Claytown Troupe, an English alternative rock band from Bristol, was formed in 1984 by lead singer Christian Riou. The group initially gained traction on the local live circuit, supporting acts such as Fields of the Nephilim and Alien Sex Fiend between 1985 and 1987. In late 1987, after a lineup change and the recruitment of guitarist Adrian Bennett and bassist Paul Waterson, Claytown Troupe released their debut album Through The Veil in October 1989 through Island Records. This album reached Number 72 on the UK Albums Chart and spawned three top 100 singles: "Prayer" (UK Number 79), "Hey Lord" (UK Number 86), and "Real Life" (UK Number 85). The band supported major acts like The Cult, Pearl Jam, and The Wonder Stuff during this period. In 1991, they released their second album Out There under EMI Records USA, which featured the singles "Ways of Love" (UK Number 57) and "Wanted It All" (UK Number 74). Claytown Troupe continued to perform at various festivals and events, including the Whitby Gothic Weekend in 2004 and the Camden Rocks festival in 2013.
