Madfly
Encyclopedia
Madfly was an American glam rock
band from Atlanta, Georgia
, formed in 1996. Its members were William DuVall
(vocals, guitar), Nico Constantine
(guitar), Jeffrey Blount (bass guitar), and Bevan Davies
(drums). They recorded and released two albums, Get the Silver
and White Hot in the Black
, before changing their name to Comes with the Fall
, following the departure of Jeffrey Blount in 1999.
, William DuVall said he had been branded as someone playing music that was “difficult” or “ahead of its time” and he felt compelled to crush that perception as fast and as thoroughly as he could, which he said was essentially the purpose when he formed Madfly, “an over-the-top glam-pop group (that) took a complete 180 from his prior efforts.” This project marked the first time DuVall would occasionally perform live without a guitar and focus strictly on singing, becoming “a full-fledged spectacle of a front man, complete with flashy costumes and body paint.”
towards the end of 1996. This first album got a mixed review from Gregory Nicoll, writing for Creative Loafing. He starts off his review writing:
Nicoll also criticizes DuVall’s vocals on the opening track “Fire in the Hole” but after that he says the album “offers some extremely polished tracks that harken back to the arena-rock anthems of the '70s and '80s.” He likens certain tracks to artists such as Led Zeppelin
, The Rolling Stones
, Queen
, David Bowie
, and Bon Jovi
.
In 1998, Madfly put out a second album called White Hot in the Black
, featuring the same cover as Get the Silver and a shorter track listing, half of which also appeared on its predecessor. White Hot in the Black currently holds an average rating of five stars at CDNOW
based on three Amazon.com
customer reviews.
, they quickly changed their name to Comes with the Fall
. DuVall felt “my personal compass was telling me it was time to drop the mask, pick up the guitar (full-time) and kick out the jams again. It was time to take the music back to a darker, more dynamic place — the place I most naturally live — while drawing on everything I’d learned over the years with all my bands. It was also time to start writing more directly from the heart again, something I’d put on hold somewhat since No Walls, perhaps as a protection device.”
Comes with the Fall recorded their self-titled album
over an eight-week period from August to October before relocating to Los Angeles
, California
in February 2000.
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
band from Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, formed in 1996. Its members were William DuVall
William DuVall
thumb|200px|right|William DuVall performing with [[Alice In Chains]] at Roskilde Festival 2010William DuVall is an American musician, best known as current lead singer for Alice In Chains, following the death of the band's original lead singer Layne Staley.DuVall is also co-founder, lead singer,...
(vocals, guitar), Nico Constantine
Nico Constantine
Nico Constantine is an American musician best known for playing guitar with the bands Madfly, Comes with the Fall, and Program the Dead.-Madfly and Comes with the Fall:...
(guitar), Jeffrey Blount (bass guitar), and Bevan Davies
Bevan Davies
Bevan Davies is an American musician best known as the drummer for the groups Still Rain, Madfly, Comes with the Fall and Danzig while he is currently a member of MonstrO, a group he formed with former members of Bloodsimple and Torche...
(drums). They recorded and released two albums, Get the Silver
Get the Silver
-Personnel:*Jeffrey Blount - bass guitar*Nico Constantine - guitar*Bevan Davies - drums*William DuVall - vocals, guitar, production...
and White Hot in the Black
White Hot in the Black
-Tracklist:All music and lyrics by William DuVall, except where noted.-Personnel:Madfly*Jeffrey Blount - bass guitar*Nico Constantine - guitar*Bevan Davies - drums*William DuVall - vocals, guitar, productionProduction*Produced by William DuVall...
, before changing their name to Comes with the Fall
Comes With The Fall
Comes with the Fall is an American rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. Since 2001, the line-up has been composed of William DuVall , Adam Stanger and Bevan Davies . Nico Constantine was the band's second guitarist before departing in 2001...
, following the departure of Jeffrey Blount in 1999.
Formation (1996)
After the demise of his previous band No WallsNo Walls
No Walls was an American hard rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1988. Its members were William DuVall , Hank Schroy , and Matthew Cowley...
, William DuVall said he had been branded as someone playing music that was “difficult” or “ahead of its time” and he felt compelled to crush that perception as fast and as thoroughly as he could, which he said was essentially the purpose when he formed Madfly, “an over-the-top glam-pop group (that) took a complete 180 from his prior efforts.” This project marked the first time DuVall would occasionally perform live without a guitar and focus strictly on singing, becoming “a full-fledged spectacle of a front man, complete with flashy costumes and body paint.”
“It pissed off a lot of people, especially some of the supporters of my previous bands. They felt betrayed, outraged. There was a lot of 'How dare you!' Then some people who hadn’t known me before were like, 'Who does this fool think he is?' Local Atlanta rock bands just didn’t do the kinds of things Madfly did.
I remember one early show of ours where I painted myself silver — face, hair, hands, every inch of exposed skin — and wore a form-fitting silver pullover shirt and skintight black stovepipe corduroys. I don’t think I ever wore the same thing onstage twice with Madfly.”
Get the Silver and White Hot in the Black (1996-1998)
A few months after their formation, Madfly released their debut album Get the SilverGet the Silver
-Personnel:*Jeffrey Blount - bass guitar*Nico Constantine - guitar*Bevan Davies - drums*William DuVall - vocals, guitar, production...
towards the end of 1996. This first album got a mixed review from Gregory Nicoll, writing for Creative Loafing. He starts off his review writing:
“Although Madfly frontman William DuVall is certainly a very talented fellow, the guy seems to have an ego the size of the Georgia DomeGeorgia DomeThe Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...
. You have to wonder about a man who lists his own name 38 separate times in the credits on his CD's packaging, who poaches song titles from Lou ReedLou ReedLewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
and Joan JettJoan JettJoan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
, who writes lyrics like, ‘Fabulous/I'm so fabulous/I feel fabulous/Aren't I fabulous?’ and who then has the crowning audacity to name his publishing company Beautiful Genius Music. I mean, this cat makes Ru Paul look downright bashful!”
Nicoll also criticizes DuVall’s vocals on the opening track “Fire in the Hole” but after that he says the album “offers some extremely polished tracks that harken back to the arena-rock anthems of the '70s and '80s.” He likens certain tracks to artists such as Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, and Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
.
In 1998, Madfly put out a second album called White Hot in the Black
White Hot in the Black
-Tracklist:All music and lyrics by William DuVall, except where noted.-Personnel:Madfly*Jeffrey Blount - bass guitar*Nico Constantine - guitar*Bevan Davies - drums*William DuVall - vocals, guitar, productionProduction*Produced by William DuVall...
, featuring the same cover as Get the Silver and a shorter track listing, half of which also appeared on its predecessor. White Hot in the Black currently holds an average rating of five stars at CDNOW
CDNOW
CDNOW.com was an online retailer. The company was founded in February 1994 by twin brothers Jason Olim and Matthew Olim of Ambler, Pennsylvania...
based on three Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
customer reviews.
Transformation into Comes with the Fall (1999-present)
When bassist Jeffrey Blount left the band for medical reasons and was subsequently replaced by Adam StangerAdam Stanger
Adam Stanger is an American musician best known as the bassist for the bands Comes with the Fall. He has also played in the band Big Hate alongside his brother, singer-guitarist Brian Stanger, and Melt, later renamed The Young Royals, with singer-guitarist Eric Bradley.-Big Hate:In the 1990s,...
, they quickly changed their name to Comes with the Fall
Comes With The Fall
Comes with the Fall is an American rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. Since 2001, the line-up has been composed of William DuVall , Adam Stanger and Bevan Davies . Nico Constantine was the band's second guitarist before departing in 2001...
. DuVall felt “my personal compass was telling me it was time to drop the mask, pick up the guitar (full-time) and kick out the jams again. It was time to take the music back to a darker, more dynamic place — the place I most naturally live — while drawing on everything I’d learned over the years with all my bands. It was also time to start writing more directly from the heart again, something I’d put on hold somewhat since No Walls, perhaps as a protection device.”
Comes with the Fall recorded their self-titled album
Comes with the Fall (album)
-Personnel:*Nico Constantine — guitar*Bevan Davies — drums*William DuVall — vocals, guitar*Adam Stanger — bass guitar...
over an eight-week period from August to October before relocating to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in February 2000.
Discography
| Title | Release | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Get the Silver Get the Silver -Personnel:*Jeffrey Blount - bass guitar*Nico Constantine - guitar*Bevan Davies - drums*William DuVall - vocals, guitar, production... |
1996 1996 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact... |
Killing Floor Records |
| White Hot in the Black White Hot in the Black -Tracklist:All music and lyrics by William DuVall, except where noted.-Personnel:Madfly*Jeffrey Blount - bass guitar*Nico Constantine - guitar*Bevan Davies - drums*William DuVall - vocals, guitar, productionProduction*Produced by William DuVall... |
1998 1998 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998.-Events:*January 28 – "Weird Al" Yankovic gets LASIK surgery to cure his myopia... |
Blackheart Blackheart Records Blackheart Records is an American record label founded by rock musicians Joan Jett and Kenny Laguna. Artists include The Eyeliners, Endless Bummer, Girl in a Coma, the Cute Lepers, the Dollyrots, the Vacancies, and, of course, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.... |