# Bands that appeared playing in movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 22, 2016, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368 "2016-05-22T15:49:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/1 "2016-05-22T15:49:49Z")
In a few movies a famous band will appear and play but either as a nameless band or as some other unknown band. I’m not talking about movies like _I Love You, Man_where Rush appeared but the characters were at a Rush concert. Two movies I recall are \*Back to the Future 3 \*where ZZ Top is the hoe down band and _Kingpins_ where Blues Traveler is an Amish rock band during the closing credits. Any other movies with examples? I purposely left out TV since there are tons of examples. Several shows used the technique where the characters would go to their favorite bar and some famous or hopefully soon to be famous band is playing. But somehow they are able to still hold a conversation. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/2 "2016-05-22T15:56:53Z")
Celtic Fire as the bunch of guys who just met in steerage, but had their instruments with them so they could play a party, in _Titanic_. ---
**Author:** ![Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/3 "2016-05-22T15:57:18Z")
In the rather bad Tough Guys the Chili Peppers do a gig a bit before they were well known. Does that count? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRsj3YjwGg0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRsj3YjwGg0) ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/4 "2016-05-22T16:03:36Z")
L7 was 1994’s John Waters film Serial Mom under the name “Camel Lips” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/5 "2016-05-22T16:06:40Z")
Alice Cooper appeared in \*Diary of a Mad Housewife \*. They hadn’t had a hit at the time, but their name was not given in the context of the movie. The Bonzo Dog Band were unnamed in \* Magical Mystery Tour\*. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/6 "2016-05-22T16:07:58Z")
The Yardbirds appear in Antonioni’s “Blow Up,” playing “Stroll On,” which was basically a revised version of “Train Kept a Rolling.” Jeff Beck smashes his guitar on stage, a la Pete Townshend. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/7 "2016-05-22T16:09:44Z")
**The Lovin’ Spoonful** were inserted into \*What’s Up, Tiger Lily? \*(1966), but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen it and I don’t remember in what capacity they appeared. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/8 "2016-05-22T16:10:10Z")
Speaking of Jeff Beck…he and Nicolette Larson were in the country band in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Twins.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/9 "2016-05-22T16:13:18Z")
How about the B-52s playing the BC-52s in “The Flintstones”? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/10 "2016-05-22T16:14:36Z")
Primus takes part in a battle of the bands in"Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey." ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/11 "2016-05-22T16:14:59Z")
Alice Cooper in Wayne’s World Jeff Healy in Roadhouse 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/12 "2016-05-22T16:16:53Z")
**Twisted Sister** in “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.” Several groups in that POS “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/13 "2016-05-22T16:17:27Z")
> [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](#): > > In the rather bad Tough Guys the Chili Peppers do a gig a bit before they were well known. Does that count? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRsj3YjwGg0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRsj3YjwGg0) No, you are disqualified. 🙂 I think they were known regionally but what makes them not fit with other examples is that they are named in the clip. They are playing themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/14 "2016-05-22T16:20:54Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > Alice Cooper in Wayne’s World > > Jeff Healy in Roadhouse 🙂 It’s been a while but isn’t Alice playing himself? Jeff Healy is a good example. It’s him and The Jeff Healy Band but he’s playing a character named Cody and the band isn’t named. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/15 "2016-05-22T16:30:20Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > It’s been a while but isn’t Alice playing himself? > > Jeff Healy is a good example. It’s him and The Jeff Healy Band but he’s playing a character named Cody and the band isn’t named. You’re right…DUH! Well, at least I have Roadhouse! ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/16 "2016-05-22T16:32:23Z")
Lustra at least managed to hit the Top 100 with a song although that’s stretching it on well known. Of course it was the song they wrote for and performed in Euro Trip so success/notoriety was related to the movie appearance… They didn’t appear with just band members either; Matt Damon joined them playing the role of the lead singer despite not singing. I’m going to have" Scotty Doesn’t Know" in my head all day now. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/17 "2016-05-22T16:44:17Z")
Does Perl Jam being in _Singles_ count? They weren’t famous when the movie was filmed but we’re huge by the time it came out. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/18 "2016-05-22T17:07:47Z")
New Jersey band The Feelies are playing at Melanie Griffith’s high school reunion in the 1986 film _Something Wild_. In the film they’re called The Willies. Fishbone appear in the 1988 film _Tapeheads_ (starring John Cusack) as Ranchbone. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/19 "2016-05-22T17:26:34Z")
The Rave-Ups were the club band in Pretty in Pink. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/20 "2016-05-22T17:42:49Z")
The Tubes in _Xanadu_ [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jZ14DaBkZBs/hqdefault.jpg "Xanadu Movie Dancin' Olivia Newton John and The Tubes FULL SCENE (1980)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZ14DaBkZBs) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368.md?page=2)