The Blue Aeroplanes

The Blue Aeroplanes is an English indie rock band that was founded in 1981 in Bristol. The band was formed by brothers Gerard and John, along with dancer Wojtek, who originally planned to name his brother's band "Niebieske Samoloty" (Blue Aeroplanes in Polish). Since its inception, the band has had an ever-changing lineup, with a total of 41 ex-members as of 2016. Only Gerard, John, and Wojtek have remained constant members throughout the years. Notably, John briefly left the band between 1990 and 2004 to drum for Strangelove.

Over the years, former and current members of The Blue Aeroplanes have gone on to join other notable bands such as Primal Scream, Witness, Massive Attack, and Strangelove. The band is known for their energetic live performances and often concludes their sets with "Breaking In My Heart." During this song, they have been known to invite multiple guest guitarists on stage to play the main riff. In fact, when touring as support for R.E.M. in the early 1990s, they had a remarkable moment where a total of 15 guitarists played simultaneously on stage.

An interesting anecdote surrounding The Blue Aeroplanes is that REM's famous song "Losing My Religion" is rumored to be written about Gerard from the band. With their unique sound and influential presence in the indie