Morning:
6°c
Fans flock to see London’s most Wanted boy band
Alistair Foster, Showbusiness Correspondent30 Jul 2010
It was a reception usually reserved for superstars like Take That — but these fans packed Westfield shopping centre to see a boy band who haven't even registered their first hit.
Thousands converged on the mall in Shepherd's Bush to hear The Wanted, a five-man group from England and Ireland who now live in London and are odds-on to top the charts with their debut single on Sunday.
All Time Low was among four tracks the band played for the crowd last night. Its members — Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Tom Parker, all 21, Nathan Sykes, 16, and Jay McGuiness, 19 — stayed for five hours to sign autographs. Fans were given different coloured wristbands and asked to leave in groups to prevent a scrum.
Record label Geffen has now hired former SAS soldiers to accompany them on future public appearances. The band were formed last year after auditions in London and live in a bachelor pad in Wandsworth. Tom, from Bolton, said: “We've got a dartboard on the door, fridge full of beer, freezer full of pizzas. What more do you need?”
They say they are trying to steer away from the traditional boy-band image and sound. “I'd say it was edgy pop, but there's a bit of rock and a bit of indie in there too,” said Jay, from Nottingham. “It's taking a bit of a risk.” The Wanted release their first album this year.
