As far as Doncaster bands go, The Beaus are the best in the business. In fact even Darren Bell has to concede they have the best looking drummer in Doncaster! Now featuring a Q&A with lead singer Doya.
The Beaus
Simply The Beaus are a three piece hailing from the cultural wasteland that is Doncaster, they are:
Doya - Vocals & Guitars, Mitch - Drums & Danny on bass.
** New ** The Beaus website is now up and running at:
There's plenty of stuff on there too including a shop to buy music and T shirts (yes finally! And only a fiver too), videos, gig info and photo's (although none of ours..boo!).
Check out the fantastic new video for 'In the red corner' on youtube now, it's a quality video and a class watch (especially for the residents of Doncaster!) it's on:
www.youtube.com/user/thebeausofficial
Also on youtube is the mini documentary 'From Sheffield to Scotland' (backed by their music of course) which is a bit old now but still quite funny, corduroy!!
Check them out on myspace at www.myspace.com/thebeausofficial
Check them out on facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/the-beaus/47783994064
NEW Grab some free downloads here... there's the killer 'final notice session' version of 'In the red corner' plus Doya's additional remix too. Then there's a 'Final notice session' version of 'Cappuccino Swagger' (correct as March'10 but be quick) at:
http://drop.io/thebeausfinalnoticesession
To Buy their debut single 'Clockwatching' and why wouldn't you? Afterall it's class and only 79p from:
www.circuitrecords.co.uk/shop/index.asp?artistid=12
Check out the podcast of their support to The Rascals here:
http://www.themusicweek.co.uk/past_events?id=63
What their biog on Circuit Records says about them....
the beaus - Formed in 2007 and wearing their combined love of classic guitar pop on their Harrington sleeves the Beaus produce some formidable tunes. The 3 lads, rattle out their edgy rhythms in any venue, garage, party or festival that leaves the door open. 2008 has been a good year for the beaus, from Radio 1 appearances to supports with major artists, the beaus have driven their message home with their unique 'in your face' but respectfully polite attitude. Straight up stuff with a twist... edgy, modernist, catchy and fresh, the beaus music is all about the now.
This is what Q music has for their biog on the Glastonbury emerging talent competition...
This isn't 'bad man', or nor is it sad, man. It's just a slap of my daily deadpan. Go forth and tell it on the mountain, spoutin' my inner-sinner, verbal offender. 10 years for slander, out on remand, it's the North-East gale with the black country trail. It's mish mashed bric-a-brac, knockin' back with booze hounds, sounds as it would sound, and resonates the hometowns. Home counties might just get it, or over the heads with it, back up on the shelf with it, just hope you don't regret it. Parables for the dossers and dirty weekend doctors. Festival medicine, the good lord often says of him, "the beat's bang on son. Yeah, now drop the next one…"
The Beaus Q&A - completed by their lead singer & guitarist Doya...
Firstly, to those who don't know you, who are The Beaus?
We're the beaus. We're dead good and we're going to be the best band in the world one day.
Obvious second question, what's in a name, so why The Beaus?
There's nothing in a name. Some bands have really good names and are shite, some have shit names and are sound. I like that we've got a "The" though. It implies some sort of grandeur I reckon.
If you had to be lazy and pop yourself into a musical genre which would it be and whom would you compare yourself to?
Trip-Rock? Hip-Rock? I don't know, I could be all "we transcend genre and aren't limited to a certain sound" but that would be a bit silly wouldn't it? Someone will think of a name.
Anyone you don't like being compared to?
There've been a fair few comparisons to Sade, but she was nominated for best album of the last 30 years at the Brits, so it can't be bad can it?
You've released a single, 'Clockwatching' a while ago on Circuit Records, what's the deal with them & how's it helped the band?
Also can you still get the single & if so where from?
Circuit are a mint label who are releasing our mint music, we get a mint deal and have complete creative control over everything. Mint. You can get the single from www.circuitrecords.co.uk
In fact 'Clockwatching' was played by Huw Stephens on radio 1, how did that feel to hear yourselves on't wireless?
Incredibly natural, almost as if both Huw Stephens whole career had been leading up to that point I think.
You've got a famous logo featuring a person wearing a balaclava, who is it behind the mask and is there any great meaning behind the logo?
The woman behind the mask is one of Britain's highest paid models, the photo was taken at a chance meeting in Hull, but her lawyers have since hit us with a gagging order as they're worried about how that image may affect her other work.
You've now skipped out of Doncaster to Uni at Leeds, how's moving to the big city changed your attitude to songwriting and has it changed your attitude to the band?
It hasn't really changed to be honest, the song writing just gets better and better every time we put pen to paper and we get more and more buzzed to be doing it. We've just got more time (and money) on our hands since moving up. Everything just gets bigger really, and the shady goings on get more shady, so I've got more to write about, ha. But Doncaster's still where we practice.
Following on from the last question, a lot of bands fall by the wayside when their members move to pastures new, why are The Beaus different?
The Beaus is all that we want to do with our life, that's already been agreed. Signed, Sealed, Delivered.
The Beaus appear to be somewhat of a stylish bunch, have you gone out of your way to portray a certain image or are you just a bunch of stylish lads off stage too?
Ha-ha how do you answer that without sounding bigheaded? Yeah we've always looked bob on.
Is there anyone that made you wanna grab a guitar or get up on stage behind a mic and if so who are they and do they influence The Beaus sound?
The Jam has always been up there. Weller's got that perfect balance of spite and wit hasn't he? Danny used to bang on about them on the way to school when we were 11. The Rifles do that quite well too I think, we saw them on their first tour there was only about 15 people there too, we told them we'd be playing with them one day, ha. My brothers used to play a lot of Wu-Tang Clan when I was young; they also had that very angry but witty style too. Yeah, we'd be walking to school banging on about Ol' Dirty Bastard and Paul Weller, ha ha.
What's on your Ipod at the moment?
Switching it on now, I've got "Beautiful Otherness" by "Bent". I love how Michael Caine always talks about them in interviews, have you heard his chill out compilation? It's pretty good.
If you were able to support anyone (dead or alive) who would it be and why? Also flip way round who would you really want from the bands around at the moment to warm up the crowd for a Beaus headline set?
It'd have to be someone we really like, but at the same time, someone who we could outshine when we play, that would be the cherry wouldn't it? "Ha-ha! Take that Bowie!" Nah I don't know, you want to keep your legends what they are, legends, don't you? Meeting or supporting them might ruin it.
Our warm up? You're supposed to pick shite bands aren't you? There's one or two in Donny, I'll let you guess who I mean, ha.
You've played a few shows now, what's the best and worst so far?
God, I could tell you about bad shows all day, one of the weirdest was playing in Manchester and having The King Blues support us. The promoter had a grudge with someone in the band or in their crew I think so he put them on before us, the place was mental, proper rammo, then they finished and it was dead, leaving us playing to about 5 people. There were 2 odd girls who left us a note on stage saying they were really sorry to go, ha.
The best way probably our last show at 02 Academy in Sheffield, at the "Last of Summer Festival". It just sounded top, man.
You've also tried your hand at a bit of DJing and mixing, how did that come about and how does it differ from 'the day job' in The Beaus?
I've only ever tried DJing once, and that was at Donny Festival, it was, well, odd. We've been too skint to buy gear, when we've got some brass we'll start DJing together, we'd bang some right tunes in. Bit of Lionrock, a bit of Datarock, no Glam Rock though. I make tunes though, just put up the remix for the next single online. It's a bit good innit?
Coming up in the future what can we expect from The Beaus?
You can expect the single "In The Red Corner" in April and the video in march. A tour around that time, then I suppose we'd better get on with it, you know No.1 singles and sleazy nights out with Paul Anka, all that lark.
Lastly, our trademark final question, in 20 words (swearing obviously encouraged) write your own press release!
The revolution will not be press released...
(February 2010)
What we said about their Sine FM Launch gig (September 09):
The heat gets turned up as The Beaus hit the Sine FM stage. They weigh in as a three piece with Doya sharing guitars and vocals, Mitch is the beast with the beats on sticks and Danny cool and calculated on the bass. They are really starting to sound like a decent unit, not in a 'tight' pub circuit band sense neither, plus as ever they look like proper stars dripping cool in front of the stately Corn Exchange façade. Musically they remind of The Clash, not that they actually sound that much like them but in the way they can mix musical styles into their direct indie guitar sound, which is why it says indie / soul / punk on their myspace page. Another class performance from Doncaster's brightest young stars, bring on that next single.
And what we said when we saw The Beaus in late 2008…
Venue: The Priory, Doncaster. This is the 'hot' venue, which has attracted some of the most happening scenes bands from around the country during the last twelve months. Bit strange then that this is our first visit. A lot of time and cash has been thrown at this place, as it looks the picture, cool bar upstairs then the venue / club downstairs with another glam bar. It's a free gig with plenty of local bands on the menu so the fact it isn't packed is a bit of a disappointment. Support: Due to a farce with buses we miss The Thieves, which is also a disappointment! We caught a bit of their Doncaster Music Live set a few weeks since and they were pretty good. Reminded us of Sheffield's The Chartists; got that retro rock sound going down. The Band: First things first, The Beaus look the part, brought together by a obvious love of Fred Perry they look like a band that could easily grace the covers of the music press. Musically we have then currently as the second best band from Doncaster, trailing the marvellous Ayschamps but they have age on their sides as the youngest is a mere 16 and the oldest 18 so plenty of time for an overtaking manoeuvre. They have quite an ear for music as they seem to be able to blend a bit of clash, bloc party, libertines, arctic monkeys but without ever sounding like a pastiche of any one band. One thing that does make them sound different is Doya's vocal style, at times it almost comes across as spoken word. However, there is a fairly big criticism of Doya's vocals, firstly at times they get a bit swamped by the music and also they aren't always crystal clear but these can easily ironed out with a few tweaks here and there. It has to be said that for a three piece they make quite a racket and it looks pretty effortless, the drummer is a star in the making and he makes it look really, really easy and the bassist has quite the swagger about him. Verdict: Not quite the finished article but one of the best bands to come out of Doncaster for the last five or so years. So if they just do a few tweaks around the live vocals and keep progressing as they have the future sure is bright for The Beaus. Shadders scorelines - Atmosphere - 7, Ability - 8, Effort - 8. The Beaus value for money - 8 (the only money changing hands is over the bar!)