Bloodstock Bound: Vampyra

Bloodstock Bound: Vampyra

As Bloodstock gets closer, we delve deep into the line up to find out more about some of the bands playing the New Blood and EMP stages at this years event.

Today we chat with Vampyra

Please introduce yourselves.

Danny: Hi I’m Danny aka Count Venom, I get my name from venomous licks and fang-tastic solos I have been in the band for just over a year.
Benji: Hi I’m Benji aka Boingo the clown and I am the bassist for Vampyra.
Dill: I’m Dill. I play drums under the persona of Ingrid Orlok. She is half vampire on her mother’s side and half zombie on her father’s.
Gemma: My name is Gemma and I perform as the vocalist under the persona Madame Hex. Madame Hex used to work in the underworld and was sent to the world of the living to investigate all the strange disappearances related to the band.

How would you describe your sound?

Danny: Taking punk and blending it with metal with spooky themes, I would say we don’t fit any specific genre but bleed through different styles however we’re described as horror punk.
Benji: I would say it’s quite hard to pinpoint what style of metal we really are as we kind of mix and experiment with different types like one song would be slow and heavy pounding and then the next song will be fully fast-paced and chaotic.
Dill: I write most of the music and tend to incorporate elements from all the genres I love. While I try to focus on riffs, breakdowns and shredding solos, I can’t help but inject the occasional hint of ska, jazz or disco rhythms, chords and melodies to compensate for my inability to perform blast beats.
Gemma: We’re a band that likes to keep things super campy and fun! With heavy breakdowns, face melting solos and gritty vocals. Whilst also incorporating different elements from other genres, you’ll find some songs may be angry, spooky, or just down right ridiculous. We’re out here to try and put some fun into the world.

How did you land your spot on the Bloodstock bill?

Danny: We were given the opportunity to take part in M2TM due to a spot becoming available and threw caution to the wind and convinced Benji and Gemma it would be a great platform to reveal the new line up, we never expected to pass the first round and when we did it hit us all that we had something special as a unit, this made us take this new line up seriously and we worked extremely hard together playing gigs and recognising our weaknesses and working them out. After qualifying for the final we knew we had to up our game and also work on our stage presence as the final was going to be our toughest test up against so many talented bands and to win through was the best feeling of my life.

How tough was the competition this year?

Danny: This was my first time competing in M2TM and had no expectations of getting through let alone winning, especially with the quality and experience of all the other bands competing. I guess not having any expectations enabled the whole band to relax and just enjoy the experience up until the final and seeing the competing line up was humbling being among the top bands in Kent. We were drawn in position number one and went out on stage and did our thing, if drawn further down maybe we would have put too much pressure on ourselves.
Benji: It was very tough I mean literally the very first heat of metal to the masses was actually our debut gig and that was three months ago so the fact that we persevered and actually went through to win it really it was quite shocking for us!
Dill: Yikes! Our heat was actually Benji and Gemma’s first gig, so we didn’t feel like we’d had a chance to settle. Our local scene is full of super tight bands with stable line-ups and established followings, so we didn’t think we stood a chance. Vampyra has always had trouble establishing itself due to constant line-up changes with myself being the only constant member. Some people were even convinced we had broken up, so it’s especially satisfying for me to suddenly have the band get this far after struggling so much for five years.
Gemma: The competition this year was absolutely mind blowing! There were quite a few times throughout the competition where I didn’t think we’d go through. It really does show that Kent has an ever growing scene of diversity and phenomenal talent. Even if we hadn’t had got through I would have been equally proud to make it to the finals and play with such an incredible line of musicians.

What does playing at Bloodstock mean to you?

Danny: Since starting to learn guitar 12 years ago and performing in college bands gave me a taste of what I wanted to achieve and so set about finding the right committed people with the same ambition to play at bloodstock in front of the biggest audience and I found friendship, commitment, passion and the same hunger with everyone associated with Vamprya.
Benji: It’s very exciting for us I’m not entirely sure about the others but I personally have never been there before so to go to a festival as huge as this for the first time and play there is honestly amazing.
Dill: I can’t afford to go to festivals, so getting the opportunity to play one is always a privilege. Last year I got to play Rebellion Punk Festival in Blackpool and I tried to enjoy as much of it as possible on the one day I was there. I didn’t think I would be lucky enough to play another one of my dream festivals so soon, but here we are. It’s something I dreamed of for years. I feel truly blessed.
Gemma: If you had told me this time last year that I would be playing one of the biggest metal festivals in the UK I definitely wouldn’t believe you! It’s such an incredible achievement and to do it in a place where I will feel welcomed and around a community I feel at home means the absolute world.

For people who’ve never seen you live, what can they expect at Bloodstock?

Danny: Something different, tempo changes blood curdling riffs and flesh eating solos with a mixture of entertainment and audience participation.
Benji: For those who have never seen us they can expect hard heavy hitting riffs gut busting bass and drums and an all round crazy theatrical experience that we feel makes us truly unique and cannot get with any other band.
Dill: Something fun. Nostalgia, maybe? If people enjoy the old horror clichés, then they should enjoy our unapologetically campy stage show.
Gemma: They can expect a lot of spookiness, silliness, monster moshing and maybe even a clown horn!

What day are you performing?

Saturday

What other bands are you looking forward to watching at Bloodstock this year?

Danny: Municipal Waste is top of my list.
Benji: I personally am most looking forward to seeing Judas Priest as I originally had a ticket to see them supporting Ozzy Osborne a good few years ago but unfortunately that gig never happened due to Ozzy becoming too ill so to finally see them now will be an absolute treat.
Dill: Where do I start? Evil Scarecrow and Wednesday 13 have been a huge influence on Vampyra. This year is also full of bucket list bands for me such as Saxon, Lamb of God, Sepultura, Judas Priest and Mushroomhead. Noisepicker were guests at our M2TM final and they blew me away, so I definitely want to see them again. I used to be in a band with the bassist of Concrete Age so I want to go support them too. Tempest Saint played my best friend’s birthday party last year and they were excellent. There’s a bunch more I want to check out.
Gemma: Bands I’m looking forward to the most are Lamb of God, Judas Priest, Body Count, Party Cannon, Castle Rat, Heavysaurus, Battlesnake, Excremenatory Grindfuckers and Black Label Society. I’m also looking forward to the other M2TM winners on the New Blood stage.

Playing the New Blood Stage is just the first steppingstone in a bands journey. What’s next in your plans for world domination?

Danny: Playing as many festivals that will have us growing our fan base and playing venues across the country but most importantly putting on a show for all the people who come to see us , after all we want them leaving with the same buzz I have when I leave a concert.
Benji: We would love for opportunities to play other big time festivals like this one maybe Download next year? Who knows? Only time will tell!
Dill: We play more shows, festivals, record more music, make more videos, sell merch, reach as many more people as possible and tour. Hopefully supporting some of our favourite bands.
Gemma: I think recording and releasing an EP will be the next big step for us. I also want to book more shows and get out of the south. A personal goal I have is to support a band like Raised by owls. But we shall see about that one.

Are you camping with the fans? Which campsite are you heading for?

Danny: I think we’re in the artists camp site, I’ve never camped before so I’m imagining a lot of outtake videos, ha ha.
Benji: From what I’ve been told we’re heading for the artist camp. I don’t know, I’m just the bass player so I’m just following along.
Dill: We will be using the artist campsite. I haven’t been camping since I was a child, so that’s actually the most intimidating part of the whole experience for me.
Gemma: We will be in the artist camp mingling and networking with the other bands. But we have a lot of friends and fans that are regulars at Bloodstock so we will definitely be mingling with the other camps.

You’ve gotta keep hydrated at Bloodstock, what is your drink of choice for the weekend?

Danny: Mainly water but afterwards a cool beer or two.
Benji: Depending on how drunk I really wanna get if I want to keep it nice cool and casual just some good beers will do but if I want to get absolutely smashed And potentially question my life choices on how I ended up here give me all the desperados and all shots you have.
Dill: Lots of water to stay hydrated but lots of cola to keep my taste buds happy
Gemma: 5 MILLION BEERS! No, no I kid. Although it would be a crime for me to not drink all weekend at a festival. So there will definitely be beers, cider, a few monsters and water. Hydrate or die-drate.

See you at Bloodstock in a few weeks!

Danny: Can’t wait.
Benji: See you there!
Dill: Hell yeah!
Gemma: See you in the monster pit!

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