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Stuff I Can't Stand, by Bel's Boys

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Fraser McAlpine | 16:24 UK time, Thursday, 19 April 2007

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There's something of a snake-eating-its-own-tail thing going on here. See these happy fellas? Well, if you've not seen the CITV show Bel's Boys, you won't know that they are a brand new band (and a brand new brand, come to that) called, well, Bel's Boys, and that they appear as a band called Bel's Boys in the TV show called Bel's Boys. This is called 'multiplatform branding' and is the sort of thing advertising executives give each other expensive cars for doing. But this is hardly new, so let's move on...

Where it all becomes fiddly is when you realise that Bel's Boys are releasing a single (it's already in the shops!) which has been played a fair amount on their TV show of the same name. The song is called 'Today's The Day' and it was originally a hit for Sean Maguire, at the height of Britpop, back in the late '90s.

Sean MaguireSean Maguire is an actor who first made his name in the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ show Grange Hill. His pop career (8 Top 40 singles between 1994 and 1997) came about largely because he was in EastEnders at the time, and easy on the eye. Which means Bel's Boys are a TV show about a photogenic pop act, who've become a photogenic TV spin-off pop act, covering a song by a photogenic TV spin-off actor on their TV show, and then releasing it as a single.

Is it just me, or is that like filming the reflection of a television set in a mirror which is facing another mirror and then putting your film on that television set while you film it? Surely at some point the music becomes difficult to hear over the howling void of infinity opening up on all sides.

Or, to be a little less melodramatic about it...what year is this again?

Here's a snippet of the song, anyway. By the end of this one-minute-long clip, your mind will have been made up...

So, with all of these layers of reality and unreality peeling off like dead skin off sunburn, we set out to find out some concrete certainties about the band. Almost as if they are actually real people. Realpeople with lives and loves and personalities of their very own, real people with their own tastes, real people who don't like things...

A phone call was put through to drummer Eoin (on a very poor line, it must be said), a sheaf of questions about things he doesn't like dusted off...and this is the result...

Windows Media: Realmedia:
Play the interview Play the interview

Comments

  1. At 08:33 PM on 19 Apr 2007, Sarah wrote:

    Gahh can't bear them. I had no idea that the song was a cover! Makes them even worse. Bless. The show was terrible and I only saw 5 minutes. Can't belive the song is a cover though!

  2. At 08:33 PM on 21 Apr 2007, Amy wrote:

    Bel's Boys are my fave band and i don't care if some other guy did that, it is a great song and they wanted to sing it.Their singing is fab and I play their song on repeat on my mp3 all day.The interview was good though. I found out about my fave member of the band, Eoin so ... thanks ... a little...

    xxAmyxx

    He He He
    xBel's Boys rulex

  3. At 07:44 PM on 22 Apr 2007, Katrina wrote:

    I didnt know that today's the day was a cover, but to me it makes no difference. Bel's Boys are great and if you dont like them, you need your head testing :D

  4. At 07:28 PM on 27 Apr 2007, Tia wrote:

    is it just me or do they look like they're trying to be mcfly? they even have the multi coloured bit... another mcfly! sound gd 2 me :-P

  5. At 11:52 AM on 26 May 2007, Hannah wrote:

    OMG !!! I LOVE THEM !!! They are the best band ever !!! I didn't know the song was a cover but it is better then the original !!! Listen to the song all the time !!!!! They are my fav band !
    They are the best !!!!!!!!!!!!! Love them !
    Hannah xxxxx

  6. At 04:22 PM on 26 May 2007, Bels boys No1 fan wrote:

    Bels Boys are a awesome band and theres nothing wrong with the show! Jees y cant u guys give them a chance... trust me the album is awesome and its catchy and they r clearly better than the original singers on some of the songs.. but y wont u give them a chance.. its pathetic!

  7. At 04:57 PM on 26 May 2007, wrote:

    It's not fair ppl dissing Bels Boys,
    They rawk!
    So Sarah.... maybe you should start gettin used to good music,

    BELS BOYS ROCK

    xxBeckyxx

  8. At 04:52 PM on 08 Sep 2007, LuIsA wrote:

    I think you are ToTaLlY wrong BeLs BoYs are like the best band in history.,. POO FACE

  9. At 08:47 PM on 15 Sep 2007, wrote:

    I LOVE Bel's Boys. Met them the other day, awesome bunch of lads. Really down to earth and they even knew my name :)

    I don't really care that their first single is a cover. They still play their own instruments and are genuinly amazing.

    They are real, and they do have their own opinions. They're not some manufactured band, and they're NOT McFly wannabes. People compare them to McFly, and they say the'd be happy if they had as much success as McFly but it doesn't mean they are trying the be them!
    I think people should give it a rest, and just accept them for who they are. Writing mean comments isn't going to change them, so shut up yeah? ;)

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