Band names that are parodies of other bands' names

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

They can be real or fake, but mark it:

R.E.O. Speeddealer
Dread Zeppelin
Public Enema

These are all real- any more?

― Neil Stewart (Neil Stewart), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 10:48 (twenty years ago)

the Breetles
John Cougar Concentration Camp

― Deluxe (Damian), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 10:52 (twenty years ago)

Is there any relation between Steely Dan and Steeleye Span? I know the `Dan (ugh, does anyone refer to them this way?) took their name from Burroughs, but....

Fairport Convention -----> Fairground Attraction.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 10:53 (twenty years ago)

Obviously I was forgetting the Rutles...

Also: The Thamesmen, The Originals, The New Originals, and there must be some other Tap names...

― Neil Stewart (Neil Stewart), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 10:57 (twenty years ago)

The Mr. T Experience.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 11:01 (twenty years ago)

Frank Spencer Blues Explosion
Fred Zeppelin
Tex Pistol
the Shirehorses

― Deluxe (Damian), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 11:08 (twenty years ago)

Folk Implosion

― Deluxe (Damian), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 11:08 (twenty years ago)

The Beatles were Buddy Holly fans. Geddit?

― snotty moore, Wednesday, 1 June 2005 11:08 (twenty years ago)

On a Rutles tip, there's always the Punk Floyd.

― Deluxe (Damian), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 11:09 (twenty years ago)

Jah Division
Jay Dee (a parody of Jay-Z)
Jay-Z (a parody of J-Zone)

― Nick Sylvester, Wednesday, 1 June 2005 11:12 (twenty years ago)

There's an Irish Sisters of Mercy tribute band called Sisters of Murphy. ugh.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 11:16 (twenty years ago)

Def Leppard is arguably a parody/homage to Led Zeppelin, no?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 11:17 (twenty years ago)

I guess tribute bands are a fertile area for this kind of thing- here are a few more to add to the ones above:

The Rolling Clones
Nowaysis

And a non-tribute band:
AB/CD

Also, Camper Van Beethoven would kind of qualify!

― Neil Stewart (Neil Stewart), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 11:22 (twenty years ago)

Jah Division

hahaha

― sleep (sleep), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 11:27 (twenty years ago)

Thin Lizzy - Fat Les (Ha bloody ha ... luvvie actor Keith Allen once again trying to prove he's a 'real man'.)

― Jez (Jez), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 11:29 (twenty years ago)

Hayseed Dixie

― AaronK (AaronK), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 11:43 (twenty years ago)

Dead Kenny Gs
Crack Sabbath

(both slightly retarded Skerik side-projects)

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 11:49 (twenty years ago)

Jah Division is real!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 11:49 (twenty years ago)

JEWDRIVER

― DJ Mencap0))), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 11:51 (twenty years ago)

Sex Pistols -> Celibate Rifles

― mookie, Wednesday, 1 June 2005 11:56 (twenty years ago)

The Sid Presley Experience
The Yeastie Girls

― peepee (peepee), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 12:10 (twenty years ago)

Sex Pistols -> Celibate Rifles

Wasn't it Love Guns -> Sex Pistols first?

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 12:51 (twenty years ago)

Hugh Reid and the Velvet Underpants.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 13:00 (twenty years ago)

AC/DShe

On that note, my friend Sarah wants to form an all-girl Priest coverband named Judas Priestess.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 13:21 (twenty years ago)

AC/DShe

and Hayseed Dixie

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 13:30 (twenty years ago)

Gayrilla Biscuits!

― astropatty (adr), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 13:31 (twenty years ago)

Goth Brooks

(Prospective concept floated by some friends of mine in college--goth covers of country songs. Never got off the ground, sadly.)

― The Mad Puffin, Wednesday, 1 June 2005 13:33 (twenty years ago)

Courtney Love (the Lois Maffeo band)
Donna Summer (aka Jason Forrest)

― The Sensational Sulk (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 13:36 (twenty years ago)

El Vez, obv.

And it just occurred to me on seeing the Mint Condition thread that "Spearmint Condition" would be a pretty good band name.

― The Mad Puffin, Wednesday, 1 June 2005 13:37 (twenty years ago)

the kenn firpo rent explosion

(best.williamsburg.band.evah.)

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 13:45 (twenty years ago)

NEARvana

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 13:47 (twenty years ago)

duran duran duran

― hmmm (hmmm), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 13:53 (twenty years ago)

Diff'rent Strokes

― PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 14:18 (twenty years ago)

Donna Summer

― giboyeux (skowly), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 14:19 (twenty years ago)

The John and Spencer Booze Explosion (John Atkins/Spencer Moody one-off covers EP)

― Daniel Cohen (dayan), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 14:21 (twenty years ago)

trulio discracias

― superultramega (superultramarinated), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 14:36 (twenty years ago)

Ugly Kid Joe (see: Pretty Boy Floyd)

― xhuxk, Wednesday, 1 June 2005 14:36 (twenty years ago)

Stretching the concept a little, there was a band from Chicago called 'Mary Tyler Morphine'

― mzui (mzui), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 14:38 (twenty years ago)

Thelonious Monster, ok, Monk is not a "band", but it must be worth something that for a time (sometime in the late 80s?) they changed their name to Thelonious Monster Mellencamp.

― These Robust Cookies (Robust Cookies), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 14:43 (twenty years ago)

Cher UK

― brianiac (briania), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 15:25 (twenty years ago)

Arguably any band called The ________ Experience owes a debt to Hendrix, tho it's not always a parody.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 15:27 (twenty years ago)

stock, hausen & walkman

― fauxhemian (fauxhemian), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 17:01 (twenty years ago)

pansy division (DUH!)

― The Brainwasher (Twilight), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 17:02 (twenty years ago)

Boy Division

― sibsi (sibsi), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 17:35 (twenty years ago)

John Cougar Concentration Camp

― naus, Wednesday, 1 June 2005 18:43 (twenty years ago)

Brian Jonestown Massacre

pansy division (DUH!) (HUH?)

― Ben Dot (1977), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 19:14 (twenty years ago)

Elvis Costello

― xhuxk, Wednesday, 1 June 2005 19:21 (twenty years ago)

Chicks on Speed -> Lesbians on Ecstasy

― naus, Wednesday, 1 June 2005 19:23 (twenty years ago)

MFDMK

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 19:28 (twenty years ago)

The Descendents -> The Offspring

― naus, Wednesday, 1 June 2005 19:30 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 47 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Buck Cherry

― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 29 October 2014 22:30 (ten years ago)

Cheap Schtick

― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 29 October 2014 22:31 (ten years ago)

There are a bunch of all female cover bands in town:

Sheezer
Hervana
Vag Halen

...all real.

― m0stlyClean, Thursday, 30 October 2014 02:04 (ten years ago)

The Monkees

― benbbag, Thursday, 30 October 2014 02:10 (ten years ago)

Stalingrad Cowgirls
2 Live Jews
Bytches With Problems (I assume the name is a parody of NWA?)

― Tuomas, Thursday, 30 October 2014 08:23 (ten years ago)

Jickael Mackson

― Moka, Thursday, 30 October 2014 08:29 (ten years ago)

Joy Orbison

― Moka, Thursday, 30 October 2014 08:30 (ten years ago)

Also real and awful:

Gringo Star
Ringo Deathstar
Kanji West
Eltron John
Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr
Kylie Minoise

― Moka, Thursday, 30 October 2014 08:37 (ten years ago)

Surprised to hear that Kurt Vile is an actual name not a play on Mr Lotte Lenya => Kurt Weill.
Wonder if his parents were aware of the composer?

― Stevolende, Thursday, 30 October 2014 08:39 (ten years ago)

In the pre-rock era, perhaps the most famous singers in Finland was named Olavi Virta. Now, "Virta" is a common Finnish surname, literally it translates to "stream". Then, in the 00s, this promising young singer broke through, with the name Olavi Uusivirta. "Uusivirta" is a rare Finnish surname, but "uusi" also means "new" in Finnish, so you can interpret this guy's name as "the new Olavi Virta". Everyone assumed it was a joke, but turns out Olavi Uusivirta is his actual birth name. (I assume his parents realized what they were doing when they named their kid "Olavi".) This is pretty much the same as if an upcoming American singer was called "Frank Newsinatra".

― Tuomas, Thursday, 30 October 2014 08:52 (ten years ago)

haha I quite like Ringo Deathstar
& Joanna Gruesome too!

― nxd, Thursday, 30 October 2014 08:52 (ten years ago)

Sly and the Family Drone

― the bowels are not what they seem (aldo), Thursday, 30 October 2014 10:19 (ten years ago)

cunt and the gang

― keep the meat alive: pampas grass (wins), Thursday, 30 October 2014 10:52 (ten years ago)

Frank Sonata

― Sir Lord Baltimora (Myonga Vön Bontee), Thursday, 30 October 2014 13:28 (ten years ago)

Deathray Davies

― Abstinence Hawk (frogbs), Thursday, 30 October 2014 13:30 (ten years ago)

Hey, We're Frank Sinatra

― emil.y, Thursday, 30 October 2014 13:31 (ten years ago)

this is such a terrible trend

― marcos, Thursday, 30 October 2014 13:41 (ten years ago)

xp: lol

― how's life, Thursday, 30 October 2014 13:44 (ten years ago)

Eagles of Death Metal

― and in his absence, she (Lee626), Thursday, 30 October 2014 13:48 (ten years ago)

I can't really take anybody seriously who does this.

Also can't believe Trashcan Sinatras haven't been mentioned yet.

― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, 30 October 2014 13:48 (ten years ago)

The Nuns (all-female Monks cover band)

― cwkiii, Thursday, 30 October 2014 13:55 (ten years ago)

Clap Your Hands, We're Yes

― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Thursday, 30 October 2014 13:56 (ten years ago)

The Pains of Being Heart

― cwkiii, Thursday, 30 October 2014 13:57 (ten years ago)

A Place To Barry Sanders

― cwkiii, Thursday, 30 October 2014 14:00 (ten years ago)

is Trashcan Sinatras a pun that I'm missing? don't think invoking a major 20th-c cultural icon is equivalent to Joanna Gruesome or whoever

― well-behaved wingmen really hate Mystery (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 30 October 2014 14:40 (ten years ago)

Yeah, I was just gonna say I actually kinda like that juxtaposition. TS's wiki says it's just two words they put together after an early practice banging on trashcans. It's a better name than The Dandy Warhols anyway, imo.

― Deliciously hard yet very accessible (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 30 October 2014 14:56 (ten years ago)

Chubby Checker (cf. Fats Domino) has always made me snort.

― Sam Weller, Thursday, 30 October 2014 18:19 (ten years ago)

And You Will Know Us By The Trails, Man, The Dead!

― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Thursday, 30 October 2014 18:21 (ten years ago)

love this^^^

― marcos, Thursday, 30 October 2014 18:24 (ten years ago)

hahaha

― Οὖτις, Thursday, 30 October 2014 18:28 (ten years ago)

Chubby Checker (cf. Fats Domino)

woah

― well-behaved wingmen really hate Mystery (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 30 October 2014 19:55 (ten years ago)

Obese Rook

― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Thursday, 30 October 2014 20:08 (ten years ago)

Pudgy Marble

― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Thursday, 30 October 2014 20:08 (ten years ago)

Zaftig Die

― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Thursday, 30 October 2014 20:10 (ten years ago)

Skinny Puffy

― Οὖτις, Thursday, 30 October 2014 20:13 (ten years ago)

Matching Mole

― Mark G, Friday, 31 October 2014 12:41 (ten years ago)

Not sure where Henry Cow comes from since I think they disavowed Henry Cowell

― Stevolende, Friday, 31 October 2014 13:39 (ten years ago)

A bit like how Modest Mouse didn't come from Modest Mussorgsky?

― Mark G, Friday, 31 October 2014 13:43 (ten years ago)

three years pass...

Darkhouse Family

― sbahnhof, Saturday, 10 February 2018 20:56 (seven years ago)

one year passes...

Please, musicians, stop this... I happened upon no fewer than three today that were new to me, all just terrible...

Dwayne Gretzky
Diana Boss
Lana del Rabies

Stop!

In more happy news, Chet Faker has dropped that moniker and started performing under his own name, Nick Murphy.

― Hans Holbein (Chinchilla Volapük), Wednesday, 21 August 2019 05:30 (five years ago)

Fairport Convention -----> Fairground Attraction.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, June 1, 2005 8:53 PM (fourteen years ago)

this seems wildly unlikely tbh

― quelle sprocket damage (sic), Wednesday, 21 August 2019 06:33 (five years ago)

Duran Duran Duran
Wevie Stonder
The Beatless
The Beatles

― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Wednesday, 21 August 2019 08:18 (five years ago)

DJ Kane West

― Stub yr toe on the yacht rock (morrisp), Wednesday, 21 August 2019 13:20 (five years ago)

five months pass...

Thin Lizzy - Fat Les (Ha bloody ha ... luvvie actor Keith Allen once again trying to prove he's a 'real man'.)
― Jez (Jez), Wednesday, June 1, 2005 11:29 AM (fourteen years ago) bookmarkflaglink

Yeah, but it's actually short for "Fat Lesbian"

(oh, he's gone)

― Mark G, Thursday, 20 February 2020 09:16 (five years ago)

thanks to whomever posted vaginasore jr in that other thread -- so effin good!

― i will FP you and your entire family (rip van wanko), Friday, 21 February 2020 20:09 (five years ago)

They are!

― Dunty Reggae party 🎉 (Noodle Vague), Friday, 21 February 2020 20:12 (five years ago)

two years pass...

Enormous Richard

― Moniker? I barely know 'er! (SlimAndSlam), Thursday, 11 August 2022 10:52 (two years ago)

ten months pass...

https://www.discogs.com/artist/3576075-Weird-Al-Qaeda

― Alito Bit of Soap (President Keyes), Thursday, 22 June 2023 01:35 (one year ago)

Had never made the Chubby Checker/Fats Domino connection until reading this thread...

― Zelda Zonk, Thursday, 22 June 2023 01:41 (one year ago)

one year passes...

Nihil Young

― StanM, Monday, 31 March 2025 10:57 (two months ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.