The Ultimate Movie Band
I think at some point or another those of us who love music have put together our “dream band”, and I think for most it tends to sound pretty similar. Guitarist: Hendrix. Drummer: Bonham. Singer: Mercury. Sound familiar? For the more musically inclined I’m sure there are some well thought out, logical variations on that, but I’ve got one for the ages. Since this is Binge Media and we like to focus on movies, I’d like to take a look at my dream movie band. What is a “movie band”, you ask? Well, what I’ve done is taken each member of a rock band, found the perfect movie character for it and Frankenstein-ed together what I think could be the most kickass band of all time (if they were real). Here goes nuthin’.
Lead Guitar: Marty McFly from Back to the Future
There really needs to be no discussion here. Anyone who can shred a Chuck Berry classic and then morph it into a textbook Eddie Van Halen solo gets top billing in my book. Couple that with the fact that Marty also appreciates absolute power, shown when he literally sacrifices his body for the sake of a power chord, and you have a Rock God just waiting to bust his musical nut all over a hungry crowd.
Rhythm Guitar: El Mariachi from Desperado
Flamenco guitarists are some of my favorite because of their dexterity and speed on the fretboard. From the opening lick of Cancion del Mariachi in Desperado we get a real flair for El’s skills on that sweet Mexican classical guitar which would translate well as the rhythmic backbone of the band. Chord work, soloing and some fantastic diminished chords here and there would make the Mariachi my prime choice for a rhythm guitarist.
Lead Bass: Derek Smalls from This Is Spinal Tap
Smalls brings a lot of different things to the band outside of his musical talents. I mean in one performer we get sick mutton chops, an occasional experimental Jazz odyssey and cucumbers down the pants-leg for everybody. Add to that the deep, FUCKING DEEP bass of tunes like Big Bottom and we’ve got a badass over here. Seriously though, whether writing a new musical based on Jack the Ripper or smoking his pipe before a show, Smlls brings a nicely defined skill set as well as a level of cool that only Clint Eastwood could possibly match.
Rhythm Bass: Peter Klaven from I Love You, Man
While probably lacking in technical prowess, Klaven is the gooey heart of the band and worthy of a spot in the lineup. Focusing on mostly Rush covers, Klaven makes his bones as the group’s own “Ringo”, being the target of goofy asides and practical jokes almost regularly. However, any mistakes he’s likely to make are largely ignored because, after-all, playing rhythm bass as a second fiddle to a lead-bassist is overkill of the highest degree, but whatever, it’s my band, fuck off.
Drummer: Andrew from Whiplash
I defy you to find a more worthy timekeeper than Andrew in all of filmdom. Granted, there are a lot of great drummers, but the emotional and physical toil imparted upon this kid gives him balls of steel you won’t find elsewhere. The key aspects I look for in my drummer is consistency, how they deal with pressure and speed. Andrew has all three in spades, and he’ll tell you to fuck off when you need to be told to fuck off, which is invaluable.
Piano/Organ: Mozart from Amadeus
Going for the big guns here to round out the group’s instrumentation, we need that Elton John-level of ivory-tickling genius, so who better than Mozart? Wolfgang comes with a lot of baggage since he’s always broke as fuck, but his womanizing/ability to write hours before a performance is metal as fuck. Intensity is second to none and he elevates the group’s songwriting prowess ten-fold. Mozart is as clutch as it gets.
Performance/Lyrics/Singing: Jack and Elwood Blues from The Blues Brothers
There are no greater front-men in all of the movie-music world. It’s a fact, you can’t deny it and if you do you’re wrong, plain and simple. Jake and Elwood have a certain reverence for the music they perform which is really important. If you want the audience to believe in you, first you have to believe in the music yourself, and they absolutely do. True song-and-dance men, they are a key component of the puzzle.
There you have it, the Ultimate Movie Band. Do you have some picks that I didn’t include here? We’d love to hear them, so be sure to comment below. Check back all week for more great content and, as always, Binge On!
