Currently sweating sweet beads of artistic joy beneath the mighty spotlights of Sky Arts Centre Stage series of live performances, From the Basement appears to be any house-ridden music fans much-needed Saturday night relief - but what’s the story behind the show? Who’s behind this and how did they attract such names as Thom Yorke, Beck, Sonic Youth, P J Harvey, and Autolux? ArtsWom investigates…*

As explained on the show’s accompanying website, “From the Basement is an independently produced music series that features intimate live performances from the finest musicians on the planet”. Taking the novel approach of simply presenting great music without interruptions from the likes of Dave Berry, Fearne Cotton, and Alex Zane, and with no “everybody-scream-when-we-say-so” studio audience, the popular first series debuted last December but was available via download-only.

The concept attracted the involvement of TV studios from across the world, which are broadcasting the gigs the way producer Nigel Godrich intended – in glorious high-def picture and (most importantly) sound quality. Sky Arts is the first channel to air the series, followed by Rave HD in the US, and the promise of further international territories in the future.

So, what does this mean for the artists involved and the fans who want to watch them? Well, in the words of Thom Yorke: “From The Basement was exciting because it came from the desire to cut out the crap that lies between the music and the viewer. To get plugged straight into the mains. No producer director egos messing it up.” Well said. Now, quit talking and get playing!

Sky Arts has recently launched the Centre Stage microsite, which is looking pretty in a suitably disturbing kind of way and will be a familiar sight to anyone who have watched the promo video. It’s running very light on content at the moment, but we’ve been promised updates over the coming months and we’ll be sure to keep you posted…