Interview: Black Cat Bone at Yugong Yishan

Last Saturday, Yugong Yishan hosted local blues outfit Black Cat Bone’s album release party. It was a fun night, with dancers from Beijing Swing setting a frantic pace on the floor and special guests Abigail Washburn and Woodie Wu adding a bit of variety to the show. Jonathan Alpart caught up with band before the show and asked them about how they got started, who's the biggest bad ass in the band and what Des is hiding in his beard.

For those who missed the rip-roaring show, the band is playing again tonight at Mao Livehouse along with Finnish rockers Moses Hazy and local rockabilly-ers extraordinaire Defy. See this week’s newsletter for more details.

Keep reading below for Jonathan’s expletive-ridden interview with the band:

Black Cat Bone is:

Desmond “Des” McGarry (vox), Jaime Welton (guitar), Toby Demker (bass), Jonathan Campbell (drums), Royce Derbyshire (blues harp), and special guest Abigail Washburn (banjo) and Woodie Wu (blues harp)

JA: I'm sure you all have your own interesting individual stories. Why did you come to Beijing and how did you meet?

Jaime: I came because I thought China was interesting and I wanted a challenge. I joined the band in 2005 about a month after I moved to China. I originally went to Shanghai but I think Beijing is more like a working city similar to Chicago where I’m from. And I was chasing pussy.

Des: I came in 2002 for a holiday and fell in love with the place. I was hanging out regularly at the [now defunct] Red Bar on the old south street jamming with a band called Sand. One night I was coming out of the old Black Sun and I heard some old guy singing folk songs on the corner and I started singing with him. I heard [Royce] playing harp, turned around and we ended up starting a band. Royce had been in Beijing longer than me and was already involved with the music scene here.

Royce: I’m from New Zealand and came to Beijing in 1998 to study Chinese medicine. I introduced Des to Jaime Jon and that’s how the band started.

Toby: I am originally from Sweden. In 2003 I got a job in Beijing and met Royce. We had some bands together then and the original bassist, Jeremy, left BCB so I joined 2007.

Jon: I came to study Chinese in August 2000 and I ended up staying. I’ve known Royce and Toby for a while now. Royce told me about Des and soon after we were jamming. We thought it would be a good opportunity to flip the switch and try out what became BCB.

JA: How did Abby get in on this gig?

Jon: She's a friend of a friend; I’ve been organizing gigs and tours for her in various forms for her since 2004. She’s come four times since then. She really loves China. Last year she played a song with us when we both played at the Jazz Festival in Sept. Knowing that she’d be here just in time for our CD party, we knew it would be a good chance to get her to play with us. And no one is good-looking in our band.

Des: She was walking down the street playin’ banjo and we wanted a banjo player so we dragged her ass over.

JA: How long have you played together as a band?

Jaime: Almost four years. By the way, they were nothing before I joined.

JA: Do you play all original music? What are your inspirations for songwriting?

Des: We play a mixture of our own music and traditional blues music.

Jaime: It’s a great way to start a band: play covers of what you like and the style comes through in what you write.

Des: I don’t like the term ‘cover’ when it comes to blues music. It suggests that you only imitate. Actually, we take the music and then we add our own arrangements and do it our own way. Most of our music is improvised. We take the old blues songs as a foundation. Our new CD is about 80% original material.

Jaime: Des mostly writes the lyrics and I write the music. Coffee helps.

Des: But if anyone wants to write something, that’s cool.

Royce: Jaime is also the sound engineer and that helps us out a lot.

JA: Who is the most badass motherfxxker in the band?

Jaime: It’s a toss-up. Desmond, at his age, can out-party anybody. The reason he wrote “Drinking Alone” is because he’s usually the last one at a bar.

JA: Why is your album titled "Drinking Alone?" We would have a beer with you anytime.

Des: It’s named after the hit single. It’s not about being a secret alcoholic or anything. It’s about my own experience: many times I want to drink at a bar and have a quiet evening and I’ll have all these assholes bothering me.

JA: Who are the biggest musical influences on your music?

Jaime: Buddy Guy.

Des: Muddy Waters.

Royce: Sonny Boy Williamson.

JA: Why blues music in Beijing?

Jaime: Blues in Beijing works really well because it’s a salty city. Music lovers in Shanghai, for example, are more into sophisticated jazz.

Des: I’ve always thought the contrast between the two cities is interesting. Shanghai is pop and Beijing is rock and roll.

Jaime: Everybody has heartache. Everybody gets too drunk sometimes and loses their phone in a taxi. By immersing yourself in the blues you can make yourself feel better. The music’s not about giving yourself the blues. It’s about getting them out.

JA: Des, what are you hiding in your beard?

Des: Double-chin.

Jon: Leftovers.

JA: I don't think I just speak for myself when I say that Westerners really love blues music. Do you think it holds any special attraction for the Chinese?

Jon: Blues music is immediately recognized no matter where you’re from. It moves you. Physically, but often times more than physically. We’ve had some amazing reactions from people here. I don’t think anyone would say that blues music is “difficult”, which is something that people can say about jazz. It is music for the people and it doesn’t matter who the people are.

Jaime: And it’s got the pentatonic scale.

JA: Are you concerned about piracy problems cutting into your CD sales? And, where can I download your album for free?

Jon: I think as long as people hear our music it’s OK.

Des: That’s Jon’s view. I think if you download my album without permission … no (laughs) … we just want as many people as possible to hear the music.

Royce: We are giving away a free CD with every ticket tonight to make sure that we get some “sales”.

JA: Besides ripping it up on stage, what methods to stave off the blues can you recommend to our depressed and lonely readers?

Royce: A good bottle of whiskey with your friends.

Jaime: Carnival rides. Happy Valley is pretty good.

Des: Hot pot.

Jon: KTV.

JA: How would you describe tonight's upcoming performance for all the poor souls who can't make it?

Des: You’re just missing the greatest party of the year. Get off your ass and get the fuck down here. And if you’re stupid enough to spend your night listening to shitty techno beats rotting your brain at 120 beats per minute, then you don’t deserve to be here anyways.

And so concludes the interview. Unfortunately I was one of those poor souls as I was off to another assignment after the interview but I came straight back to catch the tail end of the show.

Des’ last comment was no exaggeration. When I had left Yugong Yishan at around 9pm, the bar was quiet, empty, almost creepy. If I could compare the place to then how it was when I came back, I would say it was like comparing a kiddie pool to a tidal wave. People were sweating booze and lust. A gaggle of swing dancers tore the floor a new one. The band, decked out in suits, had transcended themselves and merged into a great Blues Spirit that seemed to hover above the audience. Before long you felt like the continuation of your heartbeat was dependant on the rhythm section. I’m telling you it was something to see.

The call-and-response instrumental interplay between Jaime, Royce, Woodie and Abigail was mesmerizing. Des held complete control of the audience. If you have ever met the guy in real life you would be really shocked by his stage persona. In person, he is modest, polite, even sometimes a bit shy. He told me that he likes to drink tea and read in quiet places. On stage, however, the beast is released. Yet he is not feral or threatening. He is a blues man after all, of the oldest tradition. He is simply cool. Contrast this with Jaime’s wild party-guy stage antics and you have one hell of a show. Highly recommended. Next time you go to a BCB show, you can be sure that you won’t be “Drinking Alone”.