Here are some commonly-asked questions that you might have regarding This Charming Band and what we do. Please feel free to submit your own questions or general comments to us at comments@thischarmingband.net.

  1. What is "This Charming Band" all about?
    We're a group of musicians that love The Smiths. Some of us really love The Smiths. We really enjoy playing these songs, and since people still want to see them performed live, we're happy to humbly carry the torch.

  2. How did This Charming Band get started?
    One fateful evening, Orlando was listening to some local bands at Kimo's. As he sat hunched over his beer in torpor, an idea was born. Between acts, "The Queen is Dead" was played over the PA, and something inside him just came alive. Armed with his epiphany, Orlando sought fellow fans and musicians through Craig's List, and the rest is living history.

  3. Do you also play Morrissey songs?
    We are first and foremost a Smiths tribute band. Our feeling is that people can still see Moz perform his solo work, but The Smiths, unfortunately, are no longer accessible. That being said, we usually work a Moz song into our set just because his stuff is so damn good.

  4. Could you play <this song> at your next show?
    If the song is already in our repertoire, there is a good chance we can play it for you. Just send a request to comments@thischarmingband.net. If we haven't learned it yet, it becomes more difficult. We've really struggled to choose which songs to add next, and in the end, and after much spirited debate, we've ended up just having to take turns picking songs. Currently, our "upcoming" song list is already 20 tunes deep, all lovingly hand-picked by members.

  5. When are you playing next?
    You can see our upcoming shows in the Shows section of the website, or go to our home page and add yourself to our email distribution list. We'll notify you by email of upcoming gigs.

  6. Can I book This Charming Band for a private event?
    Possibly! For booking information, see the Booking section of the website.

  7. Are you aware there is another Smiths tribute band called "These Charming Men?"
    Yes, and apparently they're quite good. We had picked "This Charming Band" prior to hearing about them, and by the time we did, we were already emotionally tied to our name. We justified keeping it with two points: (1) our name is slightly different, and (2) there is an ocean and a continent between us. For the record, upon hearing about them, Benjamin was adamant about changing our name, but was ultimately voted down.

  8. Your show flyers are great! Who does them for you?
    Thank you very much! We're all fans and students of Morrissey's album/single aesthetic sense, so we've tried to do something along the same lines. Our guitarist Benjamin does the vast majority of them, but Peter also did a few of them along the way, and occasionally the artwork is done by a "guest designer."