Loaded Basses

Photos by Cameron

A lot of bands at the moment seem to share a similar formula. Sure, they mix in their own unique ingredients, but the recipe remains pretty much the same. Well Baseball doesn't go down like any of them. They play an intense mish mash of electro Bambatta, Arabian violin and mix it up with causal political lyrics. Born in 1993, the band was a side project for Melbourne musician and historian Cameron Potts (who is also a member of Melbourne indie band Ninetynine). During a stint in Scotland he met Monika Fikerle (who is also a member of the brilliant Love of Diagrams) and after touring Europe, Scandinavia and Japan, the band officially became a full time job. Baseball was rounded out early last year with the addition of bassist Yoshi Nubu Araki. VICE: I have noticed that there are a lot of shit bands out there who are able to afford really cutting edge equipment, websites and glossy posters because the majority of the members work full time. As a musician and an artist, do you think that not working full time, and being on the dole, is a lifestyle choice necessary to allow your creativity and musical expression to manifest and flourish?
Cameron: Let's not forget how important age is here. And I don't think you can directly associate shit with either working or not working. Some people I know work a lot and make great music, others I know don't work at all and write dribble. At age 23 I worked around 12-14 hours a day but I had a lot of inspiration and was in seven bands at the time. I don't think I could do that now though. At 33, it makes no difference how much I work. I'm still going to be inspired by history, culture and colours. Money however, is a different thing! Baseball's music is primarily concerned with Middle Eastern politics, what's up with that?
I've been to the Near East five times. It began with a still ongoing love affair with the open desert. I went to Egypt in 1996 to see the Sahara, and the rest quickly followed. I love the music, the food, the language, the architecture, the people and their history, both ancient and modern. I haven't looked back since. Each year that passes I am more and more passionate about it. Baseball play at Shake Some Action, 161 High St, Prahran on Thurs 22nd April