‘We think of punk as an attitude, jazz as a genre’
British musician Dave Morecroft, who is part of the five-member punk-jazz band WorldService Project, speaks to bulbul sharma about creating music and performing live.
and you mix them around.
Q. How do you put the individual experience and expertise of your band members together in a way that helps in creating better music? A.
The music is half written and half explored. A lot of improvisation happens during the process. We, as a band, play a lot together. So when I am writing music I keep their strengths in mind, I know the kind of music that interests them and I try to give them a very juicy section that they can enjoy working on. And of course, you have to play as per the strength of your band, you have to allow them freedom. You have to let them loose but also try to keep them together. It is a band, so there has to be limits and boundaries too.
Q. What led to the creation of Mr Giggles, the clown character you play when performing live? What do you think the character adds to your shows? A.
I was terrified of clowns as a kid and that fear led me to play out that character on stage in a kind of a cathartic way, trying to expel my own fears of clowns. I think it really gives me the capacity to instil fear in others, because I know why clowns are so scary and disturbing. He [Mr Giggles] has gone through a journey as a character, from a weird, funny, quirky thing to a more malicious character. In the shows, it is an additional element. It makes a spectacle rather than just a gig.
Q. You have done a lot of shows across America, Europe and Asia. How have your travels influenced your music? A.
Everything in your life influences your music. The experiences you have, where you go, whom you meet influences who you are and the kind of music you write. Having toured quite a lot—we have performed both at tiny venues and big festivals; we have performed for 6,000 people and just for six people too—all of these experiences make you very flexible. They also help your music to grow and help you understand how your music is going to fit into different places and in different cultures.