Social media can be used to post pictures or communicate with friends but for UK pop and opera quartet Blake it’s how they formed their band.Not only did some band members reunite using Facebook, they also used Twitter to look for a new singer once baritone Dominic Tighe announced he was leaving the group.The band which includes singers Ollie Baines, Stephen Bowman, Jules Knight and Humphrey Berney will be making their first trip to the Island to appear at the Bermuda Festival of the Performing Arts tomorrow.They will be taking the stage at the Fairmont Southampton at 8.30pm and are expected to wow the crowd with 25 of the “best and most uplifting songs” they could find.Spokesman Alex Blake said the group was “extremely excited” about the trip to Bermuda. “Firstly, in the hope that people will enjoy our unique sound and style of pop-classical music, but also because we can’t wait to find out how beautiful the place is, although we understand we might not have picked the perfect time of year for the weather.”Mr Blake said band members Ollie and Jules were choristers together at a school in the UK, when aged seven and nine.Fifteen years later when Ollie was at music college with Stephen, they had the idea of putting a harmony group together. Facebook seemed the easiest way for old friends to reconnect.He said they initially thought “of just singing for a few weddings”, but ended up landing a $1.5 million record deal with Universal Records in the UK.“[That] was never what we expected. All we can say is, thank goodness that Facebook was around back in 2007 or we might never have existed today.”Today the ‘boy band’ is known around the world for mixing eclectic classical, pop, rock and musical songs with rich harmony vocals. They launched their first album in 2007 and it reached the top of the UK classical album chart.More than 100,000 album copies were sold in just three weeks and Blake earned their first gold disc. In 2008, the went on to receive the prestigious Brit Award for Album of the Year.While they have toured all over the world travelling to places like Australia and Japan Mr Blake said the band has been “been looking forward to this trip all year”.“We really will be considering it one of our high points of a career that’s so far been five years and had us performing in over 30 countries across the globe.”While the band members are seen as the main attraction, they will be accompanied by talented musicians. Martin “Blister Tips” Rilley, an amazing pianist, creates the ‘beautiful’ backing for their songs, using a grand piano and five keyboards at once.The show will also feature some comic banter and fast humour, said Mr Blake. “We like to think we can always get the audience laughing, crying and waving within the same show, something we’re very proud of.”This year has brought many successes for the band, who are reportedly named after a fondness for poet William Blake, but they are hoping 2012 will be an even bigger year.“We’ve released three albums all over the world, been nominated for two Brit awards and won a Brit Award for Best Album, so it’s been a good start.“But 2012 is very interesting year for us, starting with our concert in Bermuda, then later in the year we tour China for the first time, followed by the first ever US release of a Blake album.“Our fourth album (recorded at Peter Gabriel’s studios in November), was made with Michael Buble’s band and [soul singer] Joss Stone’s producer, Diane Warren, [who will be] writing unique songs. It will also be launched with David Letterman’s record label, in association with Universal Records. So all in all, a huge amount to look forward to!”Tickets for tomorrow’s event which cost $65 for adults and $25 for students can be bought online at www.bdatix.bm or by phoning 232-2255.n For more information on this and other festival performances visit www.bermudafestival.org.