Toby Slater

Catch were descended from Brattish, Slater's first band, formed in 1994/95, which also included Ben Etchells. Brattish rehearsed the Catch material extensively, paid for by interested A&R men, but never gigged. This period is briefly mentioned in John Niven's satirical book "Kill Your Friends". Slater also was a driving-force behind the Romo movement, DJing at Soho's Arcadia at L'Equippe Anglais and Madame Jojo's in the autumn/winter of 1995. Melody Maker reported that an eleven track demo tape of Brattish, featuring a heavily synth/electro sound, was circulating among an elite handful at Arcadia/Club Skinny at the time.Romo: The Next Generation: Brattish, Romo special feature, Melody Maker 25 November 1995 page 17

"Bingo" was Catch's biggest hit, which resulted in the band appearing on Top of the Pops,{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Geh_zrt2Ps |title=Catch - "Bingo" - on T.O.T.P. - stereo '97 |via=YouTube |date=2010-12-23 |access-date=2013-10-21}} Light Lunch, The Paul Ross Show (performing three songs live), The Jack Docherty Show and various Saturday morning UK TV shows. "Bingo" was also being shown on the ITV Chart Show when ITN interrupted programming to report on the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGj5uHX0wlo |title=ITN Breaking News Report of Princess Diana's death |via=YouTube |access-date=2014-08-05}} Slater also presented some shows on MTV around this time. An album was quickly released in Thailand and Indonesia due to the band's popularity there, with the band securing a number one radio single in Thailand. But the album was never released in the UK due to Slater being unhappy with it at the time. The band visited Jakarta for a promotional tour and performed acoustically for fans.

Despite finding success in the Far East, the band achieved one top 30 and one top 50 hit in the UK,{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/catch/ |title=CATCH | Artist |publisher=Official Charts |access-date=2013-10-21}} and disbanded after completing their only album. A UK album was due for release, with a different track listing to the Indonesian issue, but this was never released. It is not known whether the UK album was fully completed or not; a working title was believed to have been Victim Support, however a gold recordable CD-R, dated 4 Oct '97, features a proposed running order for an unnamed and unreleased UK album.{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Catch-Album-Mixes/release/4113104 |title=Catch (5) - Album Mixes (CDr, Album) at Discogs |website=Discogs.com |date=28 October 1997 |access-date=2014-08-05}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nunuworldmusic.co.uk/gubbins/tobyslater.html |title=Nunuworld | Interviews | tObY SlaTer |website=Nunuworldmusic.co.uk |access-date=2014-08-05}}

Slater moved to Los Angeles, California and began pursuing a solo career. Returning to London, he formed a group featuring former members of the UK band Salamanda, and began recording and gigging, under his own name. A number of songs were made available online via Slater's own website and via the fledgling Napster file sharing service, on which Slater was a featured artist during August 2000.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2001/03/42609 |access-date=10 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113150811/http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2001/03/42609 |archive-date=13 November 2012 |title=Napster: Artists Getting Screwed |magazine=Wired |date=23 March 2001 }}

These early solo songs included "The Next Life", "Begging Rebecca" and "For You". Videos for the latter two tracks were released on Slater's 2002 single, "Consumption" as enhanced content.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um0IViziU9w |title=Toby Slater - Consumption |via=YouTube |date=2007-12-24 |access-date=2013-10-21}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNROK6Ju0V4 |title=tobyslater - For You |via=YouTube |date=2009-01-17 |access-date=2013-10-21}} The single also featured the tracks "Uprising (Things Are Going to Change...)", "For You" and "Smoking Isn't Natural". The single itself was mixed by English producer/mixing engineer Mark 'Spike' Stent.

Following the release of "Consumption" and a series of live gigs, mainly in London, Slater started to record demos of songs that would later be released under the band name Kunta Kinte, subsequently renamed Tough Love. Songs included "Stress", "The Perfect Couple" and a cover of "Is That All There Is?".

The band released the five-track "Tough Love" EP that included "Stress", which was also released as a standalone digital single and as a promotional CDR.{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Tough+Love |title=Tough Love Discography at Discogs |website=Discogs.com |access-date=2014-08-05}} The EP tracks had been available to stream and download via various official sources including the band's Facebook and MySpace pages since 2007 and the single was officially released on CD and via worldwide digital music vendors on 1 June 2009.

{{cite news|url=http://www.europeandme.eu/13baby/646-sexparty-kinkysalon|newspaper=Europe and Me|title=Toby Slater|access-date=2013-10-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603232454/http://www.europeandme.eu/13baby/646-sexparty-kinkysalon|archive-date=3 June 2013|url-status=dead}}

Tough Love band members were Slater (Vocals) along with Selina Andrews (Vocals), Craig Davies (Guitar & Vocals), Matt White (Drums & Vocals), Mark Davies (Bass & Vocals) and Ben Hawkins (Percussion).{{cite web|url=http://www.myspace.com/toughlovetheband |title=Tough Love | Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos |website=Myspace.com |access-date=2014-08-05}} The British newspaper The Guardian described the band as "the Afrobeat Scissor Sisters".{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/nov/10/clubs |title=Clubs preview | Music |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=2014-08-05}} Slater had previously worked with Craig Davies, Matt White and Mark Davies on his solo material - the three are listed as musicians alongside Slater and guitarist Nick Fowler on the "Consumption" single.

Following the release of the "Tough Love" EP, the band released a free download of a reworked version of "The Perfect Couple" in 2009. The song tells the story of a bi-curious couple who arrange a full-on same-room swap with another couple. The reworked version featured completely new vocals by Slater (with new backing vocals by Andrews) and re-recorded music, following the same arrangement and structure with slightly alternative lyrics to one of the verses. In the original version, Slater sings "I had to measure myself against a VHS and send it off as a JPEG" which was changed in the 2009 version to "I had to measure myself against a DVD and send it as a PNG". A video{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHyC9pvz13E |title=YouTube |via=YouTube |access-date=2013-10-21}} was filmed for the song and was made available via the band's Facebook page in January 2010.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/toughloveband |title=Tough Love |via=Facebook|date=2009-09-27 |access-date=2014-08-05}}

Together with his brother Barnaby, Slater was signed to Troika Talent,{{cite web |url=http://clients.troikatalent.com/melanie-rockcliffe-and-dylan-hearn/tobias-slater |title=Tobias Slater | TROIKA |website=Clients.troikatalent.com |access-date=2013-10-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021144228/http://clients.troikatalent.com/melanie-rockcliffe-and-dylan-hearn/tobias-slater |archive-date=21 October 2013 |url-status=dead }} an agency whose celebrities include David Walliams, Michael Fassbender and Matt Smith among others. In 2012 the two Slater brothers created Trending Topics, a comedy panel show based around the internet and starring Jonathan Ross, David Walliams and Rhod Gilbert for the ITV channel.{{cite web|last=Tarley |first=Rachel |url=http://metro.co.uk/2012/01/28/jonathan-ross-confirms-new-panel-show-trending-topics-with-itv-300436 |title=Jonathan Ross confirms new panel show Trending Topics with ITV | Metro News |website=Metro.co.uk |date=2012-01-28 |access-date=2013-10-21}}

Slater and the band were also curators of London's "new vaudeville" steampunk club night, White Mischief. Hosted in venues including a 1920s theatre, a palatial Georgian mansion and London's 1,100 capacity Scala, the often sold-out White Mischief shows were founded by Tough Love as a reaction against the dour, bland environments that typify many live intimate club gigs.{{cite web|date=2011-11-29|title=Steaming in London at White Mischief's Ghost in the Machine|url=http://steampunkchronicle.com/ArticleView/tabid/238/ArticleId/141/Steaming-in-London-at-White-Mischiefs-Ghost-in-the-Machine.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130908111119/http://steampunkchronicle.com/ArticleView/tabid/238/ArticleId/141/Steaming-in-London-at-White-Mischiefs-Ghost-in-the-Machine.aspx|archive-date=8 September 2013|access-date=2014-08-05|website=Steampunkchronicle.com}}{{cite web|title=Tough Love: Amazon.co.uk: Music|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tough-Love/dp/B0029CQSHG|access-date=2014-08-05|website=Amazon.co.uk}}

The band performed at various gigs and White Mischief nights until 2010 and released a further track, Alpha Male, via their Facebook page in June that year.

In 2010, Slater co-founded Kinky Salon London, the UK chapter of a sex-positive "arty sexy party" originally created in San Francisco in 2003.{{cite web|title=Creative Sex Parties|url=http://www.europeandme.eu/13baby/646-sexparty-kinkysalon|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603232454/http://www.europeandme.eu/13baby/646-sexparty-kinkysalon|archive-date=3 June 2013|access-date=2011-01-01|publisher=Europe and Me}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/aug/12/unusual-clubs-societies-activities-britain|title = Britain's new tribes|website = TheGuardian.com|date = 12 August 2011}}

In 2012, Slater founded another party, The Summer House Weekend: originally established as a private birthday party,{{Cite web|date=2018-01-12|title=THE SUMMER HOUSE WEEKEND - Portobello Festivals|url=https://www.portobellotents.com/festival/the-summer-house-weekend/|access-date=2021-08-28|website=Portobello|language=en-US}} the festival became an annual ticketed event{{Cite web|last=Antoniou|first=Katie|date=2014-04-11|title=Top 25 summer festivals for music and arts lovers, foodies and families|url=http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/apr/11/summer-festivals-uk-europe-music-family|access-date=2021-08-28|website=the Guardian|language=en}} and ran from 2013 to 2019.{{Cite web|title=Summer House 2020 final announcement - Tues 21 July 2020.|url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HlMFFq8kuEG5Hq-nSG1y-YRU3g5ZGYRNDAYSNKRxWPE/edit?usp=embed_facebook|access-date=2021-08-28|website=Google Docs|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Summer House 2020 announcement — The Summer House Weekend|url=https://www.thesummerhouseweekend.com/blog/2020/7/21/isfz18xs8pck14qwk0et2cibhkow36|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828190937/https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:K-B8oTtaTe8J:https://www.thesummerhouseweekend.com/blog/2020/7/21/isfz18xs8pck14qwk0et2cibhkow36+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 August 2021|access-date=2021-08-28}}

Slater was the son of British singers Stephanie De Sykes and Stuart Slater, who was lead singer of beat group The Mojos.{{cite web|url=http://www.discomusic.com/people-more/14090_0_11_0_C |title=Stephanie De Sykes | Profile & Photos |website=DiscoMusic.com |access-date=2013-10-21}} He had one brother, Barnaby Slater, who is a comedian, writer and producer.{{cite web |url=http://clients.troikatalent.com/melanie-rockcliffe-and-dylan-hearn/barnaby-slater |title=Barnaby Slater | TROIKA |website=Clients.troikatalent.com |access-date=2013-10-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130216231554/http://clients.troikatalent.com/melanie-rockcliffe-and-dylan-hearn/barnaby-slater |archive-date=16 February 2013}}

He died on 13 December 2021, at the age of 42.{{cite news |title=Toby Slater |url=https://musically.com/2021/12/20/toby-slater/ |access-date=20 December 2021 |publisher=Music Ally |date=20 December 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Qureshi |first1=Arusa |title=Toby Slater of Britpop band Catch has died |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/toby-slater-of-britpop-band-catch-has-died-3122727 |access-date=20 December 2021 |publisher=NME |date=20 December 2021}}

• "Bingo" - single (CD, CD2, 1997)
• "Dive In" - single (CD, CD2, 1998)
• Catch - album (CD, 1997, Indonesia only)

• "Consumption" - single (CD, 2002)

• Tough Love - 5 track EP (CD, digital, 2009)
• "Stress" - single (CDR, digital, 2009)

• "Consumption"{{cite web|title=Consumption|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um0IViziU9w|via=YouTube}}

• "Uprising (Things Are Going to Change...)"
• "For You"{{cite web|title=For You|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNROK6Ju0V4&list=PL5CDC10BB185E36D6&index=5|via=YouTube}}
• "Smoking Isn't Natural"

Songs made available online between 2000 and 2003

• "The Next Life" (Free download when Slater was Napster featured artist in 2000){{cn|date=May 2022}}
• "Begging Rebecca"
• "Conquistador"
• "Disconnected"
• "Sunbather"
• "Lachrymosa"
• "Dumb Blonde"
• "Uprising (Things Are Going To Change)"
• "Ritalin"
• "Propaganda"
• "Coming Back to You"
• "Sand"
• "Why" (live)
• "Scars" (live)

• "Stress"
• "Bastard"
• "Dissenter's Song"
• "Film of My Life"
• "Sticks & Stones"{{cite web|title=Sticks and Stones|url=http://www.myspace.com/music/player?sid=41310958&ac=now|publisher=MySpace}}
• "Getting Over It"

Songs made available online between 2004 and 2009

• "The Perfect Couple" (re-recorded and issued as a digital download via Facebook in 2009)
• "Is That All There Is"
• "Getting Over It"
• "Them"
• "Show Me Your Face"
• "Alpha Male"
• "The Perfect Couple" (2009 re-recorded version)

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Category:1979 births

Category:2021 deaths

Category:English pop singers

Category:Place of birth missing

Category:English male singer-songwriters

Category:21st-century English singers

Category:21st-century British male singers

Category:Romo