8 legendary bands who played shows under pseudonyms
When bands reach a certain size, they can only play arenas to fulfil the demand for tickets, making them romanticise the days of performing in sweaty bars before finding fame. However, one way to get around this issue is to sell tickets under a different name and confuse their following.
Normally, they leave a clue relating to their true identity, which fans jump on and create hysteria online. However, groups going under pseudonyms is a craze which has been going on for decades, long before the birth of social media, a time when the impact wouldn’t be diluted by those spoiling the surprise on the internet, and the only way to find out was through word of mouth.
Sometimes, not all is that it seems, as fans of The Strokes found out in 2018. Camden’s The Dingwalls in 2018 shared the news that they would be hosting a concert by a band that goes under the same name as the New Yorkers’ secret identity, which caused 500 fans to race to the venue to queue around the block to buy tickets. However, despite being posted on the venue’s official social media channels, Dingwalls claimed somebody had jokingly posted it on their account, and there was no concert. But the hype of a secret pseudonym show was there for all to see.
Below, we look at the occasions when these shows did thankfully take place, and classic bands returned to their roots with the help of a hidden identity.
Classic bands who’ve played shows under pseudonyms:
R.E.M / Bingo Hand Job
In 1991, R.E.M came to London town and planned to play an intimate show at The Borderline, but they needed to come up with a creative name first. After a brainstorming session which assumedly took them days if not weeks, they settled upon Bingo Hand Job.
Throughout their tenure, they also played shows under aliases such as The Mystery Twins, It Crawled From the South, and Hornets Attack Victor Mature. When it came to secret band names, nobody did it better than R.E.M.
Foo Fighters / The Holy Shits
Unlike R.E.M, Foo Fighters have been consistent with their pseudonym throughout their career, and when they play a low-profile show, they’ll always be billed as The Holy Shits!
In 2014, they used the name at the 600-capacity House of Vans in London, which saw them air rarities such as ‘For All The Cows’ and ‘Weenie Beenie’. The Foo’s also used the name for a performance that same year at the Islington Assembly Hall, Brighton’s Concorde 2, and Firefly Music Festival.
Arctic Monkeys / Death Ramps
Whenever Arctic Monkeys release a track which features either Richard Hawley or Miles Kane, it is by the Death Ramps. So far, they have released five tracks under the name and a celebration of their brotherhood with the duo. After sharing their first song in 2007, Death Ramps’ label, Domino, said: “Unfortunately, we’re not allowed to tell you the true identity of the Death Ramps but needless to say they’re a band with A Certain Romance (wink, wink).”
Meanwhile, in 2013, Alex Turner said: “We used to ride our BMXs on these little hills in the woods where we grew up in Sheffield. As six-year-olds they looked like death ramps to us – I always thought that’d be a cool name for a band. When we started using guest singers like Richard Hawley and Miles Kane on the B-side of our seven-inches we called ourselves the Death Ramps and my mate Reino Lehtonen-Riley, who owns The Great Frog, knocked up some rings. We’ve all got one”.
In 2012, the Monkeys brought the Death Ramps to life in Paris when they played The Olympia with Sheffield’s very own Richard Hawley.
Arcade Fire / The Reflektors
Arcade Fire’s pseudonym of choice is the least creative on this list by some margin. Around the release of Reflektor, they played a series of shows under the name of The Reflektors, and the Canadian group may as well have just used their genuine identity.
Shows they played on this run around the 2017 album include two dates at Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom, Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom, and The Palladium in Los Angeles. Additionally, they released the titular track from the album on vinyl as The Reflektors.
Prince / Alexander Nevermind
During the 1980s, Prince regularly performed club gigs in Minnesota, but audiences were treated to an Alexander Nevermind show courtesy of Prince Rogers Nelson. Additionally, the ‘Purple One’ also used the alias for a single he co-wrote with Sheena Easton.
The name Alexander Nevermind does have an X-Factor feel, even if it is more understated than his preferred name. Furthermore, once Nirvana released their seminal masterpiece in 1991, they culturally trademarked the Nevermind name.
The Strokes / Venison
Although Camden Dingwalls were barking up the wrong tree when they claimed The Strokes were performing at the venue in 2018 under the name of Venison, Julian Casablancas and the band did play there eight years earlier under the alias.
The 2010 concert was a warm-up for headline performances at the Isle of Wight Festival and RockNess. Tickets for the show sold-out almost immediately, and their show in North London as Venison marked their first performance in Britain for four years.
The Libertines / Spaniel and Spaniel
Back when The Libertines were playing guerrilla gigs across London during the early days of the band, they had various identities they would use for their shows, including Spaniel and Spaniel, Lombard & Razzcocks, which was supposedly meant to emulate a law firm.
Hilariously, they also reportedly performed under the name of Gums and Noses. However, although various publications have stated this as fact, it’s impossible to find concrete evidence. Still, it’s the kind of dark humour you associate with the band and pokes fun at their longstanding association with substances.
The Sex Pistols / The S.P.O.T.S
In August 1977, The Sex Pistols began a UK tour at Wolverhampton’s Club Lafayette, except they were on the road under the pseudonym of The S.P.O.T.S — an acronym for ‘Sex Pistols On Tour Secretly’. The tour came after the media had villainised them, and the name change was implemented to stop the performances from being shut down by the police.
Each night of the six-night run saw the Pistols use a different name to prevent being caught. In Doncaster, the punk icons went under the name of ‘Tax Exiles’, ‘Special Guest’ in Scarborough, ‘Acne Rabble’ in Middlesbrough, ‘The Hamsters’ in Plymouth, and for the final night in Penzance, they opted for the moniker of ‘A Mystery Band of International Repute’.
