Bloodstock Metal To The Masses Winners Interview With I Fight Bears By Matt Bladen

Interview With I Fight Bears, Metal To The Masses South Wales Winners 2022

MoM: How was your M2TM Experience? 

I Fight Bears: It exceeded all our expectations. We've attended (and some of us have performed at) M2TM over the years, but something about 2022 bringing the return of live music after its indefinite hiatus added that extra spark of magic. You could feel the buzz in the room even at the Heat stages that this was going to be a year no one is going to forget any time soon, and we loved every minute of it.
Oh and sweaty, our experience was very sweaty.

MoM: What was your initial reaction to hearing your band’s name get announced as the winners?

I Fight Bears: It's a surreal experience. Almost like watching Dale Winton read out your lottery numbers as you're sitting on your sofa with a half eaten pizza and crumbs on your T-Shirt, getting that surge of adrenaline rush through your body so you jump up and scare the cat. 

But I'd add that we're not considering ourselves 'winners' in the traditional sense. We are the chosen representatives of the exceptional South Wales Metal community, and we hope to do you all proud.

MoM: How are you feeling about playing the New Blood? Are you confident you can own a stage like that?

I Fight Bears: Be it a cupboard or an arena, our live show ethos doesn't change. When Scott hits the hi-hat to count us in for the first note, we give everything we've got from start to finish. Knowing the community behind the Bloodstock New Blood stage, that energy will only help to feed us and tear that place a new one.

MoM: What do you think was the deciding factor that set you apart from the other competitors in the final?

I Fight Bears: Drew got his calves out? It might have been that. 

In all seriousness, we don't know. We put a LOT of effort into our live shows, and we continuously evolve our performance every time we play to improve, streamline and refine. There's a few technical, behind the scenes components that we've been working on (MIDI programmed patch switching for guitars) that have given us that 1% extra freedom on stage to concentrate on the performance on stage rather than looking at our feet for when the solo kicks in. But ultimately that's a very small piece of a 10,000 piece jigsaw puzzle that all adds up to what you see on the day.

Any of the bands that played the final (and many that got knocked out even earlier!) could have won it on another day. Just right place right time for us I guess!

MoM: Metal To The Masses places a lot of emphasis on the role of the underground in the UK heavy scene - how important has the local South Wales scene been for you as a band?

I Fight Bears: The local South Wales scene has been EVERYTHING for us as a band. And that's not an overstatement. 99% of our shows have been in and around the South Wales area. Everything we've done, and strived to do has been for the this crowd. Seeing familiar faces in the front row singing your lyrics back to you, hanging out before and after the show to chat shit about anything and everything, seeing some of those same faces on a stage of their own creating their own incredible music. That's what it's all about for us.

MoM: What part of playing Bloodstock are you most looking forward to?

I Fight Bears: Not having to carry the gear onto stage! 

But representing the South Wales scene. We'll be on the stage but the community will be with us and we want to do them proud.

MoM: What opportunities do you hope will come out of this for you?

I Fight Bears: Ultimately we just want to play the best music we can create, to the widest audience of people who will listen to it. The exposure playing Bloodstock will give us is a fantastic opportunity to live those dreams.

MoM: Finally, what’s next for you as a band between now and Bloodstock?

I Fight Bears: While we only just released an EP (go check it out, it's in all the usual places, shameless plug etc.), we're already working on the next. And it's NASTY. So we'll be in the practice room and the studio nailing down some horrible riffs ready to smash your faces off as soon as possible. Get ready for the onslaught