1/16/01
Santa's Boyfriend canceled its Jan. 16 show at the Agenda Lounge. Apparently several members of the band fell ill. The group might reschedule, but no date has been announced yet.
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1/20/01
Some old news ....: January the 20th was special for Sting's son Joe: Club Mesa pulled some punches when a mysterious new band, Santa’s Boyfriend, headlined the room on Jan. 20. The band played at midnight, as promised. But what the club’s ads didn’t reveal was that the band’s singer was Sting’s son, Joe Sumner. The London-based group didn’t want anyone to know about the rock-star connection—at least not yet. Although Wayne Isaak, VH1’s head of music programming, was snapping photos of the quartet throughout their set, the identity of the lead crooner was an unconfirmed rumor for most in the sparse crowd of 20 or so. But there were a few clues. Joe’s not the spitting image of his dad, but from far away, there’s an undeniable resemblance. His vocal delivery sure sounds a little like Sting’s, though. Joe also seems to have inherited his pop’s charisma genes—whether he was jumping around with his guitar or amiably defending himself against some friendly heckling, all eyes were naturally drawn to him. It obviously helped being the tallest guy in a band in which everyone sports a surprisingly normal haircut. And then there’s the music—it’s blanded-out mainstream rock with an edge, a Sting staple. Santa’s Boyfriend’s OC gig was a practice run for an Interscope Records showcase in LA the next night, and not even this sour journalist could ignore the healthy applause for the hourlong set of original tunes. Sting Jr. even got a stamp of approval from OC fave Jay Buchanan, whose band attracted a far bigger crowd at Club Mesa that night. "They’re good, man.
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1/21/01
"Sting Supports Santa's Boyfriend"
Wow, genetics can be a really powerful thing. Just ask Sting's son, Joe Sumner, whose punk-rock band, Santa's Boyfriend, played a secret showcase at the Viper Room in Los Angeles on Sunday night (1/21). No, young Joe has no desire to be like super pop-rock, world-music star and yoga-worshipping dad, and, really he doesn't even look like the blond one formerly of the Police. But when young twenty-something Joe started hitting those high notes, it was undeniable that his voice was cut from the same cloth as dad's.
The only thing Santa's Boyfriend shares with the mod early Police sound is that they do possess a definitive edge. But obviously Sumner and his not-without-talent bandmates (stickman Oliver Taylor, who admits he'd rather come back to the Viper Room to see a wet T-shirt contest than witness a cool electro band, bassist Daniel Brown, who wore a hip Cassius t-shirt onstage, and guitarist Seton Daunt) come from the Blink 182 generation. With impressive guitar-in-hand stage jumps and commentary to the audience that included numerous American swear words, Sumner had no interest in being a gentleman, although it was apparent from his accent and humor he had been raised as a proper English school boy who went to a privileged school.
Clad in an unpretentious brown Gap polo shirt and cut off baggies, Sumner proved he had the stage presence to hold the mostly-industry crowd – especially in an encore number that was more speed metal than punk. If this were any other un-signed act, industry types would be clamoring to sign them. But as Sting's son, the expectations may be unfairly high for the young angst-driven lad and his three band pals.
The coolest thing about the evening was when Sting and Joe's mum, the performer's ex-wife Francis, showed up to cheer their son on. Sting was coming from the Golden Globe Awards where he had been nominated (and was certainly expected to grace the event's high profile after-parties with his presence). Instead, he showed up to support his son, arriving prior to the band going onstage just after 10pm. He stayed through the entire night and at times stood in the middle of the audience intently cheering his son on, just like any other admirer. Now, that's respect."
(from virginmega)
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Sting's New Buzz
With all those kids, it was bound to happen. One of Sting's sons, Joe Sumner, is following in his father's musical footsteps. The junior Sting, who we hear bears a striking resemblance to his father back in the Police days, took the stage at Mercury Lounge last week with the band Santa's Boyfriend. The London-based group just wrapped up a tour of small venues on both coasts -- in fact, papa Sting graced the stage at a gig in L.A. According to a rep for Santa's Boyfriend, the band is now shopping for a record deal. Something tells us they won't be looking very long.
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"Son of Sting"
Like Ziggy Marley, Julian Lennon and Jakob Dylan, Joe Sumner could find it hard to step out from behind the shadow of a famous musical father. Sumner, 24, is hitting the club circuit, fronting a virtually unknown rock band named Santa's Boyfriend. Sting is "rooting passionately" for his oldest boy, band manager Wayne Isaak told us, "but he's also an artist and he knows the importance of allowing artists to have their own identity." And so, Sumner the younger is "trying to stay under the radar," Isaak said, to avoid the obvious comparisons to the Police, which his father joined a year before Joe was born. Still, no DNA tests were needed after Sumner took the stage last week at the Viper Room in West Hollywood. Record label reps exchanged knowing glances while the scruffy blond Brit led Santa's Boyfriend in an energetic set of short songs that sounded so Police-like that a woman in the audience asked, "How do they expect to keep it a secret that he's Sting's son?" After the show, Sumner did the struggling young musician thing, hauling his own equipment to a parked blue van. When we asked for a chat, he demurred. "No, I don't think so. I'm not really into that. (Ann O'Neill City of Angles)
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5/30/01
"Pop Rocks"
Joe Sumner, the
24-year-old front man for the budding rock band Santa's Boyfriend, is the son
of Sting, 49, and his first wife, Frances Tomelty. Although one critic said
the guitarist,'inherited his pop's charisma genes,' Joe wants to make it on
his own. So please, Dad --- don't stand so close to him. (from People)
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8/11/01 Haldern
Gerüchte um Stings Sohn
Der Freund vom Santa
HALDERN (RP). Es gibt so Fragen nach einem Festival, die einfach
offenbleiben müssen. Warum spielt ein Pop-Band wie "Travis" AC / DC als
Zugabe? Wie lauten die Akkorde von Josh-Joplins wunderschönem "I`ve
changed", und warum klingt der Sänger von "Santa`s Boyfriend" so verdammt
nach Sting? Zumindest hielt sich hartnäckig das Gerücht, dass hier der Sohn
des Ex-Police-Chefs seine musikalische Reifeprüfung ablegte.
Vom Veranstalter gab es dazu nur die kryptische Bemerkung, als Sohn von
Sting solle man besser Fliesenleger oder Bildhauer werden als es in der
Musik zu versuchen. Schließlich werde man sonst immer am Vater gemessen. Und
eigentlich wirft der Bandname bereits die nächste Frage auf: Wie heißt denn
der Freund vom Weihnachtsmann?
(loose translation)
"Rumors about Sting's son, Santa's friend"
This article states that after the festival at Haldern, they were left with a few unanswered questions, one of them being, why does the lead singer of Santa's Boyfriend sound so much like Sting? Rumor has it that he's Sting's son. Sting should have chosen any other career other than a musician, because he will always have to live up to his father's standards. And the band's name suggests another question, what is Santa's Boyfriend?
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June 28, 2001
by claire
my.rock-city.co.ukrock-city.co.uk: Reviews
SANTA'S BOYFRIEND - Swings and Roundabouts (album)
They say that somewhere in the world everyone has a double, if that is so I have found Sting’s, and his name is Dan Brown. OK, he looks absolutely fuck all like the bloke, but put this CD in your player and I swear you will think it’s Sting who has taken a slightly different musical direction. I have been trying hard to pigeon hole this band and the nearest I can come up with is Emo, and some of the song’s melodies just drift in to your head and caress what some of you may call a brain.
Track 1, is a summery feeling tune with a great harmony so don’t be fooled by the title ‘WAR’ it could be a single on radio 1…mmmm,…. if it had a DJ, Shit lyrics, a crap singer, nothing resembling a band and a drum and bass back drop……ok, forget that. Radio 1 won’t play it, but that only stands as testament to this great track. ‘Insect Love’ could have been on the ‘Dream Of The Blue Turtle’ album, as could many of these 12 tracks on this very well constructed album. ‘Swings and Roundabouts’ just grows on you like a malignant cancer the more you listen to it which is a good sign for it’s staying power in your record collection, by that I mean the albums you instantly love are the albums you get bored of the quickest. In a musical and lyrical sense it reminds me of ‘Morrisey’ on some tracks with it’s depressing lyrics to very enchanting melodies and harmonies that are quite moving at times….. ok, enough praise…. Now lets pick the bones out of it. This album seems to be very one directional and it’s a bit like eating a kebab without the chilli sauce “although you enjoyed it you can’t help thinking that it lacked that certain kick” and as much as I love ‘Sting’ and now this Dan Brown bloke, you cant help but want to know what they would sound like if they ever cleared their throat once in a while. The bottom line is that if this band doesn’t make it on their own merit they could carve a career being a ‘Sting’ and ‘The Police’ tribute band.
OK, in summary then… Depression + Harmony x Sting – Chilli Sauce = Santa’s Boyfriend.
Daz T
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8/11/01 Haldern
In Sachen Schnelligkeit setzten "Santa`s Boyfriend" noch einen drauf. Die
jungen Engländer mit prominenten Erziehungsberech- tigten überzeugten als
starke Live-Band. Toll auch der Auftritt von "Slut": Melodiöse, kleine
Hymnen im Breitwandformat. Ähnlich machten es am frühen Abend auch
"Kante".
Sorgfältig arrangierte Songstrukturen, so etwas lernt man wohl in der
Hamburger Schule.
(loose translation)
"Freaked Out"
Here they're just praising the bands - SB are a great live band. Slut very melodious, Kante great arrangements, must be typical of Hamburg.
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