London’s amusingly suave and sarcastic quartet The Monochrome Set was fronted by Bid (vocals), Lester Square (guitar) and Andy Warren (bass), three of the legions who had once played with Adam Ant in bands formed in and around the scene at the Hornsey College of Art in the late 70s. With the help of producer Bob Sargeant, the Monochrome Set twisted uncommon source material (polkas, calypso, etc.) into cabaret-inspired dance numbers. Fortunately, the results were untainted by seriousness—significant at a time when to get a gig it helped to have at least one member on suicide watch. Originally snatched up by Rough Trade, only to spend most of their career label hopping, they released some of their best material early in their career.
Arguably their best song “Eine Symphonie des Grauens” (A Symphony of Violence), from their second single, is named for the subtitle of F.W. Murnau’s classic silent film and the first vampire movie of all time, Nosferatu. In it, Bid sings a first person narrative as a vampire addressing his victim, in his signature urbane tone with a hint of diabolical intent.
Before future Cherry Red labelmate Tracey Thorn got her hands on it, “Goodbye Joe,” appeared on the Monochrome Set’s first album The Strange Boutique. This might be the only time Bid ever broke character and showed some genuine emotion, even if it was, ostensibly, thanks to a character from a Spaghetti Western.
On their second album, Love Zombies, “B-I-D Spells Bid” showcases their maturing sound and again highlights the wry lyrical talents of narcissist/lead singer Bid. The organ work lends the song a mod flavor not absent from much of their work, from the earliest singles to the late works that often got them called “the poor man’s XTC.”
Subtle and always arch, peaking on their sophomore album only to retreat into relative obscurity soon after, it’s not hard to tell why the Monochrome Set were forgotten when the indie rock canon was being consecrated. With all the early-80s mining that’s been going on lately, it’s just hard to understand why they haven’t been rediscovered yet.
[buy stuff here]