AN up-and-coming student band from the University of Winchester has made it to the quarter-finals of the ‘Metal to the Masses’ roadshow competition in Oxford. 

Dead Man’s Pistol consists of five members who met at the university and formed the band in March last year.

What began as five passionate and talented music students making music for their assignments soon took a more professional turn, as they worked to create and brand themselves as an established working band. They currently meet twice a week to rehearse and undertake songwriting sessions.

The band have played at countless venues across Britain and Europe, and are able to charge for their performances, and have begun selling their own merchandise. The band also enjoys trying out restaurants in the places they travel to, calling themselves Bread Man’s Pistol and posting photographs and reviews online.

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The band’s frontman and vocalist Stig Price described the community within the music department at Winchester University as tight-knit and supportive.

They consider themselves as genre-blending. Their style harbours a 90s approach to heavy metal and identifies with many different sub-genres, but most specifically ‘thrash’ and ‘groove’ metal, taking their inspiration from bands such as Black Sabbath, Pantera and Sepultura. 

The band compliments the members of staff at the university who help to create the positive environment, for example the head of the department Dr Niall Thomas. Stig wants to remind ambitious people that, as an older student himself and a sufferer of ADHD, you can always go back to University to study and find your direction in life, regardless of your background or interests. He said: “It’s never too late.”

Dead Man’s Pistol has no plans to stop making music and are performing together for their first anniversary on April 14. 

Drummer Holly Seabrook said: “We are all very confident in our abilities and know the set like the back of our hand.”

The band is looking ahead to next year’s gigs already, as they enjoy a busy, packed schedule, having just completed a total of five gigs in March alone. The members are planning to live in or around Winchester post-graduation, as to continue pursuing their careers.

They will be taking part in the 'Metal to the Masses' quarter final on May 11 at Jericho Tavern in Oxford. 

For more information about the band and their upcoming events, visit them at @deadmanspistol on Instagram and Facebook.