Published on 28 May 2019
The University of Sunderland’s own music stars proved a force to be reckoned with at the weekend.
The Strands, who won the University’s Battle of the Bands competition earlier this month, took centre stage as part of the This is Tomorrow Festival in Exhibition Park, Newcastle.
The band, made up of students from the University and talented local musicians, were the overwhelming winners of the competition when they performed to an audience at CitySpace.
And as a reward for their success, the lads played live on stage 2 of the Sunday afternoon of the weekend-long festival.
The University was the key sponsor of the three event which featured Stereophonics, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Foals, Editors and Glasvegas, among many others.
Lead singer of The Strands, Dean Herron, said the event saw them playing to one of their biggest crowds ever.
He said: “It was an amazing afternoon, a great experience for all the band and we really made the most of it.
“We also got a chance to hang around all weekend and see some of the other bands. I was really impressed with Lewis Capaldi.
“This was a great foundation for us to build on and we will all remember playing there. And the rain stayed away – most of the time.”
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).