Bashy Glastonbury Return: 15 Years On

Bashalso known as Ashley Thomas, made a glorious return to Glastonburyperforming at the festival for the first time in 15 years. Taking to the Lonely Hearts Stage in Silver Hayes, he delivered a historical set, performing tracks from his second studio album, Being Poor Is Expensiveand reflecting on the remarkable, award-winning year he’s had with its rollout.

Thomas journeyed through sound and time, layering his show with hip-hop, reggae and garage classics that shaped him, also taking a moment to honor pirate radio stations that laid the framework for Grime’s evolution. He rallied the audience into lyrical formation with his 2007 classic, “Black Boys,” paying tribute to Black British icons and steeping his audience in culture, heritage and truth. We headed backstage to catch up with Bashy and reflect on this special moment, 17 years since he first shook the scene.

EBONY: Bashy, your performance was incredible! Who do you have with you today at Glastonbury?

Bashy: Thank you, man. Appreciate that. I have my team with me, my tour manager, my DJ. We’ve been rolling together since 2008. We played Glastonbury 15 years ago, and now we’re here again together, playing at a bigger stage and crowd.

Do you have any fond memories from those past performances, and how does it feel stepping back on the Glastonbury stage?

It feels like growth. I manifested it, I prayed for it, I worked for it. It was something I wanted for the album, Being Poor Is Expensiveto showcase it to people who haven’t heard it before. 2008 was the year Jay-Z performed, so for me, that was an incredible shift in this festival accepting different music. Jay-Z, being the biggest rapper in the world, spearheaded this and made an impact. There were other people who have fought before me, and now I can come and do a set at 7 p.m. — these are prime time slots. I’m thankful to the previous generation, but also glad that I can contribute and be here. Hopefully, people left my set feeling that they saw something meaningful, and they’ll go listen to the album, and someone else can take the baton as well.

Being Poor Is Expensive is such a monumental album. How does its messaging reflect where you are now, both personally and creatively? Why did July 2024 feel like the perfect time to release this project?

I had been acting for a long time between the UK and America, and was filming a TV series called Them. We were shut down during the pandemic, so like the rest of the world, I was stuck inside and started to reflect on my life. Thinking about my family, my community, my ends, my life. I started writing poetry, writing down my thoughts, and then it eventually turned into music.

I felt like I had something to say about myself and my community, and I wanted to get it off my chest. When it came to turning it into music, I was scared, I was insecure, thinking ‘it’s been 15 years, I’m toast – do I even have the lyrical dexterity to be able to say what I want to say?’ – but I did. I had to overcome that fear and push through to tell my story.

What was it like growing up in Britain in the 1980s and 1990s, specifically North West London, and is there a mantra that your parents and grandparents shared with you back then that has still stuck with you?

Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s is mad when you think about it. We were at the intersectionality of technology, really accelerating. I think I’ve been fortunate and see it as a blessing that I could experience both times. I grew up in the London Borough of Brent, a beautiful, culturally rich environment, but at the same time, volatile and violent, where people are going through trials and tribulations, and you can’t avoid it. Even if you’re trying to focus and go down a conventional path, you can get caught up in everything. I had a loving family around me, so I think that’s what kept me safe and responsible and is why I carried myself in a certain way.

You went to BRIT School. What drove you to the arts and performance so early on?

My mom got me into the creative arts. She was shy when she was younger and wanted her kids to be more confident, putting us into acting and dancing classes so we could express ourselves and connect with other people. That was her thought process behind it, and I got hooked on creating in that way, expressing myself and telling my story.

Thinking of your second track on the album “Sweet Boys Turned Sour” and the track “How Black Men Lose Their Smile,” were you quite a dreamer from the start, and how did you protect that dream?

It’s hard to protect the dream sometimes, but I’ve got a lot of tenacity. When I want something, I’m gonna go for it, even if it seems unrealistic or unachievable, I will still go for it. I think you need to have that level of delusion. Two things can be true at the same time, I’m delusional but also a realist – how can I make that delusion real?