I figure several of us have probably played on stage. And local band names can be great. So share, players!
Mine:
4Play
The Wendigos
The Beam Pipers
The Country Explosion
Fire on the Mountain
Your turn.
Let’s see:
My high school rock band was Ruin. We kind of sounded like a cross between Metallica and Poison, if you could possibly imagine that bastard combo.
In college, it was a jam band named Jupiter’s Child.
Post-college, I played in an instrumental band called Crunchy Frog. Then I joined and recorded with a semi-professional, touring band in Hungary that still exists called Amber Smith. That band actually got a decent amount of notoriety locally and when I visit Hungary, I occasionally hear music I’ve played on on the radio (which is cool and weird.)
ETA: Oh, I recorded as a guest musician on a track for a band named Stig Roar Husby (named after a Norweigian long-distance runner), but I’ve never played live with them (though they have played “with us” as on the same tour.)
A couple of acoustic rock duos: Windsong and nu-ance (“A mix of old and nu” :rolleyes: ).
Out of Round.
Iron Monk. (Iron, as in the hard, driving sound of Heavy Metal. Monk, like the light airy feeling of a monastery in the French Alps.)
The only time I ever worked with other people and got something tangible out of it, I named the band Guitarbage. Our album is called The Leak of Crappy Guitarists.
I played bass and wrote lyrics for a garage band in high school in 1968-72. Mostly did “originals” with fairly juvenile high school-ish themes and lyrics. We had several names; The Baja Brigade, The Big B.B., and the Puddlenuts. A couple of the guys still record as a hobby and have stuff up on Bandcamp. We had a reunion of sorts a while ago and put out a tune called “Crappy Birthday”.
In high school, played keyboards for God. After my graduation, the remaining musicians, all god fearing Catholics, renamed it Godd Band.
Played in a lot of unnamed bands in college*. Since then, played sax, flute, trumpet, tuba with the Rude Mechanical Orchestra, the Hungry March Band, and the Unholy Modal Rounders.
- Well, one was the Yale Precision Marching Band
High school - This Is A Bag.
I play a few instruments, but my main instrument is flute. Not something that is needed in every song that a band, or even a solo guitarist, might do. Still, back in the day, I might get a call from Joe Smith asking if I could do the flute solos for two or three songs he wanted to play for his gig at a pub Saturday night. Next week, the Billy Jones Trio might ask me the same thing. I ended up playing with a lot of solo folks and small bands who wanted me on stage with them a bit, but not for every song. Those names are fictional, by the way, and I cannot remember everybody I played with. But hey, I got to see a lot of pubs, got in past the lineups (“I’m with the band”), never paid a cover, had a reserved seat near the front, and there was usually a couple of free beers involved, for those two or three flute solos.
Closest I ever came to being a regular in a named band was when I was in my twenties. I was part of a garage band that played R&B much like the Blues Brothers, and I played trombone in the horn section. Since we rehearsed in a garage behind a house on Woodfield Road, we called ourselves, with amazing creativity, the Woodfield Road Blues Band.
In no particular order:
Alliance
Bad Angels (and, Og, did I try to get them to change that name. But they were an already-established band, and had had the name forever. My tenure was short)
Spermicidal Lollipop
Common Sense
Satan’s Womb
Free Beer
Everyman
Ah! I forgot. About twenty years ago, I was in St. John’s Newfoundland, and caught the Barra Macneils at a pub. I was playing my spoons in the back of the room, but they heard my spoons, and invited me up to play with them. Which invitation, I gladly accepted.
I was never a part of the band, but at least I can say that I played with them. One night only, but I played with them. And I talked Celtic music with them after.
Bishop Brownell Marching Kazoo Band
I was soundguy for ColdShot, a rock/blues band.
My title/job was kind of a joke. The band’s contracts all called for free liquor for the band and soundman, so I came to gigs and drank free. My hearing impairment made my job title kinda ironic.
They were good times.
I once ran the soundboard for a rockabilly/cowpunk extravaganza at a friend’s bar. I just cranked up everything I could without getting feedback. The bands loved me.
My All-Time Favorite Far Side.
I never saw that one before now! The Suck Knob is a common musician joke.
Okay, ready? My bands off the top of my head:
Currently performing:
The Smart Fellers (Americana and Swing. I run this band)
Spy Band (James Bond theme songs and TV spy and detective themes. I run this one, too.)
The Overture Brass Quintet (Classical. I run this as well.)
Sister Swing (Andrews Sisters tribute)
Mama Said (Original rock)
The Maikai Gents ( Hapa Haole Hawiian)
The Pubcrawlers (Dixieland)
New Era Beats Brigade (Street brass band)
Jazz @ 7 (Jazz choir)
Ron Davis Big Band
Dawn Rose Band (Original rock)
Occasionally/ regular sub:
Gentleman Soldiers (Irish rock)
Out Of The Blue (Western Swing)
Roadkill Big Band (tuba on the bass trombone part. Fun!)
St Helena Teen and Children’s Choirs
The West End Stompers (Swing & Dixieland)
Mayflower Chorus
Atomic Cocktail (Atomic Age rock & jazz)
Defunct/ Don’t work with them anymore:
Deanoholics (Rat Pack tribute)
Peter Petty (30s & 40s swing)
The Rhythm Cats (swing)
Twilight Memories (Dixieland)
The Revtones (rockabilly)
The Blue Note cats (rockabilly)
I can’t remember any more, but I’m sure there are a few.
You should have gotten Toad the Wet Sprocket to allow you to open for them.
The Blue Light Specials
The Art Harrison Band
The Dropped Notes
(Time for an old joke).
I was in plenty of bands when I was young, but it was pretty obvious that the other members were all not as talented as I was and not going anywhere, so I split and went solo.
Some of the bands were:
Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young and Wallaby
The Jumping Stones
WABBA
The Jackson Six
Credit to ISIHAC