Menswear signed a record contract before they played more than five gigs. That alone tells you everything you need to know about the band.
Menswear were an outgrowth of the post-
Blur pop scene in London, England, a group of charming, handsome young men that wanted to be in a pop group more than they wanted to play music. Consequently, they received their fair share of detractors, but the band weathered the storm, becoming one of the most popular Brit-pop bands of 1995.
The members of
Menswear -- vocalist
Johnny Dean (b. December 12, 1971), guitarist
Simon White, guitarist
Chris Gentry (b. February 23, 1977), bassist
Stuart Black, and drummer
Matt Everett -- told everyone around Camden, London that they were in a band before they had actually rehearsed. Toward the end of 1994, they decided to actually start playing music, choosing the name
Menswear and writing
Elastica and
Blur-inspired pop songs.
The group's first single, "I'll Manage Somehow," received good notices in the NME and Melody Maker, and their second single, "Daydreamer," peaked at number 14.
–
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi