Splendid Gentlemen

I have a thing about band names. If your band’s name sounds like a Band Name, then it’s probably going to be a pretty shitty name. I feel like bands spend a lot of time and far too much thought trying to come up with something ‘cool’ sounding, that they end up with something completely meaningless like Throwdown, or Flipswitch, or something. I’ve also taken a shot or two at the names of our contemporaries in the Cheesy Wedding Band market….Don’t get me started. 

But given that, I feel like I should take this moment to defend our humble title, Splendid Gentlemen. 

Contrary to popular belief, there is no ‘The’ in our name. We are just, Splendid Gentlemen. I’ve also got a thing about band names that start with a ‘The’. But that’s opening me up to a ton of flak, so I’m avoiding that one. 

But you wouldn’t believe how many times people have gotten our name wrong. Over the years we’ve showed up to the odd pub gig to see a sign saying, “Tonight! The Perfect Gentlemen”. We’ve been shortened to The Splendid Gents, Splen Gent, just Gentlemen. According to one old woman at a gig one night, “Splendid Gentlemen is a shit name. It’s too long.” And do I think I’m trying to be funny like Kurt Cobain with Nirvana, or something? Apparently ‘Splendid’, just on it’s own would be a better name. Just a shame I’d bought the website domain and Trademarked the name before I spoke to her. We’ve also arrived to see a poster saying, “Slendid Gentlemen” before. Sadly we’d forgotten our Slender Man costumes that night. 

But, the absolute cherry on the cake was a conversation which was relayed to me by a friend a few years ago. He had been up to sing a song with us in a pub and was back in the same place a few weeks later when an old man approached him:

Old Man: “You…You’re the guy that’s pals with that band. What are they called again? ‘Something’ Gentlemen?”

Friend: “Yeah, Splendid Gentlemen.

Old Man: “Naaaaah! That’s not it. It’s ‘something’ Gentlemen. The Perfect Gentlemen?”

Friend: “I know the guys. It’s definitely Splendid Gentlemen.”

Old Man: “No, that’s not it. It’s close though. Wait!…I know what it is….It’s the Well Mannered Men!”

Wish we’d thought of that one. 

The origins of our band name actually started out, much like the band itself, as a flippant comment, mostly intended as a joke.

Before we were Splendid Gentlemen, Scott, Craig and I were 3 members of a larger 5 piece group. The name of the group? Vinyl. Thee most ‘Band Name’ band name there has ever been. Unfortunately Scott and I were drafted in 2 years in to the bands lifespan. When their drummer quit Scott was asked to fill the position. As for my joining? No one really knows. Like many things in my younger days, it went like this: 

Step 1. Get very drunk at a party.

Step 2. Missing Scene.

Step 3. Wake up hungover, having joined a band and talking year plans with the band manager over a cup of tea at breakfast. 

So Vinyl we were, and I hated the name from the get go. In the internet era, ‘Findability’ is a crucial factor for any band’s success. Ideally, you type the band name in Google, you want to be fairly near the top. We were near the top…just after sites about vinyl records, vinyl shower curtains, vinyl flooring, vinyl manufacturers, 4 other bands called Vinyl and 6 other bands with the word, Vinyl in their name. I mean, if you were searching for, “Vinyl Band Barrhead Glasgow Rock N Roll” we were right at the top though, and you can never take that away from us. 

So, for two years we soldiered on, drinking lots, gigging lots and having a great time. But eventually, as happens to most bands, we ran out of ideas, it stopped being fun and morale was low. Figuring we were pretty decent, but tired of not making any money, Scott, Craig and I had already started talks about starting a pub band on the side. 

I had fought my corner for a while, managing to severely piss off pretty much everyone in the process, but eventually I managed to talk everyone round to definitely, possibly, maybe considering changing the band name. “We’ll do a full rebrand, an album of new material and a big launch!” I promised them.

Then we got in to the talks of what the new band name would be? Explaining my beef with ‘Band Names’ my offering to the band was, “Something not too serious, but catchy. Like, Splendid Gentlemen or Mr. Fussy’s Grass or something.” In fairness, neither were particularly meant in any kind of seriousness and there was a heavy emphasis on the flippant side because I was getting ratty with the whole process. Both were laughed down as definite no’s. I had to head home and in my absence, a new name was decided on: Them Sweet Troubles. 

Thus was the death of Vinyl as a band completely. We had a farewell gig and the path was clear for the new cover band. 

When it came to discussions about what to call the cover band, at the time we had no higher ambitions than to make £50 a head playing The Scotia Bar in Glasgow, and didn’t particularly take any of it seriously. Scott and I had tried twice previously to start a cover band, to no success. I had thought Splendid Gentlemen was actually pretty funny after putting it forward for the Vinyl project, and it did kind of have a nice ring to it. Scott and Craig agreed, so, Splendid Gentlemen it was. 

The thing is though, it kind of accidentally helped us get started. People remembered the name because of it being so unusual. Which neatly tied up with our ethos once we got going. We are unusual. We’re not a ‘Wedding Band’ but we’ve accidentally become a successful Wedding Band. As a person too, in life in general, it had always been important to me to be considered a Gentlemen. The kind of people I looked up to were movie stars from the 30’s and 40’s. Good manners and being respected were always values I had kept personally and I’d like to think our testimonials reflect that we, as people, are reliable, easy to deal with and well, considered Gentlemen in the true sense of the word by people who meet us. 

But on the flip side, we’re the band with the silly name, who try not to take ourselves too seriously and are happy to poke fun at ourselves.

Such is the tale of our band name and how it came to be. We hope you found this piece informative and of interest.