Our regular run-down of as many of the upcoming Bloodstock bands as we can get to talk to us! Dakesis play the SOPHIE stage on the Saturday…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We are very proud to say that we’re from the home of metal itself – Birmingham.
How long have you been playing together as a band?
Dakesis formed way back in 2008 with the current line-up finalising around 2012.
Where does the name of the band come from?
The name existed before we all joined the band from a former member and although we were told it has a connection to ‘illusion’ in Greek, we’ve since found out that it doesn’t really mean anything at all. To us, it means a collection of like minded individuals, sharing the trials and tribulations of life together.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
In nutshell, we are orchestral and symphonic progressive metal, with some power metal influences and a fair few tongue in cheek Disney chorus’. Our influences are so vast between us, that there’s really a bit of everything, but we are definitely heavily influenced by epic soundscapes and soundtracks.
What’s your live show like? Why are people going to watch you instead of another band?
Emotional, epic, fun and theatrical with curveball prog adventures – what’s not to enjoy!
If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!
Have you played Bloodstock before? If so, when?
Our first Bloodstock booking was in 2012 when we were asked to take a slot on the Jager stage, which back then was the acoustic stage. We had just 2 weeks to prepare a whole acoustic set for our performance, but it was a lot of fun. We were also invited back to headline the Hobgoblin stage as guests back in 2017. We pride ourselves on being a fully independent band, so it was an honour to close the stage for all of the New Blood talent.
How/when did you find out that you’d be playing the SOPHIE stage?
We were asked if we were available for a booking on the Sophie stage and that was that really. It’s one of our favourite UK festivals as fans and we’ve always had a great time whenever we have performed before, so we’re really excited to have been asked back.
What sort of setlist can we expect?
This will be the first time that our latest album, Fractures, will be performed at a UK festival since its Covid release in 2020. We’ll be playing a good selection of those songs with a few oldies thrown in for good measure to take fans on a journey through space and time signatures.
Which other band do you most hope you’re not clashing with so you can see them play?
Thankfully , for the first time ever, we aren’t clashing with any bands we’re hoping to see. But over the course of the weekend, our top picks will be our good friends Fury who have been added to the lineup, our current obsession Zeal & Ardor, and we’ll be supporting our Brummie Metal 2 The Masses winners Nameless too.
What are you working on at the moment?
We are currently working on our fourth studio album. We’re also hoping to release a little something before then, hopefully by the end of the year. The latest album has almost been completed in terms of the writing stage, so we’ll be looking to take that into the studio by the end of the year.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
All our wildest stories definitely come from our tours with Thunderstone around 2016 – from afterparties that we’re still recovering from to having them pick our favourite song for their tour setlist and inviting us up onstage every night to perform it with them. There was a rule in place that we all had to do a shot of vodka straight from the bottle on the way to the stage – not ideal when you’re trying to play some pretty complex music! Rumour has it that Gemma (Lawler, vocals) had to be carried back to the Air BnB in Helsinki after opening night – we definitely don’t party like that anymore!
What drink do you throw back to get yourself fired up before going on stage?
We don’t generally drink before going on stage and have a one drink limit – it’s really hard playing prog when you’re under the influence! But on occasion the drink of choice is a Jack and Coke. Just the one though.
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