Rock sensations Don Broco thank Autoglass for their big break into smash hits

Teen heartthrobs: from left, Tom Doyle, Matt Donnelly, Rob Damiani and Simon Delaney of Don Broco, who have just sold out the O2 Academy Islington
Alistair Foster10 August 2016
The Weekender

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Rock band Don Broco had their big break last year when their second album reached No 6 in the charts.

But the lads from Bedford revealed they had several smaller breaks before they made it — they all worked at a call centre for Autoglass to make ends meet in their early days.

The band played the second of their two sold-out nights at the O2 Academy Islington yesterday. Teenage girls were camping outside from 9am on Monday.

Three members of the band — Rob Damiani, Simon Delaney and Matt Donnelly — were schoolmates from Bedford before getting jobs taking calls from distressed motorists.

But far from bemoaning the glass repair company, they actually praised the firm for being flexible while they tried to establish the band.

Singer Damiani said: “That’s actually one of the hardest things to do — to find a job flexible enough to hold down while you are slogging away trying to make it.

“We were playing gigs up and down the country for free and had to pay to get there.

"We know loads of great bands who had to give up at that stage because they just could not afford to tour any more.

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"So it would be easy to slag off Autoglass, but they actually gave us the time off then we needed it.”

Don Broco’s line-up is completed by bassist Tom Doyle, who joined in 2012.

They have just signed a deal with US label SharpTone Records and were recently announced as the support act for Bring Me The Horizon during their arena tour this year.

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