The Basics

It was back to basics for The Basics on a cool autumn night in the cosy embrace of The Empress. You can usually find something interesting going on at this old dame on any given Thursday night. Well May 23rd threw up a little surprise support act in The Basics who had a very decent early crowd all eager to hear what these boy wonders of brit pop reinvention will do when they are stripped back to bare basics for their first ever acoustic show.

The boys hit the stage in their signature suits but were a little lost in the space without the usual ampage factor. Uneasy at first they showed a brave front and after admitting their undisguisable doubts about what might be in store they formed the connection and had everyone wondering with part fear and part hope. I love a good train wreck but it wasn’t to be. From the first song The Basics showed they are the consummate musicians and performers that they have made a name for themselves to be and delivered a tight yet raw performance with a casual finesse. One of the good things about the toned down set was that it allowed Wally de Backers voice to shine through. DeBacker has a voice of gold and the advantage of having four good vocals helped keep the acoustic set full and dynamic. Wally was a stand out and it was great to see him in this mode after having just made the connection with him and his blossoming side project as Gotye and the much-acclaimed song and clip for Hearts A Mess.

The Basics sound has been compared with Beatles era and I hear a bit of Johnny cash meets Oasis. Is there a million dollar pop song lurking in the future? Who knows what these guys are thinking. In the middle of their set we were given a taste of The Basics take on Crowded House, The Stones and Tom Waits which weren’t so novel renditions yet potent and showed their love of a great song and exposed a new perspective on the character of the band and the sheer pleasure they get from making music. As Kris Schroeder told me before the gig, he was feeling a bit naked, warts and all. Well fortunately there were no warts, maybe a little scratch here and there, just enough to keep it real. Good clean fun. Another satisfied customer.

The Basics on stage are:
Wally de Backer - drums/vocals
Tim Heath - guitar/vocals
Kris Schroeder - guitar/vocals (usually bass)
Dave Bramble - piano/vocals

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