Avenue

Avenue, a five-piece pop outfit assembled in 2006 by industry figure Ashley Tabor, overcame an explosive on-air scandal from a prime-time talent competition to become the U.K.’s first major boy band launch in four years. Each member arrived with prior stage experience: Max George had represented England Schoolboys on the football pitch, Ross Candy had trained at the Guildford Academy of Contemporary Music, Jonny Lloyd had danced behind Geri Halliwell and Girls Aloud, Scott Clarke had portrayed a Gryffindor student in the opening Harry Potter film, and Jamie Tinkler had sung with the short-lived Steps sound-alikes Pop!, whose three singles reached the Top 40 in 2004.

The quintet reached the live finals of The X Factor’s third series after Louis Walsh selected them at boot camp, yet producers removed them upon discovering an existing management contract, a violation of contest regulations, and installed Eton Road in their place. Although the group had already tracked enough material for half an album, Tabor dropped them days before the scheduled video shoot for their intended debut single.

Refusing to disband, the remaining members—assisted by Max’s father, who approached virtually every London label—landed a joint deal with Island Records and Crown Music Management, the company behind Sugababes. Following Tinkler’s departure for a solo path, Liverpudlian Andy Brown, formerly of a Beatles tribute act, was recruited after the band discovered footage of him performing on YouTube. The four relocated to a five-bedroom Victorian residence in Camden and began co-writing with Anders SG of Alphabeat, members of rock group Orson, and the AATW Records team.

A London showcase led to an extensive schools tour, yet the effort failed to revive waning interest in boy bands; debut single “Last Goodbye” peaked at number 50. Max George later joined the Wanted in 2009.