Faster Pussycat
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| Faster Pussycat | |
|---|---|
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| Origin | Los Angeles, California |
| Country | United States |
| Years active | 1986-1993, 2001-present |
| Genres | Hard Rock, Sleaze Glam |
| Members | Taime Downe Xristian Simon Brent Muscat Danny Nordahl Chad Stewart |
Faster Pussycat is a hard rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1986 named after the 1965 film Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!.
The group was most successful during the late 1980s with their albums Faster Pussycat and 1989 gold album Wake Me When It's Over that spawned their biggest hit "House of Pain".
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Roots of Faster Pussycat
Faster Pussycat was formed in Hollywood during the Glam metal boom of the late 1980s, the earliest incarnation of the band featured Taime Downe and Mick Cripps along with Paul Black.
After several more member changes, Faster Pussycat soon morphed into the bands most well known and classic line-up, consisting of; Taime Downe (vocals), Greg Steele (guitar), Brent Muscat (guitar), Kelly Nickels (bass) and Mark Michals (drums). Musically, Faster Pussycat drew influences from various rock, punk and glam groups; the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Sex Pistols, New York Dolls and others.
Before recording their debut album, Nickels left the group and was replaced by Eric Stacy (ex-Champagne).
[edit] Rise to fame
The band released their debut album Faster Pussycat, the same year Guns N' Roses released the infamous Appetite for Destruction, the two bands even toured the United Kingdom together in 1987. Although GNR would overshadow Faster Pussycat in album sales, the band managed to build a cult following and put out several promotional videos from the first album for songs such as "Cathouse", "Bathroom Wall" and "Don't Change That Song". In the United States the band toured with Alice Cooper, David Lee Roth and Motörhead in support of the album.
Two years later, Faster Pussycat would record their most successful album Wake Me When It's Over. The album received gold status, it sales were largely boosted by the hit single, "House of Pain". Music videos where also produced for "House of Pain" and "Poison Ivy". While the band were touring for the album in 1990, drummer Mark Michals was arrested for trying to mail herion to his hotel room and was subsequently kicked out of the band. [1] Frankie Banali of Quiet Riot filled in as drummer for the remainder of the tour, before Brett Bradshaw became Faster Pussycat's new long-term drummer. Touring with KISS and Mötley Crüe followed.
In 1990, they recorded a cover of Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" for a compilation called "Rubaiyat: Elektra's 40th Anniversary". This two-disc set featured current Elektra artists recording songs from the Elektra catalog. A video was also filmed for this track. The song was also later included on the 1992 Belted, Buckled And Booted EP, which served as the single for "Nonstop To Nowhere" and also included two unreleased tracks.
[edit] Decline and break-up
Whipped! the third album by Faster Pussycat, had darker themes than their previous efforts, without losing their trademark sound. The album was not a commercial success, due mostly to the rise of grunge music from Seattle (Ironically, Downe is a Seattle native). Promotional videos for "Body Thief" and "Nonstop To Nowhere" were produced but saw little rotation. Faster Pussycat were dropped by Elektra Records in 1992 and the band broke up the following year.
The album features backing vocals by Bekka Bramlett.
[edit] Post-Pussycat
After Faster Pussycat broke up, the members went their separate ways into various projects.
- Taime Downe was involved with industrial musical act Pigface before expanding on the darker themes started on Whipped!, by forming his own industrial rock act with Kyle Kyle of Bang Tango called The Newlydeads.
[edit] Reforming
In 2001 Faster Pussycat reformed featuring original members; Taime Downe (vocals), Brent Muscat (guitar), Greg Steele (guitar), alongside Taime's former Newlydeads bandmates Xristian Simon (guitar) , Danny Nordahl (bass), and Chad Stewart (drums). Danny Nordahl had also played in The Throbs and Danny Nordahl and Chad Stewart both also play in Motochrist.
A remix compilation Between the Valley of the Ultra Pussy was released the same year by the band, featuring industrial rock remixes of their classic tracks, along with a bonus cover of KISS' "I Was Made For Loving You". This divided fans as many of the band's older fanbase who enjoyed standard hard rock, were not familiar with industrial rock.
Steele would leave the band half-way through the bands 2001 tour with Poison and Cinderella. Tracii Guns filled in as guitarist for the rest of the tour, but once the remaining dates were completed, Faster Pussycat continue as a five piece instead. After Brent was unable to tour in 2005, Eric Griffin from Murderdolls filled as the guitarist for their United States tour. No official word has been said with regards to Brent's future in the band.
Via their MySpace website, two new tracks "Number One With A Bullet" and a cover of "These Boots Were Made For Walking" were put up for listening. These tracks were previews for the album The Power And The Glory Hole which was released on July 13, 2006. It is the first Faster Pussycat album release in 14 years.
The tracks were a return to a more hard rock based sound for the band, in comparison to the Between the Valley of the Ultra Pussy remix compilation released earlier in the 2000s.
They are currently booked to play a short tour of UK in September 2006.
[edit] Members
[edit] Current line-up
- Taime Downe - vocals
- Xristian Simon - guitars
- Brent Muscat - guitars
- Danny Nordahl - bass
- Chad Stewart - drums
[edit] Former members
- Kelly Nickels - bass
- Greg Steele - guitars
- Mark Michals - drums
- Eric Stacy - bass
- Brett Bradshaw - drums
- Mick Cripps - guitar
- Paul Black - drums
- Caesare - guitar
- Walkta Adams - bass
- Jackie Jones - drums
- Tracii Guns - live guitar
- Frankie Banali - live drums
- Eric Griffin - live guitar
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Faster Pussycat (1987)
- Wake Me When It's Over (1989)
- Whipped! (1992)
- The Power And The Glory Hole (2006)
[edit] EPs
- Live And Rare (1990)
- Belted, Buckled And Booted (1992)
[edit] Compilations
[edit] Trivia
- Taime's other claim to fame was as co-owner (with Riki Rachtman, who guested on the first Faster Pussycat album and was later host of MTV's Headbanger's Ball) of The Cathouse, a popular hard rock themed night club in Los Angeles.
- Tracii Guns, Paul Black, Mick Cripps, Brent Muscat and Kelly Nickels have all at one time or another played in both L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat.
- Faster Pussycat have influenced various bands such as Murderdolls and the Backyard Babies, the latter of which covered Faster Pussycat fan-favourite "Babylon".
- Faster Pussycat's lead guitarist is Brent Muscat, brother of Todd Muscat (who was bass player in a number of Los Angeles based bands including Kill For Thrills, and Junkyard).
- Taime Downe sang backing vocals on Skid Row's cover of the Ramones' "Psycho Therapy".
- Faster Pussycat appeared on The Decline of Western Civilization II.
