Raygun (band)
Encyclopedia
Raygun was a British
band currently signed to RCA Records
.
Front man Ray Gun (Toby Ratcliffe) from Burgess Hill in Sussex, studied performing arts at Oakmeeds Community College and Music at Haywards Heath College before going on to study Music Technology at Guildford where he met Adj. The two began writing songs and touring around Sussex putting on live music events namely 'Raygun and the Adjitators Psycheldelic Zoo'.
during the Europe
an leg of her 2009 Funhouse Tour
. They have also supported Alphabeat, Paul Weller, The script and Newton Faulkner and toured smaller venues as headliners later in 2009.
Their debut single "Just Because" was released on August 3, 2009 and was added to the Upfront List on Radio 1's Playlist, before rising to The C List. The video for "Just Because" is directed by Joseph Kahn.
Raygun was the supporting act for Peter Bjorn and John
and Newton Faulkner
at the iTunes live festival on the 13th of July 2009.
On August 15, 2009, Raygun made history when it was featured alongside Kasabian, Hoobastank
, Pixie Lott
, Boys Like Girls
and The All-American Rejects
as one of the live acts at Asia's first MTV World Stage Live In Malaysia
concert that was held in Malaysia.
Raygun toured Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and The Philippines promoting the release of their debut album in South-East Asia.
The criticism of the video mainly focused on the clichéd sentiments it described in which singer Ray Gun likened his band to "Iggy Pop, James Brown, David Bowie and Shirley Bassey in a lift". He also claimed the album was "inspired by the perils of hedonism, when you go out and indulge too much and regret it the next day. Anything that you think is good for a while can end up being so harmful to yourself, whether it's love or sex or drugs or alcohol".
Raygun later released a tongue-in-cheek apology for the whole debacle which they posted to their MySpace blog on August 6.
Sam and Ben are now playing for successful Scottish singer songwriter Amy Macdonald and are currently touring with her. Ben also plays with X Factor star Olly Murs
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
band currently signed to RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
.
History
Guitarist The Adj used to work as a fishmonger at a supermarket when he was 16.Front man Ray Gun (Toby Ratcliffe) from Burgess Hill in Sussex, studied performing arts at Oakmeeds Community College and Music at Haywards Heath College before going on to study Music Technology at Guildford where he met Adj. The two began writing songs and touring around Sussex putting on live music events namely 'Raygun and the Adjitators Psycheldelic Zoo'.
Career
The band supported PinkPink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
during the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an leg of her 2009 Funhouse Tour
Funhouse Tour
The Funhouse Tour was the fourth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Pink. The tour supported her fifth studio album, Funhouse. The tour visited Europe, Australia and North America....
. They have also supported Alphabeat, Paul Weller, The script and Newton Faulkner and toured smaller venues as headliners later in 2009.
Their debut single "Just Because" was released on August 3, 2009 and was added to the Upfront List on Radio 1's Playlist, before rising to The C List. The video for "Just Because" is directed by Joseph Kahn.
Raygun was the supporting act for Peter Bjorn and John
Peter Bjorn and John
Peter Bjorn and John are a Swedish indie rock band, formed in Stockholm in 1999 and named after the first names of the band's members: Peter Morén , Björn Yttling and John Eriksson .They are best known for the 2006 single "Young Folks", which...
and Newton Faulkner
Newton Faulkner
Sam Newton Battenberg Faulkner is an English singer-songwriter and musician from Reigate, Surrey. Known for his guitar playing, which involves rhythmically tapping and hitting his guitar's body, Faulkner came to prominence in 2007, with the release of his debut studio album, Hand Built by Robots...
at the iTunes live festival on the 13th of July 2009.
On August 15, 2009, Raygun made history when it was featured alongside Kasabian, Hoobastank
Hoobastank
Hoobastank is an American rock band, best known for their 2004 hit "The Reason" and other hits "Crawling in the Dark" and "Running Away". They formed in 1994 in Agoura Hills, California, with singer Doug Robb, guitarist Dan Estrin, drummer Chris Hesse, and original bassist Markku Lappalainen. They...
, Pixie Lott
Pixie Lott
Victoria Louise "Pixie" Lott is an English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Her debut single "Mama Do" was released in June 2009 and went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. Her second single "Boys and Girls", also topped the UK charts in September 2009. Her debut album Turn It...
, Boys Like Girls
Boys Like Girls
Boys Like Girls is an American rock band from Massachusetts. Formed in 2005, the group gained mainstream recognition when it released its self-titled debut album. Boys Like Girls was the co-headliner with Good Charlotte for the Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour 2008 that toured across the United...
and The All-American Rejects
The All-American Rejects
The All-American Rejects are an American rock band formed in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1999. The band consists of lead vocalist and bass guitarist Tyson Ritter, lead guitarist, Nick Wheeler, rhythm guitarist, Mike Kennerty, and drummer Chris Gaylor....
as one of the live acts at Asia's first MTV World Stage Live In Malaysia
MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia
MTV World Stage is a global series that brings multi-genre talents with global relevance to an audience in over 550 million households. Recorded "live" at the most exclusive gigs, world renowned music festivals and unique concert locations from around the world, MTV World Stage is the "front row...
concert that was held in Malaysia.
Raygun toured Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and The Philippines promoting the release of their debut album in South-East Asia.
YouTube Video
On Saturday 1 August 2009 broadcast late at night in its 4Play segment, Channel 4 broadcast a 15-minute programme featuring the band. The video was posted to Youtube by Rhodri Marsden and linked into a negative Guardian article of his with the title "Lack Of Self Awareness". The video received numerous predominantly negative user comments, Sony BMG enforced a take down notice on the video on copyright grounds.The criticism of the video mainly focused on the clichéd sentiments it described in which singer Ray Gun likened his band to "Iggy Pop, James Brown, David Bowie and Shirley Bassey in a lift". He also claimed the album was "inspired by the perils of hedonism, when you go out and indulge too much and regret it the next day. Anything that you think is good for a while can end up being so harmful to yourself, whether it's love or sex or drugs or alcohol".
Raygun later released a tongue-in-cheek apology for the whole debacle which they posted to their MySpace blog on August 6.
Demise/Break up
At the end of 2009 the band was dropped by Sony which consequently lead to Ray Gun and The Adj deciding to go their separate ways.Sam and Ben are now playing for successful Scottish singer songwriter Amy Macdonald and are currently touring with her. Ben also plays with X Factor star Olly Murs