A ‘pit pop’ concert performance at the home of the Durham miners will be released online next week.
DENNIS, who combine folk rock and colliery brass band music, performed live at Redhills, Durham Miners Hall in December 2018.
Video highlights of the concert, in The Pitman’s Parliament at Redhills, will be screened live online for free next Friday.
The DENNIS, Live at Redhills EP will also be available across streaming services, including Spotify and Apple Music, and on CD.
“For our band, coming from a mining community with our families living and working in pit villages, we felt a bursting sense of pride playing at Redhills. It’s such a unique place to play with social and cultural history and important heritage built into every part of the place.”
Dan Gibson, singer, DENNIS
During the performance, DENNIS were joined for the encore by the national award-winning Houghton Area Youth Band, featuring young musicians from across Durham’s coalfield communities.
Redhills has been the home of the Durham Miners’ Association (DMA) since 1915. The DENNIS performance came as part of a DMA project to develop Redhills as a centre of culture, education and heritage. The DMA recently secured vital development funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to prepare the ground for the restoration and renewal of the Miners Hall.
“This concert was a wonderful occasion at Redhills – a County Durham band drawing on the traditions of brass band music, joining local young musicians in the magnificent setting of The Pitman’s Parliament. We are glad that we can join with DENNIS again to share this performance with people in their homes. We very much look forward to the day we can welcome people back into our home again. In the meantime, we wish everyone well, and hope they enjoy this special performance from these talented County Durham musicians.”
Alan Mardghum, Secretary, Durham Miners’ Association
DENNIS, who recently performed at Glastonbury Festival, Mouth Of Tyne Festival, Durham Gala Theatre and Sage Gateshead, have had all 2020 festival appearances and shows postponed until 2021, which will coincide with the release of the bands second full length LP album (release date tbc)
The concert film will premiere live on Friday 19 June at 7pm via on Facebook @RedhillsDurham. It will then be available on the DENNIS You Tube channel.
The CD will be available to buy from online stores at redhillsdurham.org and www.dennisband.com. Proceeds from the CD sales will go to The Redhills Appeal, the ongoing DMA campaign to renew Durham Miners Hall.