# Gimmick Bands **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 27, 2019, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128 "2019-04-27T13:55:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ecks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ecks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ecks)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/1 "2019-04-27T13:55:22Z")
The appearance of Okilly Dokilly, the “heavy nedal “ band on the Simpsons has started me thinking. Gimmick bands have existed for a long time, but few ever make a real musical contribution, or become more than a one hit wonder. At the same time, bands like Gwar and Kiss are obviously gimmick bands, but remain popular. So where is the dividing line between band with a gimmick and gimmick band, and what are the best examples of each? ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/2 "2019-04-27T16:24:39Z")
The first band that popped into my head was the polka-rock band **Brave Combo**. Not sure where they fall, since I can’t say I’m really clear on the difference between a “gimmick band” and a “band with a gimmick”. ---
**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:** [April 27, 2019, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/3 "2019-04-27T16:44:06Z")
Dread Zeppelin is a gimmick band. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/4 "2019-04-27T17:36:15Z")
Intergalactic Touring Band [Intergalactic Touring Band - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intergalactic_Touring_Band) ? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/5 "2019-04-27T18:31:57Z")
Hayseed Dixie is a gimmick band. Leningrad Cowboys is either a gimmick band or a band with multiple gimmicks, I’m not sure which. ---
**Author:** ![Royal\_Nonesutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecb155/32.png) [@Royal\_Nonesutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Royal_Nonesutch)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/6 "2019-04-27T20:07:26Z")
Hell’s Belle’s was (is?) an all female AC/DC cover band. The “band” Marilyn Manson has an Oh-So-Edgy and rebellious (that is, edgy and rebellious for an 8th grade boy who hangs around with 5th graders because peers his own age don’t want anything to do with him) covention of taking stage names that combine a female model or celebrity’s first name with an infamous male serial killer’s surname. ---
**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:** [April 27, 2019, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/7 "2019-04-27T20:14:46Z")
The Bonzo Dog Band was clearly a gimmick band, but they’ve had a lot of staying power, with their material being repackaged and rereleased dozens of times since they broke up. The Rolling Stones had the gimmick of being the anti-Beatles when they were starting out. Lothar and the Hand People, OTOH, were built on the gimmick of using a theremin as a main instrument. They didn’t last long. ---
**Author:** ![Royal\_Nonesutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecb155/32.png) [@Royal\_Nonesutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Royal_Nonesutch)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/8 "2019-04-27T20:20:45Z")
I guess The Village People may be the best known Gimmick Band overall, if not, I can’t think of another with such widespread, mainstream notariety. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/9 "2019-04-27T20:23:53Z")
How about The Rutles or Spinal Tap? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/10 "2019-04-27T21:06:54Z")
> [@Royal\_Nonesutch](#): > > Hell’s Belle’s was (is?) an all female AC/DC cover band. > > The “band” Marilyn Manson has an Oh-So-Edgy and rebellious (that is, edgy and rebellious for an 8th grade boy who hangs around with 5th graders because peers his own age don’t want anything to do with him) covention of taking stage names that combine a female model or celebrity’s first name with an infamous male serial killer’s surname. > **[Marilyn Manson Now Going Door-To-Door Trying To Shock People](https://www.theonion.com/marilyn-manson-now-going-door-to-door-trying-to-shock-p-1819565904)** > > OVERLAND PARK, KS–Stung by flagging album sales and Eminem's supplanting him as Middle America's worst nightmare, shock rocker Marilyn Manson has embarked on a door-to-door tour of suburbia in a desperate, last-ditch effort to shock and offend... "Stung by flagging album sales and Eminem’s supplanting him as Middle America’s worst nightmare, shock rocker Marilyn Manson has embarked on a door-to-door tour of suburbia in a desperate, last-ditch effort to shock and offend average Americans. " ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/11 "2019-04-27T21:16:08Z")
[Here Come the Mummies](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here_Come_the_Mummies) qualifies. Anonymous members, mummy/Egyptian themed shows. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/12 "2019-04-27T21:20:16Z")
The Residents have several gimmicks (wearing eyeballs on their heads [The Residents - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Residents), concept albums from fictional cultures [The Residents - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Residents#The_Mole_Trilogy_(1981%E2%80%931985)) ) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/13 "2019-04-27T21:23:49Z")
Slayer is probably the ultimate gimmick band. Even 30 years ago when they started out, it was reported that some of the members didn’t even know what a Satanist was or what they believed in or did. ETA: Found the link. > **[SPIN](https://books.google.com/books?id=8Yh9p0GCKsEC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=bob%2Blarson%2Band%2Bslayer&source=bl&ots=1vDPu82_eV&sig=ACfU3U31j2mmR7teZr9EC3Z8OJpMMDil5g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi8m8em34TgAhXSmeAKHT-vDEwQ6AEwDHoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=bob%20larson%20and%20slayer&f=false)** > > From the concert stage to the dressing room, from the recording studio to the digital realm, SPIN surveys the modern musical landscape and the culture around it with authoritative reporting, provocative interviews, and a discerning critical ear. ... ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/14 "2019-04-27T21:34:32Z")
[Big Daddy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Daddy_(band)) is another gimmick band that comes to mind – their schtick was doing covers modern rock songs in styles from the 1950s and 1960s. (A more modern example, [Postmodern Jukebox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodern_Jukebox), has a similar gimmick, though they do their covers using a wider range of styles.) One thing that links these bands, as well as some other examples that have been given, like Dread Zeppelin and Hayseed Dixie, is that their gimmick is essentially “cover band with an unexpected twist.” It can be a very entertaining gimmick, but I suspect that, in many cases, it winds up being self-limiting after a while. By comparison, some other examples that have been given, like KISS and The Village People, have gimmicks that are more about their look or their stage show, and maybe that’s a sort of gimmick that can have longer legs. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/15 "2019-04-27T21:41:39Z")
Btw, okilly dokilly fucking rocks! As does GWAR. Other gimmicky bands that rock much less, but are still great fun: Metalachi, a mariachi band that plays metal songs. Schwarzenator, a metal band with all Schwarzenegger themed songs. Mac Sabbath, they dress up as Macdonald’s characters and play black sabbath songs with stupid Macdonald’s based lyrics. They are a tight band, but their schtick gets old after about 3 songs. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/16 "2019-04-27T22:02:40Z")
Would The Monkees and The Partridge Family count? The bands were created for TV series and ended up selling a boatload of records (_I Think I Love You_ outsold _Let It Be_…). ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/17 "2019-04-27T22:10:38Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ecks](#): > > At the same time, bands like Gwar and Kiss are obviously gimmick bands, but remain popular. If weird costuming and a distinctive shtick count, then [Devo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbt30UnzRWw) has to be included as a kind of gimmick band. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/18 "2019-04-27T22:19:37Z")
> [@Royal\_Nonesutch](#): > > I guess The Village People may be the best known Gimmick Band overall, if not, I can’t think of another with such widespread, mainstream notariety. Sha Na Na? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/19 "2019-04-27T22:23:07Z")
How about Weird Al Yankovic? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2019, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128/20 "2019-04-28T02:28:20Z")
Anything Jack White is involved with. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmick-bands/833128.md?page=2)