The original line-up consisted of Indian born lead singer and principal songwriter Bid (real name Ganesh Seshadri), Canadian guitarist Lester Square (real name Thomas W.B. Hardy), drummer John D. Haney, and bassist Charlie Harper. The band went through several bassists in the next few years, including Jeremy Harrington, and Andy Warren of the Ants, a childhood friend of Bid.
Experimental filmmaker Tony Potts began collaborating with the band in 1979, designing lighting and stage sets with film projections for their live appearances. The band's early persona was defined by the shadowy, uncertain stage images created by the films to such an extent he is often described as being the band's "fifth member."
They released several singles for the Rough Trade label before recording their debut album, "Strange Boutique", produced by Bob Sargeant, for Virgin Records' imprint DinDisc in 1980, as well as their follow-up effort, Love Zombies, produced by Alvin Clark and the band later that same year. John Haney left the band in 1981 and was replaced by Lexington Crane.
In 1982, the band switched labels to Cherry Red to release their third full-length album, Eligible Bachelors, produced by Tim Hart. Lester Square and Lexington Crane left soon afterwards, and were replaced by keyboardist Carrie Booth and drummer Nicholas Weslowski. This line-up recorded 1982 single Cast a Long Shadow, for Cherry Red before Booth was in turn replaced by new lead guitarist James 'Foz' Foster.
In 1983, Cherry Red released Volume, Contrast, Brilliance... sessions & singles vol. 1, a retrospective of the band's early Rough Trade singles, BBC and Capital Radio sessions, and other unreleased early sessions.
In 1985, with the same line-up as on Cast a Long Shadow, The Monochrome Set recorded the relatively mainstream album The Lost Weekend for major label Warner Bros. Records. The Lost Weekend failed commercially, and after a few singles, the band officially broke up, though they served as Jessica Griffin's backing band on the first album by the Would-Be-Goods, The Camera Loves Me.
In early 1990, Bid, Lester Square and Andy Warren reformed the band, with the addition of keyboardist Orson Presence and drummer Mike Slocombe (who was quickly replaced by Trevor Ready). The new band toured extensively--especially in Japan, where Bid had become a major star.
The band released several low-key albums for Cherry Red Records during the 1990s, and went on hiatus from 1998 to 2008 though during that off time Bid recorded a number of albums with another band, Scarlet's Well.
The band reunited on 8 October 2008 for a one-off performance at Cherry Red's 30th Anniversary party at Dingwalls, London. It also marked the 30th year of The Monochrome Set. Bid, Andy Warren and Lester Square were joined by Jennifer Denitto (drums) and Sian Dada (keyboards) of Scarlet's Well, and performed 13 songs.
Band reformed in 2010.
The Bridge
The Monochrome Set Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With two sugars in it.
Pour in rat poison tea.
Cock your little finger
Sip it till it's finished
Expire on the settee
Suicide!
With all the lights upon it
And two bricks round your legs
Swan dive into the air
Wind blowing through your hair
Next thing your hopping on dregs
Suicide!
Guy Fawkes night
And you're the dummy sitting
On the pile of old chairs
Oh light the taper mother
Hear the wet wood splitting
Smell those frazzling hairs
Suicide!
The Monochrome Set's song "Albert Bridge" is a dark and haunting depiction of suicide. The song describes various methods of ending one's life, including drinking "rattlesnake milk" with rat poison and sugar until one dies on the sofa, and jumping off the Albert Bridge with bricks tied to one's legs. The lyrics depict suicide as a release from life's struggles and pain, with the wind blowing through the hair of the jumper and the smell of burning hair from the Guy Fawkes night dummy. The song is a commentary on the despair and hopelessness that can lead a person to take their own life.
The lyrics of "Albert Bridge" are a powerful and disturbing reminder of the tragedy of suicide. The somber tone of the song, combined with the imagery of death, creates a chilling atmosphere that is hard to ignore. The song highlights the need for support and compassion for those who may be struggling with mental health issues or other challenges in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Rattlesnake milk
Starting off by introducing a surreal, nonsensical element.
With two sugars in it.
Adding another detail to the nonsensical opening, meant to catch the listener's attention.
Pour in rat poison tea.
Taking the absurdity even further, describing an action that makes no sense and would be deadly.
Cock your little finger
Continuing with the surreal imagery, suggesting a strange, affected gesture.
Sip it till it's finished
Taking the dangerous, nonsensical action to its conclusion, again meant to shock the listener.
Expire on the settee
The ultimate consequence of the ridiculous, lethal concoction consumed earlier – death on a piece of furniture.
Albert Bridge
A sudden change of subject, introducing the titular location.
With all the lights upon it
Describing the bridge at night, covered with illuminated bulbs.
And two bricks round your legs
Continuing with the abrupt, macabre turn of the song by suggesting a suicidal act involving the bridge and weights.
Swan dive into the air
A vivid description of the deadly leap, using imagery that is both graceful and violent.
Wind blowing through your hair
Reinforcing the dream-like quality of the previous line, adding a physical sensation to the scene.
Next thing your hopping on dregs
Providing a surreal, incongruous image to conclude the verse – a person bouncing on debris after a high fall.
Guy Fawkes night
Another sudden shift of subject, introducing the historical holiday.
And you're the dummy sitting
Describing another suicidal act, this time involving the creation of an effigy to be burned.
On the pile of old chairs
Providing a specific detail about the setting, the mound of furnishings that will be ignited.
Oh light the taper mother
Instructional language, urging someone to start the fire and ignite the dummy.
Hear the wet wood splitting
Providing sensory imagery of the burning, the sound of the damp wood breaking apart.
Smell those frazzling hairs
A striking, visceral element to describe the burning effigy and the accompanying scent.
Suicide!
The repeated exclamation repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the dark themes being explored.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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