Local band The Strands will step into the big spotlight later this month when they play in front of an audience of 15,000 after winning the University of Sunderland’s Battle of the Bands 2019.
The band, made up of students from the university and talented local musicians, were the overwhelming winners of the Battle of the Bands, which saw three local bands take to stage to compete for audience votes at the university’s sport and social venue, CitySpace.
The finalists were Infernal Bloom, SLEEPTAPE and The Strands. Over 300 students and members of the public voted for the final winner, who will play live on stage 2 of the opening night of the This is Tomorrow Festival at Exhibition Park, Newcastle.
The University of Sunderland is the key sponsor of the three day festival (24-26 May) which features Stereophonics, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Foals, Editors and Glasvegas, among many others.
Lead singer of The Strands Dean Herron says: “It’s been an amazing night, we can’t thank the people who voted for us enough. The most people we’ve ever played to is a couple of hundred, so to play in front of thousands at the This is Tomorrow Festival is massive for us. It will really help us take the next step as a band, and we’re really grateful to the University for this opportunity.”
The Strands are Dean Herron (vocals/rhythm Guitar), Peter Kinmond (bass), Kyle McCallum (lead guitar) and University of Sunderland BA Music student Joe Cooper (drums).
The three Battle of the Bands finalists were chosen by an independent panel of judges from the University’s Spark FM, The Bunker and Pop Recs from an initial shortlist of 22 bands, made up of Sunderland students and graduates.