Our regular run-down of as many of the upcoming Bloodstock bands as we can get to talk to us! Tim Whyte and the Deadbeats play the New Blood stage on the Friday. Tim himself takes lead on our questions…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
Bridgwater, in the bowels of deepest, darkest Scumerset. Where the best ciders, cheddar and chutneys are in abundance.
How long have you been playing together as a band?
About 7 years all told, but we’ve had a few lineup changes. Me, Joe (guitar) and David/Germ (bass) were there from the start. Jason replaced our original drummer in 2019 and completely changed the way we sounded. But we still wanted a killer lead guitarist, so Chris/Frosty completed our lineup in 2020. And we had our first proper gig at M2TM Somerset in 2021.
Where does the name of the band come from?
Because I’m Tim Whyte and these are my Deadbeats! Ha ha! The rest of the band insisted that the name have ‘Tim Whyte’ in it because they think I’m a tosspot. We did toy with a few different things – The closest ones were Tim Whyte’s Deadbeat Dads, Tim Whyte and the Deadbeat Mafia, which then became Tim Whyte and the Deadbeats.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
The band just started as a bit of fun between friends. I wanted to see what happens when we get a bunch of local extreme metal and punk musicians together to create a classic rock and roll band. The whole band take part in writing and arranging the songs in our set. Joe and Frosty always come up with really catchy riffs. Even our drummer Jason has written several complete songs. Germ always plays some tasty basslines and I write all of the lyrics. So we all bring something unique to the table. But at the end of the day, it’s just fun, upbeat, dirty rock ‘n roll, with a metallic/punky twist. We’re not really doing anything new or groundbreaking, but the band are tremendously tight and really good fun.
What’s your live show like? Why are people going to watch you instead of another band?
It’s like being kicked in the face whilst simultaneously being hugged to death, whilst I dance around like a prat and spout nonsense. Why should people watch us? Because the rest of the band are absolute beasts on their respective instruments. And also because I’m a great frontman and sometimes I go topless!
Have you been to Bloodstock before? What did you think?
I played Bloodstock with Flayed Disciple in 2010 and 2012 and the shows were absolutely amazing. It was an intense experience and I’m really excited to be bringing my Deadbeats to Bloodstock.
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Which M2tM region did you win, or did you come through other channels?
We won M2TM Somerset this year. But we’ve paid our dues. We competed in the M2TM Somerset competitions in 2021 and 2022 and got to the finals both times, before finally winning this year.
Can you put into 10 words or fewer how it felt when you realised you were heading to Bloodstock?
Initial shock and disbelief, followed by triumph, excitement and exhilaration.
What sort of setlist can we expect?
Some of our songs are really simple and fun. Others are a bit more technical. We plan to play a fun, energetic set that showcases the full range of the band.
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?
Deicide, but we’re playing on Friday and they’re playing on Saturday. So I’m safe. But our drummer Jason is a huge Clutch fan. So he’s really hoping we don’t end up clashing with them!
What are you working on at the moment?
We’re currently trying to finalise our debut album. We need to shoot a couple of videos and get the artwork ready and plan the promo for it, before we can announce the title of the album and a release date. But in the run up to Bloodstock, we decided to release a single called “Single or Double?” on all of the major digital streaming sites. The single features two songs from the album (“Depression Annihilator” and “Potter Blues”). And we easily have at least another album’s worth of material written, which we’re about to go into pre-production with.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
I’ve fallen off the stage a few times in the past and really hurt myself. And one time, I managed to eat an entire chocolate bar whilst singing, without missing a single note.
What drink do you throw back to get yourself fired up before going on stage?
Usually about 6 pints of Budweiser. But I’ve been cutting down recently.