Catfish and the Bottlemen: The story of their rise to fame

Catfish and the Bottlemen might be one of the most random band names you’ve ever heard, but their music has been taken very seriously by fans. They might have disappeared from the spotlight for a couple of years, but they're now back with brand new music.

With hits like 'Kathleen', 'Longshot' and 'Homesick', it's no wonder they won British Breakthrough Act at the BRIT Awards in 2016. They've already got three albums to their name, with a fourth reportedly in the works, so now might be the time to learn all about the Welsh band...

Catfish and the Bottlemen: 2024 return

Although the lads haven't said very much about their return to the spotlight, they did post a series of Instagram posts throughout February 2024, culminating in the release of their new single 'Showtime' and some gig anouncements.

The band will perform at Cardiff Castle on 19th July 2024 as well as Edinburgh Summer Sessions on 24th August 2024. This comes after the announcement that they would be headlining Reading and Leeds Festival 21st - 25th August.

Fans are over the moon about the reappearance of the band, with many taking to comments on social media to express their joy. One wrote: 'This is what jesus’ disciples felt like when he resuscitated,' as another added: 'TELL US WHATS GOING ON.'

In April 2024, Catfish also announced that they'd be performing at Liverpool's 32,000-capacity Sefton Park on Thursday 11th July, with a press release stating: 'Van McCann is back where he’s meant to be: headlining festivals, finishing a brand new album, and beginning a dynamic, exciting new era for Catfish and the Bottlemen.'

While we wait for more info about Catfish and the Bottlemen's comeback, here's a bit more info about the band...

WATCH: Catfish and the Bottlemen - Isle Of Wight Festival 2017

Who is in Catfish and the Bottlemen?

The band is currently made up of Benji Blakeway (bass) and Ryan Evan 'Van' McCann (vocals).

Former members include Jon Barr (drums) who left in 2010, Billy Bibby (lead guitar) who left in 2014, drummer Bob Hall who announced that he'd played his last gigs with the band in September 2021 and Johnny Bond (lead guitar) who left in June 2022.

Why did Bob Hall leave?

Although he didn't give a definitive reason, Bob took to Instagram to announce his departure writing: 'Those shows were my finale with Catfish and the Bottlemen and I will be moving on to the next chapter of my adventures. It’s been over a 10 year journey and I am so appreciative of how lucky I was to experience it all.

'Endless thanks to everyone who’s followed the band and kept returning to the live shows - it was because of all of you that gave me the opportunity to see the world through playing music. Good luck to the band, who I’m sure will only keep playing to more of you. Onwards!'

Why did Johnny Bond leave?

A bit of backstory... Catfish and the Bottlemen were due to support fellow Welsh rockers Stereophonics at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium in December 2021 - a gig that was postponed to June 2022 due to COVID-19. However, Stereophonics confirmed that Catfish would no longer support them due to "unforeseen practical issues".

Following this news, Johnny Bond released his own statement, announcing that he'd actually left the band in March 2021, writing: 'To put it simply, I feel that both the professional and personal relationships had become entirely dysfunctional.'

He added: 'I certainly don't want this post to be entirely negative ... You have given me some incredible experiences that will stick with me forever ... I sincerely appreciate you and feel incredibly fortunate to have experienced all of this together and met so many incredible people.'

Are Catfish and the Bottlemen still together?

They have made something of a comeback in February 2024, announcing new music and shows, but fans are still unsure about who is in the band!

When did Catfish and the Bottlemen form?

Van began playing guitar with his pal Bibby in 2007 at the latter's parents' home, which was a Bed & Breakfast hotel. They met after being introduced by Bibby's brother, who was a friend of Van's, performing under the name The Prestige.

They drafted in Benji on bass, and schoolmate Jon joined on the drums shortly after. Bibby taught both Van and Benji to play guitar, having played himself since the age of 10. The band gained a fanbase by playing as a support act to others, and by playing in car parks after big gigs like Kasabian.

Jon left the band in 2010, and was replaced by Bob Hall after being introduced to Catfish by a producer, and Bibby left in 2014 quite suddenly, being replaced by Johnny Bond. The band released a statement on Facebook in August 2014 about his departure.

It read: 'Some of you will have noticed that we have been playing with a different guitarist over the past weekend. Unfortunately, due to some personal circumstances, Billy won't be touring with the band for the foreseeable future.'

Where are Catfish and the Bottlemen from?

They're from Llandudno in North Wales. Van was born in Australia, but his family moved back to Wales when he was very young. Van spoke about his family story in a video posted to the band's YouTube channel in 2014, saying that his mum had struggled to have children due to a road accident when she was younger.

"They worked two jobs, had no money and they were really trying to start a family," he explained. "They tried for an IVF baby which the doctors were saying, even with that, it’s not going to happen.

"They kept trying and trying and using every penny they had and twice it failed. On the last attempt, it was like this has got to be the last time as it’s killing us as people to find out it’s not worked. And then I popped out! Like Alan Shearer!"

Where did the name Catfish and the Bottlemen come from? Why are they called that?

Van also explains this in the video, explaining that the inspiration for the band name came from one of his earliest memories in Australia: "I remember being plodded outside a cafe, watching this guy. He had a washing line with bottles hanging off it and he used to play it like a drum kit. He was called Catfish The Bottle Man.

"When it came to naming the band I thought it was quite an apt thing to call us. Because it was my first memory of music - and the story of my mum and dad."

WATCH: Van explains the band name

Who is Catfish the Bottleman?

The band's namesake is a native Australian named Michael Bevan, and wrote about his life in a blog post: 'In December 2000, I quit my job and decided to follow my heart and play music. I soon ran out of money and was looking for ideas.

'I was living in a crazy share house with about ten others in Glebe Sydney. There were plenty of beer bottles lying around so I decided I'd try tuning them up. In the early days, when I was still living in that crazy share house, I had a crazy beard.

'I had three long spikes coming out of each cheek, a spiky goatee and a spiky moustache. My flatmates started calling me Catfish and the name stuck. Once I became a full-time beer bottle player I naturally became Catfish the Bottleman.'

Catfish the band met Catfish the person in 2017, and a picture was shared on the busker's Facebook page.

Who writes Catfish and the Bottlemen's songs?

The lyrics are written by Van, with the whole band collaborating on the music. Van told Baeble in 2015: "My dad raised me to say what you mean, and mean what you say. You get to writing better, to be honest with you, do you know what I mean?

"If you tell your best friend, 'Everything's great' then when something is actually good, how are we gonna know? So, I like to be very to the point, very forward."

Who are Catfish and the Bottlemen signed to?

They initially signed to Communion Music in 2013, and signed to Island Records a year later in 2014.

What was Catfish and the Bottlemen's first song?

After signing to Communion Music, the band put out three singles: 'Homesick', 'Rango' and 'Pacifier'. 'Kathleen' was released in 2014 after they signed to Island.

When is Catfish and the Bottlemen's next album coming out?

So far, Catfish have released three albums - debut album 'The Balcony' in 2014, follow-up album 'The Ride' in 2016 and third album 'The Balance' in 2019. The band immediately started working on their fourth record, saying in August 2019 that the music is "already written" and that it's "underway".

Van added: "Every single time we do an album there’s always something going for the next one, so I always try to stay well ahead of the game in terms of songwriting. So if someone said ‘go and record an album now,’ we could do that easy. So we can record if we’ve got the green light from management and the label."

What is 'Longshot' by Catfish and the Bottlemen about?

Van explained the meaning behind the song shortly after its release: "Generally I’d just say it’s taking a chance on something and it’s paid off big time, you know? That’s the feeling I get and the chorus feels like that. Once you get to that chorus, we could always see the crowd in our head straight away even before we recorded it."

The lyrics to the chorus are: 'Listen, the distance between us could’ve took a while / Once we closed that difference, you'd turn up like a friend of mine / Every once in a while, the little things make me smile / As if one of our longshots paid off / One of our longshots paid off.'

WATCH: Catfish and the Bottlemen - 'Longshot' (Live for Absolute Radio)

What is 'Kathleen' by Catfish and the Bottlemen about?

In 2014, the band spoke to Bristol Beats Club ahead of their debut album being released, and Van explained the track: "It's a song about being madly infatuated with somebody, you know like when you really love them... When you can't stand them but you can't stay away from them.

"Those kind of people. It's about one of those when something just keeps bringing you back to somebody, and you're like, 'I don't wanna do this but I can't stop ringing them', like when you drink and you wake up and wish you never went round.

"It's a love song, I guess, but it sounds nothing like one, it's just a crazy... About this girl, being infatuated with her and she was a nutcase. Everyone's had someone cut their clothes up!"

The lyrics to the chorus are: 'I've gotta give it to you / You give me problems / When you are not in the mood / I've gotta give it to you / You give me problems / And made me give in to you.'

WATCH: Catfish and the Bottlemen - 'Kathleen' (Live for Absolute Radio)

Want more Catfish and The Bottlemen? See all their performances from Absolute Radio Live.

Scroll through to see our favourite live moments from Catfish and the Bottlemen:

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You can hear the biggest hits by Catfish and the Bottlemen on Absolute Radio.

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• van mccann
• catfish and the bottlemen