David Dunn

Written in the Star(s)

Sandman met The Sheffield Star's resident music writer David Dunn to discuss the mutual subject we love and how the lucky f*cker managed to get paid to watch gigs, meet musicians and publish his views on music.

Before his time at the Star, David Dunn was living and working in Kent, starting work at the local rag straight from school,

"I was about seventeen and had f*cked up my A-Levels, but I knew what I wanted to do and I did it."

However, he needed a shove in the right direction first,

"I was a bad boy at school, but my English teacher was a former journalist with the Mirror. I didn't really know what I wanted to do before I met him. I was good at English and liked music, I heard his stories from his Mirror days and from then on I wanted to be a journalist."

During his time freelancing in London, a young Dunn still felt, "a little wet behind the ears," so applied for a vacancy at the Sheffield Star. Dunn continues,

"I felt inclined to come up north. I was born in North Yorkshire but my parents were from South London, also a lot of music I liked as a kid came from or was inspired by stuff from Sheffield like Human League, Heaven 17 and ABC. I wanted to write about music and for a big paper; it was a good opportunity."

Having been at The Star for nearly twenty years now, Sandman enquires whether he still finds the job exciting,

"It's still one of the most enjoyable jobs I can think of doing. The best part of the job is meeting to a lot of my heroes and although there may be more ambitious jobs you could aim for this does it for me, it sticks with you and makes me happy."

So what 'heroes' has David Dunn had the pleasure to meet?

"Joe Strummer, he died six months later so although it was a privilege to meet him I also felt lucky. David Bowie was a genuinely nice man, he was very talkative and personable," remembers Dunn.

The meting with David Bowie only took place because Dunn was the only journalist from the Bowie tour venues not to contact Bowie's team to request an interview,

"They said, 'well because you haven't asked we'll give you one.' I said, 'err, ok then!"

Sandman and David Dunn go onto to discuss regional music writing, which largely differs to national publications, Dunn explains,

"There's a lot more room for honesty [in regional writing]. In London there's another agenda and you're often expected to tow the line.The reputation of a band can be sacrificed for the sake of entertainment. I mean you look in the NME and one minute they love a band the next minute they hate them and this can happen within just a few pages."

I notice Dunn seems to have some sympathy for bands who sometimes seem to get a raw deal from their relationship with the media, he certainly holds a distain for the 'build 'em up and knock 'em down' nature of British journalism,

"I have friends in bands and I know they can end up taking it personally. For example, Little Man Tate often get mauled by the press but I thought they were really sound, straight forward guys. There's no pretence there," remarks Dunn.

Dunn continues, "When the Arctic Monkeys got big it turned the spotlight on Sheffield but it was the biggest double edged sword you could've had. It thrust the city's music into the spotlight but used the Arctic Monkeys as a yardstick for local talent. What turned people onto Sheffield music also put them off."

It seems that David Dunn sincerely thinks a lot of Sheffield bands have been hard done by over the past few years, also mentioning Milburn who have not long since split up,

"I first met Milburn when they'd just started, they were a great band and I saw them come up through the ranks but get caught up in the glare of the Arctic Monkeys. This showed the cynical nature of the business and the unfortunately band, like many others, got burned for no good reason."

However, with respect for the Arctic Monkeys returning to sensible levels it seems as if the local music scene could breathe a collective sigh of relief,

"At the moment the music scene is as healthy as it's ever been, there's plenty of creativity and good gigs every night of the week. There' a strong general live scene but the real test will come over the next years or so with the recession," states Dunn.

But as David Dunn is quick to point out, going to gigs is still one of the cheapest forms of entertainment in the city,

"You can spend just a couple of quid and potentially see the next big thing at The Grapes, instead of a £50 concert at the Arena."

David Dunn cites The Dodgems and Paddy Orange's True Gentleman as two acts he's seen recently and enjoyed,

"They were both brilliant and this is a typical example of stumbling across good bands and being pleasantly surprised. The Skeletons (fka thisGirl) are another band who are really good. They are doing something really different and are genuinely thrilling live, they have some great songs and it will happen there."

Creativity is one thing David Dunn thinks Sheffielders do best, "There is a big DIY spirit in the city and it's this attitude that has sustained the music industry in Sheffield for years. People don't wait for London to come to Sheffield they just get on with it. This is the reason why Alan Smyth [Sheffield Producer legend] is so well regarded here, he knows there is talent here and has the credentials of anyone in London. If you wanna make an album you can do it here."

With all this talent and creativity, along with the chartbusting power of certain Sheffield bands, it's no wonder David Dunn has chosen to stay writing about music in the city for two decades. This is further proof, as Sandman constantly tells you, that good music is right on our doorstep. You can read more from David Dunn every day in The Star.

Interview by Liam Ronan
Photo by Mark Tighe