Ian Matthews Q&A at Just Music Showcase Berlin
In special partnership with JustMusic, the first official live event for BIMM Berlin took place on Friday 19th June. As befits the occasion, the chosen venue was very special indeed – the top floor of the thrilling five storey SkyLiveClub venue in JustMusic’s flagship store at Berlin’s Moritzplatz.
Opening with an inspiring speech from Katja Lucker, the Head of Berlin’s Musicboard, the event combined a live music showcase, visual art exhibition and special guest interview session.
Live music came from two BIMM Brighton sensations, LuAmi and The Dubarrys, who wowed the crowd with a dose of UK talent. Visual art came in the form of a photography exhibition by ex-Kerrang! magazine editor turned artist, Ashley Bird. His exhibition ‘Ready To Fly’ proved a real hit, gathering together photographs of BIMM undergraduate students resulting a captivating study of musical talent.
The crowning event for the evening was an interview and Q&A session with Ian Matthews, drummer with hugely popular band Kasabian. Ian was generous with his time and wisdom, sharing stories and taking questions for a full 45 minutes. The audience were treated to Ian’s insights into joining Kasabian and his specific instrumental skills:
“Kasbian tried different drummers on tour… and I think my way of playing was what they had in their head… You need the skills… you need to know what you’re doing and get behind the band and give them the full confidence that you’re not going to drop a beat.”
Ian was interviewed by BIMM tutor Jake Shillingford who asked Ian where he thinks the music industry might be headed:
“The industry today is completely different to the 90s… there’s an argument to say that because of downloading it actually means that your music gets out far faster and wider, which means you can create fans that then come to your shows and support your band through ticket sales or by buying a T-shirt.”
Speaking about his work with BIMM and his pleasure in teaching, Ian said
“I didn’t think of teaching as an option… I discovered pretty quickly that being a teacher was good for me as a player and as a professional musician… I’m really proud to… pass on what I have learned.”
“I genuinely think what BIMM are doing here is brilliant. It’s not something that existed when I was growing up… The teaching staff… are people who can, people who have been in the business a long time… people who have been there and done it… All that experience in one place… I’m a genuine fan of that!”
“The lecturers… are for real. So the onus is on you as a student to take from that … as a player, as an artist and just hit the street with it. What a launch pad!”
