LAST month they were in a farmer’s field somewhere near Bristol pretending to play.
In front of them were members of the cast of TV drama Skins pretending to enjoy it.
It wasn’t an early cast Christmas party but a clip from a forthcoming episode of the youth soap that’ll be screened next year.
“We were at this muddy farm all day,” says Dog Is Dead’s Rob Milton.
“It was in a little marquee and we on a stage made of hay bales. We were pretending to be playing at some sort of wedding or party... none of the people there seemed sure exactly what it was.
“But it was quite cool because they’d been scripted to sing some of the lyrics back at us. That was quite surreal. We were miming to Glockenspiel Song and there would be a shouted instruction to the cast to ‘sing the lyric’ or ‘jump’. I wish every show we played was like that, where we’d be able to script the audience’s responses.
“We had to do it around ten times because they wanted to film from different angles.”
He adds: “I hope I’m not portraying us as one of these Top Of The Pops miming bands.”
The Rushcliffe five, who met at school, got the gig after one of the Skins crew saw them on TV.
Laughs Rob: “It wasn’t because we’d won a competition. Our manager got a call from one of the scriptwriters who had seen us on the BBC’s Glastonbury coverage.
“The coolest thing about it was that he handpicked the song because he thought the lyrics suited the programme.”
I first saw them at the inaugural Splendour festival three years ago, playing the Left Lion stage in The Courtyard. As did festival organisers DHP who were looking at moving in to band management.
As a result, they were opening the main stage at last year’s festival, appearing again last summer.
In between those appearances they’d been played on Radio 1, Radio 2, 6Music and XFM by the likes of Lauren Laverne, Edith Bowman, Dermot O'Leary and Huw Stephens, who told listeners “I defy you not to like this band.”
Prior to their third Splendour appearance Dog Is Dead were on the BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury, ending up on the highlights show.
“It’s like a really good example of how things can progress for a band,” says Rob, their bassist and singer.
Next they’ll be releasing a new single, River Jordan, in February and head out on another tour of the UK.
Their appearance in the final episode of the latest series of Skins is expected to be screened soon after. And it will coincide with their debut live session for Radio 1.
River Jordan is the final instalment in their trilogy of singles on the Your Childhood label, following July’s Glockenspiel Song and October’s Young.
Prior to the release they will be finishing a debut album.
“Our manager has been talking to labels about its release,” he says.
“I don’t think I can say any more.”
Rob admits that although, as teenager, he fits in with the Skins demographic, it’s bit hectic for his tastes.
“I just like sitting at home, having a beer and listening to dad music. I’ve just about finished buying up the complete back catalogue of Dire Straits. I went to see Mark Knopfler on my 16th birthday, that’s how cool I am.
“Skins is more about taking drugs and going to raves, which all sounds a bit exhausting to me.”
Who: Dog Is Dead
Where: Rescue Rooms
When: March 5
Tickets: £6, 0845 413 4444
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