BY MIKEY MIGO
Band names have always been something I've been curious about and interested in. To brand yourself with a specific name and the reasons why has always been something I'd pay attention to. The off the wall ones have always stood out to me and the other day I realized that a lot of band names have something to do with bugs.
So I decided to take a few bands with a bug associated to their name and figure out if there's any connection, its roots, and if it's not sure a random nonsense "ironic" name. It's a silly topic, but it's one of those silly topics that end up being discussed on a road trip somewhere with a good friend. Let's pretend we're friends…
Iron Butterfly
"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" was such a successful album that they had to officially create the "platinum" record to have something as a higher standard than "gold". Seriously, 25 million copies! I think anyone alive when the album was released was given a copy with their government cheese. I know for a fact that I personally have a copy of it that I ganked from my father's album collection. Other than "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", many wouldn't have a clue as to what any of their other work is. They're the epitome of a one hit wonder. Doug Ingle went on record to say: "We were sitting around trying to make up group names. We wanted a melodic consciousness contained within the rock format. We wanted to broaden the horizons and be able to engage the dynamics and all that stuff. But at the same time doing it via the vehicle of electronic sound. It's mentioned on the first album that we wanted something light and heavy, versatile and colourful. So that's pretty much what we came up with. Insects were in at the time, what with The Beatles…"
Does it Work?: I'd of said no if I hadn't of found that quote in the 12th hour. The way Ingle described the thought process behind their name gets a stamp of approval from me. I've seen tons of band name origins that made me cringe, but in this case they seem to of really put some creativity with reason behind it.
Papa Roach
"Last Resort" is what hooked me on these guys. Everything else is what turned me off. These guys paid their dues, work the road, and really bust their asses. That gets my respect, but not my fandom. Their poppy-rock sound and the pseudo whiney vocals is enough to make me despise them when they have a single in heavy rotation. After that fades, so does my hate. The difference between Papa Roach and the other bands I don't like is that I want Papa Roach to be good and I just want the others to be gone. Maybe in time. The band's name comes from vocalist's Shaddix's step-grandfather, Howard William Roatch, who was nicknamed "Papa Roach".
Does it Work?: They say roaches can survive anything and always stick around, and that's pretty much what Papa Roach does. If something flops, they're still there. If something hits, they're still there. I'd wish their longevity and persistence onto other bands if I could.
The Scorpions
True story. A friend of mine is a huge Scorpions fan. That's fine, but he was pretty extreme about it for awhile. One day on a small trip, the local radio station was doing a "Your Request Sucks!" where they have people call in with the worst music they possibly can. People would pull obscure shit out like "Lesbian Seagull" or Michael Bolton. I borrowed HIS cell and called in, got on, and said "Anything by The Scorpions". Needless to say, we didn't listen to "Rock You Like a Hurricane" on the way home that day. I never thought they sucked, but it was an opportunity to fuck with a friend and I took it with honor. I didn't read every article or interview out there, but I don't think there's any specific meaning behind their name.
Does it Work?: I suppose. A scorpion is a mean and vicious little monster. There's 2000 species of scorpions and about the same as many band members. Still one of the top 100 easily, maybe 50 metal bands of all time as far as I'm concerned.
Soulfly
They've been around now for about ten years and I've still not really gotten into Soulfly. It's not that I don't like them, but it's just a bridge I've not crossed. I've not listened to any of their CDs so I guess I've just not given then a fair shot yet. Should I? I've always liked their artwork and name. It felt old school comfortable, but with a modern feel. That probably doesn't make any sense, but that's the best way to describe my background on the band. Founder of the band, Max Cavalera said this about the origins of the name: "I think it's like...it's a tribute name. I had the name for quite a while and it's kind of like...you know, it means like the souls of people that are not here any more. Or maybe like souls we meet that are flying around us when we play... like... more like a spiritual name."
Does it Work?: Max's thought process behind the bands name is sorta cool. It's not named after a local hot spot or something ironic. It's one of those well thought out titles. Not saying he didn't think it up and then put some "weird and trippy" meaning behind it. I'll give the benefit of the doubt and say that kind of vibe makes me want to give them a shot again.
Flea
I know he's a specific person, rather than a band. But have you seen him play? He's his own entity that combined with the other guy's superpowers, makes up the superband "Red Hot Chili Peppers". He was born Michael Balzary, he got his "Flea" nickname as he and a few of his band members went on a skiing trip. They all decided to use fake names on the trip and his just stuck as he was always jumping around. I know this because I read it IN A BOOK! Yes, a book!
Does it Work?: The skiing story makes sense. Flea always seems to be bouncy and energetic. The story behind it is pretty entertaining too. If ALL the names would of stuck, we'd of been listening to Swan sing all the songs. Yes, "Swan".
The Beatles
If you don't know who "The Beatles" are then you should probably stop reading this right now, slap your grandmothers, living or dead, to show her she's a bad person for not raising your parents right. If she had, you'd of not lived under a rock your entire life. Their name, like many people know, came after a few not so great names like "The Quarrymen" or "Long John and The Beatles". It was suggested to be "The Beetles" as a dedication to another bug band, "Bully Holly and The Crickets". It would be changed to "The Beatles" as a play on "keeping beat" in music.
Does it Work?: Does the pope shit in the woods? To say "The Beatles" worked/works as a band name would be like saying "bullets don't kill people, the force behind the bullet does". I don't quite know what that means, but the point is "YES! It Worked."
Yeah, you just read that. And yeah, I did write it. It was kind of fun and hopefully a distraction for the horrors around you. What's your favorite "bug band"? I know I didn't cover "Adam Ant", "Alien Ant Farm", "Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars", and a few others. Who else did I leave out?
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