What About Tonight were an Australian boy band formed early in 2012 by Christian Anthony, Mitchel Cave, Tyrone Georgiadis, Luke Howell and Brock Jays. They reached the final 12 on TV talent show, The X Factor. After being eliminated in September 2012, the members returned to their respective home towns. A trimmed line-up of Jays, Georgiadis and Howell were joined by Wade Smith early in 2013. They issued a single, "Time of Our Lives" (July 2013), which peaked at No. 25 on the ARIA singles chart. After leaving What About Tonight, Anthony and Cave formed an alternative R&B trio, Chase Atlantic in 2014.
What About Tonight | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Sydney, Australia |
| Genres | Pop |
| Years active | 2012–2016 |
| Labels |
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| Spinoffs | Chase Atlantic |
| Past members |
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| Website | whatabouttonightmusic |
2012: Foundation to The X Factor
editEarly in 2012 What About Tonight were formed as a pop music, boy band by five Australian vocalists, Christian Anthony (15 years old, from Sydney), Mitchel Cave (15, Cairns), Tyrone Georgiadis (18, Sydney), Luke Howell (18, Gold Coast) and Brock Jays (19, Wangaratta).[1][2] The members had met via their YouTube accounts and watching each other's music videos.[3] Jays recalled how upon meeting physically, "[Anthony] said 'What about tonight we get haircuts' and I replied with 'Hey why don't we call ourselves What About Tonight?'"[3]
They auditioned for Australian TV talent quest, The X Factor, singing We the Kings' "Say You Like Me".[4] At the boot-camp in London, What About Tonight sang for One Direction and that group's Louis Tomlinson stated, "they're just like us."[5][6] For the band's first live show on The X Factor they performed the Wanted's "Glad You Came". For the second live show they sang Busted's "Year 3000", performing the Jonas Brothers' variation. In mid-September The Sydney Morning Herald's Jo Casamento reported that What About Tonight were being sued by David Caplice and Alfred Tuohey, talent managers, who alleged they had "manufactured them for months before the show."[7] A week earlier Howell had declared, "We all met through YouTube. Mitchel's older brother Clinton found us and we skyped each other, we literally met four days before the audition."[7] However, an unnamed source told Casamento that Caplice and Tuohey had cast What About Tonight, "from huge auditions they held around the country, they developed it, they named it, they trained the boys and they gave them the opportunity."[7]
On 26 September 2012 the group were placed in the bottom two positions, vying against Nathaniel Willemse. The group sang Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel". Judges Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Guy Sebastian voted to send them home, while Ronan Keating and Melanie Brown voted to send Willemse home. The result was determined by public votes, with What About Tonight eliminated.[8] The group had "received the least number of votes of all 11 acts."[8] Competing explanations were provided for their unexpected low vote, "[they] were competing for votes with the other boy band The Collective," "[our] fans are so young they may not have had the access to the credit needed to vote" or "viewer backlash" after "a music manager has reportedly alleged that he formed the band months before the show."[2]
The group issued their rendition of "Glad You Came" as a single, via Sony Music Australia, which peaked at No. 8 on the ARIA Hitseekers singles chart, in September 2012.[9] Their next single, "Year 3000" reached the ARIA singles chart top 100 in October.[10] The group members returned to their respective home towns to visit their families. However, before Christmas that year they reunited.
2013–2016: "Time of Our Lives"
editIn early 2013 What About Tonight provided a cover version of "When You Look Me in the Eyes" by the Jonas Brothers. In late January, Smallzy of Nova FM announced their tour with two Australasian bands, Titanium and At Sunset, starting in February. While touring, At Sunset and What About Tonight provided a twitcam to announce their combined tour in April around Australia. During an in-store tour and meet-and-greet, What About Tonight performed their singles, "How Do You not Know" and "Drop Dead for Your Love". Anthony and Cave left the group due to educational commitments, while the rest of the group searched for a new member.[11] By mid-2013 the line-up became a four-piece with Jays, Georgiadis and Howell joined by Wade Smith (The Voice contestant).[12][13]
They issued their next single, "Time of Our Lives", independently in July 2013, which peaked at No. 25 on the ARIA singles chart.[14] The song was co-written by Sean Mullins, his partner Cassie Davis and her younger brother Joseph Davis.[15] The music video for "Time of Our Lives" was shot in Phuket, Thailand.[12] The four members are shown, "jet skiing, jumping on motorbikes, riding fast speed boats and of course, dropping in on a go-go bar."[12]
In August-September they joined The Salvation Army's Oasis Youth Support Network and undertook an east coast tour of schools to raise awareness of homelessness.[16] What About Tonight joined Jane the Virgin's Justin Baldoni in January 2016 to promote Skid Row Carnival of Love in Los Angeles.[17]
Afterwards
editWhile still a member of What About Tonight, Mitchel Cave performed with his older brother Clinton on the latter's YouTube channel.[18] The brothers formed an alternative R&B trio, Chase Atlantic, in 2014 with What About Tonight bandmate, Christian Anthony.[18][19] That group were signed by the Madden Brothers and subsequently worked in both Australia and United States.[19]
From August 2016 Tyrone Georgiadis was a mixed martial arts bantamweight fighter.[20][21] In 2019 Brock Jays, performing as pop singer Jays, signed with TMRW Music and released his solo single, "Misfits".[22] "Stuck on You" (June 2020) is the debut single from Luke Howell.[23]
References
edit- ^ Vickery, Colin; Byrnes, Holly (27 September 2012). "X Factor's What About Tonight rejects claims of legal threats". Herald Sun. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
- ^ a b Vickery, Colin (27 September 2012). "What About Tonight eliminated from The X Factor, hoping to work with One Direction". News.com.au. Archived from the original on 12 February 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ a b Prosser, Courtney (27 April 2013). "What About Tonight". myamn.com.au. Archived from the original on 27 April 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ HipToeKnee (20 August 2012). "What About Tonight – Auditions – The X Factor Australia 2012 night r1 FULL". YouTube. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ Renee (1 October 2012). Kate Yencken (ed.). "Interview: Louis Tomlinson Talks What About Tonight, Twitter, Holidaying in Australia and More". thehothits.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ HipToeKnee (11 September 2012). "One Direction Mentor the Groups – Home Visits – The X Factor Australia 2012 [FULL]". YouTube. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ a b c Casamento, Jo (23 September 2012). "X Factor | What About Tonight | F-factor: claims TV boy band a fake". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ a b "X Factor | What About Tonight | Ronan Keating". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australian Associated Press (AAP). 27 September 2012. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Wallace, Ian (24 September 2012). "Week Commencing ~ 24th September 2012 ~ Issue #1178" (PDF). The ARIA Report (1178). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA): 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ Wallace, Ian (1 October 2012). "Week Commencing ~ 1st October 2012 ~ Issue #1178" (PDF). The ARIA Report (1178). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA): 2, 4, 15, 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ Alex (13 September 2013). "What About Tonight? Split!". Total Girl. Archived from the original on 15 April 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b c Scobel, Sam (September 2013). "What About Tonight Releases New Video for Single!". Underage.com.au. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "What About Tonight?". Total Girl. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "What About Tonight – 'Time of Our Lives'". Australian Charts Portal. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ "'Time of Our Lives' at APRA search engine". APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society). Retrieved 9 December 2021. Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
- ^ "Back to School for What About Tonight". mySalvos. 20 August 2013. Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Idato, Michael (25 January 2016). "LA 'skid row' carnival crowd features Aussie boy band What About Tonight". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Are Chase Atlantic the Australian Version of the 1975". PopBuzz. 8 May 2017. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Madden Brothers working with Aussie band Chase Atlantic". news.com.au. 18 February 2016. Archived from the original on 18 February 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Tyrone Georgiadis | MMA Fighter Page". Tapology. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ "Past Events – Page 2: Urban Fight Night 14 (Fight Card and Ticket Information)". Fight News Australia. 17 February 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ Challenor, Jake (13 April 2019). "Introducing new TMRW Music signing Brock Jays, a future pop star with a powerful message". themusicnetwork.com. Archived from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Singh, Chris (22 June 2020). "Exclusive Single Premiere: Luke Howell 'Stuck On You' (2020)". The AU Review.com. Retrieved 11 December 2021.