Astronaut return after a five year break - their last gig was 2002's Pandemonium at Dingwalls with Death Cab For Cutie and Simple Kid. We are pleased to have them back. Formed in Liverpool 1996, the band recorded two demos before winning the NME's Best Unsigned Band award in January 1998. fierce panda boss Simon Williams [never heard of him - Fandango ed.] offered to release 'What You Gonna Do?' as a 7'' single that summer. The single was supported by a handful of gigs in the capital, plus an NME On piece, which called the band's debut single 'a work of genius'. 1998 also saw the band play Manchester's In The City showcase, along with Muse, Coldplay and Badly Drawn Boy. A compilation of Astronaut's first two singles and 1998 Peel Session was released at the end of 1999 as the mini-album 'Preview', described by Melody Maker as 'a magical debut'. In April 2000 Astronaut played as part of BBC Radio1's One Live In London season, supporting The Charlatans and Mint Royale at the Shepherd's Bush Empire. Keen to capitalise on this success, Astronaut promptly did nothing for a year and a half. August 2001 saw the release of the band's first full-length album 'The Curse Of', featuring the single 'Three'. Astronaut are a pop band.