Saurr won the Manchester M2TM, no mean feat for a city and region bursting with metal bands and a huge scene. Guitarist Chris Farron was kind enough to do the business and give me the low down on the alt-metal rockers and their road to BOA 2019
Paul: Let’s start with a brief history of the band
Chris: SAURR formed in 2016 but our guitarist, drummer and bassist have been playing together for years as they’ve been in bands throughout college and university, sticking together as a unit and just moving from band to band. After meeting Rob and playing together for his solo project for a few years they all decided to start something new, and so SAURR was born.
Paul: Who is the current line up?
Chris: Rob Derbyshire – Vocals, Chris Farron – Guitar, Will Potts – Bass, Tom Farron – Drums
Paul: Describe the band’s sound and influences?
Chris: Our music consists of hard-hitting guitar parts, aggressive bass and drums and powerful vocals all backed by atmospheric synths. We combine influences from bands such as Gojira, Periphery, Machine Head, Slipknot, and many more to create a wall of sound delivered by an energetic and passionate performance.
Paul: Prior to Bloodstock, what are some of the highlights for the band so far?
Chris: To be honest the biggest highlights for us were the semi-final and final of this year’s Metal 2 the Masses competition. The crowds were insane and we’ve never had a reaction that good before, we’ll never forget it. Getting to play a venue like Rebellion in Manchester on a regular basis has been a dream come true!
Paul: Let’s move on to Bloodstock and your road to the festival. Please tell us about your journey?
Chris: We’ve been doing the Metal 2 the Masses competitions for that last 3 years and they’ve always been our highest priority. Each year we’ve pushed ourselves further and further to be the best band we can be and amazingly this year it all paid off! The only downside of winning this competition is that we don’t get to play in the heats anymore! Thanks to this competition we’ve developed so much as a band and can’t wait show Bloodstock what we’re made of!
Paul: Tell us about the build up to your final and how you handled it?
Chris: It was our second time getting to the final and naturally we wanted to be better than last year so we were rather nervous! When we’ve played in these competitions, we’ve always tried to forget that we’re being judged and have a blast on stage. We also made some amazing friends in the other competing bands who made the whole experience so much easier and enjoyable for us.
Paul: What about when you were announced as winners? What were the emotions like?
Chris: We were in complete shock, we all kind of zoned out for a second whilst our friends and family were screaming in our faces. It was absolutely amazing.
Paul: So, moving on to the festival itself, what can we expect from you?
Chris: Anyone who is looking for an energetic, engaging and atmospheric performance, with musicianship to match, should certainly come and check out our set. Our finely crafted blend of progressive and groove metal is unique and unlike anything else that will be heard at Bloodstock. We put everything into our performance and just have a blast on stage. We always make sure the crowd has just as much fun as we do. Can’t wait to see you all in the pit!
Paul: Which bands are you looking forward to seeing there?
Chris: We were most looking forward to seeing Code Orange who are unfortunately now not playing but we are hyped to see Tesseract again! It’s also great to see Parkway Drive being given a big opportunity to headline and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for us!
Paul: Have you been to Bloodstock before?
Chris: Yes! Our bassist and drummer got a day ticket to see Gojira last year and they said it was the best gig they had ever been to. The sound was incredible and the crowd were absolutely mental! Our singer also attended in 2016 to see Gojira and he too was blown away by the experience.
Paul: If yes, describe the three best things about the festival.
Chris: We find that Bloodstock, as a festival, has an atmosphere that no other festival we’ve attended matches. It has a strong sense of community and feels like everyone is a part of one big family.
Paul: And finally, tell us a guilty pleasure about each member of the band!
Paul: Let’s start with a brief history of the band
Chris: SAURR formed in 2016 but our guitarist, drummer and bassist have been playing together for years as they’ve been in bands throughout college and university, sticking together as a unit and just moving from band to band. After meeting Rob and playing together for his solo project for a few years they all decided to start something new, and so SAURR was born.
Paul: Who is the current line up?
Chris: Rob Derbyshire – Vocals, Chris Farron – Guitar, Will Potts – Bass, Tom Farron – Drums
Paul: Describe the band’s sound and influences?
Chris: Our music consists of hard-hitting guitar parts, aggressive bass and drums and powerful vocals all backed by atmospheric synths. We combine influences from bands such as Gojira, Periphery, Machine Head, Slipknot, and many more to create a wall of sound delivered by an energetic and passionate performance.
Paul: Prior to Bloodstock, what are some of the highlights for the band so far?
Chris: To be honest the biggest highlights for us were the semi-final and final of this year’s Metal 2 the Masses competition. The crowds were insane and we’ve never had a reaction that good before, we’ll never forget it. Getting to play a venue like Rebellion in Manchester on a regular basis has been a dream come true!
Paul: Let’s move on to Bloodstock and your road to the festival. Please tell us about your journey?
Chris: We’ve been doing the Metal 2 the Masses competitions for that last 3 years and they’ve always been our highest priority. Each year we’ve pushed ourselves further and further to be the best band we can be and amazingly this year it all paid off! The only downside of winning this competition is that we don’t get to play in the heats anymore! Thanks to this competition we’ve developed so much as a band and can’t wait show Bloodstock what we’re made of!
Paul: Tell us about the build up to your final and how you handled it?
Chris: It was our second time getting to the final and naturally we wanted to be better than last year so we were rather nervous! When we’ve played in these competitions, we’ve always tried to forget that we’re being judged and have a blast on stage. We also made some amazing friends in the other competing bands who made the whole experience so much easier and enjoyable for us.
Paul: What about when you were announced as winners? What were the emotions like?
Chris: We were in complete shock, we all kind of zoned out for a second whilst our friends and family were screaming in our faces. It was absolutely amazing.
Paul: So, moving on to the festival itself, what can we expect from you?
Chris: Anyone who is looking for an energetic, engaging and atmospheric performance, with musicianship to match, should certainly come and check out our set. Our finely crafted blend of progressive and groove metal is unique and unlike anything else that will be heard at Bloodstock. We put everything into our performance and just have a blast on stage. We always make sure the crowd has just as much fun as we do. Can’t wait to see you all in the pit!
Paul: Which bands are you looking forward to seeing there?
Chris: We were most looking forward to seeing Code Orange who are unfortunately now not playing but we are hyped to see Tesseract again! It’s also great to see Parkway Drive being given a big opportunity to headline and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for us!
Paul: Have you been to Bloodstock before?
Chris: Yes! Our bassist and drummer got a day ticket to see Gojira last year and they said it was the best gig they had ever been to. The sound was incredible and the crowd were absolutely mental! Our singer also attended in 2016 to see Gojira and he too was blown away by the experience.
Paul: If yes, describe the three best things about the festival.
Chris: We find that Bloodstock, as a festival, has an atmosphere that no other festival we’ve attended matches. It has a strong sense of community and feels like everyone is a part of one big family.
Paul: And finally, tell us a guilty pleasure about each member of the band!
Chris: Rob - Listening to Mariachi music whilst cooking, Chris - Reading way too much about flat Earth conspiracies, Will - Watching Countryfile with a gin and tonic, Tom - K-Pop
Yet another band that will be well worth checking out at Bloodstock this year. Huge thanks to Chris and SAURR for taking the time to do the interview. The band hit the New Blood Stage on Friday 9th August, so be sure to get there to give them support.
Yet another band that will be well worth checking out at Bloodstock this year. Huge thanks to Chris and SAURR for taking the time to do the interview. The band hit the New Blood Stage on Friday 9th August, so be sure to get there to give them support.