The Open

The Open is an English Five-piece indie rock band from Liverpool (Steven Bayley (vocals/guitar), Jon Winter (guitar), Jim Reynolds (bass), Roger Westwood (drums) and Alan Dutton (keyboards). Signed to Loog Records after a bidding war the band's first album was released in 2004 and entitled 'The Silent Hours'. Despite critical acclaim (Fly described them as 'Britain's Best New Band' and a mixture of The Cocteau Twins, Talk Talk’s ‘Spirit Of Eden’, The Verve and early U2) the album failed to reach a public more enthralled with the New York Art Rock styling that was popular at the time.
After a dispiriting tour, which saw the band playing smaller venues unsuited to their epic songs, drummer Scott leave and the ending of lead singers Steven Bayley's long term relationship the band entered into the studio to record their second album, 'Statues' which was released on 6th February 2006.
Heavily influenced Miles Davis Jazz and The Who's 'Tommy'-era mini opera's 'Statues' was released to even greater critical acclaim and could find itself a common feature in the upper echelons in this years end of year polls.
They split up in May 2006.