Beldon Haigh, fronted by Justin Skelton, write songs about world events with a satirical edge. The band, who created Dystopia The Rock Opera the band is a collective of musicians based in Scotland. This is their story.
How did your musical project first start? Is there a story to tell about it?
Beldon Haigh started, as a project back in 2017. The first song released was Freedom and the song video was the first on our YouTube channel. Since then the channel has grown with 44 music videos mixing live recordings and studio and recently we celebrated going past 10 million streams of BH songs on YT. For the first year we just recorded music and made music videos, then we started playing live in 2018. I (Justin Skelton) am the songwriter behind Beldon Haigh, from the outset I wanted the songs to have some substance to them, either in the form of storytelling, conveying a feeling, providing advice, poking fun or making a statement.
What was your first gig?
With Beldon Haigh, it was at the Liquid Rooms at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe. I remember being quite nervous before that one, it was the first time I had played live in a very long time. The band were playing live in the masks, it felt like we had bitten off a lot for a first gig. There was a lot to get used to, but in the end, the gig went really well. We had a capacity crowd, and we also videoed a couple of songs as well which you can still see on YouTube – it conveys the essence of what was a very fun night.
How have your music/live performances been received by fans?
Very well. They are hugely self-affirming. We have a lot of big, epic, sing-along songs, and it’s really lovely to hear people singing along with them. This year (2024) we created a Rock Opera called Dystopia – it is a 1hour 45-minute show mostly played wearing masks and it tells the story of a fictional state called Dystopia – and what the the Dystopians have to deal with. Dystopia could be anywhere, it is a tale of broken towns and society, governed by a tyrannical political party called The Finger of Blame” the story takes fans through Dystopia’s journey from a place of brokenness, blame and shame – into a new political ideology which arrives when the Moon On A Stick Party wins the election. This kicks off a journey to happiness during which the Dystopians learn about forgiveness, acceptance, friendship and the circle of Happiness. There are a lot of parallels to modern life in Dystopia and some lessons that current political parties could learn. It is a big, hard-hitting, provocative show, full of massive songs, satire and storytelling – at its core, it is a story of hope.
What three words best describe your musical style and why?
Inspiring, Melodic, Rock
Inspiring – because the lyrics and the songs deliver messages and provoke thought
Melodic – because the songs have great tunes, riffs and general musicality, they are sonically pleasurable to the ear
Rock – because we love rock guitars, high tempo, riffs, and hooks
Who are your biggest musical influences?
David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello
Tell us about your new release.
White House Meltdown is a parody of Donald Trump spending Christmas day at the White House with two of his close friends, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. It features the immortal chorus “We’re gonna have a White House Meltdown Christmas Day, your gonna find a Kremlin Gremlin hiding in your sleigh”
What inspires your lyrics?
Life, my own and others and world events.
How do you hope listeners will feel after hearing your music?
Intrigued, entertained, happy.
Do you have any upcoming tour dates?
These will be released early in January
What are you/your band working on next?
A tour of Dystopia: The Rock Opera
