Dinosaur Pile-Up

Dinosaur Pile-Up are an English alternative rock band formed in late 2007. Hailing from Leeds, West Yorkshire. Current members are lead singer and guitarist Matt Bigland, drummer Mike Sheils and bassist Jim Cratchley. Their past members include Steve Wilson (2008-2010), Tom Dornford-May (2008-2010), Tommy Davidson (2008), Harry Johns (2010-2011), James Sacha (2013).

Dinosaur Pile-Up formed after guitarist Bigland’s band Mother Vulpine dissolved in 2007. Matt had been creating songs used for Dinosaur Pile-Up whilst he was in Mother Vulpine. Matt recorded a demo tape consisting of the songs “My Rock ‘n’ Roll”, “Love Is a Boat and We’re Sinking”, “Melanin”, “Let’s Get Up”, “What Howard Said” and “I Get My Direction” whilst he was still in Mother Vulpine. A short time later, after Mother Vulpine broke up, Matt recruited Tom Dornford-May on bass and Steve Wilson on drums to complete the line up.

Matt Bigland has said he thought of the name ‘Dinosaur Pile-Up’ after watching the 2005 film King Kong. Matt Bigland has said in an interview; “I watched the remake of King Kong. Which was pretty bad! It was ages ago, before this band, or even the idea of this band ever existed. Anyway, there was this part in it where this stampede of dinosaurs, the front one is shot in the leg or something, and it trips up, and then all these huge dinosaurs trip up, roll down this hill, and it just ends up in this massive pile up, and everything in between them survives. I thought it was ridiculous, and as a joke I said, I have to start a band called Dinosaur Pile-Up.”[1]