Primordial soup: Andy Warren and Bid went to school together, Lester Square and Adam Ant both attended Hornsey School of Art. The latter two formed a band called "The B-Sides", which Andy joined sometime in 1976. Bid also joined a couple of months later, and Adam left shortly after. Lester, Andy and Bid occasionally continued to write and rehearse together (it was around this time that some of the songs later to be used by The Monochrome Set were written, e.g., Goodbye Joe, He's Frank, Puerto-Rican Fence Climber, Lester Leaps In), until Adam formed The Ants with Lester and Andy. Whilst Andy continued on with Adam to record the first Ants album, Lester left The Ants in 1977, to form, firstly The Zarbies & The Ectomorphs with Bid and Jeremy Harrington, and then The Monochrome Set with Bid (Jeremy joined later).

To quote the Asahi Evening News, 1993: "When B-Sides singer Adam Ant quit the band for an ill-fated solo career, The Monochrome Set was born."

You could say the band were reborn, certainly rejuvenated in 2012 with the release of the first new material in nearly 20 years with the album Platinum Coils. Since then the band have been prolific releasing further new material in 2013 with Super Plastic City followed by Spaces Everywhere (2015) Cosmonaut (2016) and Maisieworld this year.

Support comes from The Cathode Ray who make a welcome return to Teesside after supports with BOHJ, Fallen Leaves and Wire.