747's - Interview

p>I’m sure the booze and drug fuelled “characters” of Collingwood keep stealing CD’s from my post box, as yet again I enter an interview with an artist who’s album I never received. Never mind, it’s making for interesting conversations as both parties struggle to make sense of each other and all the local Junkies are gaining a healthy and varied taste in music.

747’s could be described as a world band, or at least a European band in the literal sense, hailing from Ireland, England, Italy and Germany and having met each other over several Countries whilst busking, their line up and repertoire slowly growing into a ‘band’.

Through the wonders of modern technology and a nine hour time difference I spoke to Irish lead vocalist (Oisin) about the band, their globe trotting feet and fingers and the release of their debut album, “Zampano”.

Do you recommend busking as way for aspiring musicians to get ahead?
“Yes and no, it’s way of getting out there, gaining confidence in front of an audience, but you might also lose your focus. Should great songwriters be out there playing covers, or originals to a crowd that don’t get or understand it?”

The original troubadour line up of Oisin and vocalist / bassist (Ned) started with an intriguing set of Punk band covers from the likes of UK Subs and Stiff Little Fingers interspersed with more traditional fare from the likes of the Beatles and The Kinks, slowly adding more original material into an eclectic line up of songs, they would have got a few Euros from me.

Where are your favourite places to busk?
“Naples, Via Romo
Dublin, Grafton st
Liverpool, Church st”

And what about favourite venues?
“Cambridge, Liverpool, Scotland, they’ve always been very ‘Fuck You’ in Scotland.”

Do you make a living from music?
“Yes. When I buy my friends drinks, it comes from money made by music.”

Do you ever feel restricted by playing sets in venues? i.e. That you have to stick to a certain number of songs, or a certain set or length of set.
“No, not really. We might have a certain few songs that we keep in the set for a tour or something, but we’ll change it around, add in a different B-side or a few covers. We’re always learning new songs, I just learnt a Steely Dan song this morning that I’m proud of.”

So what’s your favourite song at the moment?
“I liked a tune I heard by Chuck Berry, called ‘Come On’, all about how he wants someone to ram his car, The Rolling Stones covered it as their first single. I recommend it more than Busking!”

Does your trans European line up contribute anything to the bands sound?
“Maybe, I dunno, I think we all contribute things individually, just people, it doesn’t matter where they’re from.”

Why did you decide to get into music in the first place?
“I’ve never really thought about it. It just seemed that every time I thought about what direction my life should be heading in I’d see a guitar and want to be playing it.”

Published in Arcady Magazine