Smilex

This year Smilex celebrate ten years since they first assembled on a grubby Oxford toilet venue stage for their first ever performance. A union and musical chemistry built on little more than a common love of rocking harder than anyone else which blossomed into friendships, relationships and camaraderie that spans pre-university age to adulthood – on that day more than a few local luminaries said
best frontman in Oxford – to which Lee's reply was 'only Oxford?' It's hard to believe it has been a decade of gigs and independent releases for no-one as much as the band itself. Smilex have skilfully avoided any sliver of national media praise for the most part – part bad luck and timing, part not being concerned with the music business' individuality stifling rulebook, part not agreeing to give up their beliefs and ethics and suck up to anyone who might potentially offer them a foot up irrespective of what was thought of them – Lee finally has his answer – Playmusic's "Best Unsigned Live Act of 2010" or "Oxford's one-band riot" as local bible Nightshift once dubbed them are back to show the kids how it's meant to be done.
"There's a fear that acts these days appear to have of not being cool and being judged as not hip or fitting in enough with current trends.when you have been going as long as we have without large commercial success, you don't spend much time worrying about passing fads or career moves, leaving you free to express yourself honestly and whole- heartedly. I get so suspicious of bands who don't give it all on stage and have loads of energy and dry clothes after a gig.it feels like they don't mean it!" Lee Smilex
If there's one thing you can't say about Smilex it's that they don't mean it – any random search on YouTube will throw up a variety of shows dotted round the country over their lengthy live tenure, (handpicked to support The Damned and many more or at Cornbury and other festivals) everyone as full pelt, thrill a minute entertainment as is possible for a low budget show to be. From off the scale kinetic energy and venue scaling to glasses smashed over heads and controversy, it's fair to say they make most bands look nailed to the floor and there is little they won't do to keep you entertained!
Smilex's new record 'La Petite Mort' (out in 2012) does anything but avoid the issues no-one wants to address in entertainment for fear or failing: ecological issues, celebrity, monogamy, addiction, underage sex, even the very nature of evil itself gets a look over on a record that steps up both the fury associated with their live presence and the intricacies of their playing whilst breaking new ground in terms of their songcraft and melodicism. Over the next year you may all get sick of hearing about Smilex – unlikely in all honesty but it will be long overdue if you do. Besides, this band have never been known to shy away from a little bile.