My alternative base in Basel
by Tom Stubbs23 March 2010
This Swiss Big Bang Theory apartment
When I come to Basel for the watch fair, I stay in a Swiss version of The Big Bang Theory US sitcom. Have you seen The Big Bang? It’s not one to readily admit to. Three nerds live with a sexy-but-dopey all American girl in an apartment, and the clash of their nerd worlds with reality leads to all manner of hilarity. Being installed in my own trippy version of the scenario is endlessly better fun than the doom and gloom of the corporate prison barges moored on the banks of the Rhine. Or hanging about tawdry hotels at inflated tariffs, often in nearby Germany or France.
Instead I stay in a massive rooftop apartment in an industrial area that is home to the crew I’ve named Swiss Big Bangers. Steffi is the bucksome, lovely (and not remotely thick) local girl, and the three extravert nerds are an Indian bloke called Heman, David the German and a Sri Lankan named Theeb. They specialise in I.T., engineering and physics much like the TV program. Unlike the show, they enjoy what you might call an ‘alternative lifestyle’. Trips to Thailand and India and a serious immersion in dance music are a big part of their scene. They are all quite mental, naturally warm hosts and very funny indeed. One ends up quite tangibly ‘weighed in’ not long after entering the building.
The apartment is totally wired for technology, sound and vision. There are huge speakers, screens and plants everywhere. I stay in the spacious living room. Pursuant to an earlier request by me I am given three coat hangers for my suits and my cashmere overcoat. My host Steffi had been on my blog before I got here. Now she was playing video footage of St Ives holiday with my Mum and some Soho banter with jeweller Stretch over the massive system. Trying to explain the term ‘croc of shite’ (with reference to a footwear blog post on crocs) to these nationalities was testing my communications skills no end. ‘An amount of shite’ was what I settled with. They are very inquisitive as to what I ‘do’. I find it hard to elaborate without them all falling about laughing. We drink rum and we smoke. They teach me a ton of stuff in a short while. For example, Dussoldorf bars are smoking again, after so many businesses went bust. Also ten percent of Swiss people speak another totally different language called Romansk. Theeb hacks into my website and immediately makes the video run better. David demonstrates techniques of time lapse video/photo editing that make his travel snaps of India come to life with a musical sound track. This stuff is heavyweight nerd culture crossover material and I dig it.
I spot a nonchalantly discarded microphone and enquired who the singer is. Transpires they love the Wii rock band game. They perform on drums, guitars and vocals. With very little coercion they play for me. Their set is very entertaining as they clearly indulge in this guilty pleasure regularly. They’re most committed to getting it right .The Bangers wouldn’t allow me to record them though as not satisfied that the set is tight enough to broadcast. The whole things is projected digitally onto a massive wall and so the performance takes on all encompassing proportions. Try and imagine an intimate Jefferson Airplane gig in someone’s apartment, with The Ramones vs. University Challenge playing as the warm up act.
Not only are the catering facilities far more specialised than down at the Radisson or the Swiss Hotel, but you definitely can’t get this sort of spectacle as part of your in-room entertainment package. Nor will it show up on you bill, man. Big love to the Swiss Big Bangers and a I cant wait for the next session/fair.
Tags: Basel
