It is within the next few weeks that we will be not necessarily celebrating but coming to the realisation that we have been in lockdown (on and off) for a year now. Throughout that time, there have been many struggles for many people, but this hasn’t stopped some going the extra mile and achieving something.
Take Nottingham local, James Pemblington, for example. During the first lockdown, he discovered – just like everyone else – that TikTok was becoming popular, so he thought how could he use this platform to get his name out there? Well, it may not be the first thing you normally think of, but James, Tim Oliver – the David Brent lookalike, Mitch Ryan, Jason Moore and Matthew Keers decided to get together and form a David Brent tribute band.
James could see how popular TikTok was becoming and how it helped small businesses during the past (and present) unprecedented times, so he and his fellow bandmates decided it was a great idea to put up videos of the band and to see how it goes…
James said: “I’m a big Ricky Gervais fan and loved the Life on the Road film.
“I really enjoyed the cringy music from the film and wanted to perform it, so I made contact with Tim and pitched the idea of performing as his backing band to cover the tracks from The Office and Life On The Road.”
So far, the group have published 36 videos on the social media platform. These include performances from past rehearsals or gigs the group performed. In the beginning, they were only getting a few likes, then all of a sudden, one of the videos went crazy and became a hit as it received 248,000 views – and counting!
@davidbrent_band How’s this @bbcradio1 for #radio1lolathon #comedy #radio1 #creative #rickygervais #fyp #tour #band #office #DavidBrent #lookalike #foryoupage
After the group became a viral hit, they suddenly started receiving lots of enquiries about performing at peoples weddings, including attracting a couple from all the way in Gibraltar. As well as this, a big agent has been in touch with the group to perform a UK tour during November and December this year.
When describing how it felt seeing the likes continue to grow, James said: “It was fantastic to see it take off like it did, and it’s still growing.
“The comments on the videos are amazing, and every day we’re picking up hundreds of followers.”
So, a dream for some – thinking about becoming an overnight sensation – came true for James Pemblington and his tribute band, and that was in a national lockdown! It makes you wonder what else can people achieve during these unpredictable times?
The band can be found on their social media pages here:
Twitter: @Foregone_Del
TikTok: @davidbrent_band
Website: DavidBrentBand.com
