Bido Lito!

Day 18 - VASCO DA GAMA pick their favourite Christmas songs...

Featured in Issue 15 - September 2011 - Vasco Da Gama are one of the city's underground success stories of the past 12 months, going from much-talked-about upstarts to much-talked-about torch-bearers of an eclectic music scene within the space of a few off-kilter notes. 2011 has really seen the band find their voice, and they have gone from strength to strength, despite losing one of their band members to a Master's degree in Maastricht. From our point of view, it was very satisfying to see the band who headlined the Bido Lito! Christmas Party in 2010 making these advances this year, playing a string of excellent shows across the city, and culminating in releasing their debut EP in October. They even managed to fit in time to record this video for Bido TV.

We are expecting big things of these chaps in 2012, and before they take their brand of Dischord-influenced post-rock out further afield and allowing their talents to blossom, we caught up with them to assess how things have gone. The usual silly Christmas questions can be found herein, enjoy...

Bido Lito!: Hello Vasco Da Gama, and season's greetings! You've had a productive little 2011 haven't you, how has this year been for you?

Vasco Da Gama: Season's greetings to you too Bido! It's been pretty eventful yeah, we put out our first EP with Payper Tiger Records, also we lost our original bassist John Still to his pursuit of a journalistic career for which we lay the blame squarely at Bido Lito!'s door, thanks very much. But every cloud has a Joe Falconer (that's our new bassist, he's ace). Gig-wise our favourites this year were Fiesta Obscenic back in May and the launch of our EP at Static in October.

BL!: Sorry! Are we to expect more of the same from Vasco for next year? Have you got any goals to achieve in 2012?

VDG: First and foremost we want to write loads more new material. We'd also love to do more gigging outside of Liverpool, a tour or two would be lovely (any booking agents reading this, feel free to drop us a line!) First up in 2012 is a show supporting Errors at the Kazimier on 11th February which should be sweet.

Best Disguises by Vasco da Gama

BL!: Right, it's pretty much Christmas now, I hope you've all got your trees decorated and your cards sent out? What do you most look forward to over Christmas?

 John: Endless cheese and developing a taste for spirits I didn't know existed until I found them at the back of the drinks cabinet.
Dave: The feeling of being pregnant with chocolate and feeling slightly tipsy at midday.
Lynny: Indulging in lots of tasty food and having a drunken family sing song.
 

BL!: Any thoughts of ever releasing a Christmas single, to do battle with the inane dross that X-Factor usually spits out at this time of year? If you do can we be in the video?
VDG: Nah, we'll leave the Christmas songs to Low and Sufjan Stevens. Our music isn't cuddly enough, it’s maybe too spiky for Christmas.

BL!: Did you know that Vasco da Gama died on Christmas Day in 1524?... 

VDG: No we didn't know that, but since John went round telling everyone Vasco Da Gama discovered Brazil for the first six months of our existence, we probably shouldn't be thought of as any kind of authority on the subject.

NB: This was a trick question anyway – Vasco Da Gama died on Christmas Eve 1524. We were just testing them.

BL!: Right, now for the important questions: turkey or goose? Christmas pudding or trifle? East 17 or Spice Girls? The Great Escape or Escape To Victory? A festive knitted jumper or festive knitted socks?
 

VDG: Goose followed by trifle; Spice Girls are more than welcome as long as Mel C doesn't send the cranberry sauce flying with her high kicking malarkey; The Great Escape ‘cause Steve McQueen's more of a heart-throb than Bobby Moore; festive knitted socks and nothing else.

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Vasco Da Gama's Best Christmas Songs EVER

Low / Just Like Christmas

Sufjan Stevens / Christmas In The Room

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Merry Christmas!