The Monochrome Set - Documentary Short

[@beefheart1410]

I'm not sure it's still "The Set" without Lester Square! One band who can truly lay claim to the unenviable claim of being criminally underrated! Certainly one of the greatest of the Post Punk bands. 78 to 83 they were massively important to me. As someone who was in their mid teens in the early 80s, Post Punk, for me, was - in no particular order - the following: The Monochrome Set (obviously) (1978 - 1983) Echo And The Bunnymen (1978 - 1983) Teardrop Explodes Orange Juice The Cure (1978 - 1983) Public Image Limited (1978 - 1982) Killing Joke (1978 - 1983) The Stranglers Magazine Talking Heads Psychedelic Furs (1978 - 1982) Bauhaus Aztec Camera (First Album Era) The Pop Group The Slits Scritti Politi (Early) Felt Gang Of Four Pre-Fab Sprout U2 (First Two Albums Era) Virgin Prunes (1978 - 1981) Pere Ubu Siouxsie And The Banshees (1978 - 1982) The Birthday Party Television The Fall Adam And The Ants (First Album Era) Devo Joy Division Japan Cabaret Voltaire Durruti Column Plus artists that had been around for a while such as Bowie, Eno, The Velvet Underground, Tom Waits, Can, Kraftwerk, Neu or, were contemporary to Post Punk and sort of 'fit' like Kate Bush. Plus, there were still artists from the original Punk era making, often, the best albums of their careers in the late 70s early 80s: The Jam, The Clash, The Damned, The Buzzcocks, The Ruts, Stiff Little Fingers, Ian Dury and Elvis Costello all stand out. Then there was great, intelligent pop music being made by the likes of Pretenders, Squeeze, Blondie, Stray Cats, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Haircut 100 and The Police plus, in addition, there were the Two Tone bands: Specials and Madness. Combine all of the above with the great Reggae records that were being made at that time, throw on top the numerous good "one hit wonder" single releases from a myriad bands of varying styles and you can safely say that, musically, 1978 to 1983 (roughly) was an amazing period.

[@iris5403]

I am a teen now and I discovered The Monochrome Set from one of those Daily Mix playlists that get made based on music you like by Spotify. I am so glad I did, they are probably one of my favourite bands of all time. I also like a lot of those artists, though some of them I haven't heard of so if you do not mind I will just... take this as a recommendation list... Ones I havent heard enough of that you listed (mostly so I can come back and see them and I can check out later): The Stranglers Aztec Camera The Pop Group The Birthday Party Adam and the Ants Durruti Column The rest I also discovered basically the exact same way, they popped up on a daily mix and I was like damn I love this, so I checked out their other stuff. Except for like the giant names which I discovered just by them existing (Joy division, Devo, Talking Heads, etc.)

[@iris5403]

also 80s period of King Crimson (Discipline, Beat, Three of a Perfect Pair)

[@diggerthegroundhog8799]

Well done. I think your my lost music soul mate. I adore the set. Met them all after theb2012 show un Philly, nearly 30 years to the day from their 82 tour. They sig ed my tour poster with a silver marker. Exquisite. Bid was genuine and in a talkative mood. He told us all about the strong as he smoked like a chimney. So odd. He is such a cool dude.

[@grimblegrumble]

That is a great list, but surely you simply forgot to mention XTC?

[@maurizioantoniovetrugno7150]

And Wire don’t forget Wire

[@beefheart1410]

I met "The Set" a few years ago after one of their gigs in Liverpool. How they came out of the lift at the beginning of this film here is how they were when I met them: Andy Warren sociable and smiley and Bid looking at you as if you were the most irritating thing in the world! Still, between 78 and 83 one of the greatest bands ever and criminally, criminally overlooked. They became weaker with the "Lost Weekend" era material in my opinion but, ironically, this was the material The Divine Comedy purloined for their sound and became reasonably successful in the process! "Dante's Casino" and "Jack" were something of a return to form but since then, the newer material hasn't worked so well to my ear. 79 to 82 they were peerless though. Plus, they're still great live!

[@ggkitchener1122]

One never sees Bid and Dev from Corrie simultaneously. Just saying !

[@diggerthegroundhog8799]

Great video. Superb recording quality of the 2012 tour. I was there at Phully Moca. Whomever did this went above and beyond. Thank you.

[@calvinkwaak6866]

i’m 15, been playing music my whole life. my dad has talked about them for ages and just this year i really dove into their music. i can say this without a doubt, one of the greatest bands to exist.

[@woody5831]

Been playing music your whole life & your only a kid of 15 😂

[@calvinkwaak6866]

good job reading!

[@hughjarrse]

In 1979 I stumbled (drunk) into a ballroom in Cleethorpes, Prag vec, The Monochrome Set and Manicured Noise where on the bill, I can't remember a thing about it apart from The Monochrome Set had a TV and a video player on stage playing clips of old movies, One clip kept saying (in sub titles) "Talk! ....... she won't talk" funny what sticks in your head

[@jackevans3480]

I remember it. It was at the Winter Gardens, as far as I recall.

[@suzanneshelton4798]

I was supposed to be seeing them in Chicago tonight ( thanks coronavirus!). Last time I saw them was in New York in the early 80's. I love this band so much.

[@beandipcartography]

@@GeraldZecker more footage ? Yes, please and THANK YOU !!!

[@billthon1099]

I have always loved this and and LOVE ZOMBIES, Every song a winner great from Monochrome Set and listening now they sound even better.

[@andyvepers9154]

The finest band in the world. And I'd love to see Lester back in there. But he did say that he'd retired. Bummer.

[@ezears]

Loved how he talked about learning the guitar parts again from covers done by "14-yr olds" on here!

[@Andy-pu2iv]

Yeah, I know. I'm going! Squeal!

[@thisklik]

Great band!!!

[@thewoodentops.]

could be wrong, but i don't think so, the kid who the guitarist is re learning his old tricky riffs off, the kid bought that black small Ricky of me!! I too have seen his films.Japan.

[@woody5831]

Only saw these live once London Aug 1979 supporting Adam and the Ants on the Zerox tour.

[@ericcrawford9827]

Saw them in 85, or something. The Jacob's Ladder period. So loaded, can't remember anything but being kicked out. Bid on the Iggy Pop cover of He's Frank-''it's all money''.

[@theonlyantony]

Yes, the Blondie analogy stands up well. The version of 'Goodbye Joe' sounds as if Debbie Harry were singing it..

[@jamiewesson898]

its great he says we dont do songs live with two jingly guitars then they do a song live with two jingly guitars a band for all music fans

[@ezears]

Highlight from 15:25 on style and influence. New wave not post-punk. American-influenced, garage-y, early Blondie. Love this band.

[@feliperaurichbottiger6637]

thanks for this !!

[@theonlyantony]

'Fun For Al The Family', is hilarious!

[@RookwingsKirk]

Does anyone know what that intro music is from, please - it's really haunting me...

[@patrickcollins8926]

In a class of their own

[@beefheart1410]

It's ironic that, lyrically - and in many ways musically, - The Monochrome Set are almost stereotypically "English" and yet Bid states the band's key influences are American artists. I get his point about the first two Blondie albums (and the garage band thing was always an obvious ingredient) but the prime, if only, American influence I could ever detect in their approach and sound were The Velvet Underground (particularly from the 3rd Velvets album on and the arrangements the Velvet's used on "Live, 1969"). I suppose another irony in my seeing The Monochrome Set as very "English" is that, of the three (semi) original members of the band on stage at the time this film was made, only one of them is wholly English (the other two being (partly?) Indian and Canadian)!

[@Spectrescup]

I have no arguments with any of your essential points, but up to a certain point all 'rock' influences were American. Even if, say, the Animals or Pink Floyd or the Dave Clark 5 were English, their music was still essentially American in form and inspiration. When the Beatles or the Kinks made a self-conscious attempt to sound English, they only had the likes of music hall to draw from. This may be personal taste showing, but a little of that goes a long way in a rock context.

[@frillwhistlebell]

Thank you for posting, is this something you put together/worked on? Sorry, not seeing credits.

[@frillwhistlebell]

@@GeraldZecker fantastic work. Thank you for documenting and sharing.

[@arcrs40]

grande banda... tocam em novembro 2019 em Coimbra... podiam tocar no porto.... fuck

[@theonlyantony]

Sterling band.

[@robertrobello738]

Com to sweden France and greece too.nice small band.or group.

[@robertrobello738]

No I just listen to an record volume contrast and brilliance.And that is good music,normally im not listen to or goes in to fan clubs ,thank you I like you tube some Times .

[@robertrobello738]

I meant at I dont have any relations personally to any thing at you tube or Facebook or The World of Nets in any meaning normally. I just use them sometimes some a compliment to my knowledge.like an Word book or something like that.robert.

[@arcrs40]

como se chama este baterista ? who is DRUM ?

[@reddog5031]

Hilarious, he had to relearn the guitar fingerings from KZbin !!

[@leperlord7078]

Who is on that T shirt Steve is wearing at 14 min 21 seconds?

[@leperlord7078]

@@GeraldZecker Yes. Cheers for that Good eye

[@ollieoneill5961]

Strangler s