Kingsley from fellow Teesside band The Chapman Family wrote this in a bulletin about our split, I thought it was worth sharing:
“Dartz have split up.
I really liked Dartz, they were the only Teesside band that I’ve ever bought an album of in HMV by, (apart from Chris Rea’s Greatest Hits in about 1994).
Apart from being a brilliant band they (and various members side projects) were influential in re-energizing a flagging local “indie” scene too. Back in 2004/5 when every indie-by-numbers floppy fringed band was content to accept the adulation every other week of their mates and immediate family, Dartz were off playing in London or Europe; or getting played on “proper radio” by Zane Lowe; or having their videos on MTV; or getting signed; or releasing a proper album available to buy in proper shops for proper money; getting reviewed in Q Magazine; or hiding band members in flightcases in order to sneak them past the nasty guards at Travelodges.
They showed other Teesside bands that it’s not wrong to have ambition beyond Roseberry Topping to the south and Hartlepool Marina to the north and that spirit will be sadly missed.
It’s not just their mentality that has been influential though. Even when I go to gigs in Teesside now, there’ll be a band on who will be “a more heavy Dartz” or “Dartz with a keyboard” or “like a shit Dartz.” We tried to rip them off too at one point a long time ago but we quickly found out we couldn’t play anywhere near as well and our lyrics weren’t that clever. Bless em, I’m sure they’ll be back in separate forms soon.”
Very kind words indeed. Thank you to everybody else who has said nice things too, it’s very humbling.
See y’all around…
