Initials Only, Please
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 12:01AM Have you ever given any thought to bands that go by nothing but initials? There are bands that have regular names that prefer to shorten to initials. And don't forget the bands that had initial names that used to stand for something...but then evolved into nothing over time. Plus, some bands have names that "may or may not" have a secret meaning.
Let's break it down, starting with bands that have regular names...but usually shorten to just initials. You know, Stone Temple Pilots (STP) or Guns n' Roses (GnR).
What about Y&T? In the beginning, the California rockers were known as Yesterday and Today. Overtime, the name just became Y&T - no acronym needed, thank you very much.
Then there are the punks: True Sounds of Liberty or T.S.O.L.
What about W.A.S.P.? It may or may not stand for "We Are Sexual Perverts." Then KISS (which I believe was never meant to be an acronym, but others disagree) may or may not stand for "Kids In Satan's Service" (or other similar sayings).
Some other "initial" bands are, of course, R.E.M., XYZ, UFO, AC/DC, ELO...and many, many more.
I always thought one of the hardest parts about being in a serious band would be picking the name. The wrong name can kill a band. After all, you need a cool name that works for marketing purposes and looks awesome on T-shirts.
I suppose we should make this a game, right? How many metal bands can you name by their initials alone?
Something like A7X = Avenged Sevenfold or SOAD = SYSTEM OF A DOWN
So, Go! How many bands can you name that predominantly go by initials?
Reader Comments (30)
@spence next time allyson poses a question...look around your body and see if you have the answer :D
That's TYR -- Tonight You Rock! They totally ROCK and so will you!
Crued! Thanks for the hats off! A lot of trial and error involved along with Googling and wasting money on 50 duds or so-so's just to find one REAL ROCKER!
You obviously know a thing or two about the subject yourself.
p.s. Found a couple more... S.A.D.O. Go on heavymetalarchives.com and check out the picture of those dudes. Love the doberman and school setting. Another is REZ but I know nothin' about 'em. Oh, and another one with a couple of initials in the name... BB Steal, who are phenomenal Def Leppard clones. So much so, Phil Collen produced their superb album, "On The Edge", from 1991.
BOD= brides of destruction
To my knowledge, W.A.S.P. itself simply has the periods to make the name look important and to give people to talk about. Blackie has stated this is several recent interviews a number of times so I think this may solve it!
Oh and BLS-Black Label Society and DLR-David Lee Roth
To my knowledge, W.A.S.P. itself simply has the periods to make the name look important and to give people to talk about. Blackie has stated this is several recent interviews a number of times so I think this may solve it!
Oh and BLS-Black Label Society and DLR-David Lee Roth
Now, on W.A.S.P. -- I'm going to speculate, too, that Lawless named W.A.S.P. for it's original meaning just to erk the parents of kids who could be categorized as such...
White Anglo Saxon Protestants.
He did it to p*ss off Parents, Religious Leaders, Law Enforcement and Local Government in all the towns and cities across America that are run by such people who could be categorized as such.
I'm not sayin' it's bad to be a W.A.S.P. But some who fall into that category who happen to be in a position of power can be real A.*.S.H.O.L.E.S.!
Of course, this couldn't have been more actualized than when W.A.S.P. was targeted by Tipper Gore and the P.M.R.C. as a primary example of the reasons why Rock and Rap needed to be censored in the early 80's. We have W.A.S.P. to thank for being one of the main contributors to the Parental Advisory Warning as a graphic element on the album covers of so many of our faves.
Is it any coincidence that Tipper and Al Gore are right out of central casting as "a WASP looking couple", whether they are, indeed, actually WASPS or not?
I've heard other explanations for what the name W.A.S.P. is purported to stand for...
We Are Sexual Perverts, as Al stated in her post, is a leading contender. The Band has been quoted with that one, though, many speculate the explanation was merely an attempt by Lawless to give a clever quip in response to questions about the name in interviews.
Other controversial explanations that have been attributed to the band over the years are:
We Are Satan's Prophets
We Are Satan's People
We Are Satan's Preacher's
We Are Sexual Perfection
And perhaps the best...
We Aren't Sure Pal
But one such explanation for the name W.A.S.P. could very well be the most accurate, though Lawless denies it... Original bassist, Rik Fox, simply stepped on a WASP out in the backyard of Lawless' house one day while the two were making a smoke machine and, lo and behold, when he suggested to use WASP as the name of the band, Lawless jumped on it.
OTSK!
Except how to use your computer, kid! Just kiddin'! Can't tell you how many times I've thought I'd written the ultimate comment only to lose it cuz me and/or my computer screwed up.
Better to comment twice than not comment at all.
Huh-uh-lo-oh, people!
Shad!
Aw, dude! I envy you! You are travelling the world!
CVH = Classic Van Halen
:)
Is that like Coke vs. Coke Classic?