Not quite sure how to introduce this one, so I'll keep it short and sweet.
Below you'll find some of my favourite side projects and super groups from
recent years. We all have our own favourite bands, but its sometimes nice to
hear what people come up with when members from two and three different bands
come together. There are some big names as well as some I'm sure some will be
unfamiliar with.
58: Formed in 2000 as a side project from Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx, 58
were around for just one album, but they created a gem. With Steve Gibb, son of
Bee Gee Barry, on vocals, it is totally different from any of Sixx’s other
projects. Unlike his other bands which play hard rock, this could arguably be
called ‘pop’. It’s very easy to listen to, and very accessible.
Audioslave: Formed by the members of rap metal band Rage Against the Machine with
Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell on vocals, Audioslave were the first big
super group of the 21st Century. They made three albums; 2002's 'Audioslave',
2005's 'Out of Exile' and 2007's 'Revelations' before disbanding the same year.
Their brand of hard rock was very popular with both fans and critics and
spawned singles such as 'Your Time Has Come' and 'Show Me How To Live'. Their
debut single 'Cochise' is also arguably considered a modern classic. With both
RATM and Soundgarden having both reformed since Audioslave split, it's unlikely
we'll be hearing any new material anytime soon.
Black Country Communion: formed in 2009, Black Country Communion were a super group featuring ex-Deep
Purple bassist and vocalist Glenn Hughes, guitarist Joe Bonamassa, drummer
Jason Bonham and keyboard player Derek Sherinian. They released three albums
between 2010 and 2012, but tensions between Bonamassa and Hughes led to the
band's break up last year. It's a shame because they were a very strong group.
I saw them live in summer 2011 and they blew me away. One of the stronger super groups of recent
years.
Brandon Flowers/Big Talk/Mark Stoermer: It didn't go unnoticed that there was a sizeable
gap between the last two albums by The Killers. The band went on a break
between 2008's 'Day and Age' and 2012's 'Battle Born, with the members in turn
releasing their own solo material. Frontman Brandon Flowers had perhaps the most high profile solo album with his 2010 album 'Flamingo', but both drummer
Ronnie Vanucci with 'Big Talk' and bassist Mark Stoermer with 'Another Life'
had their own albums to rather less fan fare. If anything it shows why The
Killers are such a force.
Brides of Destruction: Another one of Nikki Sixx's other bands, Brides of Destruction was born
when Motley Crue went on hiatus back in 2001. Releasing their first album in
2004, 'Here Com the Brides' featured Sixx, Tracii Guns from LA Guns, London
LeGrand and Scott Coogan. They had an entertaining brand of hard rock that
served them well before Sixx departed the band to carry on his Motley Crue
duties. Even though BoD released one further album, they finally disbanded in
2007.
Chickenfoot: Another super group, this time featuring Van Halen's vocalist and Bassist
Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony with Joe Satriani on guitar and RHCP stick
man Chad Smith on drums. The band formed in 2008 and have currently released
two albums between other commitments. They don't seem to be showing any signs
of splitting either so it looks like they could be one super group who are here
to stay.
Codeine Velvet Club: Formed by Lou Hicky and Jon Lawler, aka Jon Fratelli (The Fratellis),
Codine Velvet Club released one cracking self titled album in 2009. A mixture
of cabaret and alternative/indie rock, their sound was different to what we
have come to expect from their other work. It worked brilliantly however and it
was one of my favourite albums of 2009. With songs such as 'Vanity Kills' and
'Reste Avec Moi', they also did a brilliant cover of the Stone Roses classic 'I
Am the Resurrection'. A real gem that would be an asset to any music
collection.
Gorillaz: After being a member of one of the biggest and most successful bands, it
might be easy for you to stick with the one project. Not Damon Albarn. No, he
decided to team up with Jamie Hewlett and create a virtual band. Seems a bonkers
idea but Gorillaz were arguably one of the biggest bands of the noughties. Part
of their appeal was the wide range of genres their music incorporated, but
mostly mixing alt rock and hip hop. The band is currently on hiatus after
releasing four albums, but new material hasn't been ruled out in the future.
Marmaduke Duke: Marmaduke Duke is a conceptual band from Scotland featuring Simon Neil from
Biffy Clyro and JP Reid from Sucioperro. They perform under the pseudonyms The
Atmosphere and The Dragon. They have so far released two albums, with their
second album 2009's 'Duke Pandemonium' achieving commercial success thanks to
the single 'Rubber Lover'. They're a good band and offer something different to
their other band's.
Sixx A.M.: A current project for Nikki Sixx sees him team up with Guns n Roses guitarist
DJ Ashba and vocalist James Michael. Their debut album was originally the
soundtrack to Sixx's autobiography 'The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a
Shattered Rock Star'. However they have since released a follow up called 'This
Is Gonna Hurt' in 2011 and are currently working on a third album. With songs
such as 'Life Is Beautiful' and 'Lies of the Beautiful People', they are
perhaps one of the most underrated hard rock acts around. With Motley Crue
calling it a day in the not too distant future, it will allow Sixx AM to
flourish.
Slash's Snakepit/Slash feat. Myles Kennedy: Slash has been busy since he left Guns n Roses.
Before he left GnR he released the first Snakepit album in 1995, which featured
fellow GnR members Gilby Clark and Matt Sorum as well as Alice in Chains
bassist Mike Inez and Jellyfish guitarist Eric Dover on vocal duties. A new
line-up released a follow up album in 2000, before they disbanded. Then we had
Velvet Revolver (see below), before Slash's own solo project. After a successful
solo album where he worked with everyone from Ozzy Osbourne and Lemmy to Fergie
and Adam Levine, Slash settled on Alter Bridge frontman Myles Kennedy to be
permanent singer for his own band. They have since released a follow up album,
2011's 'Apocalyptic Love' and have another album in the pipeline. That is
something I am looking forward to.
Stone Gods: Born after The Darkness briefly disbanded in the 2000s, Stone Gods offered
up one of the best rock albums of decade. That might seem quite a big statement,
but their one and only album is one of my personal favourites. After Justin
Hawkins left The Darkness in 2006, his brother Dan formed Stone Gods with the
remaining members. It worked brilliantly, and with songs such as 'Burn the
Witch', 'Start of Something' and 'You Brought a Knife to a Gun Fight' they had
a catalogue that was heavier than the glam sound of their previous incarnation.
Now The Darkness have kissed and made up, they are back together, so Stone Gods
have been consigned to the pages of history.
SuperHeavy: SuperHeavy were a short-lived super group, who only released one self titled
album in 2011. The band featured Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, singer
Joss Stone, Dave Stewart from Eurythmics, A.R. Rahman and Damian Marley. Their
sound was a mixture of reggae, soul and pop. The sound was overlapping and
conceptual, but at the same time it worked really well. The album peaked at
number one in Austria and Holland and hit number two in Switzerland. However
after one album they decided to disband.
The Raconteurs: The Raconteurs are one of Jack White's many post White Stripes projects,
including Dead Weather as well as his own solo stuff. However The Raconteurs
are arguably his most high profile project so I will concentrate on that.
Formed in 2005, the band has released two albums and is best known for the hit
single 'Steady As She Goes', with that very distinctive riff. In February 2013,
White announced that the band was working on new material, so watch this space.
Them Crooked Vultures: Formed in 2009, Them Crooked Vultures is a super group featuring Led
Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl and Queens of the
Stone Age frontman Josh Homme. While the have only released one album to date, a
follow up album hasn't been ruled out. However with Grohl and Homme on duties
with their own band's, we may have wait a little while longer.
Velvet Revolver: Velvet Revolver were one of the biggest super groups of the noughties.
Featuring ex Guns n Roses members Slash, Duff McCagen and Matt Sorum as well as
Wasted Youth's Dave Kuschner and Stone Temple Pilots' frontman Scott Weiland,
it gave us a glimpse into what we had been missing since GnR imploded. They
released two albums, 2004's 'Contraband' and 2007's 'Libertad' before Weiland
was fired from the band. Although the band has not officially disbanded, both
Duff and Slash have their own projects so it is unlikely we will see VR return
anytime soon.
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