Gay Dad

Gay Dad
Gay Dad at Mardi Gras; 30 June 2001
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genres	Post-Britpop, alternative rock, indie rock
Years active	1994–2002
Labels	London/B-Unique
Past members	Cliff Jones Nicholas "Baz" Crowe Andrew Smith Tim Forster Nigel Hoyle James Riseboro Charley Stone Tim Forster Dominic Stinton Denise Johnson

Gay Dad were an English rock band formed in London that broke up in 2002. The line-up of the band has included Cliff Jones (guitarist/vocalist), Nick "Baz" Crowe (drummer), James Riseboro (keyboardist), Nigel Hoyle (bassist) and Charley Stone.

Gay Dad were formed in 1994 by former Mojo and The Face journalist Cliff Jones and art magazine publisher Nick Crowe (drums), along with their Berkshire teenage friends Dominic Stinton (vocals), Tim Forster (keyboards), and bassist Nigel Hoyle, who had originally played in a band called Brutus with Stinton a year or two earlier. Jones, Stinton, Forster and Crowe had played together in various incarnations of Gay Dad ten years previously, such as The Timothy and the Astral Projection Society. Known recordings include the track 'Freaking out in Sunninghill Sky St' (sic) which was made available as a limited edition cassette in the late 1980s.

Their first Gay Dad demo was produced by Jim Irvin, (the writer and former frontman of Furniture) and funded by the Rolling Stones record producer, Andrew Loog Oldham and his original Immediate business partner Tony Calder. Jones had met with Calder and Oldham who were convinced by a performance at the band's rehearsal room to sign the band.

Gay Dad went on to make their live debut in 1995 at the now defunct Orange Club in West Kensington.

Following a band reshuffle, Crowe invited fellow Liverpool University graduate, James Riseboro, to play keyboards, and the band recorded three new tracks at Raezor Studio, Wandsworth, during the autumn of 1996 including a song called "To Earth With Love". Although it was only intended to win them some live dates, the demo attracted keen record label interest from Island, Chrysalis, Mercury, EMI and others. These included London, to whom they signed in December 1997.