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Spencer Hudson interviews Wade Bayliss

Wade Bayliss at the Island Experiment
 
West London filmmaker and actor, Spencer Hudson took some time out from filming his documentary "Wall of Death" to interview Wade Bayliss.
 
I met up with Wade Bayliss to find out more about  the former “Sun & Sand” fashion label owner and now Musician, Live Music Promoter, and general West London Local Hero at the Tabernacle - home to his bi-monthly live music night “The Island Experiment” where this Saturday night will see a special pre-carnival edition featuring; “The Rotten Hill Gang”, “Loose Cannons”, Burlesque from “Veronica Venus” and of course Mr Bayliss himself on vocals along with Patrick on Bass and Wills on Percussion...  
 
Spencer Hudson (SH): Let’s start with your former fashion label “Sun & Sand”....
 
Wade Bayliss (WB): My parents started up “Sun & Sand” in 1968.  It went out of business in 1993 so I started it up again and just changed the direction of it and made it a bit more relevant. It was 50% percent street wear sold at some of the most cutting edge fashion stores around the world and 50% classics sold in Market towns for ladies, shall we say with a discerning palate.You used to be able to see our clothes in Selfridges, Harrods, Harvey Nichols and the Dispensary among others. We used to make own label for Roland Mouret, John Richmond, Duffer of St George and Supreme NYC. 
 
SH: Who did the designs?
 
WB: I had the pleasure to work with some great designers and graphic artists. But for five years or so I did it myself. I was just bringing together ideas, themes and feelings that I saw from living around Portobello and concepts and motifs gathered from trotting around the fashion capitals and kind of acted as a reflection or a conduit for them. We were just doing what we wanted to do independently of what goes on in the rest of the fashion world. Doing great basic designs with interesting twists.
 
SH: Was it quite a popular brand in its time?
 
WB: Yeah it was well-known at a certain point. Maybe retailing in about 150 stores at its peak. It was featured in a broad section of fashion press Vogue, I-D, and TV Quick ! We had a small but growing Clientele. We had a niche, but you know things are competitive in that game and then the high street came in and our retail prices had to compete with the likes of Top Shop.
 
SH: What happened to the brand?
 
WB: We were manufacturing in France. The wave of cheap manufacturing from China and elsewhere became too much for our manufacturer and to cut a long story short the factory went out of business without warning. All of my money was out and I was fully exposed so in 2006 everything went.
 
SH: Any plans to restart it?
 
WB:  At the time I thought deeply about it. But it would have meant finding fresh finance and dedicating time and energy again at something that I had already spent half my life on. So I thought “no fuck it” and picked up a guitar. But recently there have been a few interested parties enquiring about  in restarting the Brand so that could be really cool.
 
SH: So that’s how the music started? 
 
WB: Yeah pretty much. You know you only have so much time and then life becomes about investigating things you haven’t done. You might have had dreams to do things but if you work for twenty years you probably won’t have the opportunity to fulfil them. So that’s pretty much what the last few years have been about. 
 
Wade Bayliss
 
SH: Was music something you’d always wanted to do?
 
WB: Yeah, but I was very shy about it to begin with and unable to do anything in front of people. If I did play someone a song I would overheat and not be able to talk to anyone for about 45 minutes afterwards. It was terrible! Really terrible! It was nerves and all that stuff and then slowly I started to build my confidence. I think it’s the same for most musicians who are starting out and then you start to think that you’ve got the best songs that anyone’s ever heard, and when you unleash them on the world someone’s bound to find them and sign you, which is a bit of a dream. But you touch people in different ways with your music and that is what inspires me.
 
SH: What was your first gig like?
 
WB: Ah,... I had just written a song and was almost embarrassed to play it as I was sharing so much untapped emotion. I felt quite introverted and unpractised and the room was super still,while I played it was very quiet.I walked off the stage, heart beating fast, head dipped too shy to look at the audience.I thought maybe no one liked it. But then one person came up to me and touched me on the shoulder and said that they really loved the song and that was enough. Just to touch one person and connect with them, for me that’s what it’s really about, connecting with people emotionally.
 
Wade Bayliss 
 
SH: You’re now a prominent musician and promoter on the West London live music scene, with your bi-monthly Saturday nights at the Tabernacle, weekly Wednesdays at The Island in Kensal Green, and just recently a weekly Thursday gig at the Bumpkin in Notting Hill... all three showcasing up and coming musicians but also seasoned pros... what inspired you to start putting on gigs?
 
WB: It took me four or five years to get enough courage to start performing, so some of the ethos behind the gigs is to try and help people to speed that process up by giving them a nice, safe place where they can feel supported. Where they know they can come and perform to build their confidence and develop as musicians. I used help run night with my friend George, when he was on tour  called the “Dirty Roar ” in Portobello and a lot of music stemmed from there. I wanted to continue doing nights so started putting on gigs at the Island in Kensal Green.
 
SH: What sort of vibe do you get at the Island?
 
WB: It can be sublime. It can be absolutely amazing. It’s a really nice room there, where people just allow each other to be and communicate their music. We have Wills on bucket and he’s the best bucket player in town, and  Patrick "All Night" long on Bass, he can work out a tune quicker than you can pluck a string. They can really support other musicians. The room can be so full of love down there sometimes, like the other week we had a guy from Uruguay and he lifted everyone, raised everyone’s game. 
 
Wade Bayliss and Karin Fransson - photo by Patricia Andrade 
 
SH: When I came down it reminded me of a New York hole in the wall Jazz bar where you’ve got that amazing eclectic vibe where everyone is jamming together. 
 
WB: (Laughs) I prefer your description to mine Spence; I think we’ll stick with that.    
 
SH: So for musicians coming down to play at the Island do they need to bring their own instruments or can they just bring themselves?
 
WB: Only if it’s an important part of the act say; electric guitar or keyboard. We have a resident backing band so if people just want to come and sing they can just turn up and we’ll support them. You know, when it first started we all knew each other’s songs. So for example when Cuthbert 80 comes down the whole room is his backing vocals. It's like total football and that's magic. It's a place where people come and get their confidence together. it can gave them a little lift. It has helped be part of a catalyst for people, so many of the performers have come in huge leaps and bounds since our first nights down there. The quality is staggering with many of the guys having done music videos and albums.Performing at festivals, which is amazing and we now have a new generation of people coming through. Sometimes it plain blows my mind, Man ! 
 
The Island Experiment by Patricia Andrade 
 
SH: How long have the nights at the Island been running for?
 
WB: Good question! About three years I think? Maybe four! I should really invent a birthday, maybe that’s what the 27thof August at the Tabernacle should be about! A good excuse for an unofficial birthday party!

The Experiment at the Tabernacle - by Margaret Hines
SH: So the Island Experiment at the Tabernacle was born out of the Wednesday nights at the Island in Kensal green.
 
WB: Yeah, I met Chris who manages the Tabernacle and he let us put on an experimental night here to showcase up and coming talent and we’re now doing nights every couple of months. It’s great for people that are used to playing in pubs or smaller venues that haven’t had the opportunity to hear themselves play in a larger venue with a professional PA setup. You know just having the sound guys makes the Tabernacle an amazing place to play. It’s also allowed all of these artists to connect with other people as well and collaborate on future projects together. It’s an eclectic mix of musicians, writers, actors, filmmakers, photographers, and poets, a real West London collective.  
 
SH: How do musicians and artists get a spot at the Island Experiment?
 
WB: They can contact me directly through our website: www.theislandexperiment.com 
 
SH: What’s coming up next?
 
WB: We’ve just started a new open mic night at the Bumpkin in Notting Hill, called the Bumpkin Jam which will run every Thursday from 7:30 through till 12. It’s free to get in and we’ve got some headline acts as well and people making guest appearances like Marlon who’s just put a single out in Germany at the moment, and Sadie Ann Jemmett, she’s just been touring and is realising an album this winter. We’re really lucky with some of the people that are coming down to play and it’s a great place for up and coming musicians to showcase themselves.
 
SH: So how do musicians get to play at the Island in Kensal Green or the Bumpkin?
 
WB: They’re open-mic sessions run every week so if someone wants to play they can organise a spot with me directly or just turn up around seven thirty on the night. And it’s not just intended for musicians it can also be spoken word, or performance acts.
 
SH: Thanks Wade it’s been great talking to you.

WB: Thanks Spencer maybe next time I'll get a chance to chat with you about your acting, screenwriting and documentary making endeavours.   
.
 
 
 Mr White by Wade Bayliss
 
The special pre-carnival edition of the Island Experiment is happening this Saturday 27th August at The Tabernacle featuring live performances for The Rotten Hill Gang, Loose Cannons, and  Burlesque from Veronica Venus and of course Mr Bayliss himself on vocals along with Patrick on Bass and Wills on Percussion...  the gig starts at 7pm and entry is £6 on the door. 
 
Links
 
Spencer Hudson
 
www.imdb.com/name/nm1894830/ 
Spencer Hudson is currently filming his documentary "Wall of Death". You can view the teaser trailer of the documentary here...http://vimeo.com/spencerhudson 
 
 
Wade Bayliss
 
www.theislandexperiment.com 
Bumpkin Jam - An Open Mic Festival at Bumpkin Notting Hill
ISLAND EXPERIMENT VS ROTTEN HILL GANG PRE CARNIVAL at The Tabernacle 
 
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