Black Midi Break up - ‘It’s Over’

When a scene’s flagship band cease to be, this doesn’t usually bode well for the wider movement they helm.

Black Midi are something of an outlier in British post rock punk, being a rare example of a truly experimental band who garnered widespread attention. After previous (and more underrated) outings from groups such as Girl Band or Fat White Family, Black Midi became the flag bearers of a new wave of British guitar music. Their complex and unorthodox songs which lacked any traditional structure characterised by stabbing feedback and virtuosic drumming, topped off with Geordie Greep’s schizophrenic vocals. Somewhere between The Fall and a road accident.

Their residency at iconic venue The Windmill in Brixton further cemented their status as leaders in the London alternative guitar scene. Not only this, their musicianship was lauded (especially that of drummer Morgan Simpson). In their wake were scores of younger bands inspired by their energy, ethos and musicianship. Unlike bands such as the Sleaford Mods, Black Midi were musician’s musicians; they were a technical marvel with punk attitude, which was highly relatable to young creatives trying to find their own voice, centred around their frequency at Brixton’s Windmill.

So it was with some chagrin that fans learnt the band were on indefinite hiatus, ostensibly to focus on solo projects, which resulted in the release of Greep’s first solo single ‘Holy, Holy’. Greep went on to drop a bombshell on an Instagram, claiming ‘No more black midi’ and ‘It’s over’. The statement seemed to take the other members by surprise, claiming they were ‘blindsided’ by his comments. However, this was taken by fans as being the final nail in the coffin for the post-punk trailblazers.

With their leaders seemingly disbanded, where does this leave the scene they emerged from? Well, their impact isn’t going anywhere: one thing their Mercury Prize-winning tenure proved is that experimental guitar music is no longer consigned to dirty basement clubs, it has real popularity with waves of younger fans and can hold its own on any main stage. We have seen a huge explosion in new groups taking more risks in their wake, After the mid-2010s death of landfill indie, it is now not enough to just be a guitar band with a few songs. Younger bands are aiming more lofty, with higher concept takes on guitar music, embracing noise, dissonance and experimentation.

Whilst grunge died with Cobain, and the flower power movement with the disbanding of the Beatles, the exciting possibilities raised by Black Midi are continuing to inspire, with tons of creative ground still untouched. With the band seemingly going their separate ways, this could potentially open opportunities for new innovators to inherit the spotlight.