Morrissey, in Rolling Stone,

October 9th, 1986

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“If I was a confused, tortured teenager hearing Panic for the first time, I would burn down a disco, I'd probably assassinate the queen, and I would definitely form a group – called The Joneses."
 

Biography  

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The Joneses formed October 2016 with Aidan Sheridan and Matthieu Clervoy meeting over the band development platform ‘Join My Band’. They were joined shortly after by Matt Metherell a bassist and Fergus Gleeson a drummer.

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Aidan Sheridan ‘Morrissey’ decided to form the band because of a life-long love of their music and the uncanny fact that he looked like Morrissey. On many occasions, overseas visitors to London have mistook Aidan for Morrissey, asking for a photograph.

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The name, The Joneses was the idea of Matt’s and was agreed to unanimously by the group as a quirky play on the Smiths, something easily remembered by the British public, perhaps not so obvious to the overseas Smiths fans. The band’s first gig was on the 6th May 2017 an eventful gig with Fergus the drummer having to leave half way through the gig to return to his wife who had been admitted to hospital; the band played on with pre-recorded drums.

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In there first 24 months The Joneses have played over 40 gigs at 26 venues, they are now gigging all over the UK and planning gigs overseas.  The Joneses have developed a very unique style based on The Smiths live gigs, as opposed to the studio recordings. This introduces a stripped down, dramatic show with nods towards punk and rockabilly genres. This delivers a very lively and engaging show, with performances by Aidan ‘Morrrissey’ recreating some of the highly entertaining antics performed by the original front man, which include wearing tattoos, brandishing and throwing flowers, undressing, rolling around the stage (where space permits) and thrashing about in Morrissey’s very original dance style.

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There have been several line-up changes to the band, mainly due the the birth of new members of the Jones family. Matthieu moved back to France, being a significant blow. However, the band is made up of highly committed and motivated musicians of the finest level: Joe Linkens and Dave Buckley on guitars, Philip Robinson on bass, backed up on occasions with Matt Metherell and Dave Buckley and Steve Nye on drums backed up on occasions by Brendan Ivie. 

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The audiences like The Joneses are dedicated fans of The Smiths and Morrissey and as such fuse together is a sea of singing, dancing and embraces as the gigs progress. Many of the audience join the band on stage playing a tambourine and by default are then become part of the ‘Jones Family’.

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The Future

The Joneses started an exciting collaboration with The Absolute Stone Roses; The Manchester in the Area.

 

Manchester in the Area is a collaboration between the UKs leading tribute bands including: Stones Roses, The Smiths, Happy Mondays and Oasis, to name but a few. Manchester in the Area present tributes to Manchester bands which are very unlikely to reform, therefore offering access live experiences money can’t buy.

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This exciting project is delivering terrific emotionally charged celebrations of some of the world's most emotive sogs; played to some of the most generous and warm audiences we have seen.

 

We are playing in a diverse range of venues from medium to large. There are great rewards playing in both. The medium sized venues are beautifully atmospheric and intimate, ran by passionate music enthusiasts. We have absolutely the most fun with our fellow Smiths fans in the small venues, bouncing around the stage with them. The larger venues and music festivals offer an immense volume of kindred souls, some reliving the nostalgia of their youth, whilst other the youngsters discovering their new passion. At times the band find the sea of love and joy overwhelming.

 

THE CODE WORD

The Joneses have always toyed with the term 'Keeping up with the Joneses' and in the spirit of this term. In 2024 we will be launching a new project which is a tribute band to 80s & 90s Cult hits, entitled 'The Code Word'. 

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The Code Word is a dramatic band with a difference, developing unique treatments for 80s 90s and cult classics. They have taken tracks by legends of one of the most influential eras in live music and put their own very unique spin on the songs.

 

The Code Word will be playing hits and bangers from bands such as: Joy Division, The Cure, The Smiths, Talking Heads, Echo and the Bunnymen. Songs that will bring back nostalgic emotions of an exciting period of music history.

 

So if you’re into The Doors, Iggy Pop, The Stones, Bowie, Soft Cell, Adam and the Ants, Depeche Mode and Pulp, The Code Word will be a band you won’t want to miss.

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To read a story about the Joneses published in the Artefact Magazine, click here

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