Daphne & Celeste
| Daphne & Celeste | |
|---|---|
| Origin | New Jersey, US |
| Genres | Teen pop, bubblegum pop, Indie pop, electropop |
| Years active | 1999–2002 |
| Labels | MCA, Balatonic |
| Website | daphneandceleste.tv |
| Members | Celeste Cruz Karen DiConcetto |
Daphne & Celeste were an American pop duo composed of Celeste Cruz and Karen DiConcetto. They are best known for their songs "Ooh Stick You" and "U.G.L.Y.".
They released three singles in the UK: "Ooh Stick You!", "U.G.L.Y." and a cover version of Alice Cooper's "School's Out". A full-length album, We Didn't Say That!, was released in June 2000 to generally positive reviews (Melody Maker awarded it four out of five stars). Another single, "Party", was due in November 2000, but was never released.
During the Reading rock festival in 2000, the crowd's negative reception towards Daphne & Celeste's incongruous music resulted in the duo being bottled by the audience. At the Reading festival the girls had urine thrown at them.
Many pop fans were also vociferous in their dislike for Daphne & Celeste. "U.G.L.Y." in particular was criticised, many feeling that it promoted bullying. Daphne & Celeste countered this by saying their lyrics were meant to be tongue-in-cheek. In an interview included on the "U.G.L.Y." single, Daphne stated: "Everyone is indeed ugly in their own special way." Daphne & Celeste made an appearance at Feet First. Daphne & Celeste also had a television and film deal.
Following relatively low album sales, and the backlash against them, Daphne and Celeste were dropped by their label. Their official website closed down in October 2001, and their management company, Perfect Noise Limited, was dissolved in November 2002. After the band broke up Celeste went back to school.
In a "Where Are They Now?" interview with Q magazine in 2005, Karen DiConcetto stated that the whole project was "100% manufactured", and that the girls auditioned for it in New York in 1998: "I just talked about shoes for an hour." She considered the Reading Festival to be the highlight of the whole experience, and mentioned her work in theatre afterwards, specifically a play called Tourrettaville, written by a boy with Tourette's syndrome. DiConcetto received positive reviews for her portrayal of "CB's Sister" in the FringeNYC award-winning Peanuts spoof Dog Sees God. That production was adapted for an Off-Broadway debut featuring a number of big-name celebrities, including Eliza Dushku and America Ferrera.
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