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 Z Machine. This bunch play on the EMP Stage on the Sunday.
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We are based in Swansea in South Wales.
How long have you been playing together as a band?
Since 2019.
Where does the name of the band come from?
This stems from the Z Pulsed Power Facility, which is a nuclear fusion research facility, informally known as the Z Machine (pronounced Zed Machine).
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
We are an instrumental band existing somewhere between the worlds of progressive rock and jazz fusion. Our goal is to combine the unorthodox compositional nature of prog whilst aiming to provide each member of the band opportunities to improvise, all whilst providing enough memorable moments.
What’s your live show like? Why are people going to watch you instead of another band?
We have a lot of dynamics in our music, from heavy moments all the way to light synth backed passages. People will want to watch us to have a chance to not be sonically punched in the face for 30 minutes and instead enjoy a gentle caress. We’re also the only band at Bloodstock this year, and the first in a long time, to feature a saxophone so if you’re interested in seeing how a sax interacts with distorted guitars, we’re the band for you.
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?
Owen and Gareth (guitars) have been going to Bloodstock since 2010, Owen has also played before. We have had the chance to see some of our favourite bands perform at the festival including Opeth, Priest, Meshuggah and King Diamond and Bloodstock has consistently been a great festival to attend over the years.
When/how did you find out you’d been selected to play at Bloodstock?
We received an email from Simon earlier in the year inviting us to play the EMP stage.
What sort of setlist can we expect?
A setlist where we will cram as many of our tunes into a half hour as we can! Expect some fun improvisational moments for all instruments, some big grooves and plenty of moments to make you scratch your head.
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 will only be at Bloodstock for the Sunday, and it would be a shame to miss out on Mastodon, 3 Inches of Blood, Gojira or The Black Dahlia Murder.
What are you working on at the moment?
We welcomed our new bass player Maddy to the band over the last year and we’ve been getting her comfortable with our tunes, but we are aiming to start work on new recordings soon.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Gareth once witnessed people stage diving from the balcony at the London Astoria many moons ago.
What drink do you throw back to get yourself fired up before going on stage?
Water, it’s probably the most sensible part of our live show.
Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!
Z Machine: facebook | instagram | bandcamp | youtube
