The Alfonz[1] [2] were a three piece rock band from Swindon, Wiltshire. The band comprised Adam Wiltshire (bass guitar, vocals, occasional keyboard), Sam Lee (guitar, vocals) and Charlie Rowe (drums, vocals).
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They had been playing together in various bands ranging from pop punk to jazz for many years, but came together as Slow Mo and the Armbreakers in the summer of 2006 whilst doing their GCSEs at Commonweal School, later changing their name to The Alfonz. At first their set mainly consisted of covers, but before long they began writing their own material.
In December 2007, The Alfonz released their debut self-titled EP. One track, "Summer Sun", was played by Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1 in late 2007. The EP release show at Swindon's 300-capacity 12 Bar venue was sold out, making The Alfonz the first and only unsigned band to ever sell out the venue. Following the release of the EP, The Alfonz embarked on a mini-tour to promote it, playing at London Water Rats, Bristol Louisiana, Oxford Port Mahon and The Victoria in Swindon. In the following months they continued to play live across the south of the UK, building up a larger fan base.
After seeing The Alfonz live at the Bull & Gate in London in 2008, Martyn Berg told Colin Lester about them, and soon after The Alfonz were being managed by CLM Entertainment under Lester. In the summer of 2008 The Alfonz went on another mini-tour, this time around the south coast of England. The Alfonz also experimented with recording techniques around this time, with Charlie’s father Stuart Rowe and Andy Partridge (XTC) co-producing.
In early 2009 The Alfonz began being played regularly on Radio One and BBC 6 Music, by DJs such as Tom Robinson and Huw Stephens. In March Radio 1's Big Weekend came to Swindon. The Alfonz were selected by Radio One DJs, including Huw Stephens, to headline the opening night of the Fringe Festival at Swindon's 12 Bar. A couple of months later The Alfonz were asked by the BBC to play on the BBC Introducing Stage at Glastonbury Festival.[3] Following this, London’s Dirty Boots Club asked The Alfonz to play on their stage at Glastonbury as well. The Alfonz released their debut single, "Sitting On Your Radiator", on 10 August 2009, and went on their first UK tour in September to promote it.
On 12 April 2010 The Alfonz released their second single, "One Minute Longer", which was available as a download only.
On 13 August 2010 The Alfonz officially broke up, playing a final sell out gig as part of the Swindon Shuffle. They produced a free EP, Jumble Sale which was available at their last two gigs.
The Alfonz wrote all of their songs collectively. With a few exceptions, such as "Sitting on your Radiator", which was recorded at Moles Studio in Bath, all tracks are recorded at Lighterthief Studios in Swindon, produced by Stuart Rowe and The Alfonz.
Released: 12 December 2007
Written By: The Alfonz
Produced By: Stuart Rowe and The Alfonz
Recorded at: Lighterthief Studios, Swindon
Tracklisting:
1/ "Summer Sun"
2/ "Willis"
3/ "Light Of Day"
4/ "Give It Up"
Released: 10 August 2009
Written By: The Alfonz
Produced By: Stuart Rowe and The Alfonz
Recorded At: Moles Studio, Bath and Lighterthief Studios, Swindon
Tracklisting:
1/ "Sitting On Your Radiator"
2/ "Sitting On Your Radiator" (The Alfonz Remix)
3/ "Sitting On Your Radiator" (Live on BBC Wiltshire Introducing)
Released: 12 April 2010
Written By: The Alfonz
Produced By: The Alfonz and Stuart Rowe
Recorded At: Lighterthief Studios, Swindon
Tracklisting:
1/ "One Minute Longer" 2/ "One Minute Longer" (The Alfonz vs. Cassetti)
Released: 31 July 2010
Written By: The Alfonz