Im Back Again Dinosaur Pile Up

Written by Fenn Alexander, Laney Amplifications Artist Relations Manager

2020, hospitals, gigs, and the future…

If the past eighteen months has taught us anything, it is to alive for the moment and enjoy every second you tin can, someone who can testify to this more than nigh, is Dinosaur Pile-Up frontman, Matt Bigland.

I went to see Matt for a catchup at his London home a few days before he returned to Reading Festival 2021 to headline The Lock Up Stage (come across our other weblog for a run-downwardly of how that went, spoiler: they smashed it). I haven't seen Matt for nigh two years (DPU Headline at Birmingham O2 Institute 2019), so this is strange, non just because of that time, but because of what has happened within that fourth dimension. In that location was the Covid-19 global pandemic, the many lockdowns, the pause of live music, and on superlative of that, both myself and Matt found ourselves being admitted to dissimilar hospitals on the same day in 2020. Myself with brain tumours and a stroke, and Matt eventually to be diagnosed with Crohn'south illness. Thankfully, we are both on the ameliorate side of the worst of it, but driving downwards to London I realise that this is a large deal, because if the rulebooks were to go past, neither of us should accept made it through 2020…

And then, I become to the forepart door, most to knock, and all the seriousness is halted considering I run across a doorbell, and I just tin can't help myself but imitate Bart Simpson's signature doorbell ring (if yous know, y'all know, if you don't: The Simpsons, Series vii, Episode three). The door opens and it is the homo himself, Matt Bigland, my pal, in the flesh, what a moment. A cup of tea is made, and we sit downwardly for a conversation, naturally, the first thing we talk well-nigh is our health, but this very quickly subsides into our favourite topic: AMPLIFIERS.

Matt Bigland'southward Laney Rig

Starting with Matts'due south rig every bit it is now, all Laney, Ironheart IRT120H, GH100R, IRT412 (x ii) and GS212VR (also ten ii). We have a reflection to 2018, the time Matt came to Laney HQ in Halesowen to discover the tone for him. Matt had previously been using a different brand of amp and the sound merely wasn't right:

"I remember that first day, I remember I was trying to become the tone I was used to with the other amp I had been using for so long, but as before long as I plugged into the Ironheart, it was similar a lightbulb moment. Like an "ohhhhhh shitttt, this is what information technology can sound like, right" and from there, we started throwing ideas around of how to brand this insane sound even bigger. So hey, why not continue using a second rig (as a switch in/out for boosting certain parts of songs), so we grabbed a GHR and did the switching affair, it was like ripping your head off, so that was that. Washed, sold, whatever you want to call it, information technology was in the purse."

The rig certainly looks the part, but you can be the gauge of that. The get-go show I saw was at Download Festival 2019 on the Zippo Encore Stage, say no more:

But what was the very offset Laney that really caught Matt's ear?

"Our producer and good friend Larry Hibbett has this quondam Laney Klipp, the guy swears by it, so I gave that a get and dude the thing just rips, merely it's from the early 70's, so you can't really tour it, so that is the sound I was looking for, I don't know why I didn't just go: "HEY LANEY I Demand You IN MY LIFE Delight" but anyway, nosotros got there in the end and I've got to say, the Ironheart, although it doesn't audio similar the Klipp, the Klipp is its ain unique thing, but the IRT is simply killer. It has this thump and deep chug similar nothing else. Add to that the GHR and you get this warm back-end fuzz, more alike to the Klipp really, and that'south it, the sound I'd been later on was a Klipp, but really, the sound I needed was an Ironheart."

Thoughts on Digbeth…

Every bit we continue our chat, dissimilar topics come up up, you know how it is with someone you haven't seen for and then long, you keep tangent conversations and so xxx minutes after one or the other says "oh yeah, then anyway…" and you both slip back into the conversation y'all were 'just' having.  One thing Matt was groovy to talk about was how proficient the new Digbeth range of bass amps look. Dinosaur Pile-Up bassist Jim Cratchley has come up on board with dual Digbeth rig and Matt conveyed his beloved for the aesthetics:

"Mate, I've got to say, the Digbeth looks amazing. Information technology'south got them archetype lines and looks, Jim was telling me to "wait until you hear it" and so I am totally stoked to hear that, simply the look of the rig is killer dude."

I asked Matt how the lockdown has been for him and if there accept been moments of flowing inspiration and writing:

"There has been plenty of that, merely also, I've tried to not become as well frustrated if I picked the guitar up and it but wasn't happening. I think that is important to remember as a songwriter because unremarkably you accept such limited fourth dimension to write, but all of a sudden everything stopped. No tour cycles, no studio writing, nothing. Only me, in my house with my guitar and my IRT-SLS. And so, remembering that every moment doesn't accept to be full of the best riffs ever and every day doesn't take to be fulfilled by writing or completing a song. Both for my physical health as I am still recovering, but mainly for my mental health. Remembering to try and keep a sentiency about my day-to-day through lockdown and hospital visits."

Songwriting with the IRT-SLS

One cool thing Matt mentions is how the IRT-SLS is a perfect writing tool. Not for the portability or ease of apply, but for something I hadn't thoroughly considered previously:

"So the forepart end has ii ECC83 valves in, similarly the IRT120H I use on stage has four ECC83 valves in it, and then when I've been writing with the SLS, I know that if I do something at low book with it, I don't know, say a detail type of response between what I'm hitting on the strings to what is coming through the amp, a detail blazon of chug, I know that when I get on the big amp (IRT120H), information technology is definitely going to react in a similar manner, if annihilation, it'south going to react even better than it will in my head. And then yeah, the IRT-SLS is such a great little affair to have when writing and recording little demos."

New music for Dinosaur Pile-Up?

Talking of writing, I'm praying we have some new DPU music soon and Matt confirms that is the programme. At that place's a lot to write and talk about and even more than to get down on record for the eagerly awaited fifth studio album. Later on the success of the incredible 'Glory Mansions' release of 2019, I know whatsoever is round the bend for these lads is big. In that location is a feeling whenever DPU are mentioned that they are on the rise, and it is thoroughly deserved.

Looking forward to the immediate time to come, Matt is honest about being a little nervous for the upcoming headline show at Reading Festival 2021:

"Dude it'due south been nigh 2 years since I was on a phase. Can I still do it? You must believe in yourself of form, only there's that little voice that'southward within going "can you though?" But also, in that location'due south this other side where I am just soooooooo stoked to get up there with Jim and Mike and just enjoy playing together once again."

I for one couldn't think of a meliorate mode to end things up either, with the excitement of being dorsum on a phase with one of the best bands out there, but not just that, good lads and great pals as well. If you've never checked out Dinosaur Pile-Up then treat your ears to some of their music, you won't regret information technology. DPU will be on tour to back up their new tape once it is released, 2022 looks like it's going to be a yr of big riffs!

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Source: https://www.laney.co.uk/blog/matt-bigland-dinosaur-pile-up-the-big-chat/

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