Bit Brigade

Bit Brigade is a rock band that performs covers of video game soundtracks. They are known for their unusual format during live performances, which involves band member Noah McCarthy performing a NES video game speedrun on stage. The rest of the band performs the soundtrack of that game live as an accompaniment, matching McCarthy's gameplay. Bandcamp described the group as "The biggest speedrunners in rock", while The Pitch described them as "One of the biggest names in video game soundtrack cover bands".

History The group was founded in 2004 by Bryant Williamson, Mike Albanese and Andy Pruett, then of the math rock band Cinemechanica, with speedrunner Noah McCarthy. During a late night NES Contra marathon someone suggested performing a rock adaptation of the music. Williamson had previously met McCarthy at a Cinemechanica show and was aware of his talent for classic games, so he called him despite it being around 2 or 3 AM to pitch the idea. McCarthy agreed. Initially the group performed as CONTRABAND when playing Contra, and as MEGABAND when performing Mega Man 2. While initially a side project for the Cinemechanica musicians, the project evolved into a regularly touring group...