Interview: Babyhead

Described as “the bastard child of Ian Dury and Iggy pop” (Keith Allen) and “irie, despite their beards and suits” (Toots Hibbert), Babyhead have been one of Bristol’s most unstoppable party bands for twenty years. On the eve of their last live show we caught up with frontman Little Tom to find out why they’re calling it a day.

Who are the current members of Babyhead and what do they all do in the band?

We’re Little Tom (verbals), JG (guitar), Milly (guitar), Lupo (drums), Art Beat (drums), Long (trombone), Mossy (sax) and Joss (trumpet). 

Your sound merges dub, punk rock, ska, hip-hop… Did it come together by accident or was there a plan all along?

Our sound is the sound of every thing we loved to jump around to when we were kids. The skank was the unifying factor that held together all of our disparate tastes. 

You’ve played gigs, clubs and festivals all over the place. What have been your best to date?

I kinda have screenshots from gigs in my corrupted memory banks. The ones that are surfacing now are sundown over massive crowds at Ashton Court festivals, early Lost Vagueness gigs on the back of a truck, a high tech stage on a beach in thailand, the NYPD shutting down a gig in a Soho fashion loft, pulling a gaffa tape mask off my face in The Horse’s Ear on St Paul’s Roundabout, Monsterpiece gigs on the Thekla when it was good and smelled bad…

You’ve collaborated with some great artists in the past. Which were your favourites?

I’ve loved all my collaborations except the show we did with Mr tumble. Mr tumble is a c***.

You’re widely known as one of the best party bands on the circuit. What’s the secret to getting a crowd moving?

Have a party. Look your people in the eyes. Enjoy it. The audience is the most important collaborator!

You’ve got a big, loyal following in Bristol and beyond. Why on earth are you packing it in now?

I ain’t packing it in. I’m folding it up – very carefully wrapping it in brown paper and stowing it under my bed until such time that that it screams so loud I can’t sleep!

What are the various band members planning to do with themselves next? 

The boys are working on a Babydub album. I have written a stage play called Ghostsmoke. Mainly I just plan to explore the silence.

What do you have planned for your farewell gig on Friday. Are you planning to go out with a bang?

We always bang! We got DJ Cheeba doing a full AV show. A young man by the name of CW Jones will be supporting. He’s a bit sick.  Babyhead will be doing what we’ve done for the last twenty years.  Straight up, full frontal, jump-up, hyper interactive energy sauce. A lot of our bestest friends from along the road will be there. It’ll be fun. There will be fluids.

Babyhead’s album launch (and last ever show) is at Fiddlers on Friday, April 1. New album Stage Invasion out now.