As befits a band who’s had a U.K. hit duetting with Peter Doherty (on the sublime single “Their Way”), Littl’ans are no strangers to chaos. Their last British tour saw gigs cancelled thanks to, amongst other things, an exploding gas canister and a double booking with 80s legend Echo and the Bunnymen. When they supported Babyshambles, they were subjected to the indignities of the rubber glove treatment after the bus they were travelling on was raided for drugs by the police, (The band were later released without charges).
Yet, Littl’ans, whose name is Cockney vernacular meaning “Little Ones,” soldier on gallantly. After all, in rock and roll the chaos is part of the deal. Five in number - singer and guitarist Andrew Aveling, drummer Ben, guitarist Alex Mahood, bassist Pedro, rhythm guitarist Ryan Blagrove and tambourine player Ronnie Joice - Littl’ans have had a convoluted history. Aveling used to be in electro duo Add N to (X), then an East London band called The White Sport with guitarist Patrick Walden and drummer Adam Ficek, until Peter Doherty pinched both Walden and Ficek to form Babyshambles (Doherty’s guest vocal on “Their Way” was his way of repaying the debt to Aveling). These days, Littl’ans erratically traverse the country playing doo-wop-influenced pop with the dazed, dark charm of Syd Barrett or Nick Drake. It’s surprisingly delicate music for such a hard-living band - but then romance often exists in squalor.
|taken from ‘V’ magazine, issue 40, spring 2006 edition. |
