| Interview with Blues Business |
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| 1. Why Blues Business? |
- Originally we wanted to use the
name/phrase "Taking care of Business"
but that used to be what Elvis called his band,
so the band's name came to be BLUES BUSINESS,
as we "Take care of Blues Business".
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| 2. When did you guys started playing together? |
- With the present band line-up (Paul, Roger,
Mark, Bruce & Alan) about 5 years ago when we added a second guitarist
but the core band have been playing together for about 12 years under
other band names. However most of the guys have been playing all their
adult life in bands, solo or in duos. Which in some cases like Paul
(guitarist) & Roger (harp) equate to 40 plus years.
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| 3. Who are your influences? |
- In simple terms the two oldest bluesmen
(Alan & Roger) got into the blues through the early Rolling Stones
stuff of the 60's pursued the music back to it's roots, loved the
Chicago blues era (Muddy, BB, Sonny Boy, Little Walter, John Lee,
Howlin Wolf etc) & wanted to emulate this exciting electric period.
Paul, Alan's young brother had no option but to listen to his brother’s
music & got hooked on the "good stuff". Bruce (guitarist)
the new guy heard Blues Business playing real/honest music & had to
join in. Mark (drummer) was a rock guy but auditioned with the band
& new he was onto a good thing!
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| 4. How to define Blues Business? |
- In simple terms an outfit playing
what they believe in "an honest good time band".
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| 5. How many albums have you released? |
- The band has done a couple of CD's
on LoArt Records latest being "Live at Laura's" but the guys
also have solo and duo format stuff.
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| 6. What do you think the blues is? |
- Uplifting, soul reviving,
music to uplift the spirit.
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| 7. How is the Blues music scene in the UK? |
- It is good but hard to find unless
you are into this sort of music. However Blues Business play in
lots of different sort of venues & always get a good reaction even
from a none blues audience, you never can tell but just play the
music you believe in.
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| 8. Do you miss the great Blues period in the UK in the 60s 70s? |
- Number of the guys were around in
this period & saw the likes of Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Rory Gallagher
& of course Jimi Hendrix in various great groups of this era.
However yesterday is gone the best gig is always going to be the next one.
Also some of the stuff in this era was not always that good plus the
sound & equipment has moved on & is now much better. Notwithstanding this
statement, the great thing about the 60s & 70s was the amount of live
blues music. You could get to see a blues band playing somewhere
nearly every evening of the week.
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| 9. How do you see the future of the blues music? |
- Well Blues Business plays the blues
& if they had all been together in late 60's we could/should have
been "Big". When we play we get a lot of interest from
the young girls & guys "who want to play the blues" so we figure
"the future" is in good hands. As for direction of the music,
we believe it will stay true to its roots.
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| 10. Do you often play abroad? |
- As a band not so far but the guys
in the band have played in Europe, Middle East, America, Cuba.
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| 11. It will be your first time in Nepal for
the Himalayan Blues Festival 2009? Aren’t you scared of the yeti? |
- We are rough/tuff bluesmen &
aren't scared of nothing - you just got watch out for the women!
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| 12. Have you ever heard some Nepali blues music? |
- No, but we are looking forward to it.
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| 13. What are the evolutions in your music since the beginning? |
- That's easy to answer, we just get better!
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| 14. What makes you different from other blues bands? |
- That's for others to say.
However we have fun, an honest band, authentic sound.
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| 15. What gears do you use? Why? |
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Paul "Chicken Legs" Burris (guitar) - epiphone 335, old Tranytor amp.
"Wildman" Roger Fuller (harmonica) - marinebands, fender bassman.
"Mr 110" Mark Roberts (drums) - DW outfit.
"BB" Bruce Fryer (guitarist) - Gibson "les Paul" (goldtop), Peavy amp.
Alan "the authentic" Burris (bass) - Fender lite, Mark Bass combo.
As to why we use what we use, well it’s what we consider the best for the sound we want &/or it's all we can afford to buy.
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| 16. What do you like to do apart from music? |
- To enjoy life, beer,
all the good stuff & more Blues Music.
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| 17. Do you have other jobs? |
- Some of the guys have day jobs
but they get in the way of playing the blues.
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| 18. Have you any special projects for the future? |
- Easy answer - get all the guys
to Nepal for the Himalayan Blues Festival!
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| 19. Message for rockmandu? |
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"Life is life but the Blues is the Business". Lets Rock in Kathmandu!
Keepin' On!
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| -Interviewed by Thomas Naudin. |
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