29 April 2024
Every Monday I will be bringing you an interview with an independent band, duo or music artist. This week, I caught up with Falkirk band Beldon Haigh to find out more…
Who is in the band, how did you meet, where are you from and how did you come up with the name?
Beldon Haigh is a band from Falkirk, started and led by Justin Skelton six years ago, with a mission to make great music but also provoke and disrupt and tell stories through that music. We are a live band and a studio band, we are fairly traditional in our approach to recording and producing and playing music live. We like live drumming, great guitar, keyboard and horns playing and when we record and play live we always try to get a lot of energy, urgency and bit of jeopardy into the sound. The name is Justin Skelton’s grandfather’s name. He too was a musician and played the organ in the Blackpool Tower.
Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
Elvis Costello’s early stuff, Lou Reed, Arctic Monkeys, Tom Petty, Jimi Hendrix, Beatles and Stones. Donald Fagen, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen.
How would you describe your sound?
Big interesting songs with meaning, stories and a twist. Played and recorded by a very versatile and talented band with musicality that draws from Rock/Blues/Punk/Ska/Pop/Reggae and even Jazz.
What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
World Got So Dumb is the new release and the title track of our new album which hits the record shops in May on our own Covfefe label.. I originally wrote and recorded the song (World Got So Dumb) just before the pandemic, that version was a big epic classic kind of War Of The Worlds production. But we then developed it much more with the band into the rock/ska/reggae/punk/pop creation that it is today. Lyrically the song is about the people who lead and run the world we live in, the Billionaires, the heads of governments, corporations, massive media institutions, even the big record labels – WGSD refers to them as Whales and to the rest of us as Plankton, being used and consumed by these Whales. The World Got So Dumb part comes from the way we just go along with it, making hardly a squeak about it all. The system desperately needs to change, it is not serving the needs or the people, but instead the system is becoming more and more controlling, and we, the Plankton, are becoming more controlled. As a band we have a pretty healthy irreverence towards the Whales – hence the reason to satirise them. Musically the song is a beautiful, super charged mix of rock/ska/reggae/punk/pop . The various elements gives it more jeopardy, character and a sinister undertone which compliments the story telling in the vocal.
What’s your local music scene like?
OK, but a bit dominated by tribute acts which I find a little bit sad. I have nothing against tribute acts, but I prefer originals bands.
What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
Lots of gigs, a new release every two months, our debut album out in May and another album towards the end of the year.
Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
Elvis Costello.
Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
Our live performances are generally a bit bizarre and funny all by themselves. Our songs are often satirical in nature – like the new song World Got So Dumb, and we make the performances more theatrical by performing in the world famous masks made by Llandon Meier. These masks are of Trump and Putin and Kim Jong Un – who play Bass, Drums and Guitar (respectively). The masks tend to draw attention to our irreverence towards these figures and other “whales” who we consider responsible for many of the world’s ills.
What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
That we appreciate them. That we thank them for reading this, thanks for their interest and support. We appreciate any kind of support and we consider it to be a privilege to be listened to by them.
Please share, like, follow and all those good things and please buy the vinyl or the CD album.
Upcoming live dates and performances
Thursday 8th August – Whistlebinkies, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Friday 9th August – Whistlebinkies, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Thursday 15th August – Whistlebinkies, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Saturday 17th August – Whistlebinkies, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Wednesday 21st August – Whistlebinkies, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Thursday 22nd August – Whistlebinkies, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Sunday 25th August – Liquid Rooms, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
You can find out more about Beldon Haigh on their website or via Apple Music, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify or YouTube.
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