Bands who were big regionally and never broke big

[Black Stuff]

Jesse Bolt! They were huge in NC, came to NJ and did well, but the band imploded before getting to the next level. They put out an album in the 90's. Good band of excellent players and nice guys to booth. I am still in ocntact with them to this day.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkbsnOQ ... YzLP55CLXZ

[metalmetalrdu]

Still Rain

The guitarist went on to hit it big in Sevendust.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Lowery

As an aside, I know a 19-year-old groupie who once put on a dildo show for the Still Rain band and crew. Years later she found out that story had spread all over the Southeast. Lucky for her this was way before cell phone video.

[Hatchets Molly]

Still Rain

The guitarist went on to hit it big in Sevendust.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Lowery

As an aside, I know a 19-year-old groupie who once put on a dildo show for the Still Rain band and crew. Years later she found out that story had spread all over the Southeast. Lucky for her this was way before cell phone video.

Ah, the benefits of being in a band. LOL

When I saw them decades ago, they appeared at a club called Atlantis on 501 outside Myrtle Beach. Great covers and solid originals. I'm a fan of Sevendust but never bothered to research individual members. Thanks for the info.

[(((\m/)))]

I remember a Baltimore band Child’s Play. They had a following. Yes, Kix was a mainstay at Hammerjacks.

[DemonFilth2001]

Pittsburgh:

Donny Iris
The Gathering Field
Rusted Root (although they did have one national hit)

DC:
Chuck Brown
basically every other Go-Go band

Had 2 friends that went to Penn State. They loved Rusted Root. Even dragged me to a show. I thought they sucked ass, but I just hate that style.

[Bono Nettencourt]

I hated that song and that band.

[cowpins]

Flickerstick. Got some national exposure with BOTR show, however, lost their deal/support around 9/11, imploded, and good night sally.

[Love_Industry]

Icon and Surgical Steel were huge in AZ and nowhere else. Icon at least got signed to a major twice (Capitol and Atlantic) but SS never even got past the demo stage.

[Grendel]

Was Tragically Hip big all throughout Canada?

[dmbrocker]

Icon and Surgical Steel were huge in AZ and nowhere else. Icon at least got signed to a major twice (Capitol and Atlantic) but SS never even got past the demo stage.

Icon actually got some HBB airplay with "Taking My Breath Away" when the video first came out in late '89.

SS, of course, appeared on the second Metal Massacre compilation with "Rivit Head", which is a good speed metal tune.

[digubetterdead]

Do Sunset Strip bands like Queeny Blast Pop, Wikked Gypsy, and The Zeros count?

I thought The Zeros were more nationally known but maybe not. I was thinking of Revlon Red, Guttersluts and the like as well. Saw them a bunch of times and they seemed to have a big following here but not sure how well known they were anywhere else.

I live in Orange County and the guys from Cherry St. all lived locally, I believe. They were always playing around. Tight Squeez would play at The Marquee on occasion. All small local bands but had a buzz in the area.

I don't think Southside Johnny should be on this list. I think he was pretty well known. Duetting with Ronnie Spector didn't hurt either.

[HoldenSSV]

Icon and Surgical Steel were huge in AZ and nowhere else. Icon at least got signed to a major twice (Capitol and Atlantic) but SS never even got past the demo stage.

Icon's video for "On Your Feet" got some decent airplay, and Night of the Crime is kind of a cult hit. We played those first two releases all the time in college (midwest), but I can see your point.

[Bono Nettencourt]

Do Sunset Strip bands like Queeny Blast Pop, Wikked Gypsy, and The Zeros count?

I thought The Zeros were more nationally known but maybe not. I was thinking of Revlon Red, Guttersluts and the like as well. Saw them a bunch of times and they seemed to have a big following here but not sure how well known they were anywhere else.

I live in Orange County and the guys from Cherry St. all lived locally, I believe. They were always playing around. Tight Squeez would play at The Marquee on occasion. All small local bands but had a buzz in the area.

I don't think Southside Johnny should be on this list. I think he was pretty well known. Duetting with Ronnie Spector didn't hurt either.

Yeah Southside is still touring and has made a nice chunk of change as a 2nd-rate Springsteen.

[Mister Freeze]

I remember a friend of my grandmother's talking about a band called Brunette in the Philadelphia area. One of her kids or grandkids was in it.

This was the height of hair metal and I'd never heard of them, but a few months later, they had an ad in Circus magazine.

And then I never heard anything about Brunette again.

[AlexVonHaig]

CHICAGO SUB THREAD CHICAGO SUB THREAD CHICAGO SUB THREAD CHICAGO SUB THREAD CHICAGO SUB THREAD CHICAGO SUB THREAD


The Boyzz from illinois
Lois Lane
Off Broadway
Bitch (no not you Betsy)

[Bono Nettencourt]

Wow. Missed those guys...

https://www.bringbackglam.com/journal/2 ... zzled.html

This says they were from Bert country, not Philly:

https://www.brunetterocks.com/bio.html

And two of 'em were in Hardline.

[Traxan]

Atrophy’s main man went on to be one of the best doctors in the country in one vote. Their lyrics were more thoughtful than most metal bands.

If Kix, then we gotta say Thoroughgood. A bar bander who got lucky.

In New England we had The Jon Butcher Axis, a Hendrix clone, and Meliah Rage, two bands that never made it out of NE

Would London apply? Sixx and Blackie were members but it never got out of LA

In SF, you had Laaz Rocket. Metallica opened for them at one point

[Traxan]

Btw, as to the Tragically Hip, Rush tried to help. They offered them the opening slot on a 90# tour and management convinced them not to do it. Peart wrote about it in his blog. He was clearly frustrated with the bad advice the band got

[Love_Industry]

I remember a friend of my grandmother's talking about a band called Brunette in the Philadelphia area. One of her kids or grandkids was in it.

This was the height of hair metal and I'd never heard of them, but a few months later, they had an ad in Circus magazine.

And then I never heard anything about Brunette again.

Their singer and guitarist moved on to Hardline with Journey members Neal Schon and Deen Castronovo and David Lee Roth bassist Todd Jensen. But by the second album all except the two Brunette guys were replaced so Hardline is in a way a continuation of Brunette. The singer is still in Hardline and their latest album came out in 2021.

[Bono Nettencourt]

What a terrible name... compared to that, Tuff is Led Zeppelin.

[alleyrulez]

Does anyone know anything about a band from the 90s (I think) named Blackfish? It's hard to find information on them. They put out one album with one song that got radio play, Sweet Sixteen. I dug the CD at the time. I'm assuming they were more regional and didn't break through.

Blackfish were good, especially that first album.

the second album, not so good.

[Hatchets Molly]

Does anyone know anything about a band from the 90s (I think) named Blackfish? It's hard to find information on them. They put out one album with one song that got radio play, Sweet Sixteen. I dug the CD at the time. I'm assuming they were more regional and didn't break through.

Blackfish were good, especially that first album.

the second album, not so good.

I bought the first disc back then so have it in my Apple Music library. I was never able to find the 2nd.

[ijwthstd]

MIchael Stanley was drawing decent in Ohio til the end, even flipped front row tix a few times at the Hard Rock Northfield

[CrankerBait]

Was Tragically Hip big all throughout Canada?

Yes, they were. (Maybe a little less popular in the province of Quebec, but still big in Montreal.) They had arena tours of the bigger cities that often had multiple dates. Depending on the tour, they sometimes hit the smaller market arenas, as well as the bigger markets. Whenever their popularity dipped after a mediocre album, they booked theaters and clubs, often for multiple nights in some markets. They played all kinds of festival dates across the country, and on a few occasions headlined multiple act festival shows in numerous markets with openers like Midnight Oil, Wilco, Sheryl Crow, Blues Traveller and Ziggy Marley. Still all over rock radio. For Canadians, they are like the Dave Matthew's Band, but bigger and more of a national brand.

[Kid-Wicked]

Tragically Hip. Could sell out any size place in Canada for years yet they played tiny clubs everywhere else. And if it gets sold out, it's all transplanted Canuks.

Even before Gord died, I'd guess Loverboy would draw more in the US, but would be in small clubs in Canada, where the Hip would be in huge arenas.

loverboy doesn't play small clubs. 1000+ seaters not the 100 people the hip drew in america.

[Doyle Hargraves]

From Michigan

19 Wheels (E. Lansing / Grand Rapids) - these guys were in the cusp of hitting it big.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5 ... iFGFF87DWf



Domestic Problems (Grand Rapids area but all over State)

https://youtu.be/owaGhEdW_yg?si=m4zrstGopYjK5dKO



The Fags - Detroit. Best band that never made it. Yeah I know the name issue. But their songs were great!

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5 ... lxdaY1ciOV

My favorite regional band from Michigan (Mount Pleasant via Detroit?) were the Dirty Americans. The started with a slightly altered line up as more Nu Metal as The Workhorse Movement that had a great record for the time. Anyway, Dirty Americans were around for 5 years or so and they had several records out on Roadrunner but no hits to speak of. Lot of great songs, great classic rock vibe.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... eGrRI_OcXM

[Love_Industry]

My favorite regional band from Michigan (Mount Pleasant via Detroit?) were the Dirty Americans. The started with a slightly altered line up as more Nu Metal as The Workhorse Movement that had a great record for the time. Anyway, Dirty Americans were around for 5 years or so and they had several records out on Roadrunner but no hits to speak of. Lot of great songs, great classic rock vibe.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... eGrRI_OcXM

I have one of their albums and I like it. Strange Generation from 2004. What else is good if I like that one?

[Doyle Hargraves]

My favorite regional band from Michigan (Mount Pleasant via Detroit?) were the Dirty Americans. The started with a slightly altered line up as more Nu Metal as The Workhorse Movement that had a great record for the time. Anyway, Dirty Americans were around for 5 years or so and they had several records out on Roadrunner but no hits to speak of. Lot of great songs, great classic rock vibe.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... eGrRI_OcXM

I have one of their albums and I like it. Strange Generation from 2004. What else is good if I like that one?

Strange Gen is the first and best LP. They have 2 EPs Detroit SOB and Jet Black Holy Water and both have some great songs, and another LP Black Feather. There used to be some early unreleased demos floating around too on and EP. Definitely check out The Workhorse Movement LP. Not sure what's up on Spotify from them. Great band shoulda been bigger.

[DemonFilth2001]

Has DED Engine of Michigan been mentioned? They released a couple of albums and ran ads in Hit Parader and Circus. How big were they in Michigan? 2-3,000 seat venues?

[Sleek]

Oh gawd no. I saw a few Ded Engine shows in '83-'84 and it was always some Elks' lodge that they rented in a weird little town. I think the biggest I saw was at a gymnasium/field house.

At most they would draw a couple hundred.