Gaz Coombes
Encyclopedia
Gaz Coombes is an English
musician
and singer-songwriter
, best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist
of the English
alternative rock
band
, Supergrass
. He first entered the music scene aged sixteen as the lead singer of the band The Jennifers
which featured Supergrass band mate Danny Goffey
. Gaz was noticeable for his large sideburns
during the 1990s.
. The band undertook a nationwide tour before Coombes was fifteen. When they signed for their first recording contract
with Nude Records
, Coombes, who was under 18 at the time, had to have his mother sign the contract for him.
"There were a couple of ridiculous, punky, joke songs - "Harvey The Accountant" and "The Girl With The Removable Face". That one went: "The girl with the removable face/She didn't have much of a life/All the boys used to pull it off/And use it as a frisbee
." Most of them were in that vein. Actually, we haven't changed much." says Gaz about some Jennifers penned songs.
They released "Just Got Back Today
" on Nude Records
in 1992 before they disbanded.
After the mild success experienced by The Jennifers
, but still living with his parents, Gaz got a job at the local Harvester
. Gaz would take old Jennifers demos and play them over the restaurant
's PA system before it opened, and this eventually led to him meeting Mick Quinn
, a co-worker who played bass guitar and shared his musical tastes. With Danny Goffey
they began to practice at Mick's house, and Supergrass
was formed shortly thereafter.
formed Supergrass. In 2002 Gaz' brother keyboardist Rob Coombes officially joined the band. Before that he was studying for an Astrophysics
degree at Cardiff University
. The band released six studio albums in their 17 years together, each of them entering the top 20: I Should Coco
(1995), In It for the Money
(1997), Supergrass
(1999), Life on Other Planets
(2002), Road to Rouen
(2005) and Diamond Hoo Ha
(2008). They also released a token singles compilation Supergrass is 10
(2004), commemorating the first decade of the band's life.
During the height of Supergrass
' fame around 1995, Gaz received offers from "Italian Vogue" and most notably, "Calvin Klein
", to model for them in their ad campaigns and magazine publications. As well as this was the offer from Steven Spielberg
to make a Monkees
style TV show of the band. Coombes however, along with the rest of the band, declined these offers, saying; "Yes, we probably would have been face down in a pool
if we'd said yes to all that. I mean, our heads would have returned to our shoulders at some point, but... it felt like cheating. Too easy. Short cut. Y'know? If you have to do all that to be the biggest band in the world then... then what does that say about your music? And all that... [the publicity offers] would have just got in the way of the music. It would have taken so long to get to grips with. We'd have lost years."
In 1999, Gaz Coombes made an appearance on the "Da Ali G Show
" and played the Supergrass song "Sun Hits the Sky
", whilst having to deal with Ali G
'remixing' it as he performed. "I tried to take the mickey out of his goatee
, and he came back with: "So, you are looking like a monkey
..." But if you go on his show, you know what you're letting yourself in for." He said about the experience.
Gaz Coombes appeared on The Annex on 2fm
with Jenny Huston
alongside Danny Goffey
before Supergrass took the stage at Malahide Castle
in Dublin, Ireland
to support Arctic Monkeys
on 16 June 2007.
On the 12th of April 2010 Coombes and the rest of Supergrass announced that the band was to split after seventeen years. Musical differences were cited as the reason. They played four farewell concerts before the split. Their seventh album Release the Drones remains unfinished and unreleased.
Facebook page that he is currently working on his first solo album, recorded at his studio in Oxford with producer Sam Williams, and claiming that the record is on its final stages, plans to release it in 2011.
Coombes starred in an advert for the Toyota Yaris
where he plays himself and encounters a fan who wants a picture with him. The Supergrass single "Pumping on Your Stereo
" also appears in the advert.
Gaz confirmed that the record is over halfway done, with five tracks completed and mixed. Yet he has to record some more and add vocals to the rest of the tracks, and thinks the album will be released by March or April. He also plays most of the instruments on the record.
, and his mother an English teacher. Both his parents were practising Catholic
s and would regularly take the young Gaz to Mass
. Coombes himself however, no longer practises this religion, claiming; "I last prayed in 1990. It was the World Cup
, England versus Germany
, and I prayed we'd win. When we lost, I thought, 'If you can't even manage that...'"
Although he was born in England
, he lived with his family in San Francisco from around the age of five up until the age of nine, at which point in 1985 they returned to his birth place in Oxford
.
Coombes played Classical
piano
at this age, but gradually moved on to an interest in playing guitar
. He began to attend Wheatley Comprehensive
, but found himself being picked on for being 'girly'. Gaz's elder brother Rob
was friends with Nic Goffey
at the time, and one day on the school's playing fields a thirteen year old Gaz met and befriended Nic's younger brother, fifteen year old Danny Goffey
. Danny was two years older than Gaz and helped to "protect him" from being teased. Goffey recounts what happened; "I mean, you couldn't fucking miss him. He was gorgeous. He grew sideburns and they [other pupils] gave him loads of shit, but I was really into him. I think I fancied him a bit, y'know? He's really beautiful. He wasn't very mature at that age. He was like a kid. I just went up to him and asked him to form a band. I could. I was a drummer. The tallest drummer in the school."
Coombes originally lived in a Regency townhouse in Brighton
, which he first purchased in 1999, with his partner Jools Poore and their daughter, Raya May (b. 2003).
Due to the death of his mother, Eileen, in 2005, he felt compelled to move back into her house in Oxford
during 2006, where he had grown up. Coombes and his partner now have a second daughter, named Tiger (b. 2008). Gaz Coombes and his brothers Rob Coombes
, Charly Coombes
and Eddie Coombes also jointly own a converted barn
in Northern France
, which is where the Supergrass
album Road to Rouen
was recorded.
He has three other siblings who are all involved in music: the eldest is the keyboardist
and fellow Supergrass member Rob
, former 22-20s
keyboardist Charly
and Paris
-based Ed (who also plays piano).
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
of the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, Supergrass
Supergrass
Supergrass was an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes , Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey ....
. He first entered the music scene aged sixteen as the lead singer of the band The Jennifers
The Jennifers
The Jennifers were a short-lived British rock group formed at Wheatley Park School and featuring vocalist Gaz Coombes, guitarist Nic Goffey, drummer Danny Goffey and bassist Andy Davies...
which featured Supergrass band mate Danny Goffey
Danny Goffey
Daniel Robert Goffey Daniel Robert Goffey Daniel Robert Goffey (born 7 February 1974 in Slough, Buckinghamshire (now Berkshire) is an English musician and singer-songwriter best known as the drummer and backing vocalist for the English Britpop band, Supergrass...
. Gaz was noticeable for his large sideburns
Sideburns
Sideburns or sideboards are patches of facial hair grown on the sides of the face, extending from the hairline to below the ears and worn with an unbearded chin...
during the 1990s.
1991–1993: The Jennifers
He first entered the music world at age sixteen as the lead singer of the band The JennifersThe Jennifers
The Jennifers were a short-lived British rock group formed at Wheatley Park School and featuring vocalist Gaz Coombes, guitarist Nic Goffey, drummer Danny Goffey and bassist Andy Davies...
. The band undertook a nationwide tour before Coombes was fifteen. When they signed for their first recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Nude Records
Nude Records
Nude Records was a London based record label, set up in 1992 by Saul Galpern who had previously been involved in the success of artists such as Simply Red, the Fall, Julian Cope, The Triffids, The Slits and The Au Pairs. The label's first success was with Suede. Suede's debut album was the fastest...
, Coombes, who was under 18 at the time, had to have his mother sign the contract for him.
"There were a couple of ridiculous, punky, joke songs - "Harvey The Accountant" and "The Girl With The Removable Face". That one went: "The girl with the removable face/She didn't have much of a life/All the boys used to pull it off/And use it as a frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
." Most of them were in that vein. Actually, we haven't changed much." says Gaz about some Jennifers penned songs.
They released "Just Got Back Today
Just Got Back Today
"Just Got Back Today" was the only release from British band The Jennifers. The band included Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey, who would go on to become the guitarist and drummer of successful Britpop band Supergrass. Also in the line-up was Danny's brother, Nic, who would go on to direct music videos...
" on Nude Records
Nude Records
Nude Records was a London based record label, set up in 1992 by Saul Galpern who had previously been involved in the success of artists such as Simply Red, the Fall, Julian Cope, The Triffids, The Slits and The Au Pairs. The label's first success was with Suede. Suede's debut album was the fastest...
in 1992 before they disbanded.
After the mild success experienced by The Jennifers
The Jennifers
The Jennifers were a short-lived British rock group formed at Wheatley Park School and featuring vocalist Gaz Coombes, guitarist Nic Goffey, drummer Danny Goffey and bassist Andy Davies...
, but still living with his parents, Gaz got a job at the local Harvester
Harvester (restaurant)
Harvester Restaurants is a popular family farmhouse-style licensed restaurant chain with more than 170 outlets in the United Kingdom.-History:-Courage:...
. Gaz would take old Jennifers demos and play them over the restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
's PA system before it opened, and this eventually led to him meeting Mick Quinn
Mick Quinn
Mick Quinn is an English musician and singer-songwriter, best known as founding member of English rock band Supergrass. He formed the DB Band with bassist Paul Wilson, formerly of Shake Appeal in 2010 and released début EP "Stranger In The Alps" on the 17th September 2011...
, a co-worker who played bass guitar and shared his musical tastes. With Danny Goffey
Danny Goffey
Daniel Robert Goffey Daniel Robert Goffey Daniel Robert Goffey (born 7 February 1974 in Slough, Buckinghamshire (now Berkshire) is an English musician and singer-songwriter best known as the drummer and backing vocalist for the English Britpop band, Supergrass...
they began to practice at Mick's house, and Supergrass
Supergrass
Supergrass was an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes , Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey ....
was formed shortly thereafter.
1993–2010: Supergrass
In 1993 after The Jennifers disbanded, Gaz, Danny Goffey and Mick QuinnMick Quinn
Mick Quinn is an English musician and singer-songwriter, best known as founding member of English rock band Supergrass. He formed the DB Band with bassist Paul Wilson, formerly of Shake Appeal in 2010 and released début EP "Stranger In The Alps" on the 17th September 2011...
formed Supergrass. In 2002 Gaz' brother keyboardist Rob Coombes officially joined the band. Before that he was studying for an Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
degree at Cardiff University
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
. The band released six studio albums in their 17 years together, each of them entering the top 20: I Should Coco
I Should Coco
I Should Coco is the debut studio album by English alternative rock band Supergrass, released through Parlophone in May 1995. Supergrass were formed in 1993 by Gaz Coombes, Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey and they released their debut single from the album, "Caught by the Fuzz", in May 1995 on the...
(1995), In It for the Money
In It for the Money
In It for the Money is the second album by Supergrass, released in 1997. NME called it "more fun than watching a wombat in a washing machine" and named it the 10th best album of the year. In 1998, Q readers voted it the 68th greatest album of all time, while in 2000 the same magazine placed it at...
(1997), Supergrass
Supergrass (album)
Supergrass is the third album by the English rock group Supergrass. It was released in the UK on 20 September 1999 and reached #3. It is often referred to as both "the X-ray" album, due to the picture on the sleeve, and self-titled...
(1999), Life on Other Planets
Life on Other Planets
Life On Other Planets, or L.O.O.P as it is often abbreviated to, is the fourth album from English rock band Supergrass. It is the first album that includes Rob Coombes as an official member of the band, and originally went under the working title of 'Get Lost'...
(2002), Road to Rouen
Road to Rouen
Road to Rouen is the fifth studio album by English rock band Supergrass. The album was released in the UK on 15 August 2005 by Parlophone, and in the US on 27 September 2005 by Capitol Records...
(2005) and Diamond Hoo Ha
Diamond Hoo Ha
Diamond Hoo Ha is the sixth and final studio album by British rock band Supergrass, released in the UK on 24 March 2008, and offers a return to punchier Supergrass songs, in comparison to the more mellow Road To Rouen, their previous album released in 2005. Several songs appearing on the album were...
(2008). They also released a token singles compilation Supergrass is 10
Supergrass Is 10
Supergrass Is 10 is a compilation album celebrating the first 10 years of the band Supergrass. It includes singles from their first release, "Caught by the Fuzz" , to their then latest release, "Kiss of Life" ....
(2004), commemorating the first decade of the band's life.
During the height of Supergrass
Supergrass
Supergrass was an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes , Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey ....
' fame around 1995, Gaz received offers from "Italian Vogue" and most notably, "Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
", to model for them in their ad campaigns and magazine publications. As well as this was the offer from Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
to make a Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
style TV show of the band. Coombes however, along with the rest of the band, declined these offers, saying; "Yes, we probably would have been face down in a pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
if we'd said yes to all that. I mean, our heads would have returned to our shoulders at some point, but... it felt like cheating. Too easy. Short cut. Y'know? If you have to do all that to be the biggest band in the world then... then what does that say about your music? And all that... [the publicity offers] would have just got in the way of the music. It would have taken so long to get to grips with. We'd have lost years."
In 1999, Gaz Coombes made an appearance on the "Da Ali G Show
Da Ali G Show
Da Ali G Show is the name of two related satirical TV series created by and starring British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and featuring the character Ali G....
" and played the Supergrass song "Sun Hits the Sky
Sun Hits the Sky
"Sun Hits the Sky" is a song by the Britpop band Supergrass. It was the third single from the band's second album In It for the Money. It was released in June 1997, and reached #10 in the UK Singles Chart...
", whilst having to deal with Ali G
Ali G
Ali G is a satirical fictional character invented and performed by English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Originally appearing on Channel 4's Eleven O'Clock show, Ali G is the title character of Channel 4's Da Ali G Show, original episodes of which aired in 2000 and on HBO in 2003–2004, and is the...
'remixing' it as he performed. "I tried to take the mickey out of his goatee
Goatee
Goatee refers to a style of facial hair incorporating hair on a man’s chin. The exact nature of the style has varied according to time and culture.Traditionally, goatee refers solely to a beard formed by a tuft of hair on the chin...
, and he came back with: "So, you are looking like a monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
..." But if you go on his show, you know what you're letting yourself in for." He said about the experience.
Gaz Coombes appeared on The Annex on 2fm
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...
with Jenny Huston
Jenny Huston
Jenny Huston is a Canadian presenter of radio and television in Ireland. She is disc jockey on RTÉ 2fm, an occasional presenter on RTÉ Radio 1 and a television presenter with channels operated by Raidió Teilifís Éireann.; Huston presents an indie rock and pop music show on Friday nights and a rock...
alongside Danny Goffey
Danny Goffey
Daniel Robert Goffey Daniel Robert Goffey Daniel Robert Goffey (born 7 February 1974 in Slough, Buckinghamshire (now Berkshire) is an English musician and singer-songwriter best known as the drummer and backing vocalist for the English Britpop band, Supergrass...
before Supergrass took the stage at Malahide Castle
Malahide Castle
Malahide Castle, parts of which date to the 12th century, lies, with over of remaining estate parkland , close to the village of Malahide, nine miles north of Dublin in Ireland.-History:...
in Dublin, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
to support Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
on 16 June 2007.
On the 12th of April 2010 Coombes and the rest of Supergrass announced that the band was to split after seventeen years. Musical differences were cited as the reason. They played four farewell concerts before the split. Their seventh album Release the Drones remains unfinished and unreleased.
2010-present: Post-Supergrass
Gaz Coombes announced on October 28 in The Hotrats and SupergrassSupergrass
Supergrass was an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes , Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey ....
Facebook page that he is currently working on his first solo album, recorded at his studio in Oxford with producer Sam Williams, and claiming that the record is on its final stages, plans to release it in 2011.
Coombes starred in an advert for the Toyota Yaris
Toyota Vitz
The Toyota Vitz is a line of three- and five-door hatchback subcompact cars produced since 1998 by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. Now in its third generation, the name "Toyota Vitz" has been used consistently in Japan, with most international markets receiving the same vehicle under...
where he plays himself and encounters a fan who wants a picture with him. The Supergrass single "Pumping on Your Stereo
Pumping on Your Stereo
"Pumping on Your Stereo" is a song by Supergrass, released as their first single from their self-titled third album, Supergrass .The single reached #11 in the UK Singles Chart...
" also appears in the advert.
Gaz confirmed that the record is over halfway done, with five tracks completed and mixed. Yet he has to record some more and add vocals to the rest of the tracks, and thinks the album will be released by March or April. He also plays most of the instruments on the record.
Personal life
Gaz Coombes is the son of Eileen and John Coombes. His father was a food scientist, who enjoyed playing Jazz pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, and his mother an English teacher. Both his parents were practising Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
s and would regularly take the young Gaz to Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
. Coombes himself however, no longer practises this religion, claiming; "I last prayed in 1990. It was the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, England versus Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and I prayed we'd win. When we lost, I thought, 'If you can't even manage that...'"
Although he was born in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, he lived with his family in San Francisco from around the age of five up until the age of nine, at which point in 1985 they returned to his birth place in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
.
Coombes played Classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
at this age, but gradually moved on to an interest in playing guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. He began to attend Wheatley Comprehensive
Wheatley Park School
Wheatley Park School is a secondary school of around 1150 pupils situated in Holton, about southeast of Oxford. Its current headteacher is Kate Curtis who was promoted to the position in 2005 to replace Nicholas Young.-History:...
, but found himself being picked on for being 'girly'. Gaz's elder brother Rob
Rob Coombes
Rob Coombes was the keyboard player for Supergrass.He is the older brother of Gaz Coombes and was the newest member of Supergrass, officially joining in 2002...
was friends with Nic Goffey
Dom and Nic
dom&nic is the working name of directors Nic Goffey and Dominic Hawley. They have been directing notable music videos and commercials since 1994....
at the time, and one day on the school's playing fields a thirteen year old Gaz met and befriended Nic's younger brother, fifteen year old Danny Goffey
Danny Goffey
Daniel Robert Goffey Daniel Robert Goffey Daniel Robert Goffey (born 7 February 1974 in Slough, Buckinghamshire (now Berkshire) is an English musician and singer-songwriter best known as the drummer and backing vocalist for the English Britpop band, Supergrass...
. Danny was two years older than Gaz and helped to "protect him" from being teased. Goffey recounts what happened; "I mean, you couldn't fucking miss him. He was gorgeous. He grew sideburns and they [other pupils] gave him loads of shit, but I was really into him. I think I fancied him a bit, y'know? He's really beautiful. He wasn't very mature at that age. He was like a kid. I just went up to him and asked him to form a band. I could. I was a drummer. The tallest drummer in the school."
Coombes originally lived in a Regency townhouse in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, which he first purchased in 1999, with his partner Jools Poore and their daughter, Raya May (b. 2003).
Due to the death of his mother, Eileen, in 2005, he felt compelled to move back into her house in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
during 2006, where he had grown up. Coombes and his partner now have a second daughter, named Tiger (b. 2008). Gaz Coombes and his brothers Rob Coombes
Rob Coombes
Rob Coombes was the keyboard player for Supergrass.He is the older brother of Gaz Coombes and was the newest member of Supergrass, officially joining in 2002...
, Charly Coombes
Charly Coombes
Charly Coombes is an English multi-instrumentalist and vocalist....
and Eddie Coombes also jointly own a converted barn
Barn
A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...
in Northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, which is where the Supergrass
Supergrass
Supergrass was an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes , Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey ....
album Road to Rouen
Road to Rouen
Road to Rouen is the fifth studio album by English rock band Supergrass. The album was released in the UK on 15 August 2005 by Parlophone, and in the US on 27 September 2005 by Capitol Records...
was recorded.
He has three other siblings who are all involved in music: the eldest is the keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
and fellow Supergrass member Rob
Rob Coombes
Rob Coombes was the keyboard player for Supergrass.He is the older brother of Gaz Coombes and was the newest member of Supergrass, officially joining in 2002...
, former 22-20s
22-20s
22-20s are an English rock band formed in Sleaford, Lincolnshire. The band originally disbanded in December 2005 but reformed in 2008 and released Shake/Shiver/Moan in 2010....
keyboardist Charly
Charly Coombes
Charly Coombes is an English multi-instrumentalist and vocalist....
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
-based Ed (who also plays piano).