Dive Dive
Encyclopedia
Dive Dive are a British rock
band
, composed of Jamie Stuart (guitar and vocals), Ben Lloyd
(guitar and vocals), Nigel Powell
(drums and vocals) and Tarrant Anderson
(bass guitar). Ben Lloyd, Nigel Powell and Tarrant Anderson also play as full time members of Frank Turner
's band, The Sleeping Souls.
Dive Dive formed in 2001 in Oxford
, England
after the breakup of the members' previous bands, Unbelievable Truth
(Nigel Powell) and Dustball (Jamie Stuart and Tarrant Anderson), in 2000. The band were championed from early on by John Peel
, for whom they recorded a number of sessions at the BBC
Maida Vale Studios
and also performed live on his BBC Radio 1
show.
track that often closed their concerts up to 2007). This appeared in 2002 on a joint EP
, "When I Wank On My Guitar The Whole World Wanks With Me", on the Oxford based independent record label
, Juggernaught Records. Other bands on the EP were The Rock Of Travolta, Six Ray Sun and South Sea Company Prospectus. "The Crock" was followed a few months later by a four track EP, "Sounds All Wrong", also on Juggernaught Records. In 2003, Dive Dive released "Name & Number" as a 7" single
on Oxford indie label Vacuous Pop Records, which garnered national press attention for the band for the first time, including single of the week in The Independent
. "Name & Number" was followed by the release of a single, "Good Show" on Idle Records in early 2004, which again attracted positive reviews, including another single of the week in The Independent. By 2004 the band's developing reputation as an outstanding live act led to an album deal with London based independent label, Diablo Records. Diablo released Dive Dive's debut album
, Tilting At Windmills, in June 2005, along with three supporting radio singles "Good Show", (rereleased) "555 For Filmstars" and "The Sorry Suitor". "555 For Filmstars" and "The Sorry Suitor" both received a moderate amount of national and regional radio play, and entered the UK Indie Chart
at #6 and #10 respectively. The band were joined on stage by Ride
's Laurence Colbert and Radiohead
's Philip Selway during the tour to promote the album.
's studio band for his first solo release "Campfire Punkrock
". The record was recorded in Dive Dive's studio in the basement of bassist Tarrant Anderson's Oxford home, and released on Xtra Mile Recordings
in September 2006. In January 2007, Dive Dive appeared as Frank Turner's backing band on his first full band tour of the UK. On subsequent Frank Turner tours, Stuart dropped out of the line up due to other commitments, however Lloyd, Powell and Anderson still make up three quarters of his backing band. Lloyd and Powell contributed to Frank Turner's first two albums (Sleep Is For The Week
and Love, Ire and Song
), Lloyd as record producer
and guitarist
and Powell as drummer
and keyboardist
. Tarrant was present as bassist
for all full band touring, and contributed as a recording musician to 2009's Poetry of the Deed
album.
and Pinnacle Distribution.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, composed of Jamie Stuart (guitar and vocals), Ben Lloyd
Ben Lloyd
Ben Lloyd is a musician and producer / recording engineer based in Oxford, England. He currently plays electric guitar for Frank Turner and is a member of the British rock band Dive Dive. He also recorded and produced Frank Turner's first EP Campfire Punkrock and his first two albums Sleep Is for...
(guitar and vocals), Nigel Powell
Nigel Powell
Nigel Powell is a multi-instrumental musician from Abingdon, England. He currently works as Frank Turner's live and studio drummer and is a member of the Oxford based alternative rock band Dive Dive. He was formerly a member of Unbelievable Truth...
(drums and vocals) and Tarrant Anderson
Tarrant Anderson
Tarrant Anderson is a musician based in Oxford, England. He currently plays bass guitar for Frank Turner and is a member of the British rock band Dive Dive. He was previously a member of the British punk band Dustball...
(bass guitar). Ben Lloyd, Nigel Powell and Tarrant Anderson also play as full time members of Frank Turner
Frank Turner
Frank Turner is an English folk/punk singer-songwriter from Meonstoke, Winchester. Initially the vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead, Turner embarked upon a primarily acoustic-based solo career following the band's split in 2005. To date, Turner has released four solo albums, two rarities...
's band, The Sleeping Souls.
Dive Dive formed in 2001 in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
after the breakup of the members' previous bands, Unbelievable Truth
Unbelievable Truth
Unbelievable Truth were a British rock band, led by Andy Yorke, with Nigel Powell, Jason Moulster and Jim Crosskey. Their sound has been described as "slow, melancholy, country-tinged ballads, wrapped in a soft blanket of acoustic guitars and minor chords"....
(Nigel Powell) and Dustball (Jamie Stuart and Tarrant Anderson), in 2000. The band were championed from early on by John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
, for whom they recorded a number of sessions at the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Maida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC studios on Delaware Road, Maida Vale, London.It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 from 1946 to the present...
and also performed live on his BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
show.
Debut album
Dive Dive's first release was "The Crock" (an instrumentalInstrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
track that often closed their concerts up to 2007). This appeared in 2002 on a joint EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, "When I Wank On My Guitar The Whole World Wanks With Me", on the Oxford based independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
, Juggernaught Records. Other bands on the EP were The Rock Of Travolta, Six Ray Sun and South Sea Company Prospectus. "The Crock" was followed a few months later by a four track EP, "Sounds All Wrong", also on Juggernaught Records. In 2003, Dive Dive released "Name & Number" as a 7" single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on Oxford indie label Vacuous Pop Records, which garnered national press attention for the band for the first time, including single of the week in The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
. "Name & Number" was followed by the release of a single, "Good Show" on Idle Records in early 2004, which again attracted positive reviews, including another single of the week in The Independent. By 2004 the band's developing reputation as an outstanding live act led to an album deal with London based independent label, Diablo Records. Diablo released Dive Dive's debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Tilting At Windmills, in June 2005, along with three supporting radio singles "Good Show", (rereleased) "555 For Filmstars" and "The Sorry Suitor". "555 For Filmstars" and "The Sorry Suitor" both received a moderate amount of national and regional radio play, and entered the UK Indie Chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
at #6 and #10 respectively. The band were joined on stage by Ride
Ride (band)
Ride were a British alternative rock band that formed in 1988 in Oxford, England, consisting of Andy Bell, Mark Gardener, Laurence "Loz" Colbert, and Steve Queralt. The band were initially part of the "shoegazing" scene. Following the break-up of the band in 1996, members moved on to various other...
's Laurence Colbert and Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
's Philip Selway during the tour to promote the album.
Backing Frank Turner
In 2006 Lloyd, Powell and Anderson recorded as Frank TurnerFrank Turner
Frank Turner is an English folk/punk singer-songwriter from Meonstoke, Winchester. Initially the vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead, Turner embarked upon a primarily acoustic-based solo career following the band's split in 2005. To date, Turner has released four solo albums, two rarities...
's studio band for his first solo release "Campfire Punkrock
Campfire Punkrock
Campfire Punkrock is the first EP by UK based songwriter Frank Turner. The EP was released via Xtra Mile Recordings on May 15, 2006. The vinyl release includes a live version of "The Ballad of Me and My Friends" and is pressed on a sulfur-yellow 10" vinyl. The EP was recorded at the Oxford home of...
". The record was recorded in Dive Dive's studio in the basement of bassist Tarrant Anderson's Oxford home, and released on Xtra Mile Recordings
Xtra Mile Recordings
Xtra Mile Recordings are an independent record label based in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 2003 by Charlie Caplowe and they release rock albums and singles...
in September 2006. In January 2007, Dive Dive appeared as Frank Turner's backing band on his first full band tour of the UK. On subsequent Frank Turner tours, Stuart dropped out of the line up due to other commitments, however Lloyd, Powell and Anderson still make up three quarters of his backing band. Lloyd and Powell contributed to Frank Turner's first two albums (Sleep Is For The Week
Sleep Is for the Week
- Singles/B-Sides :25 December 2006'Vital Signs' b/w Heartless Bastard Motherfucker , 7 May 2007The Real Damage EP...
and Love, Ire and Song
Love, Ire and Song
-Singles:*"Photosynthesis" - March 24, 2008, download only*"Reasons Not to Be an Idiot" - June 23, 2008*"Long Live the Queen" - October 20, 2008, charity single...
), Lloyd as record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and Powell as drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
and keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
. Tarrant was present as bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
for all full band touring, and contributed as a recording musician to 2009's Poetry of the Deed
Poetry of the Deed
Poetry of the Deed is the third studio album by London-based singer-songwriter Frank Turner, released on 7 September 2009. The album was released on Xtra Mile Recordings in the UK and Epitaph Records worldwide....
album.
Second album
Dive Dive's second album, Revenge of the Mechanical Dog, was recorded during 2007 in gaps between touring as Turner's live band. It was released on the band's own label, Land Speed Records, in conjunction with the Oxford indie label Truck RecordsTruck Records
Truck Records was an independent record label based in Oxford, England. It grew out of the Truck Festival, held annually in Steventon, a small village near Oxford...
and Pinnacle Distribution.
Third album
Lloyd, Powell and Anderson's commitments in Turner's band have meant Dive Dive live shows have been sparse since 2007, however the band recorded their third album, Potential, in 2010 and this was released on Xtra Mile Recordings on 17 January 2011, preceded by single "Liar" on 13 December 2010.Discography
Studio albums
- Tilting at Windmills (2005)
- Revenge of the Mechanical Dog (2007)
- Potential (2011)
Singles
- "Good Show" (2004)
- "555 for Film Stars" UK Indie #6, UK ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
48 (2005) - "The Sorry Suitor" UK Indie #10, UK Chart 54 (2005)
- "The Game" (2007)
External links
- Official website
- Rocksound review of Potential (2010) - Review
- Kerrang! review of Potential (2010) - Review
