VBirds

Did You Know?

• The VBirds were interviewed on SMTV Live, where Bling and Wow compared their music to that of Destiny's Child, Mis-Teeq and the Sugababes.
• The band's backstory involved them being exiled from Planet V by King He:Lin for refusing to participate in dance farms.
• The music video for "Virtuality" was included in select versions of the CD single, which also featured the B-side "Dance With Me".

Development

VBirds began development in early 2002, inspired by the achievements of the British virtual band Gorillaz. UB40 provided support, with Ali Campbell and graphic arts student Dann Hanks designing the characters' animation, while the music came from Birmingham-based Star Company, which included UB40 drummer James Brown. The group's first single, Smoove, was planned for distribution at the Miami Winter Music Conference in March 2002. A website was under construction, and initial ideas for a film were being sketched out.

In January 2003, EMI signed the band, which was then estimated to be worth £1 million. The label aimed to make VBirds a global competitor to the Spice Girls, with a marketing push intended to peak by Christmas that year. After CD singles underperformed, EMI decided to release the single exclusively on DVD, accompanied by a line of merchandise. On 14 April, the television special VBirds: Perfect aired on Cartoon Network, with potential future broadcasts on BBC One or ITV1 being considered.

The band held its first live performance in Birmingham on Easter Sunday, 20 April 2003, at the Custard Factory, where they debuted their first single in a concert for schoolchildren. The single Virtuality came out the next day, 21 April. That same week, VBirds performed a second concert in Edinburgh, featuring a dance competition at the Big W store on Milton Road. On 29 May, the band toured Liverpool as a supporting act for Blazin' Squad, and repeated this pairing on 1 June with a show in Belfast. The music video for Virtuality became available on 27 February 2004 through an international agreement between Cartoon Network and the Vodafone live! portal.

Members

Boom brings the most wit and energy to the VBirds, though her temper can flare up quickly. By blowing a kiss into her own hand, she produces and hurls shimmering balls of color, which also makes her quite skilled at decorating. Wow acts as the group’s most level-headed member. Her ability to soothe those nearby helps her settle most disagreements before they escalate. Bling is the most style-conscious of the four, and she can instantly whip up fresh outfits for everyone with her powers. While this is useful for their shows, she often uses it in her spare time just to tease the others. D:Lin is the youngest and, thanks to her green skin, the most visually distinct. When the group isn’t performing, she loves to DJ, and she can also fling vinyl records as weapons if the situation demands it.