Black Midi’s Geordie Greep and Cameron Picton have confirmed the “indefinite” end to the band.
On an Instagram live last night (August 10), Greep responded to fans asking when the band would be releasing a new album by typing “no more black midi” and “it’s over” into the chat.
He continued, writing: “Black Midi was an interesting band that’s now indefinitely over”.
Initially, fans couldn’t tell if Greep was serious, however, Black Midi’s bassist Cameron Picton confirmed the news this morning (August 11) on Twitter/X, and it appears the announcement came as a surprise to the rest of the band.
“We’d agreed not to say anything about ‘breaking up’ so I was as blindsided as everyone else last night but maybe in a different way,” Picton wrote. “I guess sometimes all you can say is lol.”
Picton then confirmed he’d be working on his own music, saying: “Anyway! Starting sessions for my own record soon, looking forward — should be good, hopefully great!”
We’d agreed not to say anything about ‘breaking up’ so I was as blindsided as everyone else last night but maybe in a different way. I guess sometimes all you can say is lol
Anyway! Starting sessions for my own record soon, looking forward – should be good, hopefully great!
— cam er on pic ton (@fetjury) August 11, 2024
Fans have taken to social media to express sorrow over the end of the London rock band. “I will never see black midi live,” one mourned, while another said, “Can someone please tell me that Black Midi breakup is fake.. please be bait please please oh please.”
He’s real for that pic.twitter.com/PsSEGrNL4h
— black midi imagines (@flopmidi) August 10, 2024
goodbye, goodbye you were bigger than the whole sky 💔 pic.twitter.com/ZZbtXvnpX6
— jujubee 📇 (@snaiImaiI) August 11, 2024
not really upset about black midi cause they’re all insanely talented musicians and i know for a fact that the stuff they make on their own/with others is just as great as bm, if anything i’m rlly excited they’ll be branching off into different directions
— isaac ✈️ (@lgbtqbcnr) August 11, 2024
can someone please tell me that Black Midi breakup is fake.. please be bait please please oh please
— nardwuar.exe (@WeBreedMenHere) August 11, 2024
i will never see black midi live pic.twitter.com/nJLPfN81MN
— andrew (@Pup64HCP) August 11, 2024
The band formed in 2017 and were quickly met with acclaim for their brand of experimental art rock. In 2018, Shame declared the trio, comprised of Greep, Picton and Morgan Simpson the “best band in London”.
Since then, they’ve released three studio albums. Their 2019 debut ‘Schlagenheim’ was given four stars from NME, in a review that said they were “making music like no other band in the world.” It was followed by 2021’s ‘Cavalcade’ and ‘Hellfire’ in 2022.
Elsewhere, in 2020 they released a jam and spoken word album entitled, ‘The Black Midi Anthology Vol. 1: Tales of Suspense and Revenge’, on Bandcamp.
Black Midi’s last LP ‘Hellfire’, was released in July 2022. In a four-star review, NME said that the project delivered “more musical thrills and about-turns per minute than few other records we’ve heard this year”.
It added: “Sounding more assured of their creative agility than ever before, ‘Hellfire’ is the work of a very special group of alchemists.”
Last year, the band played a special festival appearance where they covered a range of tracks by The Beatles. The “one-off” gig took place in November at the festival Le Guess Who?, in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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