Continuing our run of letting you know a little more about as many of the bands on at Bloodstock 2025 as we possibly can before you get a chance to see them, we have Monochrome. This bunch play on the New Blood Stage on the Sunday.
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We are from all over the Southwest, from Plymouth to Monmouth. We were lucky enough to meet each other across different year groups at Bath Spa University.
How long have you been playing together as a band?
Just under 3 years! We have been through a lot and sound completely different now to the first song we wrote together.
Where does the name of the band come from?
We wanted to choose a singular word for memorability. Monochrome conveys bleakness and sorrow with a nod to analogue media, which are themes we carry within our sound, lyrics, and imagery.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
On most lineups we find that we are simultaneously the heaviest and lightest band of the night. We love to combine the brutality and aggression of metal with the dreamy and luscious soundscapes of shoegaze, creating a sound that’s as emotional as it is heavy.
What’s your live show like? Why are people going to watch you instead of another band?
Our unique sound provides our audience with an outlet to channel their emotions, with plenty of opportunities for pits, singalongs, and honest sadness. We believe that there’s something for everyone in our music, as we take inspiration from so many metal subgenres, including metalcore, djent, hardcore, prog, and nu-metal. We draw from the excellence of the past, whilst looking to the future, pushing our influences to their limit. We will always bring the energy of a packed out and deafening basement show to a stage of any size.
If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!
Have you been to Bloodstock before? What did you think?
We will all be attending for the first time this year. It’s a huge privilege to experience it for the first time as artists! A few of us were at Download this year, and were getting heavy FOMO when we watched some heavier bands like Sylosis, Meshuggah, and Power Trip. We are equally as excited to get to know the festival as we are to play it!
Which M2tM region did you win, or did you come through other channels?
We are the winners of M2TM Bristol this year, hosted at Exchange which is the best venue in the city. Everyone helping to run the shows and all the competitors have been so supportive and really made the experience as amazing as could be. All of the finalists (Vulture God, Calvaria, Cruelty Circuit, Mandragora, and Smile More) would be worthy winners and will all be on future Bloodstock lineups without a doubt. We are honoured to join a ridiculous group of previous winners also!
Can you put into 10 words or fewer how it felt when you realised you were heading to Bloodstock?
Oh my god. Has there been a mistake!?
What sort of setlist can we expect?
We’ll be playing some classics from our debut E.P. “Haunted Faith and Hidden Trust” so get the listens in so you can singalong! We’ll be playing some newer, heavier material that may be coming out later this year.
Stage times haven’t been announced yet, so which other band do you most hope you’re not clashing with so you can see them play?
We are playing on the Sunday! We are mostly hoping to see Apathy UK open the Sophie Lancaster Stage, but of course also need to catch Gojira, Mastodon, The Black Dahlia Muder, Obituary, and Thrown.
What are you working on at the moment?
We are lucky to be booked up with loads of exciting shows all cross the country, so we are spending lots of time in the rehearsal room making sure we are as good as we can be. Later in the year, we would love to get some new heavier, lower-tuned music out.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
We saw someone’s guitar break mid-set once, so they ripped their t-shirt off, walked into the audience, and held the guitar by the headstock and just started spinning around. Then they got back onstage and held a cymbal above their head and screamed out to the crowd, who were all a bit scared and confused. This was in a student union at 3 PM, mind.
What drink do you throw back to get yourself fired up before going on stage?
We rarely have any alcohol pre-show! We usually like to track down a Monster Energy from a corner shop to keep us caffeinated and lively.
Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!
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