The Fratellis played their first ever gig on March 4, 2005 in the O'Henry's bar in Glasgow, and have since made their breakthrough year in 2006. The Fratellis EP was released April 3, 2006, featuring the tracks "Creepin' Up The Backstairs", "Stacie Anne" and "The Gutterati?". Due to its limited availability, copies can now be found reaching more than £30 on eBay.
Different sources tell of different origins of the band's name. Some claim it derives from the 1985 movie The Goonies; however, the band denied this live on air on BBC Radio 2's Jonathan Ross Show on 9 September 2006. Others tell of the band forming from a four-piece band who would play at weddings. However in a interview in The Sun newspaper, it would appear that the name is taken from bassist Barry, whose original surname is Fratelli, the other members of the band simply adopted that pseudonym. The word "fratelli" in Italian means "brothers". According to Top of the Pops, the band met after placing ads in the same record shop. NME ran a two page feature on The Fratellis in the August 10, 2006 issue proclaiming them "the best new band in Britain".
They have also claimed to have met while they were working on a fairground. "That sounds a lot more romantic than it actually is," admits Jon. "It was a travelling fairground that didn't travel very far because it was always breaking down. It was a bit like touring - you'd go to one place, set it up, pack it all away at the end of the week and go elsewhere. It was good for a while, then we all fancied being rock stars instead." They were recently nominated for Best Breakthrough Band in the 2007 Brit Awards.
