GOMEZ - SECRET BRITS GOMEZ

SECRET BRITS GOMEZ

Gomez say they left the UK in order to be able to continue their career and admit their American fans are often surprised to learn they are British.

Gomez fans don't realise they are British.

The 'Whipping Picadilly' rockers - who recently announced plans to tour the UK in November - moved to America several years ago and admit their US followers are often unaware of their roots.

Bassist Paul Blackburn explained: "A lot of Americans don't even realise we're a British band. Especially in a scene when a lot of American bands sound British like The Killers.

"Doing shows out there is brilliant though because people get so excited if you come to their town."

The Southport five-piece - whose debut album 'Bring It On' won the Mercury Music Prize in 1998 - admit they originally moved Stateside in order to avoid becoming failures.

Paul added to BBC 6 music radio: "We made a decision early in our career to leave the UK after a couple of albums because we knew what was going to happen because we'd seen it happen to so many other bands.

"So we just thought we'll start a touring career in America because if we stay here they're going to shut us down.

"Instead of getting bitter about the British scene being very fast and fickle, we thought we'll not do that, we'll do something positive."