I've never made any secret of the fact that I don't like my band's name: Romeo Goes To Hell*. It has some advantages though, the first being that nobody is going to swipe it, the second being that you can find it on Google really easy. At this point we are pretty invested in it (press, cd, merch) so it's unlikely to change. I know the name will turn some people off though. They wouldn't stock it at Wal-Mart for example...

There are a bunch of bands on here with awesome names: Dear Oceana, Holiday Sail, Supergiant, The Plastics- I haven't even seen any of those bands! I really fucking like those names though, and plan on seeing the bands mostly for the name. Is that stupid?

There will always be bands with crappy names (Hoobastank is the worst band name ever). What bugs me more though are bands with names that don't fit. I'm not going name those names here but there are a few local bands with that imply something really different than they bring. i.e., it sounds like it should be a metal band, and turns out to be really chill or something. You know what I mean.

There are bands nationally that I really like, and avoided for a long time because the name turned me off. Jesus Lizard, Rocket From the Crypt, Mission Of Burma... hell, those last two are probably my biggest influences and I went out of my way to duck them all for years before I found out they rocked.

Anyway, my questions are these: how much does a band's name matter? Do you think your band's name is descriptive, clever, brings people in? Or are you embarrassed to mention the name to people? What is a band with a really shitty name? I said I wasn't going to name names, but is it the right thing to tell a band to change it? It's like if someone has food in their teeth: is there a responsiblility to save them?

* for the record, I wanted the band to be called one of these: Champion Chimp, Doom Patrol, Circle vs. Square, Secret Hearts, I Heart, New Romeo, Romeo Nouveau. I'm sure our sound would have been different if we'd used any of them. They all sounded a bit too indie or new-wave or something, right? I had the idea of Minimal Man until I found out another band had used it in the 80's. My last semi-serious band was named Lush Rustler, a name I LOVED. Too bad the band sucked. If I were going to start an emo band, I'd name it one of these: Slam Book, So Last Year. Feel free to use those ... if you are emo wimps.

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There are a bunch of bands on here with awesome names: Dear Oceana, Holiday Sail, Supergiant, The Plastics- I haven't even seen any of those bands!

I'm glad you like it!!! We slaved over the name for months. I registered domain names on 3 other names we didn't use. We had a chalk board with all the good ones on there and would debate about it each practice. We finally agreed on SuperGiant. After almost taking Red Giant. The astronomical meaning of the name SuperGiant is what got me more than anything... most people take it literally as "a super giant" but a SuperGiant is actually the largest stars in the universe... some of these stars are larger than the size of our entire solar system!! some are 10 million times the size of the sun. That's just crazy.

Yeah, I think a name is real important.

BTW Levi - I think "Romeo Goes to Hell" is a kick ass name!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think "high on fire" is one of the coolest names ever

Red Giant would have been cool too! "Red" (or any color) always makes a name cooler. It sucks when you have a bunch of good ideas, and some bands seem like they can't even get one...

Shit. Now I want to change my band's name to Red Giant!

how about GIANT ROBOT

Giant Super Red Robot!

ya, a name is important. Having a "cool" or "clever" name is great, but I think it's most important to have a name that suits your band and music.

Band names are very important, i hate to even mention it but look at metallica...its a heavy metal name, the name says it all... and they did well for a brief period of time while drowing out bands which in my own opinion blew them away at sheer talent and musicianship. I am quite a bit embarassed of the name Dawn of Destruction, doesn't sound like a name that sells records jus based on the fact.it does sound kinda heavy i guess..with a bit of a ring to it. eh what can you do???

Although I think our name suits us well, RAMS was called Parvo Quartet, Starvin' Marvin and the Dexatrims (BEFORE South Park made it cool), and Racist Cop before our current incarnation. If we ever had to change it, I would probably steal "Black Rock Star VS. Chinese Cowboy" or "Affirmative Action Jackson" from my buddy USMCLobo.

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...Romeo Nouveau... ...sounded a bit too indie or new-wave...

Now that's just crazy talk.

What if the style of your music changes? Does the band name change with it?? The band was given the name Hit by a Bus back when the original members were like seventeen and playing pop-punk and acoustic rock. We're somewhat heavy now and the name doesn't do the music justice. But like Levi, we've invested so much in the name and have built a reputation off of it, that it'd be taking steps backward to change it.

I've always liked the name Lousy Robot, I wish I would have thought of that. Even though I'm sure their band don't like me nor nunchuk much, I really dig their name.

A name does affect the songs you write. We've ditched plenty of songs because they didn't sound "rgth" enough for us. I think that's ok though. A lot of bands don't even have a "sound." They have that whole "we have something for everyone!" When really that just means nobody. They sound like a cover band or the radio you hear in a business.

If it's the same group of people and the sound changes I think it's ok. It's often pretty cool to see the path a long-running band takes over time. Continuity, dramatic departures. That stuff can be really cool.
Sometimes it's funny that the band changes and the name doesn't. Sonic Youth meant something totally different to me 15 years ago. Metallica is a really good name, regardless of what you think of the band.

Having been in an assload of bands, name changes at the wrong time can really fuck you up. You lose momentum. You have to re-find your audience. Sometimes that's good too. If you've built something you want to keep that foundation. Rexx and I considered using Lush Rustler again when Romeo got together, but decided that having people remember us as that would actually hurt us more than help...
Another example I can think of (I'm not sure if I can explain this well) is Danzig, Misfits, the new Misfits, even Samhain: they all have very different audiences, without much overlap. I think those audiences would be turned off if they were forced to accept the other project's style under their umbrella: They wouldn't want to be identified with it. People always say "I like their earlier stuff" for pretty much any band, but I don't think rabid Misfits fans would be nearly so rabid if they thought they would be associated with Danzig's solo stuff. Does that make any sense? Sometimes if you close something up you preserve it, keep it from being tainted by other stuff. Also: lineup changes. If the singer, lead guitar, or songwriter splits you should change the name. Or else it's just false advertising. Skynard, Creedence "revisited", The Heads... fuck that shit. (after saying all this, I have to admit I like the Misfits without Danzig)

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Metallica is a really good name, regardless of what you think of the band.

it is the perfect name for the band...

as is Led Zepplin... I sometimes wonder if it contributed to the meaning of "heavy metal"

its a tough call mate, like we used to be tna, and personally i like that name a lot wan wished to keep it, but the girls thought that becoming an all girl band made it some new thing that needed a new name.. part of me agreed there too, so now were the roxiehearts, which is cute i guess, but TNA really was it for me. names are tough.

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There are others that I will not name that I cannot stand their name.

Awe, come on you can say it we won't be offended. lol

Oh geez. you are talking to the kings and queens of poor band name decision. Sometimes I like it. Like I enjoy the project part and the boom, and I even like Ya Ya, (which is another word for a small wound), but altoghether it's bad, and it's not us anymore. Names have always been awful for us. Bad timing for one. Name a band, and then a show or movie comes out six months later with some part of it. We were thinking about changing it, but then what about people coming to shows? Has anyone changed their name? How long was the lag? How long did you have to write "formerly blah blah blah" before people caught on?

I still sometimes refer to The Foxx as The Sweatband. I think I was the only person who ever liked that name.

If you changed it now, you'd be set for the springtime. Especially with things like Rocksquawk and Myspace to warn folks. Of course, the best time would have been before your cd came out!

I do still get people who ask me about some band I was in like five bands ago though. But fuck those people: they must not have cared much anyway.

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Originally posted by Levi Eleven:
(after saying all this, I have to admit I like the Misfits without Danzig)

See? See? Which one did you hear?

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After almost taking Red Giant.

Red Giant probably wouldn't have been too thrilled with that, having just having released their new record on Small Stone Records a few months ago.

SuperGiant is a far better choice, anyway - I mean, those dudes' Marshalls are already covered in red tolex, so they have quite a head start, anyway. Great band, BTW (http://www.redgiant.net)
Sometimes I love our name; other times it seems like there's a better one, but for better or worse (The Goo-Goo Dolls?!?!?) it IS your "brand" - change at your own risk.

Red Giant? cool, i've never heard of them

while we're on the subject. does anyone know how to go about trademarking or copywriting your name? or music for that matter???