Best/Worst Band Names - Smaller Acts

Michael

Adding the submissions to the Gsite band database, we see some pretty odd names, good names, great names, corny names and more than often, downright filthy band names.

This years winner so far for giving me a laugh has to be 18 Speed Tranny. I came up with two possible meanings for the name - one brings to mind a much more interesting image.

Their website: http://www.18speedtranny.com/

mrblanche · Jammin' Hot Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Posts: 117

I can just imagine what sort of pictures that name may conjure up for you.

However, it should be noted that the "18-speed tranny" is considered to be the "ultimate truck transmission" in the tractor/trailer market. Reading the track names on those albums, somehow I doubt that's what their double or triple entendre was aimed at.

1bassleft · Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 3:34 am Post subject:

Trust me to bring it down. In my area back in the '90s, we were chummy with a couple of bands. One briefly had the name "Plastic Cactus" but, when that didn't seem obvious enough, changed to "Secret Banana".

Another local went by the charming moniker, "Furburger"

Rocklogicxxxxx · Groupie Joined: 14 Jun 2005 Posts: 43

1bassleft wrote:

Trust me to bring it down. In my area back in the '90s, we were chummy with a couple of bands. One briefly had the name "Plastic Cactus" but, when that didn't seem obvious enough, changed to "Secret Banana".

Another local went by the charming moniker, "Furburger"

Back in the dim and distant past I was involved in a recording session with some chums. I ended up playing drums and 'cello and we went by the name of "The Mandible Rumpus". We got played by John Peel and received one fan letter as a result.

Tim · Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:11 pm Post subject:

My first band was named Cowguana, based on a photomontage produced by the singer. It was my Grandfather who gently broke it to me that Guano means S**t

vitaminE · Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:16 pm Post subject: Stupid band names...

For me the worst thing about being in a band is finding a proper name – it’s an irritating process. My current band mates feel the same way and we actually gigged together for over two years without a name. When someone would ask we’d say, “We’re not a real band and we don’t have a name (so ….. off).” We had plenty of work just the same. Nothing is worse than sitting around listening to a bunch of idiots shout out whatever drivel comes to mind – The Doorknobs, The Lint Traps, etc. – please pass the cyanide. Mercifully, a friend who works at a pharmacy suggested we call ourselves “The Vitamins.” We laughed our a$$es off at the sheer stupidity of that handle and decided to go with it. Other brilliantly stupid band names I’ve know include: “The Uncomfortable Virgins,” “The Results of Divorce,” “The Other Meat Puppets,” and “Jimmy’s Gay Haircut.” Sorry to hijack the thread – rock on.

Nigel · Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2006 6:15 pm Post subject:

The first group I was in we called "Elbereth Gilthoniel". Long time ago when we were all naive hippies – probably just about Ok at the time but sounds quite nauseating now!
After a while we changed the name to “Notlob” – a palindrome of Bolton for some unknown reason (Monty Python perhaps?). Obviously had a flair for crap names back then.

1bassleft · Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 12:48 am Post subject:

Nice to see you back, Toco, and no hijack - spot on the thread. I hate the "band-naming" process too, especially if it involves full-committee. Worst names I've actually been involved with were:

1 - A slightly heavy rock band (lots of nose-picking root-note playing) that the singer called "Pariah" because he reckoned it was the name of some Beelzebubbery beast that dragged the sinners off to the flames. Maybe, but I later looked it up in a dictionary (I was only 19) and found that a Pariah was "a social outcast, reviled by the population" - very apt, judging by our only gig.

2 - Sat in the pub with guitarist B---- and singer N------ and Nic started that really annoying thing of making a name up from our initials. Seeing as my name begins with "O" it didn't take long before she got to "nob" and thankfully dropped the idea.

3 - Same band, somewhere else. Still talking possible names. The drummer paused from munching his Margherita to emit a loud (rather foul-smelling) belch. I said "Pizza Reaction" and, to my horror, the others started whooping that's the bandname. Took weeks to stop them telling everyone our band was called that.

The best-working way was later, joining up with a singer/guitarist he just told me straight that the band's to be called "sub rosa". Fairy nuff. Later, when I was casting, I took a leaf and told the prospectives that the band name would be "the difference engine". No argues.

My fave name of a signed band was "Kitchens of Distinction". I used to hum a song from their first album, waiting to be asked what I was humming. "Oh, it's The Third Time We Opened the Capsule by Kitchens of Distinction" I'd say, like some pretentious git.

glw · Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 10:40 am Post subject:

Nigel wrote:

After a while we changed the name to “Notlob” – a palindrome of Bolton for some unknown reason (Monty Python perhaps?). Obviously had a flair for crap names back then.

That's not a palindrome, that's just backwards. A palindrome is a word, phrase or sentence that reads the same forwards and backwards. Abba, for example.

Nigel · Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 1:47 pm Post subject:

“Ah ha”, obviously why we failed in our bid for world domination.
We were only backwards not something special like a palindrome!!
Another reason for lack of success was probably our ignorance of what a palindrome really was.
I suppose I have to ask myself “Can I attain a 'C'?” if I ever took an English exam. But I hear my friends say, you did take one.
“I did, did I?”

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