Six By Seven

Six by Seven (also written as SIX.BY SEVEN or six.by seven or six.byseven) are an English indie rock band, formed in 1992 in Nottingham. The classic lineup of the band featured singer/guitarist Chris Olley, guitarist Sam Hempton, drummer Chris Davis, bassist Paul Douglas and keyboard player James Flower. The band split up in 2008, before re-forming in 2012 with Olley and Flower as the only original members. Originally formed in 1992 as "Friends Of...", they performed their first show at the Old Angel pub in their hometown of Nottingham in late 1992. After recording several demos and playing gigs, the band attracted some record company interest. However, they once played to a room full of A&R men at Leicester's Charlotte with the room emptying before the first 15-minute song was complete. Undeterred, the band continued to write and record. Bass player Paul Douglas joined later that year. The band got their break by playing support slots with Rocket from the Crypt and Girls Against Boys, and changed their name to Six by Seven in 1996. The name was taken from the research connected with the Hubble Space Telescope.

Links to Peel
The band caught the ear of Peel in 1998 and so impressed, that he invited the band to do their first session live for his show at Maida Vale. The group in total did 5 sessions for Peel's show, including a German language cover of David Bowie's Heroes called Helden. In an interview with Penny Black Music in 2010, singer Chris Olley described the honour of doing the sessions:

"'I’m happy with the fact that we did five Peel Sessions. When you’re making music that’s so different from what everyone else is doing you have this feeling that you’re doing something. When John Peel phones up and asks if your band can come and do a session, you feel that your band has landed.'"

Festive Fifty Entries

 * 1999 Festive Fifty: Helden #43

Sessions
1. Recorded: 1998-04-07. Broadcast: 12 May 1998 2. Recorded: 1999-05-18. Broadcast: 13 July 1999 3. Recorded: 2000-05-31. Broadcast: 05 July 2000 4. Recorded: 2001-11-04. Broadcast: 28 November 2001 5. Recorded: 2004-11-16. Broadcast: 01 December 2004
 * Something Wild / Your Town / Oh Dear / 88 92 96 / Brilliantly Cute
 * Ten Places To Die / Don't Want To Go/Slab Square / Heroes/Helden / Always Waiting For
 * Sleep / Another Love Song / England And A Broken Radio / Sawn Off Metallica T Shirt / Overwright Success
 * Cafeteria Rats / Speed Is In/Speed Is Out / The Way I Feel Today / American Beer / Flypaper For Freaks
 * Ocean / Catch The Rain / Sometimes I Feel Like / Around / European Me

Live
Recorded live at Nottingham Boat Club. Broadcast: 31 October 2002
 * 1) Another Love Song
 * 2) So Close
 * 3) I O U Love
 * 4) America Beer
 * 5) European Me
 * 6) Oh Dear
 * 7) Cafeteria Rats
 * 8) Flypaper For Freaks
 * 9) Brilliantly Cute
 * 10) Candlelight
 * 11) The Way I Feel Today

Other Shows Played

 * 1998
 * 1999
 * 2000
 * 2001
 * 2002
 * 2004
 * 2001
 * 2002
 * 2004
 * 2004
 * 2004