The Lost Boyz came about when Darren’s 18-year-old son Kyle
tragically died in a car accident in September 2025.
Some of Kyle’s friends, who played in local bands, approached Darren and
Stella and asked if they could put on a memorial concert in his honour. Thinking
that this was a kind offer, both agreed. However, with Darren, Stella and
Kyle’s younger sister Amy not being in a place where they would be able to
take on the task, their friend Paul Walker stepped in to organise the event.
During a meeting with Paul and Kyle’s family, Darren said to Paul that a
very large venue would be needed to host the event. Paul, who is a man that can
get things done, laughed and said that he might even get the Eden Project for the
event! To which Darren’s reply was: “If you can get Eden, I’ll
come out of retirement.”
Both Andrew and Darren had been working musicians on the local scene for many
years, ten years or so previously, and had done a lot of gigs. When their last
venture ran its course, neither of them had the desire to play live music any
more, and subsequently hung up their instruments.
However, a couple of weeks had passed and Paul went back to the Endean family to
discuss the event, to which Darren asked if there was anything that he could do to
help. Paul’s reply was: “Just polish your guitar!” Darren
immediately replied: “They can’t use my guitar!”
“No,” said Paul. “You’re on the bill!”
Darren told him not to be daft, and that he wouldn’t be able to do it, as
the event was in five weeks and it would be impossible to learn a set of songs,
buy the equipment needed and have it all ready in that time. Paul said:
“Well, you said if I could get Eden you would play… and I’ve
got you Eden!” You could safely say that Darren had landed himself in it.
That evening Andrew — who happens to be Darren’s next-door neighbour,
former drummer in the same bands as Darren, and not to mention one of his lifelong
best friends — popped in to see Stella and Darren, where Darren spouted out:
“Mate, you know you’d do anything for me, right? I need you to come out
of retirement.” Andrew’s response was: “What have you opened your
trap to now?” After a little grovelling from Darren, he agreed to do a
comeback set as an acoustic duo.
In the coming five weeks they bought the kit, learned the songs and practised so
much that Andrew’s arms were in agony and Darren was actually supergluing his
fingers, as they were splitting through playing guitar so much!
Three weeks before the show, they still didn’t have a name. So where did the
name “The Lost Boyz” come from?
One evening Andrew was at Darren and Stella’s, checking up on them and
discussing the memorial concert, and Stella asked what they were going to name
themselves. To which Andrew said: “How about The Lost Boys… but with a
Z.” Darren said: “How did you come up with that?”
Andrew’s response was: “Because we both lost our boys.”
Devastatingly, Andrew had lost his eldest son Timmy at only twenty-two, three
years previously, in a car accident. A story you couldn’t write. Next-door
neighbours, best friends, and both had lost their sons in two very tragic
accidents.
All the tickets for the memorial concert were gone in under twenty-four hours,
with many more people joining cancellation lists and even more not even being able
to attend. All money raised was donated to
Brake, the road safety charity.
After the memorial concert the two decided to go all in and continue The Lost Boyz
in honour of the two young men.
So that was the beginning of The Lost Boyz.
