Vincent Vincent and the Villains
Encyclopedia
Vincent Vincent and the Villains were an English rock 'n' roll group. They were signed to EMI
.
, an area in the London Borough of Harrow
. He later moved to East London's Bethnal Green and after leaving Art College decided to start a band. In 2003 he formed Vincent Vincent and the Villains and released a limited edition single on Smoking Gun Records in 2004 called 'On My Own'. With the band gaining local notoriety they were then talent spotted by Young And Lost Club, who signed the Villains and put out their second release, 'Blue Boy'. As well as Neill Kidgell on bass and Alex Cox on drums, the band at this time had two frontmen (Vincent himself and Charlie Waller)
Waller left shortly after in 2005, to pursue his ambitions with his childhood band, The Rumble Strips
. The final months for the original lineup of the Villains were described as "stifling, unpleasant and impossible" and inspired the song 'Johnny Two Bands' which would be the bands first major release, taking the melody from a previous song 'Making Raindrops'. Vincent Vincent found a new bassist and guitarist in Will Church and Tom Bailey (who were friends from college, and with whom Vincent worked in the Ten Bells pub), and the third single - 'I'm Alive' - was released on Young and Lost Club Records in April 2006. This secured a record deal with EMI, with 'Johnny Two Bands' being chosen as the debut single. This was performed on Top of the Pops in October 2006. The band re-released 'On My Own' the following year in October 2007. The next single 'Pretty Girl' was released on 25 February 2008 on CD/7”/digital download. The album 'Gospel Bombs' was released on March 10, 2008. A third single off the album was planned for May 2008, but due to ongoing problems at EMI Records these plans were shelved.
After being dropped by EMI the band cancelled most of their summer dates, but appeared at Benicassim Festival 2008. They played their final gig together at 93 Feet East, London on September 13, 2008.
The Villains evolved from The Double Card Bastards, The collaboration included Vincent Vincent, Neill Kidgell, Charlie Waller and welder extroadinaire William Shannon (who made the instruments out of cardboard, string and a baked bean tin). Will Church worked with Vincent at this time in The Ten Bells pub in East London, which was frequented by Tom Bailey (who wrote songs in a band with Church), and when Charlie Waller and Neill Kidgell left, the two became Villains.
“Gospel Bombs is delving deep and unearthing devilish darkness and a dastardly majesty” – BBC
- Link to Review
“Music? Fun? Remember that? If this is London's take on the next big thing, count me in.” – Independent
**** - Link to Review
“The Villains hop from Mexican samba to Bad Seeds rumbustiousness, while their leader cultivates the role of a rock'n'roll outsider” – The Guardian
*** - / Link to Review
“This is classic British rock’n’roll for a new wave indie generation.” – Artrocker
***** - Link to Review
“Well worth the wait... lovingly produced, with not a weak track on it... simply brilliant.” The Fly ****
“A surprisingly uplifting affair. Subtle, modern-day twists keep things fresh... it’s charming stuff and as timeless as it is intended to be.” – Metro
**** - Link to Review
“This is vibrant rock ’n’ roll that bests many a debut and will keep fingers clicking long into the summer.” – Clash Magazine ****
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
.
History
Vincent Vincent grew up in Hatch EndHatch End
Hatch End is a place in the London Borough of Harrow, located north west of Charing Cross in Central London. The suburb is part of the Pinner post town.-Attractions:...
, an area in the London Borough of Harrow
London Borough of Harrow
The London Borough of Harrow is a London borough of north-west London. It borders Hertfordshire to the north and other London boroughs: Hillingdon to the west, Ealing to the south, Brent to the south-east and Barnet to the east.-History:...
. He later moved to East London's Bethnal Green and after leaving Art College decided to start a band. In 2003 he formed Vincent Vincent and the Villains and released a limited edition single on Smoking Gun Records in 2004 called 'On My Own'. With the band gaining local notoriety they were then talent spotted by Young And Lost Club, who signed the Villains and put out their second release, 'Blue Boy'. As well as Neill Kidgell on bass and Alex Cox on drums, the band at this time had two frontmen (Vincent himself and Charlie Waller)
Waller left shortly after in 2005, to pursue his ambitions with his childhood band, The Rumble Strips
The Rumble Strips
The Rumble Strips are an English band from Tavistock, Devon. The band take their name from Rumble Strips, which are small, continuous lines of bumps along the edge of a road. Having known each other since childhood, a precise conception date for the band doesn't really exist. The current line-up...
. The final months for the original lineup of the Villains were described as "stifling, unpleasant and impossible" and inspired the song 'Johnny Two Bands' which would be the bands first major release, taking the melody from a previous song 'Making Raindrops'. Vincent Vincent found a new bassist and guitarist in Will Church and Tom Bailey (who were friends from college, and with whom Vincent worked in the Ten Bells pub), and the third single - 'I'm Alive' - was released on Young and Lost Club Records in April 2006. This secured a record deal with EMI, with 'Johnny Two Bands' being chosen as the debut single. This was performed on Top of the Pops in October 2006. The band re-released 'On My Own' the following year in October 2007. The next single 'Pretty Girl' was released on 25 February 2008 on CD/7”/digital download. The album 'Gospel Bombs' was released on March 10, 2008. A third single off the album was planned for May 2008, but due to ongoing problems at EMI Records these plans were shelved.
After being dropped by EMI the band cancelled most of their summer dates, but appeared at Benicassim Festival 2008. They played their final gig together at 93 Feet East, London on September 13, 2008.
Members
- Vincent Vincent - Vocals & Guitar
- Alex Cox - Drums
- Tom Bailey - Lead guitar
- Will Church - Bass
The Villains evolved from The Double Card Bastards, The collaboration included Vincent Vincent, Neill Kidgell, Charlie Waller and welder extroadinaire William Shannon (who made the instruments out of cardboard, string and a baked bean tin). Will Church worked with Vincent at this time in The Ten Bells pub in East London, which was frequented by Tom Bailey (who wrote songs in a band with Church), and when Charlie Waller and Neill Kidgell left, the two became Villains.
Albums
Debut album "Gospel Bombs" was released on March 10, 2008. It debuts on the UK Top 200 Artist Albums Chart at position 158 (chart date: 22 March 2008, publication date: 16 March 2008).“Gospel Bombs is delving deep and unearthing devilish darkness and a dastardly majesty” – BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
- Link to Review
“Music? Fun? Remember that? If this is London's take on the next big thing, count me in.” – Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
**** - Link to Review
“The Villains hop from Mexican samba to Bad Seeds rumbustiousness, while their leader cultivates the role of a rock'n'roll outsider” – The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
*** - / Link to Review
“This is classic British rock’n’roll for a new wave indie generation.” – Artrocker
ArtRocker
Artrocker is a UK-based collective involved in music promotion and publishing. It was started by Paul Cox and Tom Fawcett who had been co-promoters of a London night called The Sausage Factory...
***** - Link to Review
“Well worth the wait... lovingly produced, with not a weak track on it... simply brilliant.” The Fly ****
“A surprisingly uplifting affair. Subtle, modern-day twists keep things fresh... it’s charming stuff and as timeless as it is intended to be.” – Metro
Metro (Associated Metro Limited)
Metro is a free daily newspaper in the United Kingdom published by Associated Newspapers Ltd . It is available from Monday to Friday each week on many public transport services across the United Kingdom.-History:The paper was launched in London in 1999, and can now be found in 14 UK urban centres...
**** - Link to Review
“This is vibrant rock ’n’ roll that bests many a debut and will keep fingers clicking long into the summer.” – Clash Magazine ****
Singles
| Date of release | Title | B-sides | Label | UK Chart position | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2004 | "On My Own" (Limited Edition 7-inch) | "B-side baby" | Smoking Gun Records | N/A | N/A |
| April 2005 | "Blue Boy/The Boy Who Killed Time" (Limited Double A-Side 7-inch) | N/A | Young and Lost Club YALC-0001 | N/A | N/A |
| April 2006 | "I'm Alive" (Limited 7-inch) | "There Is A Cloud" | Young and Lost Club YALC-0005 | N/A | N/A |
| October 2006 | "Johnny Two Bands" | "Seven Inch Record" | EMI EMI The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major... EMVVV7 001 |
N/A | N/A |
| October 2007 | "On My Own" | "Love and Pain" and "Bad Boy" | EMI EMI The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major... EM 735 |
N/A | "Gospel Bombs" |
| February 25, 2008 | "Pretty Girl" | "Radio City" and "Can't Judge A Book By The Cover" | EMI EMI The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major... CDEM740 |
N/A |