Looking for Boyfriends?

• 5th Dec 2004

Once upon a time there was a band called The Boyfriends . . .

In February of this year they tentatively placed a couple of bedroom demos on their newly launched website. Word swiftly began to spread and it wasn't long before people were asking to release them properly. Two boys named Joe picked “No Tomorrow” for their near legendary second Angular compilation, Rip Off Your Labels and The Boyfriends soon found themselves rubbing shoulders with the likes of Art Brut and the Vichy Government.

“No Tomorrow” was shortly joined by “I Love You” on an acclaimed mail-order-only split EP with The Long Blondes. John Kennedy made it single of the week on his Xfm X-posure show, invited the boys in to record a session and broadcast an entire live set on the same show.

The Boyfriends have received plaudits from NME and the Independent On Sunday, been included by Xfm¹s Lauren Laverne in a published list of her ten favourite new bands, tipped by Simon Amstell as new band to look out for on Channel 4¹s Popworld, seen their live shows attended by members of Suede, Radiohead and The Futureheads and won plaudits from a host of fanzines both online and off. The Boyfriends have also been featured as the lead band in a recent Underground London issue of Boyz magazine, supported The Hidden Cameras, played successful concerts in Germany and Finland, and been a strongly supported presence on London's live music scene.

Visually, the band have been likened (by Playlouder.com) to sexually ambivalent East End ruffians, while Artrocker.com dubbed them “a real fearsome looking crew who give the air of being happier on the terraces than singing tender love songs”. Lyrically, they mingle aggression and romanticism with extreme optimism to create a sound described by joyzine.co.uk as ³violently hopeful². Musically, The Boyfriends can be dark but are always ultimately uplifting. Their song 'No Tomorrow' was described by Xfm “an anthem for a new generation”.

The Boyfriends are currently writing songs, planning more live appearances, talking to a variety of record companies and looking to put out a limited edition single in the new year. As the momentum around them gathers, it seems difficult to argue with NME, who described them in a live review as “the most captivating prospect of this oncoming winter” and “about to go a very long way”.

To round off a very successful year, The Boyfriends will be releasing a FREE virtual single with two brand new recordings “Once Upon A Time” and “A Fearless Heart” available to download from their website – link – from Monday 6th December.

To coincide with the release, The Boyfriends will be playing a short Christmas tour, calling in at the following venues:

7th December 2004 – The Marquee, London

The Marquee, 1 Leicester Square, London WC2
Tuesday 7th December 2004
Entry £5
The Boyfriends onstage at 8.45

8th December 2004 – The Freebutt, Brighton

The Freebutt, Phoenix Place, Brighton
Wednesday 8th December 2004
Entry £5/£4 concessions
The Boyfriends onstage at 8.30

9th December 2004 – The Social, Nottingham

Liars Club at
The Social, 23 Pelham Street, Nottingham
Thursday 9th December 2004
Entry £4/£3 concessions

Official Site : link