Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
It was in October of 1998 when San Francisco’s Black Rebel Motorcycle Club were spawned.
Beginning humbly as many greats once did, it was schoolmates Peter Hayes and Robert Turner that originally started creating music together, via their recordings of efforts on to a four-track. However, on the notion that their sound needed expansion, they sought after a drummer – and found Nick Jago to fill the required slot.
The music written was a brave and refreshing collision of late-80’s UK indie-rock and 60’s and 70’s rock ‘n’ roll. However, the edge and melody to the sound created one of the most appealing and enthralling combinations of recent memory. Tracks such as the haunting ‘Red Eyes & Tears’, moving ‘Salvation’ and ‘Too Real’, or all-out pop-stomps of ‘Love Burns’ and ‘Punk Song’ brought audiences back to a time where image and music worked together to form the ideal band.
At the time, though, the three-piece weren’t known as BRMC; indeed, they were The Elements. However, once realising that this name was commonly possessed by many other groups, they found their current title after poaching it from Marlon Brando’s motorbike gang in the 50’s movie, ‘The Wild One’. This new moniker, which would soon grace the covers of their records and appear on venue-signs they were due to play, seemed to match the band’s rugged riffs and decidedly bad attitude, whilst introducing the kind of hazy psychedelia or history that their music and spirit evokes.
Once finding themselves, they spent six months solidly rehearsing to tighten the sound, as well as recording a demo full-length LP, 500 copies of which would soon be pressed and garner much interest in the group as they emerged. In the hope of generating even more interest, however, BRMC relocated to Los Angeles, where they played continuously, attracting excited audiences and curious A&R men. Eventually – following a summer schedule in ’99 of non-stop gigging – the trio managed to put pen to contract, as they signed to Virgin.
The terms of their record-deal with the major-label weren’t quite conventional, however; insistent that they could maintain production and mixing credits on their debut self-titled album – which was to be released in the US come April 2001 – the band also seemed to have an unusual control on their output. Along with this and their cagey responses to questions in high profile interviews, it was clear that BRMC were coming from a different angle: hoping to work with the ethic and notion that rock ‘n’ roll was ‘protest music’ and that things shouldn’t be over-analysed.
But, such uncompromising was a wise move. They immediately landed a tour with The Dandy Warhols, and went on to open up for The Waterboys, The Strokes and one of Britain’s most successful guitar-bands, The Charlatans. Their fan-base grew and grew, and – what with the issuing of four double-pack 7” vinyl singles and consistent radio and TV-airplay – the band’s name soon became a hot ticket.
Seemingly, their supporters are increasing in numbers – internationally, as well. The UK in early 2002 responded incredibly to what the band had to offer, with ‘NME’ placing them on their front cover, proclaiming them to be the ‘Leaders of the Pack’ over the new talent to emerge in the upcoming twelve months. Aside from this, a busy series of weeks on the road in Europe and back to the US will ensure that BRMC’s reputation will merely get larger and larger – as will the press-interest to try and discover just what their mysterious musical mission is...
OFFICIAL SITE: Simple, but the suitably black background and nice logos/images seem to create the right atmosphere for the band\'s music.
REBELS WITH A CAUSE: One of the original fansites that began following the group - and approved by BRMC themselves.
DISCUSSION LIST: This is a well-populated and chatty list which discusses all manner of things regarding San Fran\'s finest.