A Friend in London is a Danish indie pop and rock band that
represented Denmark in the Eurovision
Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany in the second semi-final with the song "New Tomorrow" and took a 5th place in the final with 134 points.
Members
The band consists of four male members:
- Tim Schou - lead vocals, guitar
- Sebastian Vinther Olsen - guitar, vocals
- Aske Damm Bramming - bass, vocals
- Esben Svane - drums, vocals
Career
A Friend in London (also known by its acronym AFIL) was formed in 2005 when the band
members were at a boarding school in Vostrup, Denmark. The
lead singer Tim Schou won the contest Danish Young Talent 2005 which led to the recording of the
band's first single, "Thoughts of a Boheme".
The Danish national radio station P3 picked up on the sounds of the band, providing airplay for
the single "Shoot Me". Danish TV station TV2
used the band's track "Dead Beat" in a TV-commercial contest.
The band started touring Denmark extensively with more than 100 different gigs. Their break came
in 2008 with the Bodog Million Dollar Battle of the Bands where they won the European leg of the
competition reaching the final 10 qualifying round in the United States. The band refused to
continue further with the competition, because of complexity of contractual aspects the
organizers wanted to impose on them and other participants.
Following that, they toured Canada and the United States. The band became very popular in Canada,
where since 2009 they have made three successful tours, the last being in 2011. The tour included
shows in June 2009 at NXNE (North by NorthEast) and Canadian Music Week as well as a performance at
Breakfast TV, a major morning show in Toronto. They
ended up signing a management agreement with a Canadian music group.
The band is in the wake of finalizing their debut album due for release in 2011.
2011 Eurovision Song Contest
A Friend in London took part in 2011 version of the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix with their song "New Tomorrow" written by Lise
Cabble and Jakob Glæsner, winning the
Danish preselection show and to go to represent Denmark in the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest.
There was controversy and allegations that chorus of the song was plagiarized from a Chinese folk
song "Silk Road" and big similarities with three other songs named: Andreas Johnson’s "Sing for Me"
that participated in Melodifestivalen
2006, the German group Future Trance
United's song "Face 2 Face", which itself was a cover from the song "Herz an Herz" from the german band Paso Doble from the year 1986, and Take That’s "Shine".
One of the co-writers Jacob Glæsner commented that "the song is very popular in its expression
and consist basically only of five tones. It is unavoidable that it doesn’t remind of a song one
have already heard". Partly because of the criticism, the band has confirmed in interviews they
will make changes to the song prior to presenting it in the Düsseldorf 2011 finals.
A Friend in London performed the song at the Eurovision 2011 and finished fifth, but caused
controversy when lead singer Tim Schou said in front of a live audience "You know baby, I want
to...I want to fuck you!" after Dutch singer Mandy
Hudts announced that The Netherlands had awarded
the song "New Tomorrow" twelve points. Schou later stated: "When the camera came and we got the
first points I was so excited. I apologise, Europe! I apologise! We got the fifth place, baby!".
Hudts has since claimed that she had found the incident hilarious.
Discography
Other songs
- "Thoughts of a Boheme"
- "Dead Beat"
- "Shoot Me"
Videography
The band released music videos for various songs via Guineapig Productions. Directors included Ib
Christian Henricson, Marie Louise Henricson and Lena Nyhus
- 2010: "The Light" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRcTjqyYbhk
- 2010: "Now You're Here" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzvV8DmgKOI
- 2010: "What a Way" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZg8ABF4www
Se încarcă...
![A Friend In London ~ New Tomorrow [ Eurovision 2011 : Denmark ]](http://t70.trilu.ro/adina003/884a37eb1304fe/thumb?.jpg "A Friend In London ~ New Tomorrow [ Eurovision 2011 : Denmark ]")
