Overview
The band formed in late 2006, initially calling themselves Joe Lean and The Tantrums. Following a name change to Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong, they played their first gig in January 2007 and released their debut single "Lucio Starts Fires" on 8 October. In the same year, the band supported Babyshambles, Dizzee Rascal, Cansei de Ser Sexy and Kaiser Chiefs, and completed their first headlining tour across the UK in December. At the end of the year, the band were placed number 7 on the BBC's Sound of 2008 poll.
Lead singer Joe Lean also acts under the name Joe Van Moyland, and was drummer with The Pipettes until June 2007. He has played Jamie Chapman in Peep Show and Thomas Tallis in The Tudors.
The Jing Jang Jong consist of guitarists Dominic O'Dair and Randy Michael, bassist Panda and drummer James Craig. The original line-up included guitarist Tommy D (Thomas Dougall), the brother of Rose Dougall, formerly of The Pipettes, who left in late 2008 to take part in his sister's new project. Following this, new guitarist Michael was enlisted. James Craig has also been a stand-in drummer for The Pipettes and has also drummed for The Sigma. He is brother of George Craig from One Night Only.
In 2008, Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong supported The Cribs on the 2008 NME Awards Tour, and showcased their sound at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. The band announced their biggest UK headlining tour to date, playing 25 gigs throughout April and May. Their second single, "Lonely Buoy", was released on 10 March 2008.
They played at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2008, despite their name erroneously appearing as "Joe Ling and the Jing Jang Jong" on the line-up, and in August at Pukkelpop in Kiewit-Hasselt, Belgium.
They were listed as #7 on the BBC's "Sound of 2008" list of artists to look out for in 2008. Their debut, self-titled album was originally due to be released on 4 August 2008, however this release was scrapped as the album "didn't represent their current sound". Copies had already been sent to critics, with the likes of NME giving it 8/10. The album was never released.
The band supported a reformed Blur at the O2 academy in Newcastle upon Tyne, on 25 June 2009. In October 2009, they parted company with their record label. The band split up soon after. James Craig now drums for One Night Only.
Panda, Dom O'Dair and Tommy D revently formed a new band, a psychedelic/post-punk act called Toy, and have been widely praised by Rhys Webb of The Horrors in the pages of NME.
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