The Celebrity Squares' slick mix of melodic,
grown-up pop and hard-hitting satirical lyrics results in a quirky,
infectious and very promising record. The songs are written by Greg
Hatwell and Willie Dowling, (ex-Honeycrack
and SugarPlumFairies), whose
music millions will have heard, albeit unwittingly, on programmes such
as 2DTV (ITV), Human Remains (BBC2) and The Armstrong and Miller Show
(C4). The TV work serves mainly to pay the bills, but has proven
Dowling's undoubted skill and popularity as a writer of contemporary
music.
The Celebrity Squares released their debut single, "Introducing...The
Celebrity Squares", to
coincide with Steve Furst's Edinburgh Festival Show - also entitled
"Celebrity Squares" for which Dowling contributed the music. The single
also featured 'Anyway', which was the theme tune for Channel 4's
Armstrong and Miller Show.
The Celebrity Squares are jointly fronted by Willie Dowling and Greg
Hatwell.
The Celebrity Squares are bemused, confused, obsessed, annoyed and
ultimately, defined, by the peculiar brand of celebrity, unique to
Britain.
This strange attraction to the bland and unremarkable, this deification
of the dull and the ordinary is the fuel for the forthcoming album, "The
Celebrity Squares". The album examines the idea of celebrity and fame
from every perspective: as a desperate wannabe; as an armchair critic;
as an active participant; and as a redundant recipient of the 'gift' of
fame.
Today, talent is such an unnecessary commodity that new levels of
banality are achieved on a daily basis and The Celebrity Squares would
like to make their own contribution to the mess.
The idea of celebrity becoming an ever more redundant commodity was
recently touched on by Charlie Brooker in the Guardian: "The end result
is that celebrity has never seemed so second-rate. With all mystery
removed, the cachet of fame is plunging so rapidly, by this time next
year it'll actually be cooler to work down your local newsagent than to
appear on telly."
For the record, The Celebrity Squares have served time in the world of
music: touring / recording / occasionally writing with a diverse range
of artists, none of whom would tell you anything about The Celebrity
Squares' music, but would indicate the eclectic nature of the band.
In the world of the small screen, The Celebrity Squares have written and
performed music for a variety of shows including: The Armstrong & Miller
Show (Channel 4), Steve Coogan's Dr Terrible's House Of Horrible (BBC2),
Human Remains (Rob Brydon/Julia Davis BBC2), The Eleven O'Clock Show
(Channel 4), Border Cafe (BBC1) and 2DTV (ITV1). These shows have
nothing to do with the music of The Celebrity Squares and serve no other
purpose other than to demonstrate that the band has seen the world of
celebrity from many points of view and feel ready to make its own crass
contribution.
The Celebrity Squares are utterly dependant on content and are too
amused by the current notion of style to pay it any attention. And so
the blind rise to challenge the bland for the 'Andy Warhol 15 Minute
Trophy'... Introducing: THE CELEBRITY SQUARES.
The Celebrity Squares split in 2004. |
