The Datsuns

aka Trinket


How did they do it? That’s a good question – and there are good answers. Anyone who has seen The Datsuns live knows that they have always been committed to their live performance – from day one to day five thousand and one. There was a buzz after their 2016 gigs at Auckland’s The King’s Arms and Wellington’s Homegrown Festival.

Their story is not about posting online, but about old school packing and posting a vinyl 7-inch single to a person of importance in the music industry – whether a booker in Australia (or Japan) or a radio legend at the BBC. In 2002 The Datsuns broke through in pre-internet ways: live performance, the John Peel radio show and UK magazines including the NME. They hit London town just before the NME lost its star-making power and the conversation about music moved from pieces of paper stapled together to the on-line buffet of audio and video nibbles.

A Datsuns publicity shot: Phil Somervell, Matt Osment, Christian Livingstone and Dolf de Borst
Phil Somervell, 2004
Photo credit: Simon Grigg collection
The poster for the canceled 2004 Lollapalooza tour
Smoke & Mirrors (2006)
The Datsuns: Christian Livingstone, Matt Osment, Phil Somervell and Dolf de Borst
The Datsuns - MF From Hell
The Datsuns, Kings Arms, Auckland, 2002
Photo credit: Simon Grigg collection
The Datsuns, 2012: Dolf de Borst, Ben Cole, Christian Livingstone and Phil Somervell
The Datsuns - Harmonic Generator
The Datsuns in Sydney, January 2003
The Datsuns (2002)
The Datsuns - In Love (2002)
The Datsuns on tour in Australia, 2000`
The Datsuns - Super Gyration (2000) - directed by Greg Page
The Datsuns, 2002: Matt Osment, Dolf de Borst, Phil Somervell and Christian Livingstone
The Datsuns at Espy, Melbourne, January 2002
Death Rattle Boogie (2012)
Headstunts (2008)
The Datsuns on Top Of The Pops, October 2002
The Datsuns, 2012: Ben Cole, Phil Somervell, Christian Livingstone and Dolf de Borst
The Datsuns - In Love (live on the UK's Top of the Tops, 2002)
The Datsuns in Melbourne, December 2000
Human Error (7-inch single, 2008)
The Datsuns new lineup, 2008: Phil Somervell, Christian Livingstone, Ben Cole and Dolf de Borst
The Datsuns - Bullseye
The Datsuns in 2003, with Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, producer of their second album, Outta Sight /Outta Mind: Dolf de Borst, Jones, Matt Osment, Phil Somervell and Christian Livingstone
The Datsuns - Gold Halo
Dolf de Borst during The Datsuns' first John Peel Session, May 2002
Photo credit: Photo by Quentin Reade.
Rip It Up Archive/Simon Grigg collection.
Dolf de Borst, 2000
Photo credit: Simon Grigg collection
The Datsuns - Girl's Best Friend
The Datsuns - Human Error
The Datsuns, 2003: Matt Osment, Dolf de Borst, Christian Livingstone and Phil Somervell
Photo credit: Garry Brandon
The Datsuns, Melbourne, May 2001
The Datsuns in Germany, 2004
The Datsuns - In Love
Lady (7-inch, 2001)
The Datsuns - So Long
The Datsuns: Christian Livingstone, Ben Cole, Phil Somervell and Dolf de Borst
Dolf de Borst and Matt Osment, September 2002
Photo credit: Simon Grigg collection
The Datsuns - Super Gyration
Dolf de Borst, 2004
Photo credit: Simon Grigg collection
Gold Halo (7-inch single, 2012)
The Datsuns, 2002: Dolf de Borst, Matt Osment, Christian Livingstone and Phil Somervell
The Datsuns - Stuck Here For Days
The Datsuns, 2003: Matt Osment, Dolf de Borst, Christian Livingstone and Phil Somervell
Outta Sight / Outta Mind (2004)
The Datsuns - Waiting For Your Time To Come
The Datsuns - Stuck Here For Days documentary (2014)
The Datsuns - System Overload
The Datsuns - Gods Are Bored
The Datsuns record for John Peel, May 2002
Photo credit: Photo by Quentin Reade.
Rip It Up Archive/Simon Grigg collection.
The Datsuns - Blacken My Thumb
The Datsuns, Kings Arms, Auckland, 2002
Photo credit: Simon Grigg collection
Deep Sleep (2014)
Promo clip for the Datsuns Death Rattle Fuzz guitar pedal box - an effects pedal designed by guitarist Christian Livingstone
Bad Taste (2014)
The Datsuns, 2003: Phil Somervell, Christian Livingstone, Dolf de Borst and Matt Osment
Photo credit: Photo by Garry Brandon. RipItUp Archives.
Matt Osment, John Peel and Dolf de Borst, May 2002
Photo credit: Photo by Quentin Reade.
Rip It Up Archive/Simon Grigg collection.
Claw Machine
The Datsuns - Stuck here For Days (2006)
The Datsuns, 2002: Dolf de Borst, Matt Osment, Christian Livingstone and Phil Somervell
A Datsuns publicity shot from 2002
Photo credit: Photo by Ian "Blink" Jorgensen
The Datsuns, 2008: Ben Cole, Dolf de Borst, Christian Livingstone and Phil Somervell
The Datsuns in Europe in the mid-2000s: Matt Osment, Phil Somervell, Dolf de Borst and Christian Livingstone
Labels:

V2


Hellsquad Records


Cooking Vinyl


EMI

Members:

Dolf de Borst - vocals, bass

Christian Livingstone - guitar

Phil Buscke Somervell - guitar

Ben Cole - drums

Matt Osment - drums

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