Harvey William Bassett on cow pushing, Cliff and smoking with the crips…

‍Why are you only known by your Christian name?

“(Pauses) I don’t know? People do say to me, ‘What’s your name?’ and I say ‘Harvey’ and they say, ‘What’s your DJ name?’ and I say ‘DJ Harvey’. My full name is Harvey William Bassett, which I wouldn’t mind using, it’s quite grand.”

Have you ever been called Half An E?

“Have I ever been caught having half an E? Called it? No. Until now.”

How is the lbiza Space session going?

“It hasn’t started yet but it’s all looking good. Why have I hooked up with Alex Neri? Because I respect his work as a DJ. He’s totally different to me, very Italian, which makes for nice complementary styles.”

What is the biggest crime against Balearic you’ve encountered?

“I really love all of that stuff. I’ve probably done some of the crimes. Something I have fun with is ‘Carrie’ by Cliff Richard, which I’ve played once or twice slightly under a Balearic banner. By the time people have realised who it is it’s too late and they’re already dancing to it and they’re singing along to the chorus and cringing at the same time.”

What’s the most dangerous sport you’ve attempted?

“Skateboarding, which I’ve done all my life. I’ve got into surfing recently. I broke my arm skateboarding in an empty swimming pool last year.”

Do you feel the need for speed?

“Drugs or tempo? Or miles an hour? I do like speed of the travelling-towards­-the-moment type. I’m really pining for a motorcycle at the moment.”

Have you just opened a club in Hawaii?

“That’s correct. Hawaii hasn’t had that style of club before and it’s a nice place to visit and surf. I’ll read the back of the flyer for you, (rummages)... the club’s called Hawaii’s Quiet Storm and it’s every Sunday, and the venue we named the Contemporary Dance Institute of Honolulu; it’s kind of a loft in Chinatown. It says ‘In keeping with the tradition of  New York’s Loft, London’s Moist and Sapporo’s Precious Hall, Honolulu’s Quiet Storm will provide beautiful music for dancers, artists and connoisseurs.  No unaccompanied men’.”

Did you ever get sent on adventure holidays as a kid?

“I was an air cadet for some time and a cub as well. The air cadets was attractive because of the idea of guns and planes rather than canoeing or pony trekking. I’m not very sporty.”

Are drummers always the jokers?

“Yeah, (pauses) I was just trying to think of stereotypical images of bass players, guitarists and singers and I guess drummers fulfil the nutter role every time. That’s me? When I’m on the drums. I’m a great Ginger Baker fan, he’s quite ‘Animal’-like.”

As a surfer dude, what’s your favourite Beach Boys record?

“Wow! I’m a Beach Boys fanatic. There’s an album by Dennis Wilson called ‘Wilson’. It’s really good if you’re into deep Beach Boys. The later Beach Boys albums haven’t got many drums on them because Dennis had pretty much chipped by then, but on the ‘Wilson’ album the drums are turned up really loud so all the beats that are missing off ‘Holland’ are there on ‘Dennis’.”

People think you look like Jesus. What do you think Jesus looks like?

“Saddam Hussein.”

Led Zep or Chic?

“Chic Zeppelin, mate.”

What’s the first and last record you bought?

“First I can remember buying was ‘I Can Do It’ by The Rubettes. The last was ‘The End’ by The Doors.”

I heard you once recorded your toilet.

“Not mine but somebody else’s. We couldn’t find a cowbell, so the toilet rim sufficed. It became known as the ‘Ten Minute On the Toilet’ mix.”

What records have you sold recently?

“I never sell records. Even ones I get sent? I haven’t got room in my brain to remember the ones I don’t like.”

The last time I interviewed you, you said you had a pair of £3,000 shoes. How much are the shoes you have on now?

“I’ve got a pair on made in the US – because they’re not made there anymore – navy blue ‘Off The Wall’ Vans which were the uniform of the Zephyr skate team, who later became Dog Town who were based in Santa Monica in the mid-70s. They make Vans in China now and they don’t smell the same. I got them in Camden the other day for £29.”

If you were a porn star what would you call yourself?

“Sandy Wilson.  That’s the name of my first pet and my mother’s maiden name.”

Have you ever considered a mullet?

“I’ve sported a few in my time in the 90s when it was highly fashionable.”

Who would play you in ‘Harvey – The Movie’?

“Who’s the guy in ‘Wild At Heart’? Nic Cage.”

Have you ever considered acting?

“Yeah, I’d like to. If anyone offered me the chance. I’d like to do a road movie like ‘Two Lane Black Top’ which stars... Dennis Wilson!  Superb.”

Would you consider yourself a good role model?

“No, I haven’t sorted myself out yet.”

What’s the shortest set you’ve ever played?

“I managed to play two-and-a-half records in LA last summer before someone pulled a gun on the party. What was on the deck? I was lying on the floor! A couple of months later the guy who pulled the shooter out apologised and took me for a smoke. He’s an 18th Street Crip.” 

Tell us something about Larry Levan we probably don’t know?

“His real name’s Lawrence Philpott.”

The greatest thing you learnt from him?

“How to use the volume knob. You turn it up and down at the right moments.”

When did you last go on a tractor pull?

 “That’s one of my favourite sports and, to be blatantly honest, I haven’t even been to one. I watch them on TV. I don’t think they’re held in England. The Dutch are into that. I should hook up some gigs in Holland and play at tractor pulls. I’d play country and western of course. I really like early Glen Campbell – big strings.”

Have you ever pushed over a cow?

 “(Brief explanation of cow pushing) Really?  Wild. That’s got to be a real drunken sport. A dangerous sport.”

Have you ever ridden a horse?

“Yes, I have. In Cambridgeshire in the late-70s. The horses tended to be left around in fields and you had to try and jump on one. Horses are clever, they’d rub you up against a tree or gallop along and then suddenly stop.  But that was part of the fun – to watch your friends get hurt.”

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