Hetton pit pop band DENNIS to tour colliery sites for Miners' Strike 40th anniversary

Made up of up to ten members, DENNIS fuse the distinctive and evocative sound of colliery brass bands with folk rock.

All band members grew up in and around Hetton and were inspired by the music of their communities to keep it alive as a reminder of our heritage, coining the phrase ‘pit pop’ to describe their sound.

This year marks 40 years since The Miners’ Strikes as communities spent a year fighting for their pits, jobs and way of life.

It was a year which would change the lives of many and, to pay tribute to the communities affected by the events of that chapter in history, the band is embarking on a tour of former colliery sites.

Over the coming months, they’ll perform the length of Britain, from Fife to Kent and, of course, North East sites, with more locations to be added to commemorate the strikes.

Tickets will go on sale from individual sites for the year-long Coalfields Tour being supported by Redhills and the Durham Miners Association, with proceeds donated to the Miners Gala to help secure its future.

Lead singer Dan Gibson said: “The idea came about when we performed at the last Miners Gala. We met some lads from the old Betteshanger colliery in Kent and they said they had to get us down there to perform.”

As part of the tour, the band is looking to work with local banner groups and brass bands in each of the areas, which also includes South Yorkshire and Wrexham.

They are also in discussions with Women Against Pit Closures and the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign to support their calls for an inquiry into the Battle of Orgreave, a violent clash between picketers and Police in Orgreave, South Yorkshire, in June 1984.

Such is their passion for the heritage of mining communities, the band is named after ex-MP and trade unionist Dennis Skinner who is known for his support for the miners throughout the 1984-85 strike and fighting for their pension rights.

The name also has links to the Dennis mine shaft at Gresford in Wrexham, as well as the name of the drummer’s cat.

DENNIS guitarist David Smith said: “Many of us have played in brass bands since primary school and it was very much music we grew up with. We added guitars to the traditional brass section and it creates a really distinctive sound. Brass band music is very evocative and our songs echo that, they’re about love, community and solidarity.

“We get such a great response from audiences when we play and it’s so important to keep this music alive.”

DENNIS will kick off their year of performances at the Durham Miners Gala official camping event at Houghall College on the evening of Friday July 12.

Tickets are available here. The 138th Durham Miners Gala will take place on Saturday, July 13.