What Does It Mean to Be An Average Bar Band?
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 12:01AM Yesterday, I was in the car with my husband when Faster Pussycat, "Poison Ivy" came on Hair Nation. The husband gave me one of those sideways glances that meant "ridiculous."
"They would never make it today," said the husband. "To me, Faster has always seemed like your average bar band."
After I explained the whole time/place/luck/connections scenario that got Faster to a major label in the 80s, I stopped and thought for a moment about what the husband had said.
It dawned on me that I have no idea what an "average bar band" even sounds like. Does that mean a cover band? There are some pretty decent ones where I live. At least, anytime I've been in a bar for a show, the bands haven't been too terrible. Because that is what we're talking about, right? Terrible...or just slightly above average?
I feel like if you get to the point as a musician where you are good enough to play live and earn money for your show, you must not suck too bad. All the cover bands around Dayton I've seen get paid. Sure, said cover bands don't sound like Van Halen...then again, they don't really claim to - or at least most of them don't.
I suspect the husband forgets that just about every band that has ever made it came up through the bar/cover circuit. So while I might not be hearing the next Aerosmith on a random Wednesday at the corner bar, that doesn't mean you're not in your city, right?
That said, I'm still plagued by the question..."what is an average bar band?" I think it has to do with more than music. Surely no one thought David Lee Roth was necessarily average when Van Halen was getting started. He might not be the best singer in the world, but he is a show man. Even some of the finalists on American Idol over the years haven't been the best singers ever but they've survived elimination rounds because of stage presence. It's a whole package after all.
So while I disagree with the husband on where Faster Pussycat is concerned, I suppose he does have a valid point in arguing that, if FP was a new band today, they probably wouldn't be huge. That's just a sign of the times and the current music industry. Talent seems secondary anymore. That said, I hope all the up and coming "average" bar bands keep playing...otherwise we won't ever have any new music to enjoy...and some act has to become the next AC/DC, right?
Reader Comments (22)
I also love 'wake me when it's over' although I thought their other albums were almost as boring as their Rocklahoma performance.
I think Wildstreet could be next. They are finally shopping their tunes around and are now on a WWE PS3 trailer. Lets get these bands' music out there and our bar bands will become BIG bands.
In fact, I'd say they were one of the pioneers of "Trash Metal" and were a pillar of that L.A. Sub-scene which Crue, Poison, L.A. Guns, Vain and even G'n'R were a part of, as well, to name but a few.
And Faster Pussycat didn't even really go for the big hair, either. Just medium hair level for these guys, L.A. Guns and Vain.
Today, Faster Pussycat would probably go the way of Dirty Penny in the U.S. Market because, for some reason, despite an ever growing REAL Rock'n'Roll audience demand, from the oldsters to the kiddies, this kind of music just does not get enuff support by the labels, the promoters and the media.
Faster Pussycat would have to move to Sweden just to survive.
Hell, would G'n'R have made it today?
And as far as "blackboard scratching" vocals go, I contend Axl gives Taime a run for his money with "Welcome To The Jungle", though not quite as extreme, obviously.
But looking through the BBG! prism, Faster Pussycat made it back then and can still be enjoyed today because they are REAL Rock'n'Roll!
Gritty and Metallic, they are New York Dolls, Crue, Poison, G'n'R, L.A. Guns and Sex Pistols all rolled into one, though, admittedly, not quite as good as any of those bands, singularly.
Look, I can appreciate Faster Pussycat might not be everyone's cup of tea mainly because of Taime Downe's ultra trashed voice. When I got the first album (the day it came out because I liked the cover), I gotta say, at first, I was taken aback by how rough the lead vocals were but he grew on me
I personally think they got better and better with every album, though I will always view their first as an absolute classic!
In the end, Faster Pussycat have great songs. That's what gives a bar band a fighting chance to get signed and tour the big venues, even if it's just as an opener, which was all Faster Pussycat were, except maybe in Japan or in fairly good sized clubs like Hammerjack's in Baltimore.
They did get a lot of play on Headbanger's Ball, however, and even heavy 24 hour rotation on MTV with their prerequisite power ballad = big hit, "House Of Pain".
Interestingly, you don't really see 'em too much on Metalmania. Too Bad.
p.s. Warlock Eric and JAT! Give the song "Nonstop to Nowhere" off "Whipped", their last album (my fave song and album by them) and their non-lp cover of Carly Simon's "Your So Vain" a shot. Another one of their little ditties, "Bathroom Wall", off their first album defines them and the genre.
Faster Pussycat was no bar band. They had a top 40 hit (House of Pain) and were playing in front of thousands (I saw them open for Poison in 88). If they are a bar band, we probably have to change the definition of "bar band". Compared to over 99% of the other bands out there, FP made it big. Fairly or not, they didn't become massive stars like Motley, Poison, GNR, etc., but they certainly lived the life for a few years.
Although several controversial statements have been made in the press by certain members of MÖTLEY CRÜE vowing this tour would never happen, that is simply not the case. Fans of both bands have spoken and want the tour to happen and both MÖTLEY CRÜE and POISON have agreed. Concert promoters in these select cities state that the buzz is unbelievable for both the POISON dates as well as the MÖTLEY CRÜE / POISON tour. No doubt this will be the rock tour of the summer.
Tickets for the MÖTLEY CRÜE / POISON tour will go on sale March 18. POISON plan to kick off their 25th-anniversary "Glam -A – Gedon 25" tour in Tupelo Mississippi at the Bancorp South Arena Wednesday May 25. Michaels will then continue solo, playing Thursday, May 26 in Ft. Walton Beach where he will perform for the fans and troops as he did last Memorial Day weekend. Michaels will rejoin POISON in Little Rock at the River Fest Amphitheater on Friday, May 27. Michaels will then perform solo at the Hard Rock in Biloxi on Saturday, May 28. Bret will rejoin POISON and MÖTLEY CRÜE Sunday, May 29 at Rocklahoma. POISON will then continue on alone playing arenas from Memorial Day until rejoining MÖTLEY CRÜE in Dallas at the Starplex Amphitheater on Tuesday, June 7.
When reporters recently asked Bret Michaels if there was any bad blood between the bands, Michaels laughed: "There may be some friendly competition but there is no bad blood at all on my part. Nikki [Sixx, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist] and I have spoken several times on the phone recently and the conversations went great." Michaels continued, "Music is a universal language and I am extremely excited that this tour has come together as are the fans, they are truly going to see a great show. Honestly, I could care less about all the mudslinging, it gets nobody nowhere, and after all I have been through health wise in the last year, I am going to try to focus on what does matter which is the show, the fans, fun and personally throwing a hell of a backstage party."
Bret Michaels' solo tour will start March 19 when he appears at Muhammad Ali's "Celebrity Fight Night" alongside Kevin Costner, David Foster, Billy Crystal, Halle Berry and Reba McIntire and will continue up until the MÖTLEY CRÜE / POISON tour starts. The "Get Your Rock On" solo tour in support of the album of the same name will resume immediately following the select summer dates with MÖTLEY CRÜE and POISON.
The site claims to be about "All Things Pop Culture".
I haven't been able to find any mention other than this other than the usual rumor mills and nothing with this kind of detail like how Bret is going to juggle tour dates between his solo shows and Crue/Poison shows.
Michaels is also appearing on "Piers Morgan Tonight" on CNN at 9 p.m. tonight. His site says to expect a big announcement then!
But no matter what he says, I'll hold my breath until I hear someone from The Crue Camp confirm.
Meanwhile, back to Reality...
I just went on Faster Pussycat's site which is new in support of their recent live album. It looks and sounds awesome. Funny, it looks like they just recently played some... GULP!... BARS in Kentucky, Illinois and Oklahoma last November.
Sheeez! From the looks of this, Trash Metal is alive and well in The Midwest!
I am stoked to see them at M3.
A little history, kidz...
Faster Pussycat was formed by Taime Downe, roomate of Rikki Rachtman of MTV's Headbanger's Ball fame. He also co-ran The Cathouse club in L.A. with Rachtman.
Thus, it was easy to get Faster Pussycat gigs there (a bar, more or less, Bryon) and that started the whole ball rolling.
They did not have their Top 40 Hit, "House Of Pain" until their second album, "Wake Me When It's Over", arrived well after they were signed and enjoyed modest success with their now classic first album.
To me, that album can be held up as definitive L.A. Strip, right up there with Crue's "Too Fast For Love", Poison's "Look What The Cat Dragged In", L.A. Gun's first album, G'n'R's "Appetite" and Ratt's "Out Of The Cellar", though not quite as good.
But I still think it's killer, don't get me wrong!
So, to set the record straight, though they had a nice entree into the whole L.A. Scene, they still started in the BARS and clubs of L.A. just like all the rest. Did it help 'em get signed? Sure! But they still needed the songs, the look, the act and the chutzpah to pull it off.
And indeed they did!
Long live Faster Pussycat!
Which just goes to show ya, sometimes it's worth watchin' somethin' even if it ain't yer cup o' tea.
I remember talkin' to Ian Astbury up by the pool at Le Parc Hotel and him convincing me go see Kingdom Come that night because they were way better than Guns'n'Roses. You know, in a way, he's right, hahaha!!!
p.s. Right now I'm listening to Rock Sugar. Man, what a great way to listen to all our faves without getting bored, at least until the novelty wears off. Download it, buy it, steal it, whatever you gotta do with it, just get it and jam on, kiddies. Forgot who said it at the end of the year, but I agree, one of the best releases of 2010. They're playin' Hard Rock in Albuquerque on July 2nd and Rockin' The Rivers in Three Forks, Montana with Great White and others on August 13th. I'm gonna try and make one of 'em. Hopefully they'll add more. These guys are geniuses! Wish they would play M3, too!
I'm nearly as shot as Charlie Sheen (just on "Piers Morgan Tonight", tonight).
Correction:
Bret is on "Piers Morgan Tonight" this Wednesday!
His site says to look forward to a "Big Announcement" during that appearance.
As far as Faster Pussycat goes... I could see calling them a "bar band" in the sense that bars, for the most part, are all they really headlined. Some people would just call them a second tier 80's band. If you enjoy a certain band... who cares what others think. Tell you what... I've seen a ton of great "bar bands". I prefer the setting of a more intimate bar setting. To me.. the connection to the crowd is what Rock-N-Roll is all about.. it's what it has always been about.
All 80's metal/glam bands are "bar bands". Some were just elevated to the next level by either luck, superior talent, or label money. Just like today, certain bands were forced on us through radio and MTV. Those bands who were pushed more became the "arena acts". Just as today the artists pushed by record companies and radio are the ones playing arenas.
The music business really hasn't changed as much as one would think. Just as the "classic rock" of the seventies was pushed aside for the new thing in the eighties ... The 80's metal/glam was pushed aside by Grunge. It;s been happening forever.
Last time I saw Chuck Berry he was playing in a bar. I just don't see how that changes his place in Rock history.