lily Allen is wearing to make her extremely flat bee-sting size tits pop out (again) or type of wellies Kate Moss or other members of her entourage are wearing. Sometime during this fashion parade and the horrible sight of Jo Whileys fucking plates of meat, they might just show a few bands. So, do us a favour eh as you all know I like it when you chaps talk to me about some decent band you’ve seen lately, next time At the Basement is on, give it a watch and we can all hail the best music show on the telly (it’ll be one in the eye for the glitzy Music TV producers as well) So get it watched kids, either that or carrying on watching Jools Holland’s verbal molestation of KD Lang every week!! There’s a sight eh? Mol