The plan for this band is not (and never was) be to become superstars and achieve world domination and, frankly, this is probably just as well given our achievements to date. No, the plan for this band has only ever and always been to make music that we are proud of and then to get it out to people, hoping that they will like what they hear. There really hasn’t been much more to the ‘plan’ than this and, essentially, that plan isn’t changing now…but hopefully the number of people listening will. So, if this site is intended to achieve anything at all (beyond documenting our activities) then it is to be a tool, a method and a means of increasing the number of people who hear us. It will deal, then, with the final and toughest component part of the nutshell - promoting our records.

We don’t have a manager or an agent or (at this stage) any means of traditional distribution. We are not relying on or seeking any funding in the form of creative (or any other) industry grants. There is no ‘budget’ for anything such as PR or Plugging from the record label we are on as the record label is our own and is bank-rolled and operated along the same ‘try-it-and-see’ shambolic lines as everything else. Some may think this to be a bad thing, but we don’t. There are a few people - good friends - who help us out from time to time with their skills and ideas but by and large everything you see, read and hear on this website is made possible by our own fair hands. In fact, if you’re reading this then chances are the path that lead your here was beaten out across the internet by us in the first place. So, Hello! Welcome! Glad you made it…I hope the trail of breadcrumbs came in handy.Thanks for visiting the site, Craig, Friends of the StarsBirmingham, February 2008************************************************************************************Commercially Inviable Since 2000 : The Edited Highlights 2000…Buick 6 are formed and begin to play some well received shows to the good people of Birmingham. They record their debut single, “Genuine Parts”, at Magic Garden Studios in Wolverhampton. It is released on a green vinyl 7″ through their own Winnebago Records label and contains the songs “Drunk on My Porch” and “Southern Trail”.2001…A second single “Get Real / Our Little Girl” is recorded but Winnebago (somewhat inevitably) collapses before it can be released. The band donate “Get Real” to “The Songmakers Project”, a compilation CD in aid of the homeless charity Shelter.John Peel begins playing the “Genuine Parts” single on the wireless and Buick 6 are invited to play a session for the show, recording 5 songs at the famous Maida Vale studios.The band also record a mini-album, “Me vs The Tiny Nail”, but do not release it.2002…After the Peel session is aired on Radio 1, the band receive a ‘cease-and-desist’ order from Irish blues band Buick 6 and are forced to change their name, becoming The Toques. The Toques sign a 5-year management deal with Sanctuary and are paraded in front of The Major Record Labels of London. Creation Records / Poptones producer Joe Foster is drafted in by Sanctuary to work with the band. The Toques record some songs in London whilst S Club 7 mime overdubs in an adjacent studio. The irony escapes no-one.The band are invited back to record a second session for the John Peel show. Members of Grand Drive, Willard Grant Conspiracy and [X] isgreaterthan [Y] are drafted in as the band swell to a 9-piece for the occasion. 2003…“Too Tired To Worry” and “Journeys End”, recorded in the sessions with Joe Foster, are released on a 7″ single by Bearos Records. The band end up owing the label £74.As the band record backing vocals for Carina Round’s LP, “The Disconnection”, The Major Record Labels of London decide that what the world actually needs is The Thrills. Sanctuary and The Toques decide they don’t want to play with each other anymore.2004 / 2005 Realising that no-one can spell or pronounce The Toques correctly, the band change their name to “Friends of the Stars” and play shows with Herman Dune, Kimya Dawson and Mr David Viner.Friends of the Stars record an album, “The Gun Quarter Tapes”, at their own studio in Birmingham. They do not release it. Instead, they go on holiday to Wales…Upon their return they abandon their damp city centre lock-up, move to a home studio set-up and begin laying the groundwork for the “Lighting & Electrical” album.2006…Friends of the Stars finish recordings for “Lighting and Electrical”. Songs from the album are sent off to be remixed by a small selection of knob-twiddlers.Beth McGowan begins mixing the “Lighting and Electical” tapes and just before the end of the year the album is sent to Dave Bloor to be mastered. Meanwhile, in a Los Angeles suburb, Olivia Mole completes the artwork… 2007“Lighting and Electrical” is completed and released. Quiet pride felt by the principles. However, the album launch party is turned slightly sour by a violent attack on Val, Robson, Craig and Cam the night before. Several injuries occur and Cam spends the day of the album launch trying to get discharged from hospital having been stabbed in the back… literally this time! Eventually he succeeds but misses the party… although his girlfriend and her pal give him a four pack of lager and a seat in front of Match of the Day 2 that night.  People buy the record, enough in fact to put some money in the bank to record the next album… although not in, like, a Welsh manor house or anything. More importantly the people who buy it all seem to enjoy it. Tunes and plans are hatched.2008 Demos for the second album are prepared and several more gigs are played, including the triumphant ‘Night of A Thousand Dorian Woods”. The trouble and disappointment looks set to continue as the band continue to plot the release of their second full-length album…