This band STOLE their NAME!!!

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I'm looking at a flyer for a local rock club, and I see an upcoming show for a group called American Head Charge. That's right American Head Charge! W!!!!T!!!!F!!!! How dare they?!? WHY dare they?!? WTTFTFTFTF?????

― briania (briania), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 00:13 (twenty-one years ago)

AMERICAN fucking Head Charge. Here are the dorks responsible:

http://www.popentertainment.com/headch1.jpg

― briania (briania), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 00:15 (twenty-one years ago)

The name, American Head Charge, makes most people think they are a political band or a band with a cause; they are nothing like that. AHC has no political issues to fight; they just thought the name up, liked it, and went with it.

Man, motherfuck these motherfuckers. I declare dub war.

― briania (briania), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 00:21 (twenty-one years ago)

It was either that, or Dumb Syndicate!

― peepee (peepee), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 00:24 (twenty-one years ago)

coming soon on, surely, On Poo Sound records.

― briania (briania), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 00:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Rocket From The Crypt to thread!

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 00:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, that never sat well with me, either.

― briania (briania), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 00:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Sentenced for trading off another band's cred: The Mooney Suzuki

― Good Dog, Wednesday, 27 October 2004 02:02 (twenty-one years ago)

REO Speedealer

― dave q, Wednesday, 27 October 2004 03:17 (twenty-one years ago)

http://fusionanomaly.net/cameraobscurast7inchpicturedisc.jpg vs.

http://cover09.cduniverse.com/MuzeAudioArt/500/509622.jpg

SOME DUMB FUCKS

― sometimes i like to pretend i am very small and warm (ex machina), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 03:23 (twenty-one years ago)

I love Camera Obscura (the twee band) but sometimes (like when I look at that album cover) I wonder if they're just a big joke. I mean, that cover's too twee for them to be serious.

― Mike Ouderkirk (Mike Ouderkirk), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 03:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Camera Obscura was also the name of an 80's German electronic / progressive group / project; something that keeps making me check twice when I see releases by the recent group.

― Pangolino (ricki spaghetti), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 04:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Some band hopping around the Nashville club circuit a year or two ago were calling themselves The Chills. I wanted to go to a show and personally give them black eyes, but couldn't morally justify giving them money by paying the cover.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 04:42 (twenty-one years ago)

What's AHC a ripoff of?

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 04:43 (twenty-one years ago)

uh oh.

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 04:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Ah. I wasn't familiar.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 04:50 (twenty-one years ago)

The striking album cover… which features a tank about to run over a baby with an American flag in the background… also means nothing in particular, but it was provocative. "We just thought it looked cool," Hanks chuckled.

In their constant attempt to shock and test audiences, AHC had even burned a few American flags at shows. But since the tragedy of September 11th, the band recognize that the gesture carries even more weight than it had. "It would kind of be an overkill if we did," said Hanks, "we only did it before to piss some people off."

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 04:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I mean, that cover's too twee for them to be serious.

not to mention that the picture was taken by Stuart Murdoch. For real.

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 05:03 (twenty-one years ago)

The Primitives stole their name from the VU surely?

― Good Dog, Wednesday, 27 October 2004 05:15 (twenty-one years ago)

The Dust Brothers

My old drummer used to be in a band called Dogs Die in Hot Cars when he was about 15. Lo and behold there's a band doing the rounds now with the same name. Quite a rare one to come up twice, completely unconnectedly.

― Gribowitz (Lynskey), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 06:35 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www-eleves.int-evry.fr/~boule/band96.jpg

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 06:51 (twenty-one years ago)

The Primitives stole their name from the VU surely?

Ditto Black Sabbath –––> Earth

― DJ Mencap0))), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 08:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Mr Big

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 08:14 (twenty-one years ago)

love & rockets

― bulbs (bulbs), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 08:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I love Camera Obscura (the twee band) but sometimes (like when I look at that album cover) I wonder if they're just a big joke. I mean, that cover's too twee for them to be serious.

That cover is completely tongue-in-cheek. They're playing on their perceived image, from what I can tell.

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 08:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Nirvana

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 27 October 2004 09:33 (twenty-one years ago)

There was a second Slapp Happy running around a few years ago. If memory serves, one of them ended up in 3 Doors Down.

― dlp9001, Wednesday, 27 October 2004 10:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Charlatans
Squeeze
Dinosaur
.

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 10:50 (twenty-one years ago)

LFO

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 12:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Runaways

MIA, M.I.A., Mia, MiA...

― B.A.R.M.S. (Barima), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 12:52 (twenty-one years ago)

camera obscura was also the name of some san diego band...

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 14:04 (twenty-one years ago)

haha! American Head Charge....they were the big shit rulerz of the Twin Cities metal scene few years ago....kinda industrially metal/minstry type shit....they ended up signed to American by Rubin but then I think the album tanked.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 14:09 (twenty-one years ago)

maria! that is the first image i posted

― sometimes i like to pretend i am very small and warm (ex machina), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 15:28 (twenty-one years ago)

sorry, i am dumb.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 15:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyone heard the Canadian Streets? They write it S.T.R.E.E.T.S. because it stands for something totally laughable like Skateboarders Totally Rock Everything Everywhere To Shit.

― everything, Wednesday, 27 October 2004 16:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, I thought you meant:

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 16:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Meaning:

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 16:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Aargh!!

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 16:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh crap it all...

http://www.rockdetector.com/assets/img/covers/16256.jpg

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 16:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Well the Dream Syndicate, too.

Speaking of the Twin Cities, I'm old enough to remember that the Flamingos had to change their name to Flamin' Ohs because of the doo-wop group. It was a better name, anyway.

― briania (briania), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 16:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Some of the "stolen" band names are simple mistakes due to ignorance of the previous group, or they are tributes of a kind. Something about this "American" Head Charge strikes me as particularly egregious, though -- they lifted the name wholesale of a great band with an eminent pedigree and changed "African" to "American" while probably caring nothing for the music or audience of the real AHC.

Ooh, it just PISSES me OFF! Tempted to go to their stupid show and heckle, and I don't think I've EVER wanted to do that to a band before.

― briania (briania), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 16:50 (twenty-one years ago)

ROCKET FROM THE TOMBS → ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT

― sometimes i like to pretend i am very small and warm (ex machina), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 16:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Not that I do, but I guess one could excuse Rocket From The Crypt on the grounds of "tribute" or something.

I was in a punk band called Biohazard before the thrash metal dudes, and I knew some metal guys called Darkness many years ago. There's even a band working the circuit around here called (the?) Fall. Those types of names are no-brainers, though, and repetition is to be expected.

― briania (briania), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 17:00 (twenty-one years ago)

American Dork Charge.
then everybody's happy.

― m0stly clean (m0stly clean), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 17:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Tom Petty's Heartbreakers

― morris pavilion (samjeff), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 17:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Which reminds me: this band The Go! Team that everyone (myself included, up to a point) is getting excited about at the moment. They're clearly not *the* Go! Team, but the current band are so keen to make their punkpop credentials apparent, that they must have known about Calvin Johnson's band before they chose their name.

― harveyw (harveyw), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 18:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, and I always felt a bit sorry for the Fun Boy Five when Terry Hall nicked their name...

― harveyw (harveyw), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 18:13 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.intromental.com/webzine/interviews/heavenly.gif

― brian patrick (brian patrick), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 18:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Catatonia

― Siegbran (eofor), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 18:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyone heard the Canadian Streets? They write it S.T.R.E.E.T.S. because it stands for something totally laughable like Skateboarders Totally Rock Everything Everywhere To Shit.

Skating Totally Rules Everything Else Totally Sucks. they're pretty solid old-school skatecore.

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 19:01 (twenty-one years ago)

They are now my favorite Streets.

― briania (briania), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 19:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Hey Harvey, were the Fun Boy Five a Glasgow band featuring James King?

― everything, Wednesday, 27 October 2004 19:38 (twenty-one years ago)

montreal has its own galaxie 500!!

and the saints!!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 October 2004 00:52 (twenty-one years ago)

The Band.

― cdwill, Thursday, 28 October 2004 03:09 (twenty-one years ago)

A few from my "no, I like the other lot of this name" pile...

HIM
Rasmus
Air
Space
Love Inc
Passage

And bizarrely, though none of them ever made it big, at last count in various towns I'd seen five totally different local bands called the Lipstick Killers.

― marco (marco), Thursday, 28 October 2004 11:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Mr. Pinefox, will you now be The Pines UK?:
http://www.trailer-records.com/artists/the_pines.shtml

― brian patrick (brian patrick), Wednesday, 3 November 2004 19:14 (twenty-one years ago)

seven months pass...

cdwill, was that a reference to The Band vs. Da Band?

― matlewis, Monday, 27 June 2005 16:48 (twenty-one years ago)

this thread STOLE its TOPIC!

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 27 June 2005 16:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Why on earth would anyone name themselves "American Head Charge" to begin with?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 27 June 2005 16:56 (twenty-one years ago)

sadly, one of the guys from American Head Charge just died.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 27 June 2005 17:01 (twenty-one years ago)

i hear now that there is crappy metal band named BYZANTINE. i wonder who they steal name from? hmmm, let me gess, could it be BYZANTUM unholy practioners of Canadian Werewolf True Pitch Black Metal?

these non-heathens shall pay with their lives and possibly souls !

― Mr. Vas Djifrens (byzantum), Monday, 27 June 2005 17:24 (twenty-one years ago)

What's this about Earth upthread? I thought Black Sabbath got their name from the Mario Bava movie...

― Telephonething, Monday, 27 June 2005 18:38 (twenty-one years ago)

There are interviews in an older issue of Vice (3 years ago, maybe?) with both The Streets and S.T.R.E.E.T.S. where they're both asked if they're aware of each other's presence. Anyways, yeah, pretty old school skate thrash - they played the infamous Georgia Street Riot!

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Monday, 27 June 2005 19:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Earth stole their name from the planet!

― ugly and mean, Monday, 27 June 2005 20:06 (twenty-one years ago)

i hear now that there is crappy metal band named BYZANTINE. i wonder who they steal name from? hmmm, let me gess, could it be BYZANTUM unholy practioners of Canadian Werewolf True Pitch Black Metal?
these non-heathens shall pay with their lives and possibly souls !

-- Mr. Vas Djifrens

This is unacceptable. Provide details Vas, name place and time, and weapon, and we will beat up shit!

― Janne Karlsson, Monday, 27 June 2005 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember seeing a video by Québecois group Galaxie 500 while randomly watching MusiquePlus a couple of years ago and being totally confused for like 15 seconds

(This was in large part because at the time Galaxie 500 (the more well known one) was one of those bands I'd only heard of without actually hearing anything by them).

― peter in montreal (spaces are allowed), Monday, 27 June 2005 20:46 (twenty-one years ago)

first there was birdie and now there is biirdie.

― keith m (keithmcl), Monday, 27 June 2005 23:00 (twenty-one years ago)

best steal = Love & Rockets because it made people look into the comic book, even if it was an accident, and Los Bros Hernandez are fucking GENIUSES.

worst steal = LFO because teh boy band are shit and the Warp band were(are?) so fucking ace.

― Hutlock (Hutlock), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 00:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Janne:

http://www.prostheticrecords.com/bands/byzantine.shtml

these poseurs shall PAY with their blood dripping from our fangs!

― Mr. Vas Djifrens (byzantum), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 01:00 (twenty-one years ago)

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