Billy Bibby & The Wry Smiles
| 19th January 2016
Former lead guitarist of Catfish and the Bottlemen announces Winter Tour 2016 with new band: Billy Bibby & The Wry Smiles. Debut EP to release in February 2016.
Billy Bibby, former lead guitarist and co-founder of the Llandudno, Wales working-class quartet, Catfish and the Bottlemen, entered the British music scene in 2007, at the age of 17. From humble beginnings, Catfish and the Bottlemen relentlessly gigged their way across the UK and abroad, building a loyal fan base, selling out increasingly larger venues, and ultimately securing a recording deal in 2014 that would lead to the release of a top 10 debut album certified gold in the UK.
Embarking upon a new musical journey in the summer of 2014, Bibby set out to write new songs, trial them acoustically in front of live audiences, and form a band. On November 3, 2015, Billy Bibby and the band released a debut single, ‘Waitin’ for You’, greeted with ample praise and repeat radio play in the UK (BBC Wales, Radio X, Sine FM) and abroad (UIC Radio Chicago, Radio Kaos Caribou International). Bibby and the band then ushered out 2015 by playing three very well-received UK shows at Telford’s Warehouse in Chester, The Drawing Room in Barrow-in-Furness, and Milo Bar in Leeds.
Recently christened Billy Bibby & The Wry Smiles, the four-piece band are poised to play a series of about 20 tour dates throughout the UK from January-March 2016.
According to Justine Whitehead of JustMusic Bookings, “We had an overwhelming response from promoters as soon as we announced we were booking Billy Bibby’s debut band tour. The response isn’t surprising given Billy’s excellent songwriting talent, and of course his prior contributions to Catfish and the Bottlemen. Billy Bibby is going to go far and this is going to be a tour not to be missed!”
The Winter Tour 2016 coincides with the release of Billy Bibby & The Wry Smiles’ debut EP in February 2016. The show in Manchester at Night & Day Café will serve to launch this new record, celebrating the culmination of an 18-month process of stepping back, taking stock, and starting afresh.
Speaking openly, with his characteristic frankness, Billy Bibby elaborates, “The three gigs before Christmas were the perfect way to end the year. The year was all about getting to that point and finally looking over my shoulder and seeing a band behind me playing songs I’ve written, and be like ‘Fuck me, these guys are good!’ Playing Chester, Leeds, and Barrow made me feel that, and I wasn’t sure if I’d get that feeling ever again with a band. Well I did… I just didn’t know when that’d happen. It’s here. It happened. The EP is gunna blow your mind and I’m more excited for this tour than any other I’ve ever done before.”
Billy Bibby & The Wry Smiles Winter Tour 2015 Dates:
January
15th – Bradford | Glyde House
28th – London | 229 The Venue
30th – Talgarth | Tabernacle (acoustic)
February
4th – Winsford | De Bees
5th – Manchester | Night & Day Café
6th – Stoke | The Underground
11th – Liverpool | Studio 2
12th – Edinburgh | Sneaky Pete’s
13th – Inverness | Ironworks
18th – London | The Garage
19th – Doncaster | The Leopard
20th – Preston | The Ferret
24 Brighton | The Prince Albert
26th – Stroud | The Prince Albert
27th – Exeter | The Cavern
March
17th – Crewe | The Box
18th – Chester | The Live Rooms
20th – Leeds | Milo Bar
26th – Gravesend | Middle Eight (acoustic)
Additional dates may be added. Please check the Facebook for updates.
Follow @billybibs20 on Twitter.