Well, there were the Dead Kennedys lead by Jello Biafra.
Who could possibly be offended by mocking assassinated people and putting together a food brand with the name of an infamous famine?
As opposed to all the famines that were merely famous?
mmm
Mannheim Steamroller follows the “named after farm implements” tradition of Buffalo Springfield and REO Speedwagon. I vaguely remember there are others, but can’t dredge up their names just now.
There is a particular plus-sized actress whom I often refer to jokingly as “Camryn Manheim Steamroller”.
Verb, as I recall.
Or at least my punk roommate at the time seemed to think it was.
This thread is perhaps better suited to Cafe Society. I’ve relocated it there.
Every Grindcore band ever. Particular ones that spring to mind are Anal Cunt and Prostitute Disfigurement.
More mainstream bands with names that are extremely offensive if you know what they refer to are Joy Division and Spandau Ballet.
Doesn’t Mannheim Steamroller use a calliope? I always assumed that was where the “steam” in their name came from.
One of my all time favorite bands, Hot Tuna, is named for something very specific. (What’s that smells like fish, oh Baby?)
And I’ve heard that STP originally stood for Shirley Temple’s P…
The Tuna thing is true, the STP thing is just something I’ve heard. Heeding the advice of Frank Zappa, I’d be suprised if STP actually denied it.
When I first heard the origin of the band name “Toad the Wet Sprocket” I joked that there should be a band named “The Bicycle Repairmen”. Turns out there really is a band named that.
My personal favorite is still “Echo and the Bunnymen”.
Jorma Kaukonen denies the persistent legend that the band originally called itself Hot Shit.
^ “The Piranhas now formed a band which they called, ‘The Band’”…
Most famines were never remembered, let alone famous. This one was notorious for the whole man-made, man-enforced aspect. E.g., the Nigerian government preventing food relief to the region.
Ha! I was going to bring that one up…
Dead Kennedys is a great name.
I think weight has to be given to popularity, anyone can come up with a shitty band name that never sells records. Unlike these cats:
Hootie and the Blowfish
Arctic Monkeys
Soft White Underbelly
Toto
The Hooters
Saw Gogol Bordello Friday night (opening for Flogging Molly).
Highlight of the night was when the lead singer pointed at me (we were standing, in the rain, at the stage) and in heavily accented English, screamed, “Fuck You, man!” It was great!!
If it matters it was meant to be ironic. A trivial, nothing food item combined with a disastrous break-away country.
And Dead Kennedys is a great name.
A bit cheezy, but this site has a pretty good list of bad names.
Even though it’s a bit dated, I always thought that Jodie Foster’s Army was a great punk band name (along with DK, of course).