Menswear

As the Brit pop scene exploded in a colourful burst of hedonism and hype, many young groups emerged in North London to be offered a recording contract and be dubbed "the new Oasis". Menswear was one of them. Led by swaggering front man Johnny Dean and guitarist Chris Gentry, they were identified as part of the new mod culture in a magazine article and began talking up their band even before they'd properly formed one. Word quickly spread and they appeared on the cover of Melody Maker before signing a major deal with London Records and they performed on flagship BBC TV music show Top of the Pops without even releasing a single - something previously unheard of. Full of retro pop hooks and indie guitars, debut album Nuisance (1995) reached Number 11 in the UK and produced the hits Daydreamer, Stardust and Being Brave and the band went on to play at Glastonbury Festival. The bubble quickly burst, however, and follow-up Hey Tiempo (1998) was only released in Japan and the band split in 1998 with drummer Matt Everett going on to become a presenter on radio station 6Music. Johnny Dean revived Menswear to make their first appearances for 15 years with a new line-up contrived from members of The Nuisance Band in 2013.

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