The Backyard Flames
Automatic for the people. Sort of.
Welcome to the fire. Which, incidentally, they didn’t start – Billy Joel started all that.
But anyway, far removed from BJ's style, this infamous five have ignited themselves into the psyche of all concerned... they are The Backyard Flames and they've come to rock your world.
A logical progression over the past 18 months has seen the most-likely lads getting better with every move they make. They burnt their way through 2006 with a raw sound that has seen them performing in and around the capital, and in the summer of last year were due to support Babyshambles. But in time-honoured tradition the elusive Pete Doherty and his rebel cohorts didn't show.
It's hard to pigeonhole TBF's music, but we don't want to. And with a noise your mum and dad will absolutely hate (unless they're roadies for the band), The Backyard Flames have crowd surfed their way onto the scene. And being the accidental heroes of their regeneration; the indie wonderkids have marked their territory on merit and only consider doing stadium gigs for fun.
Tracks such as What Am I To Do, Psycho Girl (in honour of ex-girlfriends, naturally) and Trebles For Singles are already hits with the fans, plus they usually throw an impromptu cover version into their sets of whatever they fancy saluting that day. For example, a punk version of Gnarls Barkley's Crazy, which worked a charm at one of their south London gigs, proved that in at the deep end is how they work best. There's even a version of Dead or Alive's You Spin Me Round which is given a good kicking – and has now become one of the jewels in their hot, hot crown. They will always take a song into new dimensions and do it some twisted justice.
Now with new production, a new CD and new haircuts, the early stages of bashing and crashing has paid off and the band are ready to take on any festivals or intimate gigs that interrupt their hard-working schedule.
I know you got soul 'cause if you didn't you wouldn't be here and you wouldn't have read this far. I thank you.
Danny Cheesewright (Band Menagerie)