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2003 BLAKEY RIDGE FESTIVAL
Gina Dootson    24 July 2003
photos by Chris Walkden

Interview with Gina Dootson at the 2003 Blakey Ridge Music Festival
By Allan Jeff Matmata Media for Blakey Music
 

AJ - What have you been up to recently?

Gina - I've been doing more gigs than I usually do, last weekend I was in Salisbury at Larma Tree Festival, people like Jools Holland playing, that was a really nice weekend. Just doing loads of local gigs, did Stamford festival as well

AJ - How did that go?

Gina - It was good yeah! Had some good responses and been selling loads of CD's

AJ - You've got a new EP out "Edge On" haven't you?

Gina - "Edge On", yeah three-track

AJ - How's that been received?

Gina - It's been going well, there's a band song "Dinner on Mars", a couple of new ones as well.

AJ - When did you record the EP?

Gina - It's been out a bit less than a year

AJ - So who played on the EP, was it just yourself? As I know you're involved with other musicians.

Gina - Yeah, I've got like a band, a core band. They're from Derby and they've played quite a few gigs with me and I'm getting more and more with the band.

AJ - So is that more the way that you want to go? You'll play more with the band than solo?

Gina - yeah!

AJ - How has working with a band been received? Have you been getting more coverage like that, than you have working as a solo artist?

Gina -Yeah, you can do a lot more gigs with a band, there's not many venues that will take on a solo artist and if they do, it'll just be for support slots, for half an hour or something, if you've got a band, you can do a full night!

AJ - Obviously, you've been around for a while now, how do you rate your progress from starting out and winning battle of the bands until now?

Gina - Battle of the bands was one of the first things I did, when I was eighteen, me and a lad called John Lacey. We'd hardly been playing, we'd only had a couple of practices, if that, never gigged, we went in for battle of the bands and won it!

I'm always looking too high, I aim too high, that's my problem but it's been going good these last couple of years. You know I've got the albums out, they've been selling well, doing more gigs, getting the band involved. Going further afield as well. The website has done a lot as well, coz you get more people coming to your gigs.

AJ - You're here to play the Blakey Festival, how would you describe the whole experience?

Gina - I love this place, I'm a country lass, I don't like towns and cities, you know when I come up here, I feel at home. It's very homely, it's a great place and great people and when you come up that road and see it and think "I'm playing there!" it's amazing, I love it and it's a great experience, every time I play here I love it!

AJ - How did you find the crowd today?

Gina - Great! Really, really nice! Really chilled and in to it - Literally!! (Reference to the wind!)

AJ - Who else on the bill are you looking forward to seeing?

Gina - I like Dave Keegan, I like Mostly Autumn as well, all of them I'd like to see, I'd like to stay all day but I've got to get off, because I'm going on Holiday.

AJ - How do you see the commercial aspects of the business? Do you think it's held you back, the way that the music industry is structured these days?

Gina -It's difficult, trying to please. I write and sing, what I write and sing and I don't like to do it for anybody but me, I know that sounds really selfish but I'm not going to write a song for someone else but if people like what I do then that's great. If one person likes what I do then that's great. That's how I feel, I'm not into this "Let's write songs so we can sell it to millions of people", it's not about that. If I write a song and it's from me and I like it and then it goes on to sell a million or whatever, that would be fantastic!

AJ - Can you describe what sort of process you go through to write your songs? What generally comes first, the music or the lyrics?

Gina - It's usually the music first, get on the guitar and just strum along, I'll get a melody and then I'll just put some words to it, that is usually how it works.

AJ - What do you find the hardest creatively, coming up with the music or the lyrics?

Gina - It varies, sometimes I can just bang some lyrics out, I can write a song in half an hour, then sometimes it takes me bloody forever! It does depend on how I'm feeling, if I feel I've got to get something out, which is when I usually write, then the lyrics just flow out!

AJ - So how much material have you got in the bank? Are you writing new stuff now?

Gina - I've got loads of songs, a backlog of songs, some of which are totally, rubbish but I've written quite a few songs in the past and I'm still writing. I've got loads to come out as well!

AJ - In terms of your performance at Blakey today, what was going through your mind when you got up on stage?

Gina - I thought "Oh my God, this is a massive stage and I'm so high up" but to be honest I was really hot, that's why I took my top off, then I got bloody freezing! At points I'd just look out and look at the scenery, it was amazing, it really was amazing!!!

AJ - I don't know if you know but the Lion Inn is supposedly built on the meeting point of Ley lines, how do you feel about all things mystical?

Gina - Oh yeah, I believe there is something else there, magical, I always have done!

AJ - What do you think is the best thing about performing at the festival?

Gina - Just, I know a lot of people who are playing here, they're good to watch. It's nice to see friendly faces and just to be here as well, it's such a gorgeous place. The whole experience is great.

AJ - If there was a worst thing about playing here, what would you say it is?

Gina - Today, the wind I think. It just did my head in while I was on stage!

AJ - With the music industry being so image conscious, how do you think you are perceived by your audience?

Gina - I try not to be up my own arse! I try to be down to earth!

AJ - Yeah, that comes across when you're on stage.

Gina - You know I just make stupid comments, just try to do what I can with the audience and not shove it in their face, you know what I mean?

AJ - What would you say the best thing is about being Gina Dootson?

Gina - What's the best thing, Jesus??? I think I'm really grateful, that I can play and sing, I think it's a gift! I do think it's a gift and anyone who can do it is gifted. I feel great to have the gift, that's the greatest thing about being me I suppose.

AJ - So what do you think is the worst thing about being you?

Gina - I am very indecisive and it hinders me!

AJ - If you had to describe your music in five words, what would they be?

Gina - Music in five words?? Frantic, meaningful, depressing? Honest and Genuine!

AJ - So what have you got planned for the next six to twelve months?

Gina - Yeah, just, gig, gig, gig and I'm going to start practising with the band a lot, coz we've only got about five or six songs together but we're gonna try and get a full set together. Then going to start in the studio to record a new album, end of the year, beginning of next year

AJ - If you had to have a thought for the day, to preach to the masses what would it be?

Gina - To preach to the masses? It would be "To love unconditionally!"

visit the Gina Dootson page

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