DoubleView of Heaven's Basement
at Rocklahoma 2014
Aaron Buchanan
The pop punk/British punk extraordinaire, Heaven’s Basement, rocked Rocklahoma like nobody’s business. HB features Aaron Buchanan’s heart-warming and killer voice, Chris River’s phenomenal drumming, Rob “Bones” Ellershaw’s booming bass, and Sid Glover’s Golden God Nominee guitar playing. When combined into one unit, this quartet becomes something greater than just people with instruments playing good music. They become an ethereal being, like a punk god.
Punk pop has become “the next big thing” and that always comes with negative connotations. I want you all to place your prejudgments aside and take a listen; punk-style drumming and Southern-tinged guitar leads its way into catchy, pop choruses.
Heaven’s Basement does not let the confines of a certain genre define them; they defy any one classification, as they are their own entity of pure awesomeness.
Punk pop has become “the next big thing” and that always comes with negative connotations. I want you all to place your prejudgments aside and take a listen; punk-style drumming and Southern-tinged guitar leads its way into catchy, pop choruses.
Heaven’s Basement does not let the confines of a certain genre define them; they defy any one classification, as they are their own entity of pure awesomeness.
Sid Glover
The members of Heaven’s Basement are seriously funny guys, and nothing extremely serious came out of this interview, but I’d read this anyways. They are hilarious.
So, I ask, How are you guys today? “Very good, thank you,” says Glover.
Ellershaw adds in, “Yeah, really good. We’re good, we’re good, we’re good. We’re a bit delirious, I think. We woke up after a heavy night and we’re in the middle of a field in Oklahoma. We’ve been doing press for a few hours, I think we’ve lost our minds.”
So, I ask, How are you guys today? “Very good, thank you,” says Glover.
Ellershaw adds in, “Yeah, really good. We’re good, we’re good, we’re good. We’re a bit delirious, I think. We woke up after a heavy night and we’re in the middle of a field in Oklahoma. We’ve been doing press for a few hours, I think we’ve lost our minds.”
Aaron Buchanan After the pleasantries, I just dove right into the real questions. Some background, first: Word has it on Wikipedia and various other sites that Ellershaw, Glover, and Rivers all hazed Buchanan when he joined the band in 2011 as a way of proving that he could handle being in the band.
Of course, I had to ask if Buchanan knew what he was getting into. “Absolutely not,” laughs Ellershaw.
Glover elaborates, saying, “He says that we hazed him hard, but we didn’t. We could have gone way harder…but there was a good amount of hazing. But we do that to everyone, including crew. Everyone. It keeps you sane.”
“Actually, it’s just fun.”
“Yeah, okay it doesn’t keep you sane. We went too hard, he went a little bit weird.”
So, you basically just made him drink a lot of alcohol and made him stay up late? I asked.
“That’s not hazing!” exclaims Glover. “That’s what we do every day. That wasn’t the hazing. He thought that was the hazing. That was just us hanging out after the hazing.”
Then what was the hazing part?
“Eh, we just made him do stupid stuff…I remember there was a night when we made him break into some fairground,” answers Glover.
“Yeah! Yeah, it was near Christmas and had a Christmasy market thing out so we made him jump the fence and run in,” recollects Ellershaw.
“It’s more about what comes to mind at the time that we make him do,” Glover admits. “But it’s not hazing, it’s just hanging out. The psychological torture was the hazing.”
Of course, I had to ask if Buchanan knew what he was getting into. “Absolutely not,” laughs Ellershaw.
Glover elaborates, saying, “He says that we hazed him hard, but we didn’t. We could have gone way harder…but there was a good amount of hazing. But we do that to everyone, including crew. Everyone. It keeps you sane.”
“Actually, it’s just fun.”
“Yeah, okay it doesn’t keep you sane. We went too hard, he went a little bit weird.”
So, you basically just made him drink a lot of alcohol and made him stay up late? I asked.
“That’s not hazing!” exclaims Glover. “That’s what we do every day. That wasn’t the hazing. He thought that was the hazing. That was just us hanging out after the hazing.”
Then what was the hazing part?
“Eh, we just made him do stupid stuff…I remember there was a night when we made him break into some fairground,” answers Glover.
“Yeah! Yeah, it was near Christmas and had a Christmasy market thing out so we made him jump the fence and run in,” recollects Ellershaw.
“It’s more about what comes to mind at the time that we make him do,” Glover admits. “But it’s not hazing, it’s just hanging out. The psychological torture was the hazing.”
Rob "Bones" Ellershaw
A while ago, right before a European headline tour, Buchanan was put on mandatory vocal rest. The tour had to be cancelled. He’s all better now, but I wondered how the band dealt with the cancelations and the disappointments.
“We knew it had to be done,” says Ellershaw. “Nobody was like, ‘Ah, sweet!’ but it was really annoying because we were in a good flow and…doing a big headline tour. We were well excited, but we were on the stage every night and we could hear how he was kind of struggling and throughout the day, as much as it killed us to cancel shows ‘cause we really didn’t want to, it was something that had to be done for the greater good.”
Glover adds, “Like, if I could have chopped my foot off and replaced it in his voice and that worked magically, I would have done it.”
“That’s science,” remarks Ellershaw.
“Well, I can’t cut my hand off ‘cause I’m a guitarist,” Glover ‘retorts.’
“We knew it had to be done,” says Ellershaw. “Nobody was like, ‘Ah, sweet!’ but it was really annoying because we were in a good flow and…doing a big headline tour. We were well excited, but we were on the stage every night and we could hear how he was kind of struggling and throughout the day, as much as it killed us to cancel shows ‘cause we really didn’t want to, it was something that had to be done for the greater good.”
Glover adds, “Like, if I could have chopped my foot off and replaced it in his voice and that worked magically, I would have done it.”
“That’s science,” remarks Ellershaw.
“Well, I can’t cut my hand off ‘cause I’m a guitarist,” Glover ‘retorts.’
At this point in the interview, I get a phone call from Heaven’s Basement’s tour manager, so Glover grabs the phone and answers it. “Dude! We’re doing the interview right now!”
Ellershaw adds, “Come on, get it together, man!”
Ellershaw adds, “Come on, get it together, man!”
FANS!!!
Last year at Rocklahoma, Heaven’s Basement made even the drunkest of the drunk get off their feet and groove to the beat (that rhymed, thank you very much). They seemed excited to do the same this time around.
“Since we’ve been here last, we’ve played about one hundred and fifty shows…We’re playing a little bit later on tonight, we’ve got all our gear and stuff with us now, a few more people might know the songs and stuff, and we’re excited,” says Glover.
“Since we’ve been here last, we’ve played about one hundred and fifty shows…We’re playing a little bit later on tonight, we’ve got all our gear and stuff with us now, a few more people might know the songs and stuff, and we’re excited,” says Glover.
Heaven’s Basement has an intensive tour schedule; they basically tour non-stop. I’d estimate that in their six years of existence, a lot has managed to go wrong on stage.
“I’ve had shows where everything breaks,” says Glover. “It’s not really stressful, it’s more fun. It’s stressful if you’re the kind of person who will get stressed. I’m not really the kind of person who would get stressed. You gotta just roll with the punches and have fun.”
“On the other hand, I get stressed,” says Ellershaw. “So, we did a festival in France ages ago [*immediate laughter from Glover*]. It was outside…I had a massive friction burn on my wrist, I had my haired slicked up, so I had loads of hairspray in it. It dripped down into my eyes so I couldn’t see. It was really sunny on stage so I couldn’t see my tuner. So, I played out of tune for like half of the set. It was pretty horrendous. I went back into catering and they gave me a whole bottle of wine, so I cracked it open and buried my sorrows.”
“They filmed the show, so I’ve got the DVD,” Glover says deviously. “I’m keeping that safe. That was hilarious. Rob went through a phase where every outdoor gig we played, something would go horrifically wrong for him.”
“It was a curse,” Ellershaw laughs.
“That’s the thing, I find that so funny to me that nothing can stress me out ‘cause I’m just watching him have a nightmare. And, it makes me happy. It makes me feel good about myself.”
“A lot of love in this band, a lot of love….I’ve got past that now. I’m a better man.”
“He has gone past that, to some extent But we don’t know, because this is one of the first outdoor gigs we’ve done in a while.
“I’ve had shows where everything breaks,” says Glover. “It’s not really stressful, it’s more fun. It’s stressful if you’re the kind of person who will get stressed. I’m not really the kind of person who would get stressed. You gotta just roll with the punches and have fun.”
“On the other hand, I get stressed,” says Ellershaw. “So, we did a festival in France ages ago [*immediate laughter from Glover*]. It was outside…I had a massive friction burn on my wrist, I had my haired slicked up, so I had loads of hairspray in it. It dripped down into my eyes so I couldn’t see. It was really sunny on stage so I couldn’t see my tuner. So, I played out of tune for like half of the set. It was pretty horrendous. I went back into catering and they gave me a whole bottle of wine, so I cracked it open and buried my sorrows.”
“They filmed the show, so I’ve got the DVD,” Glover says deviously. “I’m keeping that safe. That was hilarious. Rob went through a phase where every outdoor gig we played, something would go horrifically wrong for him.”
“It was a curse,” Ellershaw laughs.
“That’s the thing, I find that so funny to me that nothing can stress me out ‘cause I’m just watching him have a nightmare. And, it makes me happy. It makes me feel good about myself.”
“A lot of love in this band, a lot of love….I’ve got past that now. I’m a better man.”
“He has gone past that, to some extent But we don’t know, because this is one of the first outdoor gigs we’ve done in a while.
Sid Glover
At the end of interviews, I love to ask this one question: If there is one thing you wish I’d asked, what would it be? And then, obviously, I ask it.
Glover responds, “If I prefer ranch dressing or bleu cheese with my wild wings.”
So, of course, I ask which he prefers.
“Bleu cheese,” says Glover.
“Ranch, mine’s ranch,” Ellershaw decides. “What’s yours?”
This is when the horrible truth came out…I’ve never actually had buffalo wings before.
Stunned, Ellershaw just says, “Seriously? You’re an American and you haven’t had buffalo wings.”
May I point out this is a British person telling me that I’m not American. A British person.
“I am shocked,” Ellershaw continues. “You should try them though…I’m going to go to catering and see if there are any and bring some back for you.”
And thus, the interview ended. Glover and Ellershaw came back later claiming that the buffalo wings in catering weren’t good enough quality. So, when I came home, I went out for buffalo wings with my family and my verdict is: Wow. These are disgusting. Why do people like these?
Glover responds, “If I prefer ranch dressing or bleu cheese with my wild wings.”
So, of course, I ask which he prefers.
“Bleu cheese,” says Glover.
“Ranch, mine’s ranch,” Ellershaw decides. “What’s yours?”
This is when the horrible truth came out…I’ve never actually had buffalo wings before.
Stunned, Ellershaw just says, “Seriously? You’re an American and you haven’t had buffalo wings.”
May I point out this is a British person telling me that I’m not American. A British person.
“I am shocked,” Ellershaw continues. “You should try them though…I’m going to go to catering and see if there are any and bring some back for you.”
And thus, the interview ended. Glover and Ellershaw came back later claiming that the buffalo wings in catering weren’t good enough quality. So, when I came home, I went out for buffalo wings with my family and my verdict is: Wow. These are disgusting. Why do people like these?
Aaron Buchanan
Heaven’s Basement’s performance at Rocklahoma was absolutely amazing. Nothing went terribly wrong for Ellershaw and the music sounded fanastic. Buchanan contributed boundless energy and magical vocals to the amazing instrumentals. The audience was hooked from the beginning.
If you ever have the chance to see these dudes live, take it. I promise you won’t regret it.
If you ever have the chance to see these dudes live, take it. I promise you won’t regret it.
 | Zoe Adler is a music journalist from Long Beach, California. Besides her website, which is her pride and joy, she works with the GRAMMY Foundation and the Long Beach Independent. Additionally, Ms. Adler is a musician, spending half of her time playing the flute, piccolo, trombone, and marching baritone. She has been with TeenView Music since the very start and hopes to make something of it in the future. |
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