Som Wardner
Encyclopedia
Som Wardner is a Sri Lanka
n-born British musician and socialite
, best known as the frontman of the band My Vitriol
.
Wardner was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka and raised as a Sinhalese
Buddhist. Noted for artistic abilities from an early age, Wardner had one of his art exhibitions opened by the President of Sri Lanka.
Wardner's family emigrated to the UK when he was 10 years old. He was educated at St. Olave's Grammar School in Orpington
, Kent
where his family relocated to. As a teenager, he formed punk rock band Shock Syndrome with classmates, which went onto local popularity, but split upon departure of the three members to University.
Wardner formed cult alternative rock band My Vitriol
whilst a student at University College London
. He was the sole composer on their critically acclaimed album Finelines, released on Infectious Records
(Warner Music Group
) and Epic
/Sony Music in the United States and Japan. The band had Top 40 hits in the UK, appearing on TV shows such as Top of the Pops
, however Wardner called an unexpected hiatus for the group just as the act was breaking into the mainstream, leading to much speculation and mystery surrounding the group's departure from the spotlight.
Despite only one full length record to their name, the group have been credited with influencing many newer artists, and ushering in an effect-laden genre labelled NuGaze
, ironically a moniker coined humorously by Wardner during an interview in 2003.
Wardner regrouped My Vitriol
in 2006 to perform a sell out show at the 1,500 capacity Koko in London. The band have been performing since, going on to play prominent festival slots such as Download Festival
, and headlining the Guilfest
and Offset Festival
. My Vitriol released 'A Pyrrhic Victory' EP
, and a two sold-out UK tour followed in 2008 and 2009. In 2009, the band embarked upon headline tours across Europe, and performed two headline shows in Tokyo
, Japan
.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n-born British musician and socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
, best known as the frontman of the band My Vitriol
My Vitriol
My Vitriol are an alternative rock band from London, England. The band name, which is often misinterpreted, is taken from the novel Brighton Rock by Graham Greene...
.
Wardner was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka and raised as a Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
Buddhist. Noted for artistic abilities from an early age, Wardner had one of his art exhibitions opened by the President of Sri Lanka.
Wardner's family emigrated to the UK when he was 10 years old. He was educated at St. Olave's Grammar School in Orpington
Orpington
Orpington is a suburban town and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bromley. It forms the southeastern edge of London's urban sprawl and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
where his family relocated to. As a teenager, he formed punk rock band Shock Syndrome with classmates, which went onto local popularity, but split upon departure of the three members to University.
Wardner formed cult alternative rock band My Vitriol
My Vitriol
My Vitriol are an alternative rock band from London, England. The band name, which is often misinterpreted, is taken from the novel Brighton Rock by Graham Greene...
whilst a student at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
. He was the sole composer on their critically acclaimed album Finelines, released on Infectious Records
Infectious Records
Infectious Records is a record label whose bands have included Ash, Local Natives, Symposium, My Vitriol, Seafood, The Paradise Motel, General Fiasco and The Subways. Infectious was established by Korda Marshall after leaving RCA, and became part of Marshall's Mushroom Records UK operation in the...
(Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
) and Epic
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
/Sony Music in the United States and Japan. The band had Top 40 hits in the UK, appearing on TV shows such as Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, however Wardner called an unexpected hiatus for the group just as the act was breaking into the mainstream, leading to much speculation and mystery surrounding the group's departure from the spotlight.
Despite only one full length record to their name, the group have been credited with influencing many newer artists, and ushering in an effect-laden genre labelled NuGaze
Nu Gaze
Nu gaze or the new wave of shoegaze is a form of alternative rock originating in the 2000s. According to an article in the Oxford Student, music from the genre features "droning riffs, subdued vocals and walls of distorted, messy guitar or synth"....
, ironically a moniker coined humorously by Wardner during an interview in 2003.
Wardner regrouped My Vitriol
My Vitriol
My Vitriol are an alternative rock band from London, England. The band name, which is often misinterpreted, is taken from the novel Brighton Rock by Graham Greene...
in 2006 to perform a sell out show at the 1,500 capacity Koko in London. The band have been performing since, going on to play prominent festival slots such as Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
, and headlining the Guilfest
GuilFest
GuilFest, formerly the Guildford Festival of Folk and Blues is a music festival held in Stoke Park, Guildford, England each July. The festival, like the larger Glastonbury Festival, features a range of genres including rock, folk, blues, and in recent years pop...
and Offset Festival
Offset Festival
Offset Festival was formed in 2008 as a reaction against overpriced festivals with less than creative lineups. The event is held at Hainault Forest Country Park, just outside London, accessible via the Central Line.-2008:...
. My Vitriol released 'A Pyrrhic Victory' EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, and a two sold-out UK tour followed in 2008 and 2009. In 2009, the band embarked upon headline tours across Europe, and performed two headline shows in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.