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Miniature Dinosaurs Organise Football Tournament
In May 201, Stirling indie band Miniature Dinosaurs hosted their very own 5-a-side football tournament for Scottish bands in their hometown stadium belonging to Stirling Albion Football Club. Miniature Dinosaurs made it to the semi-finals, only to be beaten by the eventual winners, We Were Promised Jetpacks. The event was a huge success and is now an annual fixture, with this year's tournament taking place on 16th June 2012, again at Stirling Albion FC Ground, and with the final being held on the main pitch.
It has just been confirmed too that We Were Promised Jetpacks are coming back this year to defend their title!
Well known Scots DJ Jim Gellatly will once again be the tournament/stadium announcer and commentator and the bands/labels confirmed for this year are as follows:
Miniature Dinosaurs, We Were Promised Jetpacks , Aerials Up, PAWS, Vigo Thieves, Comets & Cartwheels, Admiral Fallow, Jack Butler, Fatherson, Instinctive Raccoon, Fridge Magnets, Twilight Sad / Unwinding Hours / French Wives / Holy Mountain super-band / team
As Barry Maclean, Miniature Dinosaurs’ vocalist explains: “We decided that the best format for the competition would be to invite a completely new set of teams, with the exception of the previous year's winners. We are especially looking forward to taking on We Were Promised Jetpacks again. Being honest, they're regular football rehearsals smashed their way through last year's tournament! Still, we're looking to take revenge on them pipping us to the post of winning a Scottish Alternative Music Award earlier this year for being best live band!”
The original idea behind the MD Cup was trying something a little different to bring together all of Scotland 's finest unsigned bands.
Scotland is a nation often categorised as having two massive passions; music and football. It's not without its crossovers either. A few years back, Barry and Alban (as Stirling Albion supporters) were well aware that James Allan was destined to hang up his boots to sign for Glasvegas and swap the days of the desolated terraces of Angus for packed shows throughout the world. This, alongside the likes of Pat Nevin's previous career, is just another instance in a long line of connections between Scotland's great interests and it was that relationship which got them thinking about bringing the two together in Stirling, and what better place than the home of the world's oldest football!
Band members Barry and Alban's commitment in helping the Stirling Albion fans takeover campaign in 2010 paid off a year later as they were able to convince the club's board to let them use the grass pitch for the final of the inaugural MD Cup.
Arranging their own team this year has not been without its trials and tribulations for the Miniature Dinosaurs. It was especially gutting when confirmed that their next single's producer, Stuart MacLeod, had to declare himself un-fit for the preliminary squad list. They'd been willing to overlook his own club allegiance for Airdrie United as he once played with Stirling Albion. As with their regular 5-a-side team, the band have taken to wearing the blue and white kit of drummer Sam's team, Huddersfield Town, much to the confusion of any local spectators.
Football is part of the Mini Dinos touring life too, as they make a point of visiting stadia whilst on the road, from the colossal likes of Newcastle and Middlesbrough to being given guided tours by Darlington, Cambridge and York . Their rehearsal room is made all the more colourful by the wee trinkets they have picked up along the way!