# Great name for a band **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 21, 2001, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328 "2001-08-21T13:35:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![IzzyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@IzzyR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IzzyR)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/1 "2001-08-21T13:35:13Z")
I first encountered this in Dave Barry’s writing - he uses it in many of his columns. And now on the SDMB its all over the place - its like almost any weird phrase someone uses will provoke the observation about it’s suitability as a band name. But I haven’t - in my perhaps limited exposure - seen or heard it used elsewhere or IRL. Is it a part of the local culture here (possibly derived from Barry), or have I missed something? As an aside, it is interesting that despite this great plethora of “great band names”, most band names are actually pretty lame. ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/2 "2001-08-21T13:47:37Z")
I don’t know, I think there are plenty of weird band names out there, especially on the local garage-band level. The joke goes back to at least the days of Monty Python. In fact, the first of the bands listed below got their name from a Monty Python sketch about rock bands with weird names. Everybody wants an original band name and so many bands have come and gone at this point that you have to be pretty out there to get one. Let’s look at a few of the big-time and semi big-time bands with weird names in the past few years: Toad the Wet Sprocket Ned’s Atomic Dustbin Ugly Kid Joe The Foo Fighters Elvis Hitler The Presidents of the United States of America Smashmouth And how about bands of yesteryear: The Velvet Underground The Sex Pistols King Crimson Pink Floyd The Dead Kennedys Kajagoogoo And so on, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/3 "2001-08-21T13:49:02Z")
By the way… the best band name I ever heard was: ‘Zoogz Rift and his Amazing Shitheads’ ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/4 "2001-08-21T13:57:47Z")
“Ugly Kid Joe” was sort of a joking response to “Pretty Boy Floyd”, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Briminator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba9def/32.png) [@Briminator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briminator)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/5 "2001-08-21T14:10:21Z")
My friends had a band called “The Turd Burglers”…makes me laugh whenever I hear it. ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/6 "2001-08-21T14:20:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arken \* > **King Crimson** Who are still alive and kicking, on tour with Tool this summer, thankyouverymuch. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/7 "2001-08-21T14:23:07Z")
David Letterman uses this expression all the time. Either, saying it would be a good name for a band or pretending it _was_ a real band. He also does it pretending it was the title of a song. Any phrase or expression which strikes his fancy, he’ll make it either a song or a band. ---
**Author:** ![namowal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@namowal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/namowal)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/8 "2001-08-22T02:17:45Z")
Dr. Zoom and his Sonic Boom! ---
**Author:** ![Beruang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@Beruang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beruang)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/9 "2001-08-22T02:30:25Z")
To respond to the OP, we’ve been using that phrase in Chicago since at least the mid-'80s. My favorite real band name: Gaye Bikers on Acid An actual phrase which came up at work today (we were throwing a baby shower for a coworker) and was immediately seized upon as an EXCELLENT name for a riot grrl group: Incompetent Cervix You heard it here first, ladies and gentlemen. – Beruang ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/10 "2001-08-22T03:26:34Z")
Hehe, Beruang, sounds like the name I came up with for a Tori Amos Album: Tori Amos - Twelve More Songs About My Clitoris ---
**Author:** ![Jeffro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jeffro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeffro)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/11 "2001-08-22T03:40:58Z")
This one was posted on a list here at the Straight Dope, Biff Hitler and the violent mood swings ---
**Author:** ![MrDeath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@MrDeath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDeath)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/12 "2001-08-22T08:25:20Z")
Up in Canada, we have Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers. There’s also a local band called Liquid Virgil; they originally called themselves Liquid Virgin, but found they couldn’t book any venues. . . . ---
**Author:** ![Anal\_Scurvy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@Anal\_Scurvy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anal_Scurvy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/13 "2001-08-22T08:46:16Z")
A dink I know is in a terrible ska band called Joe Skalin and the Boom Chicks. At one point they were Joe Skalin and the Sonic Response. Originally they were Joe Skalin and the(some stupid music/Soviet cross-reference). ---
**Author:** ![dasceder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3d9bf3/32.png) [@dasceder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasceder)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/14 "2001-08-22T14:35:35Z")
The Damn Dirty Apes. And your first album could be called, “Get your paws offa me.” of course that’s just In My Humble Opinion… ---
**Author:** ![navtechie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@navtechie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/navtechie)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/15 "2001-08-22T14:52:45Z")
I saw a band in Europe, namely in Holland. THey were from Georgia I think. Their name was: The Impotent Sea Snakes. Strangest show I have EVER seen. They do bondage and full nudity scenes on stage. Their music is quite good though. ---
**Author:** ![yakboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a3d4f5/32.png) [@yakboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yakboy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/16 "2001-08-22T15:04:27Z")
A good name for a bluegrass band: Randy Johnson and the Sheep Mountain Boys ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/17 "2001-08-22T15:49:11Z")
I think its use of the board is probably derived from Dave Barry, as you surmised. ---
**Author:** ![gwar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@gwar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwar)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/18 "2001-08-23T03:04:08Z")
My favorite was Masculin Napkin. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/19 "2001-08-23T03:39:53Z")
Moving to IMHO forum… - Jill ---
**Author:** ![TheOtherOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@TheOtherOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheOtherOne)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328/20 "2001-08-23T04:28:20Z")
buster hymen and his swinging organ… jungle jim and the swing sets loose lief and the binders leather wolf lone derangers frankenchrist oh man…i could go on forever… 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-name-for-a-band/77328.md?page=2)