Rusty Bradshaw – Musician and Self-employed:
Rusty Bradshaw is a great friend of mine who I first met at Bedales School during our sixth form. He is almost like a brother. We have had many adventures in particular whilst traveling around the world. One unforgettable experience we had together was a motorbike accident in Goa, India. All ended well. Rusty is a very talented musician and plays Keyboard for Razorlight as well as playing in his own band The Doctors of Love.
1. Why is music so important to you?
Music is my passion. It’s another language, which expresses life itself. It
Is a therapy and brings much joy to everyone, anywhere.
2. What is the best memory from our school days at Bedales?
Stealing a sofa, running off to the local woods with it, building a shelter and getting high!
3. What is your current work and are you enjoying it?
I am both a painter and decorator and a musician. The work as a musician
Fluctuates in frequency and I therefore find that I have to work as a decorator whenever I can. I do not really enjoy this – i work on my own to maximize my profit – so it can get a little lonely and mundane. I do like working as a session musician though and have worked for the likes of Razorlight and Duke Spirit amongst others.
4. What is your most memorable gig and why?
Maybe the gig I did with my own band Doctors of Love at the Barfly. For some unknown reason I had got it into my head that it was very important part of my musical history to have played at the Barfly. We did a gig for ‘myspace’ there. Hardly anyone showed up, we played really really well, showed the few
there what we were made of and got off stage.
After that I managed to say something fleetingly which the Barfly promoter took as a personal insult. Not my problem, and not an issue until he started throwing insults at me which I will choose to omit here. I flipped and offered him outside to ‘deal’ with the situation. He had the bouncers take me outside. We didn’t get paid, we got ripped off. We weren’t treated with any respect. I was insulted. We were dealing with the infamous and terribly important musical institution “the BarFly,” and we didn’t go down well and that kind of thing makes me happy – pissing them off! Another case of life in the London rock n roll world.
5. Who are your heroes and what is it about them that you find amazing?
I don’t really have any heroes. I like lots of people and admire them (mostly musicians), but I suppose if I had a hero it would be my mum (ahhhhh isn’t that sweet I hear you think!). She gets stuff done all the time, whatever the situation though she might not be enjoying it she won’t ever complain. Me, I would!
6. What are your opinion and solutions for up and coming artists such as The Doctors of Love in the British Music Industry?
God in heaven help us. I don’t think the industry really has the time, effort, means or belief in bands like us much any more – mid twenty Something’s making drunken rock n roll music that sound like it’s from 1976. There are a few others out there who are supported by labels etc, but the Industry won’t really supports bands at the moment which they feel will make them no money at a time when their income is threatened by new means of distribution, promotion and marketing. Long Live Rock n Roll!
7. What can we all do to promote world peace?
Respect anyone and everyone. Learn to live with each other better. Have a revolution in British politics (actually world politics), listen to the words of Ghandi, John Lennon, Martin Luther Ling, Nelson Mandela. Stop watching WWF wrestling and make love lots lots more!
8. What are your thoughts to the British Disabled Flying Association -BDFA?
This is great stuff. Every disabled person needs to be able to be given the opportunity to try out things like flying. It strikes me that this is one of the good points of modern day Britain.
9. What has been your greatest achievement to date?
Not going bankrupt.
10. Do you like flying?
I like flying, but not commercially. I once got a flight in a Lear jet which I loved!
11. What is your ideal example of your perfect day?
Saturday is perhaps my favourite day of the week so I’ll use that as a
template:
Wake up with a hangover (generally with a “shit, should have asked that girl for her number,” or “oh no, what did I say that for!” Get up, down some juice while I watch football focus on BBC. Moan about the state of football, how badly they edit the show and how badly my team (I won’t therefore
mention who) are doing. Shower, stick on some Tony Blackburn (he plays cheesy 80’s soul), cook something a bit too indulgent (eggs Benedict ). Rings some friends and go and get drunk again! Love it baby!
12. What meaningful things do you do that give you satisfaction?
Be nice to other people. Ring my folks once a week and look after numero uno.
13. Do you like playing for Razorlight and how does it feel to know that you will be playing a gig at the new Wembley stadium?
Gggggrrreeeeaaat!!!! I really look forward to this one. What can I say? 70,000 or something people. Prince is playing too I think!!!!!
