It’s that time of year again, when in the run-up to Bloodstock we endeavour to interview every band gracing the SOPHIE, New Blood and Jägermeister stages from 8th – 11th August 2019. This means you’ve got a chance to read up on all your favourite bands set to play over the weekend and decide which new ones you’ll want to check out.
As ever, we’re predicting some horrible clashes because, true to form, there are some great bands across all three stages so you should start planning who you want to see.
Our thanks to all the bands for taking the time out to answer our questions!
Grand Elder – New Blood Stage, Friday
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We’re all from various parts of Lancashire, but we practice in Accrington.
How long have you been playing together as a band?
Grand Elder has been together as a band for 3 years, but the current lineup has been together for about 6 months.
Where does the name of the band come from?
Chris (vocals) – When I first came across a plant called Ground Elder I thought it was cool that it’s pretty unstoppable and ‘grows well in shady places’ but I misheard it as Grand Elder and just thought twas a cool name really…
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
We run the gamut from Death Metal to Stoner and back. There is a wide range of influences in the band, and our songs are an honest representation of everything we like! There’s extreme metal influences, stoner influences and some cheeky disco bass lines…
What’s your live show like? Why are people going to watch you instead of another band?
We’ve only played three gigs with this line-up, all of which were in the M2TM competition. Bloodstock will be our biggest gig yet, so we’re going all out! We are a high energy band, and there’s something within our set for (hopefully) everyone. Come check us out and you may just find your new favourite band!
Have you been to Bloodstock before? What did you think?
Ted (bass) and Callum (guitar) are Bloodstock virgins. Jim (guitar) went in 2014 and Chris (vocals) went in 2007. Chris (drums) has been going every year for the past 10 years.
The atmosphere at Bloodstock is phenomenal. It’s one of the highlights of the year!
Which M2tM region did you win, or did you come through other channels?
We won the Burnley M2TM.
Can you put into 10 words or fewer how it felt when you realised you were heading to Bloodstock?
Pretty much like this… We’ve only played three gigs, now we’re playing Bloodstock. Amazing!
What sort of setlist can we expect?
Riffs, melodies, breakdowns. Again, an ‘honest’ representation of us as a band. Whether we’re playing to a small crowd or a packed tent, we’ll be putting everything in to our set.
Which other bands do you most hope you’re not squished up next to so you can see them play?
Was really hoping to be able to see Xentrix on the main stage cos I know Shirezy really well. I’ve seen him play numerous pub gigs and work his way up through the scene, so to see him now play the Main stage would be amazing! It looks like we are playing at a similar time to them, so that may not happen. Oh well, I can always watch the videos after the festival… (Chris drums)
- Callum – (guitar) Children of Bodom
- Chris (vocals) and Ted (bass) – Really looking forward to seeing Rotting Christ
- Jim (guitar) – I want to see Dimmu
Also gonna check out Boss Keloid, Blasphemer, Swallow the Sun, Crescent. And as many of the New Blood bands as we can over the weekend!
What are you working on at the moment?
Trying to put the final touches on the songs for our forthcoming album. The majority of the material is written, but we need to put the finishing touches on a few tracks. Hoping to get into the studio as soon as possible!
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
We recently played in an abandoned church for a freakshow-themed birthday. We played just before a burlesque performer who had a giant fish head. She was a mermaid, but the other way round…
What drink do you throw back to get yourself fired up before going on stage?
- Callum – Pint of Heineken please.
- Jim – Beer and Whiskey.
- Ted – Jack Daniels.
- Chris (drums) – Rum and coke. But I’ll also be working my way through the VIP ales and ciders.
- Chris (vocals) – Cheap brandy that makes its way on stage!
