Menswear (band)
Menswear were a short-lived Britpop band in the mid 1990s from Camden in London. They signed their record deal after their fifth gig, appearing on the cover of Melody Maker (in an article about Camden club night Blow Up) before they had recorded a note. Their dress sense was Mod (tight fitting suits etc) whilst their music was influenced by both Blur's second album Modern Life Is Rubbish and Elastica.
They generated so much publicity that they appeared on Top of the Pops a week before their first single had even been released. This made them the first band to appear on the show without releasing a record. Their first single I'll Manage Somehow was a minor hit, reaching number 75 in the UK charts due to being a limited release. Their second single Daydreamer peaked at number 14 in the UK charts.
On the one hand, the band was criticised by the British music press for allegedly having success based on good-looks and charm rather than musical talent. On the other, this helped Menwear appeal to readers of both the NME and Smash Hits.
The band released their debut album Nuisance in 1995. Menswear played at the Glastonbury Festival the same year and released another single Stardust at the end of 1995. It reached the top thirty. As did follow-up single "Sleeping In". A fifth single, "Being Brave" gave them their first and only top ten hit. A final release in early 1997 Horses is rarely mentioned due to the fact that the week it was released the charts were not published due to industrial action. Around this time, frontman Johnny Dean became tabloid fodder due to a short lived relationship with pop singer Sonia Evans.
As the popularity of Britpop faded, so did that of Menswear. They released a second album Hay Tiempo! in 1998 - but it was only available in Japan. It was rumoured that Menswe@r would remerge under another brand, and return to their dance music / boy band roots.
One guitarist, Simon White, went on to manage the bands Bloc Party, Engineers and Fields; and the other, Chris Gentry, is now managing Clocks, who have recently signed to Island Records, and is playing guitar for Ali Love, who recently had an NME Single of the Week with the song K-Hole. Drummer Matt Everett went on to work on the news team at London radio station Xfm.
Trivia
- Johnny Dean once got into a fight with Liam Gallagher over who could take the most cocaine without falling over. Dean won after he went through four bags but he regretted it the next morning when he appeared on the BBC show Live and Kicking and suffered a heart attack half way through performing hit single Daydreamer.
- Menswe@r were actually plucked from the gay bar scene in London's Soho. They had originally intended to play Pet Shop Boys style electro-pop, but were convinced by Food A&R man Jamie Quirk that Britpop would be a more profitable gateway into the industry.
- Chris Gentry once lost out in a post-pub street fight to noted celebrity Chris Evans. The fight, said to be instigated by a very drunk and abusive Gentry, resulted in Menswe@r being banned from Evans' hit TV show TFI Friday and was said to be the beginning of the end for the band.
- Between June 95 and March 96 Menswear were selling more records than the Beatles in Japan.
Discography
Albums
Singles
- I'll Manage Somehow (1995) - #49
- Daydreamer (1995) - #14
- Sleeping In (1995) - #24
- Stardust (1995) - #16
- Being Brave (1996) - #10
- We Love You (1996) - #22
- Horses (1997) - #74
Members
- Johnny Dean - Vocals
- Chris Gentry - Guitar
- Stuart Black - Bass
- Matt Everett - Drums
- Simon White - Guitar