Listen to the podcast interview with Christian Gisborne (Velvet Starlings):
Oh my gosh, are you ready for the trip? I hope you have a lot of commuting because that guy, Christian Gisborne, the founder and leader of the local legends in the making Velvet Starlings likes to talk! And so do I. We just rambled on for about 2 hours... That's the beauty of podcasts. No one can tell us to shut up! Of course, you can always turn your device off and stop whenever you want, and that's the beauty of it as well.
The two of us geeked out a lot about bands like King Gizzard, The Beatles, The Stones, Nirvana, Bowie, The White Stripes, and many more. In this episode, we also talked a lot about the music industry, and I think that's why it's so interesting. Especially if you're a musician. There's a lot of insight into what it's like to be an upcoming band. And it's been a good run for Velvet Starlings! You know, they're not just playing clubs around LA. They just came back from a UK tour; they also shared a stage with The Smashing Pumpkins and Weezer at BeachLife Festival. That's just the beginning, because Christian's only 18. Can you believe that? I mean, I couldn’t wrap my mind around it because he’s a music encyclopedia, really.
I met Christian at Canter's Deli on Fairfax a few years ago, pre-pandemic, you know, when we didn’t live in an alternative reality. For those of you who don't know, Canter’s is a 24 hour Deli near CBS. Perhaps that's why it was called Hollywood's cantina during the golden age. Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe used to date there. Also, Canter's is known for the Kibitz Room, the little bar on the side of the Deli, where Guns and Roses used to play their first shows in the 80's. Another reason Canter’s matters so much to music is that Rodney Bingenheimer eats there almost every night. Rodney started the careers of many LA bands, like the Runaways and Blondie, by playing them on KROQ when the station didn't shy away from rock n' roll back in the 1970s. It seems now they can’t even acknowledge it’s a rock station because you have to say: K-R-O-Q… They don't want to hear the word "rock" anymore... Anyway, that’s another story…
A few years ago, I met Rodney at the Canter's and he started playing my band Yard Of Blondes on his Sunday show on KROQ and then on Sirius XM, where he hosts the same show now on Little's Stevie's Garage. The Velvet Starlings were also on Rodney's roster, so I guess that's why he invited us all to his birthday. That was a memorable night since we got to meet the ultimate legend Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth). Arrow from Starcrawler was there too, I remember, what a fucking great night!
Our paths crossed again earlier this year when S8nt Elektric invited us all to play the Peppermint in West Hollywood. Velvet Starlings already had my heart from the Rodney days, but seeing them live blew me away. There's this incredible energy and passion for UK garage that transcends nostalgia. Even though their music is heavily referenced, they're fresh. Christian was great to talk to and I'm looking forward to discovering not one, but two upcoming records. They're that prolific! I wish I was that productive... I just took a whole year to figure out what Yard Of Blondes' new direction will be. There are about 3 or 4 songs that I like now. Here comes this kid and just throws you dozens of songs. And they're all fucking good, damn it! Maybe it's time for me to retire. No fucking way, jk! Anyhow, I'm getting carried away, because this conversation is already super long, and I feel like I'm teasing you now.
- Vincent Walter Jacob
Christian Gisborne (Velvet Starlings). By Vincent Walter Jacob
Christian Gisborne (Velvet Starlings). By Vincent Walter Jacob
Christian Gisborne (Velvet Starlings). By Vincent Walter Jacob