Ahead of Level 42’s performance at BluesFest, the band’s lead singer and bassist Mark King discusses tarty bass guitars, being starstruck and his £3million thumb with Amie Mulderrig.

Level 42 are set to go on tour on October 4 are you ready?
We’ve spent the last three weeks in the studio, because we’ve got a lot of new material in the set. There’s a lot of old songs too – but with new arrangements and that always takes time. I want to make this seamless transition between the new songs that we have from the Sirens EP and also play songs from the 1980s.

How does it feel to be opening BluesFest?
I’m really chuffed, it’s a great week to be part of. Plus, I love performing at the Royal Albert Hall it’s a great venue, so iconic.  When you walk out on stage there it’s always a really special moment, so many huge stars, so many better players have trod the boards before us – people like Eric Clapton, whose Cream album was the first album I ever bought. It’s really moving, the hair stands up on the back of your neck.

You’ve performed with an impressive roster of musical talents, including Eric Clapton. What’s he like? 
Last time I played with him was in 2011 at the Royal Albert Hall for Crossroads, which was on that first album I had bought. It was surreal, playing a song 40 years later that you’d revered as a child. So to be stood there with great man himself, it was amazing.  That buzz you get from being on stage is because you don’t really know what’s going to happen next – you have all the doubts, are they going to like my songs, like what I do, you don’t know until the lights go up and you start playing. 

Did you feel starstruck at any point?
When you meet these people you do. People like Midge or Elton, whose this incredible talent, so you can’t help but feel startstruck.

Your bass guitars are always something of a marvel. What will you be playing at BluesFest?
They’re quite tarty aren’t they? I’ve been using my favourite bass which is a Chrome Bass... my guitar’s got a chrome finish. I’ve got a bass called the Swarovski bass, it’s got 1,600 Swarovski crystals on it. When you’re moving about stage it looks spectacular. 
What’s all this about your thumb being insured for £3 million?
When we signed this deal with Polydor Records at the end of the ‘80s, I think the record company thought well his thumb’s a key thing. It’s all very good us giving them this money, but what if he goes out and cuts his thumb off? I’m clumsy! And it makes for a good story too. 

Are you extra careful with this thumb?
(LAUGHS) Really careful.

Does it sleep on a velvet pillow? 
What are you on about? It’s got its own bed! It’s got its own Hyperbaric chamber! It’s a really youthful looking thumb, it looks 30 years younger than me...which is a bit odd. 

What was it like being a massive popstar in the ‘80s?
It was great to be a band in the charts then, it was really eclectic, which is why we can still go out on the road today, because there’s something about ‘80s music. I was lucky to have had my career through the 1980s.

 

Who else is playing BluesFest?

 

Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Gregory Porter, Sheryl Crow, Georgie Fame, Andy Fairweather Low and Nell Bryden are all going to be playing.

Level 42 
Opening proceedings are a band who have relished global success for more than 30 years. Expect performances of old favourites including Lessons in Love and Hot Water, as well as a chance to hear their new EP Sirens. 
Sunday, October 26, 7.30pm.

 

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

 

Gregory Porter
He blew BluesFest’s audience away last year, so be prepared for him to do it again. Wonderful, honeyed vocals from a Grammy Award-winning American jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actor. 
Monday, October 27, 7.30pm

 

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

 

Van Morrison

One of the greatest and most influential blues singers of all time, Van will be performing an evening of blues, soul and rhythm & blues. Along with some of his own hits.
Tuesday, October 28, 7.30pm.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Elvis Costello 
The songwriting icon has followed his musical curiosity in a career spanning more than 30 years and is perhaps best known for his performances with The Attractions, The Imposters and pianist Steve Nieve. Costello will share the bill with the inimitable Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames.
Wednesday, October 29, 7.30pm. 

 

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Beth Hart and Robert Cray
Co-headlining the penultimate night of BluesFest, Californian singer-songwriter Beth Hart rose to fame with her 1999 hit LA Song (Out Of This Town), whereas five-time Grammy Award-winning American blues guitarist and singer Robert Cray can boast an acclaimed career in which he has associated himself with the likes of Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and other musical greats. 
Thursday, October 30, 7.30pm. 

 

Sheryl Crow
Not to be confused with Cheryl Cole, multi-award winning Sheryl Crow headlines the final night of BluesFest, and will perform tracks from her ninth studio album, released last year, Feels Like Home. 
Friday, October 31, 7.30pm. 


BluesFest is at The Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, SW7 2AP, from Sunday, October 26 until Friday, October 31. Details: 020 7589 8212, royalalberthall.com