CLORing Back - Barringtone

When one of Gigwise’s favourite bands, Clor, decided to call a premature end to their imposing beginnings and inevitable steam train ride to success we couldn’t help getting a little emotional. Thankfully however, we can say goodbye to those tears and pick ourselves up into our smiles once again because mastermind Barry Dobbin has returned to apologise to us all and charm us with the equally inspiring sounds of his new band Barringtone.

The genius that lies within Dobbin is presented in a humble run of the mill, relaxed chap. Dressed in a simple jacket, worn jeans and baseball cap combination - he epitomises the modest of the modest. We sit in an underground office surrounded by busy hands bashing away at computers and answering calls on an adequately comfy sofa to discuss where he’s been and where he is going.

“If all else fails I’ll become a farmer.” Apparently Dobbin has been taking his time getting his fingers green and covered in plaster in-between his projects. A year and a half of his life had been encompassed by getting back to basics and nature by working in ‘normal’ jobs. Positions in agencies, gardens and plastering have enabled Dobbin to become somewhat of a jack of all trades, and it’s helped on a personal level too. “I’m getting better at gardening, I never use to be. I’ve got a proper garden now and everything. It’s coming up a treat.” Not your typical rockstar/musician quote eh?

Lets not forget how much of an impact Clor had on those fortunate enough to delve into their inimitable sound. Barringtone will fill that much needed dynamic expressively eclectic void that Clor left and Dobbin admires the progression he has made. Talking of his new band he says: “It’s a very different band to Clor because we record what we do live whereas before we would make it on a computer and get the band to play what we’ve made in the studio. So it’s like the reverse way round.”

Asked whether there are things he has been able to do differently that perhaps Clor restricted him with, he adds: “It’s all live drums. Nothing we did with Clor was live drums - it was all programmed. So I think that’s a massive thing, it is for me anyway and I think it’s important”

Barringtone is Dobbin along with bassist Connan Coolidge and drummer Boomer Opperman. The band got together through the Rochdale born man’s own initiative and a little help from his friends. Explaining how he recruited his team he reveals: “I’d met Boomer who plays drums because he played in a band called Plugs and I’d been to see him a couple of times and asked him to support Clor. I thought he was the best drummer I’d seen and it always amazed me the way he plays. So I got in contact with him out of the blue and said did you fancy trying something out, which he did.