💿 The Rise and Fall of Avenue: The X Factor’s Forgotten Boyband

aka: How one of the most promising pop groups of 2006 never got the chart story they deserved.

The mid-00s were a golden age for boybands. The Pop Idol buzz hadn’t faded, The X Factor was the new Saturday-night obsession, and every teen magazine was hunting for “the next big thing.”

The Setup

Enter Avenue — five talented lads with matching jackets, slick harmonies, and serious Westlife-with-edge potential. The lineup? Max George, Jonathan Lloyd, Ross Candy, Jamie Tinkler, and Scott Clarke (yes, that Scott 👀).

They auditioned for The X Factor in 2006, wowed the judges, and instantly became fan favourites. Everything looked set for boyband domination — until one of the show’s most infamous disqualifications.

It turned out Avenue already had a management contract, breaking the show’s “unsigned acts only” rule. Cue headlines, heartbreak, and a swift exit. The lads were devastated, but determined not to fade away.

Round Two

Avenue regrouped, signed to Island Records, and dropped their debut single “Can You Feel It” — a glossy, club-pop anthem with rain-soaked streets, synchronized arm reaches, and pure 00s energy. It should have been massive.

But timing is everything in pop. The single stalled outside the Top 10, promo fizzled, and trends shifted again. Then came the twist: Max George left to join a brand-new group called The Wanted, who exploded with All Time Low in 2010. Overnight, Avenue became one of pop’s great “what-ifs.”

My Core-Memory Moment

I was in my own season of change when Avenue hit TV — transitioning between schools and clinging to my Nokia like a lifeline.

I went back to my old school one day (can’t remember why) and before I could even say hi, my friend came running up to me shouting, “SCOTT! SCOTT! SCOTT!!!”

It was surreal. My cousin was suddenly on The X Factor, and for a second, that familiar corridor felt like pop history in the making.

Legacy

For those of us who remember — or have a personal reason to 😉 — Avenue remain one of British pop’s most compelling almosts. The talent, the image, the charm… all there. They just needed a little more luck.

The dream ended too soon, but the harmonies still hit.