Bands named after video games...

[fiddlepaddle]

Today, I was browsing at a thrift store and found a CD by a band called "The Ataris" ("So long, Astoria"). Haven't listened to it yet, but it got me curious and I found this:

 

https://www.phactual.com/9-bands-named-after-video-games/

 

About a year ago, I also got a CD by a band called "The Atari Star" ("And Other Smaller, Brighter Worlds"). Neither seem to make any obvious claims or references to video games though.

 

Know of any others?

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

THE ATARIS

 

The Ataris are a pop-punk band from Anderson, Indiana. The band takes their name from the classic video game console.

[carlsson]

If I'm not mistaken, the band Frankie Goes to Hollywood got their name from this game:

http://gamebase64.com/game.php?id=2905

 

... or was it the other way around?

[+atari2600land]

Does the NESkimos count?

[mbd30]

Atari Teenage Riot

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

If I'm not mistaken, the band Frankie Goes to Hollywood got their name from this game:

http://gamebase64.com/game.php?id=2905

 

... or was it the other way around?

Frankie Goes to Hollywood formed in 1980. So it's the other way around. Their big hit "Relax" came out a year before the game.

[carlsson]

Aw, crap! How about The Commodores? Surely they got their name after Jack Tramiel's company?

[frank_c]

Frankie Goes to Hollywood formed in 1980. So it's the other way around. Their big hit "Relax" came out a year before the game.

 

Wiki sez

 

On the B-side to the group's first single, (Holly) Johnson explained that the group's name derived from a page from The New Yorker magazine, featuring the headline "Frankie Goes Hollywood^" and a picture of Frank Sinatra, although the magazine page Johnson referred to was actually a pop art poster by Guy Peellaert.

 

but I remember reading that when FGTH first got airplay.

Edited September 30, 2015 by frank_c

[Cynicaster]

Not sure if they're still around, but I remember an indie-pop sort of band that was called "Crystal Castles". I believe it was confirmed the name came from the eponymous arcade game.

[AtariTexas]

Lady GaGa..........after Ga.. Ga.. Galaxian

[robotwo]

What about Mega Drive?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRS3vAKhnz8

[mbd30]

Mega Drive would be a good name for a Japanese Genesis tribute band.

[fiddlepaddle]

THE ATARIS

 

The Ataris are a pop-punk band from Anderson, Indiana. The band takes their name from the classic video game console.

 

 

Not sure if they're still around, but I remember an indie-pop sort of band that was called "Crystal Castles". I believe it was confirmed the name came from the eponymous arcade game.

 

Quick poll: did anybody read the linked article except me?

 

Edited September 30, 2015 by fiddlepaddle

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

Quick poll: did anybody read the linked article except me?

 

Oh shit!!

 

[SiLic0ne t0aD]

I forgot about Powerglove... they're pretty awesome.

[Tempest]

What about Garbage? Surely that one is named after the Jaguar.

[sega_SHARK]

What about Garbage? Surely that one is named after the Jaguar.

 

[Eltigro]

 

 

Is that guy smiling or grimacing?

 

Anyway, not a real band and probably not really fitting the topic that well, but a friend of mine recently saw the band Metric, which led to a discussion about the movie Scott Pilgrim vs The World... anyway, he didn't know that the fictional band in the movie "The Clash at Demonhead" was named after an NES game.

[sega_SHARK]

 

Is that guy smiling or grimacing?

 

It's "Hide the Pain Harold"

 

I thought for sure we'd see an angry Jaguar mob.

 

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/hide-the-pain-harold

[Tempest]

 

Anyway, not a real band and probably not really fitting the topic that well, but a friend of mine recently saw the band Metric, which led to a discussion about the movie Scott Pilgrim vs The World... anyway, he didn't know that the fictional band in the movie "The Clash at Demonhead" was named after an NES game.

 

I love Metric. Funnily enough I learned about them from watching SPvTW.

 

Your friend probably didn't get the reference because The Clash at Demonhead wasn't exactly a popular NES game, although I do remember playing it back in the day.

[Eltigro]

 

I love Metric. Funnily enough I learned about them from watching SPvTW.

 

Your friend probably didn't get the reference because The Clash at Demonhead wasn't exactly a popular NES game, although I do remember playing it back in the day.

 

Heh, yeah, I told him it was an NES game and he said, "It must've been a great game for them to name the band after it." I said, "Nah, I think it kinda sucked, but the name was cool." lol

[ZylonBane]

I thought for sure we'd see an angry Jaguar mob.

Obvious trolling is obvious.

 

I actually hate it when a band names themselves after some old obscure thing, because then when you try to do a web search for the old thing, relevant results get smothered by results for the frickin' band.

Edited October 3, 2015 by ZylonBane

[landgraf]

The Boulderdashs got their name from a rather obscure maze game that hardly anybody has ever heard of.

[78001987]

Today, I was browsing at a thrift store and found a CD by a band called "The Ataris" ("So long, Astoria"). Haven't listened to it yet, but it got me curious and I found this:

 

https://www.phactual.com/9-bands-named-after-video-games/

 

About a year ago, I also got a CD by a band called "The Atari Star" ("And Other Smaller, Brighter Worlds"). Neither seem to make any obvious claims or references to video games though.

 

Know of any others?

thats a great record. The title track is an ode to The Goonies. They also do a great pinked up cover of Don Henleys Boys of Summer on that CD.

[fiddlepaddle]

thats a great record. The title track is an ode to The Goonies. They also do a great pinked up cover of Don Henleys Boys of Summer on that CD.

 

Yeah, I listened to it a couple of days ago...quite good, actually.