One of the most challenging aspects of forming a band can be The Name. I say it with all seriousness. Put four or five guys in a room together, tell them to choose a name they all think sounds cool and you’ll get some absolutely laughable names.
Don’t think so? Try it, please. It’s actually pretty funny.
I remember when a few friends and I formed a band back in high school. We weren’t too bad, by my own admission I was definitely the worst. We were full of angst and eager to show the world how unhappy we were with bedtimes and eating all your vegetables.
Some of the band names we came up with were, looking back, hilariously bad and still shockingly embarrassing. To save my friends from a lifetime of shame, and also manage to get myself out of it, I’ll refrain from mentioning any. However, I can’t leave you with nothing. The name we finally settled on was To The Grave. It did well for a time, there was a record deal with a (really) small label, but ultimately we discovered a rather popular band in the UK with the same name. Bugger.
Some incredibly awesome bands have horrible names. Off the top of my head, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, R.E.M, Smashing Pumpkins and Artic Monkeys all make really great music, but the names? No.
Ever been interested in how your favourite band finally settled on their name? Take a look at these lists, it might not have them, but if it does it’s rather cool to know. Can’t get enough trivia!
And the guys at Cracked.com have put out another freaking awesome list, The 25 Most Ridiculous Band Names in Rock History. Mega-funny stuff.
If any of you have stories on how you chose your band’s name, let me know!
May 17th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
tentatively my band’s right now is Radio Slap
my drummer hit me in the face with a radio