Hamfatter
Encyclopedia
Hamfatter are a pop rock
band from Cambridge, UK, formed in 2002. The band are known primarily for their appearance on BBC's Dragon's Den
. The core of the band is a three-piece, comprising Eoin O'Mahony (vocals, bass guitar, piano), James Ingham (guitar, backing vocals) and Mark Ellis (drums).
Eoin O'Mahony is the younger brother of the author Daniel O'Mahony
.
Hamfatter's first official album, Fireworks (April 2004), enjoyed moderate success - particularly in and around Cambridge, where the band had built up a following. The album exhibits several different styles.
Hamfatter's next release, Girls in Graz (May 2006), continued to raise the band's UK profile. The title track received radio-play and became a surprise hit in Austria
, and two European tours followed. During this time Intim Productions of Vienna produced a DVD featuring live performances, interviews and a video for the song "Fireworks".
In June 2006, Hamfatter were booked to headline the main stage at Strawberry Fair
, Cambridge's summer festival. For this performance in front of an audience of several thousand, the usual three-piece line-up was enhanced by a horn section and double bass
. This larger line-up has featured at most of the band's subsequent performances.
Hamfatter recorded their third studio album, entitled What Part of Hamfatter Do You Not Understand?, in summer 2007. Its lead single, "Sziget (We Get Wrecked)", reached 13 in the UK indie charts, and 54 in the UK singles charts.
NME
wrote a review in 2007 saying "Hamfatter carry an arsenal of power-pop nuggets including the amazing 'Sziget' which deserves to be a hit."
on BBC2 on 21 July 2008, where they performed an extract from "Sziget (We Get Wrecked)" in an attempt to secure a £75,000 investment as an alternative to a standard record deal. After offers from four of the five potential investors, they agreed a deal with Peter Jones
.
The day after airing, Jones appeared on The Chris Moyles Show
on BBC Radio 1
and Hamfatter's next single "The Girl I Love" was previewed. It was then announced that the song was available to download immediately, and would be available to buy physically in August. Within one hour of their appearance on Dragons' Den, the single had sold 500 copies via downloads, with a further 1,000 selling later that night. On the UK Singles Chart
published on 27 July 2008, the song entered at Number 71. Released on CD and vinyl a month later, the single entered the indie singles chart at Number 3.
. The NME subsequently published a negative review by Nick Haynes of the re-released album What Part of Hamfatter Do You Not Understand? without indicating that the album had previously received a favourable review from another NME journalist; the latter review did however, contain praise for "The Girl I Love", the only new track recorded after the band had secured financial backing from Jones. Elsewhere, the Dragons' Den deal was greeted with interest and cautious praise from industry figures such as Dave Eringa, Feargal Sharkey and NME news editor Paul Stokes. Reports that Hamfatter were due to sign a record contract with Simon Cowell
or Sony
were dismissed by the band as journalistic invention.
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band from Cambridge, UK, formed in 2002. The band are known primarily for their appearance on BBC's Dragon's Den
Dragons' Den (UK)
Dragons' Den is a British television series, hosted by Evan Davis. The format of the show is owned by Sony Pictures and is based on the original Japanese series, which has been sold around the world...
. The core of the band is a three-piece, comprising Eoin O'Mahony (vocals, bass guitar, piano), James Ingham (guitar, backing vocals) and Mark Ellis (drums).
Eoin O'Mahony is the younger brother of the author Daniel O'Mahony
Daniel O'Mahony
Daniel O'Mahony is a half-British half-Irish author, born in Croydon. He is the oldest of five children, his siblings including Eoin O'Mahony of the band Hamfatter, and Madeleine O'Mahony, who has designed and made hats for Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.-Biography:O'Mahony's first professionally...
.
History
Following tours of local venues throughout the UK, and several line-up changes, Hamfatter signed to Pink Hedgehog Records in 2003.Hamfatter's first official album, Fireworks (April 2004), enjoyed moderate success - particularly in and around Cambridge, where the band had built up a following. The album exhibits several different styles.
Hamfatter's next release, Girls in Graz (May 2006), continued to raise the band's UK profile. The title track received radio-play and became a surprise hit in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, and two European tours followed. During this time Intim Productions of Vienna produced a DVD featuring live performances, interviews and a video for the song "Fireworks".
In June 2006, Hamfatter were booked to headline the main stage at Strawberry Fair
Strawberry Fair
Strawberry Fair is a local festival of music, entertainments, arts and crafts. which has been held in Cambridge, England, since 1974. The fair is held on Midsummer Common on the first Saturday in June. It is open to the public and free and totally independent from any council-run events...
, Cambridge's summer festival. For this performance in front of an audience of several thousand, the usual three-piece line-up was enhanced by a horn section and double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
. This larger line-up has featured at most of the band's subsequent performances.
Hamfatter recorded their third studio album, entitled What Part of Hamfatter Do You Not Understand?, in summer 2007. Its lead single, "Sziget (We Get Wrecked)", reached 13 in the UK indie charts, and 54 in the UK singles charts.
NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
wrote a review in 2007 saying "Hamfatter carry an arsenal of power-pop nuggets including the amazing 'Sziget' which deserves to be a hit."
Dragons' Den
The band appeared on the UK edition of Dragons' DenDragons' Den (UK)
Dragons' Den is a British television series, hosted by Evan Davis. The format of the show is owned by Sony Pictures and is based on the original Japanese series, which has been sold around the world...
on BBC2 on 21 July 2008, where they performed an extract from "Sziget (We Get Wrecked)" in an attempt to secure a £75,000 investment as an alternative to a standard record deal. After offers from four of the five potential investors, they agreed a deal with Peter Jones
Peter Jones (entrepreneur)
Peter Jones, CBE is a British entrepreneur and businessman with interests in mobile phones, television, media, leisure, and property. He became a television celebrity through his appearances on the BBC Two show Dragons' Den and on his American television show American Inventor...
.
The day after airing, Jones appeared on The Chris Moyles Show
The Chris Moyles Show
The Chris Moyles Show is the current BBC Radio 1 breakfast show in the UK, and has been since Chris Moyles became the station's breakfast show presenter on 5 January 2004. From 2004 to 2007, the show was broadcast 6:55–10:00 am each weekday, but since 15 October 2007 it has started from...
on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
and Hamfatter's next single "The Girl I Love" was previewed. It was then announced that the song was available to download immediately, and would be available to buy physically in August. Within one hour of their appearance on Dragons' Den, the single had sold 500 copies via downloads, with a further 1,000 selling later that night. On the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
published on 27 July 2008, the song entered at Number 71. Released on CD and vinyl a month later, the single entered the indie singles chart at Number 3.
Criticism
Hamfatter's unorthodox method of raising funding from outside the record label system led to some negative comments from New Musical Express and The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
. The NME subsequently published a negative review by Nick Haynes of the re-released album What Part of Hamfatter Do You Not Understand? without indicating that the album had previously received a favourable review from another NME journalist; the latter review did however, contain praise for "The Girl I Love", the only new track recorded after the band had secured financial backing from Jones. Elsewhere, the Dragons' Den deal was greeted with interest and cautious praise from industry figures such as Dave Eringa, Feargal Sharkey and NME news editor Paul Stokes. Reports that Hamfatter were due to sign a record contract with Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
or Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
were dismissed by the band as journalistic invention.
Albums
- Fireworks (2004)
- Girls in Graz (2006)
- What Part of Hamfatter Do You Not Understand? (2007)
- Cassiopeia (2011)
Singles
- "Sziget (We Get Wrecked)" (2007; UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
Number 54) - "The Girl I Love" (2008; UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
Number 71)