The Lodger In Me: Bid from The Monochrome Set on the Aneurysm that Changed His Life

Bid, founding member and principal songwriter of post-punk band The Monochrome Set, discusses his 2010 cerebral aneurysm in an exclusive extract from his memoir Strange Young Alien. Following the brain injury, Bid experienced temporary aphasia during 2011 performances in Lille and Osaka, losing comprehension of song lyrics mid-performance. Summer 2011 marked his creative recovery through writing the Platinum Coils album, whose lyrics organically emerged as meditation on post-aneurysm existence. Bid describes the neurological aftermath: rapid fatigue limiting work to 20-30 minutes, moments of complete word loss (notably forgetting ‘basil’), and a profound dissociation between conceptual knowledge and linguistic access. Most significantly, he recounts experiencing automatic writing—his hand continuing to compose lyrics without conscious control—suggesting his damaged brain underwent rewiring while generating creative output. The extract explores how trauma fundamentally altered his relationship to artistic process and language itself.

Original article published on The Quietus — AI-generated summary.