The brainchild of a music journalist, this UK band arrived on the back of a wave of hype generated by a music press desperate to promote them as the new saviours of indie music. After floating around the fringes of the music scene for several years, Gay Dad eventually became a reality in 1997, with a line-up comprising Cliff Jones (guitar/vocals), James Risebero (keyboards), Nigel Hoyle (bass) and Nicholas "Baz" Crowe (drummer). Jones was a marginally successful journalist who had been published in magazines including The Face and Mojo. Hoyle was a medical student, Crowe worked in publishing, and Risebero was a trained architect. The quartet recorded demos at Raezor Studios, including a song called "To Earth With Love". Although originally intended to win the band some live dates, the demo soon attracted keen record company interest. The band signed to London Records in December 1997 after an A&R scramble. Adding guitarist Charley Stone they embarked on a low-key tour with Superstar in early 1998. Afterwards, the band began recording sessions at The Dairy studio in Brixton with producers/engineers Gary Langan (ex-Art Of Noise) and Chris Hughes (ex-Adam And The Ants). A re-recorded "To Earth With Love" was released on the back of tremendous press hype, with the band's name and their logo (road sign posters depicting a white man against a blue background) skilfully exploiting the zeitgeist. The single debuted at UK number 10 in January 1999, but poor live shows initiated the predictable critical backlash. The follow-up single "Joy" stalled outside the Top 20 in May, while Leisurenoise entered the charts at number 14. The album was a surprisingly effective pastiche of 70s musical styles, from the driving glam rock of their debut single to the power pop of "Pathfinder" and "Different Kind Of Blue'. The band, now reduced to a trio with the departure of Risebero, were released by London the following November. They bounced back in some style with September 2001"s Transmission.

Listen to Gay Dad at Finetune.

• (1999)  Leisure Noise

• Oh Jim
• Joy
• Black Ghost
• To Earth With Love
• Dimstar

• Radiohead
• Manic Street Preachers
• Travis
• Blur
• The Verve
• Belle And Sebastian
• Supergrass
• Pulp
• Coldplay
• James
• The London Suede
• Kula Shaker
• Oasis
• Happy Mondays
• The Stone Roses
• Echo And The Bunnymen
• Chemical Brothers
• Primal Scream
• New Order
• Cornershop

• redguitar
• BUDDHAART
• unclejim
• christoddur