Famous five will create The Din at Newcastle pub
Nov 29 2010 by Charlotte Horsfield, The Journal
IF you’ve been hanging around the North East’s live music scene this year, there’s a fair chance you may have heard of local psychedelic pop outfit The Din.
After meeting at college, the five have spent a good part of the last 18 months gigging in every available venue in the region. Oh, and in Barcelona too, where drummer Victor Solana hails from.
They’re careful not to box themselves into one genre and don’t compare themselves to other artists, choosing instead to state that they sound like music. Which is true.
Front man Nick Grimes admits they had an expansive and ever-growing list of influences, but prefers the idea that people can draw their own conclusions.
“It was kind of intentional, but people come and tell us what they hear in our music, and the same names appear a lot. We like that people can form their own ideas about it,” he says.
They’ve been described previously as a modern twist on the sixties and certainly there’s a likeness to The Beatles in their Rubber Soul era, especially in tracks such as Roachless Sleeping Bags.
Nick says that when the band formed they had a clear idea of what music they wanted to make.
“We wanted to stay away from the modern stuff that sounds over-produced – something that was stripped back, rootsy and organic, more about the intricate melodies than anything else.”
Playing live may be their forté but The Din have recently released debut album Fishing In The Dark Ages online. It’s due for release elsewhere on January 21 with an official launch at regular gig hot spot The Cluny.
Live favourites including Got Imagination and Time Inside Mind Ride have made the record, and the launch is to double up as a leaving party for the band who are setting their sights on bigger things and moving to the capital.
“We’ll still be back up here a lot. We are a Newcastle band. It’s just a case of pushing ourselves and playing in front of the right people. We want to make a proper go of it,” says Nick about the move.
If you’ve been missing from the scene for a while and haven’t had a chance to catch The Din, they have a few gigs lined up.
Their next gig will be tomorrow at LYH pub in Northumberland Road, Newcastle, as part of North East Unsigned.
It’s a showcase that will take them one step closer to a slot at next year’s Evolution Festival, competing against fellow locals including Illustrators and Matadors. Entry is free, so it’s a great excuse to get out and support the region’s music.
To have a listen to The Din and for more information on upcoming gigs, visit www.myspace.com/thedinuk
