Over the past decade Famyne‘s progress and development can be bookmarked through their Bloodstock experience. Newbies on the New Blood Stage in 2016, then packing the Sophie tent a few years later, 2025 marks the band’s eagerly-awaited debut on the headline Dio Stage. Paul Castles takes a temperature check to see how the guys are looking forward to their third appearance at Catton Park.
So guys, back at Bloodstock… looking forward to it?
Absolutely! Whether we’re playing or attending as punters, Bloodstock is such a wonderful place to be.
What do you recall of your last visit on the Sophie Stage in 2021?
The Sophie stage was our biggest performance to date at that point, so a few nerves leading up to it, as you could imagine. Having Ozzy’s right-hand man, Krusher, introduce us was pretty cool! Afterwards, such an immense feeling of euphoria that lasted days. A weekend we’re not going to forget in a hurry.
You also played the New Blood Stage in 2016 after winning the Kent Metal to the Masses – does that feel a long time ago now?
A lifetime ago! Look at our baby faces in the videos. We’ve certainly been ’round the block a few times now.
How significant was that M2TM success and the subsequent Bloodstock appearance in terms of raising the band’s profile back then?
It was huge for us. Playing a festival like Bloodstock for the first time exposes you to people from all over, allowing connections to be established in far flung areas of the UK and further afield. This in turn aids the booking process, knowing there’s already demand for you in an area. Such a vital step to breaking out of the local scene.
More generally, M2TM is such a brilliant platform for really getting the best out of the grassroots. We’ve been invited a fair few times to judge at our local M2TM in Gravesend, Kent, and also flew over to Cyprus earlier this year to experience the first ever edition over there. We’ve seen both sides of the coin, and what it means to the bands that get through.
You’ve been working on your third album, where are you currently with that?
We’ve got several tunes written, and lots and lots of tidbits of exciting ideas. A few are starting to get demos recorded. A lot of loose threads currently; we’re scratching our heads trying to work out how to weave it into a cohesive tapestry.
How is it coming together musically compared to your previous work?
Album 3 feels like it’s a perfect blend of us all independently writing, and then bringing it together, loud, in a room. Whereas album 2, the lockdown album, was created mostly in isolation from each other. Album 1, on the other hand, was the majority together. This new one feels like a good hybrid of the two approaches.
The band have been busy touring in recent years, how have you found that whole experience?
Overall, very very positive. Touring is such a fun and rewarding aspect of being in a band. It feels like the natural culmination of everything that we do this for. There’s nothing that quite compares to the feeling of visiting new places, meeting new people, and sharing these experiences. In the words of Guthrie Govan: “music is meant to be played with, and to, people”.
Any challenges?
It helps to go into any tour with an open mind, as challenges constantly occur naturally. We’ve been tested as a group in pretty much every way; whether being robbed, having vans break down, promoters vanishing when it’s time to pay up, members going missing, losing passports, gaining various injuries, etc etc. Situations do arise where you have to improvise, adapt, overcome. Not to mention how expensive it all is!
If it were that easy, where would the fun be?
UK fans got the chance to see you headline the Black Heart in Camden over Desertfest in May, how did that all go for you?
It was great fun! Similarly to Bloodstock, it’s such a mates fest. So many friendly faces and beautiful people we’ve come to know after years of attending. We’re no strangers to the Black Heart stage now, but this one had something more about it. Our first time being asked to Desertfest in 10 years of being a band, and I felt it went pretty well!
Playing Desertfest and Bloodstock in the same year is a double not achieved by many bands….
Yeah, not too shabby, eh?!
As doom fans, did any of you get to Villa Park to see the final Black Sabbath show?
Unfortunately not! But not for lack of trying! Rather frustratingly we had access to both presales and the general onsale, but once getting through to checkout, tickets either vanished from our baskets or the site crashed altogether. Our merch people, Elliot and Andrea of Heavy Threads managed to get in, and were on the front barrier for the whole thing, and gave us a few bits of confetti each as a bittersweet consolation. We enjoyed the livestream at home with mates, and each raised a glass to Ozzy and Sabbath’s swan song.
So you’re up early on the main Ronnie James Dio Stage this year, for your third Bloodstock show – what can those fans who maybe did not see your previous Catton Park performances look forward to?
I think we bring a certain energy to our sets, which may be beneficial early Friday, to get you all in the mood!
Will you be hanging around the rest of the day to catch a few bands yourselves?
100%! As soon as we’re offstage and packed away, we’ll be straight over to Lemmy’s Bar to decompress with a few beers. Anyone is welcome to come and join! We will be around for the entire weekend.
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