It’s that time of year again, when in the run-up to Bloodstock we endeavour to interview every band gracing the Sophie Lancaster, 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!
Beggar – Jägermeister Stage, Friday
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We’re based in London and have been for a few years. The band was originally formed in Bristol, where most of us met at uni. The only non-English or Welsh member of the band is our drummer who’s from the Alps.
How long have you been playing together as a band?
It’s been about eight years now since our first show at the Croft, Bristol (now long gone). However, it has only been about two years since Bertrand, our current drummer, ed us – he was coming from the grind/death metal scene and his playing really shook up our sound for the better.
Where does the name of the band come from?
It’s a pretty derisive and quasi-Victorian slur that I’m hoping puts people in mind of the kind of abject misery that our music wants to get across.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
It’s a strange meeting of sludge and extreme metal. There are elements of the former (big riffs, thick tones, groove) and elements of the latter (extreme vocals, extreme percussion patterns) and we try to combine these in an interesting way whilst giving you something you can dance or bang your head to. Meanwhile the aesthetic as a whole tries to speak to something of the particular dejection of the human condition in the 21st century.
What’s your live show like? Why are people going to watch you instead of another band?
Our live show comes with a lot of energy; we’re active onstage and we give it a lot of ourselves. A few songs in and we will be pouring with sweat. People tend to stick around once we’ve started playing because we’re a bit less static onstage than most – and largely speaking we hold it together performance-wise while we get down.
Have you been to Bloodstock before? What did you think?
None of the band has been to Bloodstock before so we’re dead excited. A lot of our favourites as well as a number of our mates have trodden the boards over the years. It’s a British metal institution so we’re extremely honoured to be asked to play.
When/how did you find out you’d been selected to play at Bloodstock?
Earlier this year we played a show at the Arches in Coventry with Barbarian Hermit (who are great blokes and a great band – don’t miss them opening Bloodstock on Thursday). With them that night was Simon Hall, who books bands for Bloodstock. I understand his reaction to our set isn’t fit for print, flattering though it may have been – either way we’re very, very thankful to him for giving us his time.
What sort of setlist can we expect?
We’re going to get straight to it with some pretty mean ones but as usual we’re going to offer people a lot of groove to get into. Should be a good soundtrack to swilling some beers in the sun.
Which other band do you most hope you’re not clashing with so you can see them play?
Personally I’m hoping we’re not going to clash with Soulfly because I feel a lot of nostalgia thinking back to albums like Primitive; it would be a blast to catch them. I think we’re all hoping not to clash with Raging Speedhorn, because they are totally sick and we’re long-time fans.
What are you working on at the moment?
Our debut album is in the works and we’re super excited about it. We’ve been doing it with Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse in east London – he knows us and knows our sound as we’ve been coming to him consistently over the past few years, and it’s been a great creative process working with him again on this one.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Probably the funniest thing (and certainly the most awkward thing) our guitarist Abe and I have seen together was at a tiny Fat White Family show in Bristol a number of years ago at (what was then) Start the Bus. Half way through their set, a female fan jumped on stage and whipped her boobs out. All was fine until her mum stormed up to the stage, very cross indeed, to ask her what she thought she was doing and lead her out of the building. I think everyone there was embarrassed on her behalf.
What drink do you throw back to get yourself fired up before going on stage?
Pale ale and bourbon is the ideal, but we’re happy with a few warm cans and a pat on the back. Having said that, our drummer’s body is a temple, so he gets off on sparkling water and the occasional G&T.
Beggar: facebook | instagram | youtube | bandcamp
