SuperGroup
Encyclopedia
SuperGroup is a 2006 reality show on VH1
that follows five well-known hard rock
and heavy metal
musicians over a 12-day period where they live together in a Las Vegas
mansion in order to create, plan and perform a live show together. The show, starring band members Sebastian Bach
, Jason Bonham
, Scott Ian
, Ted Nugent
and Evan Seinfeld
, as well as manager Doc McGhee
, aired in seven segments during May–July 2006.
In addition to McGhee, who had previously worked with Bach and Skid Row, the show also features appearances by Kale Klein, New Mexican hard rock DJ and former member of Whitesnake
(1994–1996), journalist Lonn Friend
and photographer Ross Halfin
, both long-time contributors for other VH1 features, such as Behind the Music
.
The members of the band dubbed their band project Damnocracy
, suggested by lead singer Sebastian Bach
after hearing Scott Ian
say "a god damn democracy, but we can't use 'god damn'" in response to their inability to come up with a band name everybody liked. Previously, the name FIST was also suggested by Sebastian Bach, saying that it means the five of them coming together, like fingers forming a fist. Eventually Sebastian and Ted agreed they had grown to dislike the name FIST.
Another name that was suggested was "Rawdog," then flipped around to "Godwar" by Evan Seinfeld, to which Bach replied that he did not want a band name that he "…had to think about." Ted Nugent suggested the name "Hunting Deer With a Bow and Arrow."
Yet another name that was suggested by Bach was "Savage Animal," but no one else liked the name. Bach liked it because it "rolled off the tongue" and because "rock and roll is a 'savage animal'." Savage Animal became one of the more popular names and became associated with the show, as many people laughed at its cliché title, despite Bach's ardent enthusiasm for the name. Bach's enthusiasm for the name Savage Animal became a popular subject of parody over the internet, with websites like YTMND
and YouTube
having made videos referencing that particular instance. The "Savage Animal" mania has gone as far as for Bach to be listed as a member of "Savage Animal" instead of "Damnocracy," intentionally or not, on some websites.
One initially proposed name was "Celebutard," a name suggested by Bach prior to "Savage Animal." This name was quickly laughed away.
. On the first rehearsals, they click musically, but are unable to come up with a name. They also meet Danushka Lysek, their chef for the upcoming two weeks, who immediately becomes a constant and easy target for tormenting, and a two-man PR team, whom they immediately disregard as business professionals. The first song also starts to take shape, but an unexpected problem occurs when the rehearsal space turns out to be less proficient for studio recording than expected.
, a human beatboxer to fill in, as well as a fashion stylist to "update their image" — the band protests vehemently to both approaches (with Bach literally slamming the door in the beatboxer's face).
They do, however, manage to settle on a name, "Fist," which Sebastian explains by "five fingers coming together." Evan and Sebastian start to shape up the lyrics for their first co-written song, but while Evan insists on leaving for a dinner that he was hosting for the group, Sebastian stays and decides to work on the song, along with newly arrived recording engineer Kirk Moll, while Ted leaves to jam with Joe Bonamassa
.
The band shows Doc their first song, but Doc is not impressed. Sebastian considers that it's because of an old rift between him and Doc. Evan decides to figure out what happened and talks to Doc, who explains his side of the story.
The band meets two graphic artists, who are to design the band logo. Valerie, the PR person, tells the band that Ross Halfin
is coming from England to photograph them later that day. Sebastian insists on taking a jog and a makeover against the majority's will, seemingly upsetting the rest of the group, especially Jason.
During the wardrobe-check for the shoot, the group meets "Heatherette," a styling team, who presents the group a (perhaps deliberately) outrageous set of clothes. (Jason calmly remarks "I'm English," upon being presented a star-spangled jacket.) The group protests, except for Sebastian who picks out a jumpsuit, but is outvoted by the rest of the band, after pointing out that his choice is embarrassing to the rest of the band. At the photoshoot, Ross matches up Sebastian in verbal swashbuckling, much to the amusement of the rest of the band and the PR-team.
The next day, Evan explains his talk with Doc to Sebastian, who decides to settle things with Doc later. Sebastian also discovers the wine-cellar, and shows his discovery to Scott, who explains that the wine he's drinking is "two-buck Chuck," an extremely cheap brand. Sebastian pulls Doc aside at dinner and tries to talk to him, but neither of them shows any enthusiasm to settle things long-term.
Ted and Sebastian start to have second thoughts about the name "FIST." Sebastian has an interview scheduled, but he becomes hard to find and to convince after he decides to "be ready." During a rehearsal, Jason's thumb becomes numb and painful, so he visits a doctor and gets an X-ray, who advises a week of rest — something Jason obviously does not have time for. While Doc tries to enlist famed producer Rob Cavallo
to help the band, Scott is visited by his wife (listed by VH1 as "fiancee") Pearl Aday
. The band also disregards the idea of writing a ballad.
Doc enlists Rob Cavallo
to tell his opinion about their first song, "Take It Back." Cavallo voices his dislike of the song, telling the band that it's "dated" (which Ted considers an insult) and that the beat should be "more punk-like" (which insults Jason). The band, nevertheless, realizes that their views on the song are far too subjective, and sometimes they need a reality check.
Evan finally gets his revenge on Ted, and with the help of Scott, he wakes Ted up by putting his bass amp in front of Ted's door, cranking it up to the maximum and placing the bass nearby so it feeds back and resonates loudly. Ted acknowledges the effort, although he states that his door handle broke, so he could not display a white flag to surrender.
The band, much to the dismay of the management, decides to ditch the name "FIST," and starts wondering about another one. Evan and Scott come up with "Godwar," partly because it's "raw dog" spelled backwards. Sebastian (according to Jason, not entirely surprisingly) disregards the name, and insists on his choice, "Savage Animal," albeit at this radio interview, he only mentions that the band has a couple of ideas. During the final band meeting, Scott notes that things would work much better if it was not for the "damn democracy," which ignites Sebastian to come up with "Damnocracy." The band (and the management) finally agrees. Sebastian's wife Maria Bierk and Evan's wife Tera Patrick
also arrive.
Sebastian also starts to show the repercussions of his wine consumption, at one point having a near-romantic talk to a quite puzzled Scott about how he would never change a guitar player. He also insists that the band should watch his performance on TV in the show The Gilmore Girls — something no one really seems to enjoy besides him.
At dinner, Jason notes that Robert Plant
and Jimmy Page
recommended the band to do a cover of the Led Zeppelin
song, "Out on the Tiles
," because Zeppelin never performed it live. Since it's a song that was born after an idea by Jason's father, John Bonham
(whose death also had its 25th anniversary in 2005), the band decides to pay tribute and rehearse the song, albeit all of them point out that playing a Led Zeppelin song recommended by Led Zeppelin comes with a large responsibility. The song's vocal range, however, seems to be a difficulty for Sebastian, who also insists on having constant eye-contact with Jason during songs, something that Jason does not quite understand.
Tera and Evan decide to do a photo shoot, only to later convince Maria to join in and make some photos together. Sebastian enjoys this immensely, but Ted says he is turned off by public displays of sex and leaves.
Ted takes Scott and Evan to a shooting range, where they fire various heavy weaponry. Jason stays home, because he does not like the idea, while Sebastian stays to take a rest. Ted's wife Shemane also arrives, and voices concern about her attitude not being a "rock-star wife" and not fitting in with the other wives, and the band's constant swearing.
Chris, a graphic artist, brings a promotional painting of the superheroic likenesses of the band that he was working on, which amazes the group, save Scott, who's a bit sad about his character looking like "mashed potato." Jason suggests to auction the picture for charity.
Sebastian eventually reaches a low point in inebriation, and starts to ramble during a rehearsal and recording session of a ballad they recently wrote. He insists on Evan to noogie him, and when that happens, the two jokingly start to wrestle on the floor. As soon as Scott can be heard "Here we go..." (and later noting that "I just looked at Jason and said, 'This is gonna get serious in about ten seconds,'" possibly referring to experiences he previously talked about in Behind the Music
when Anthrax's Charlie Benante
and Frank Bello
would fight the same way in the studio), Sebastian turns Evan over and pushes him on the floor, not realizing that Evan hits his head on a nearby amp. Evan becomes furious, pushes Sebastian away and tries to punch him. While Sebastian insists that he's just playing, Evan storms out from the room. Scott and Jason try to mediate, but Sebastian also storms out.
The next day, while Jason updates Ted with the news, Evan is still furious about Sebastian being out of control. Sebastian goes to him to apologize, attributing his out of control behavior to the wine. They end up settling things, but Evan clearly states that Sebastian has to cut down on his drinking.
The band gets ready for the performance, although Scott and Jason are worried about playing to "five tourists and ten people holding up Skid Row album covers." The gig eventually turns out to be quite popular, as the band plays "Sin City
" (AC/DC
) and "Cat Scratch Fever
." The group is satisfied, although Doc points out that the songs were not as tight as they could have been, something which the band decides to work on.
The band decides to celebrate at a sushi restaurant, joined by Nikki Benz
and Lexie Marie
, models for TeraVision, invited by Tera. Evan is shocked to notice that Sebastian is drinking again.
Ted goes to a radio promo show as a guest DJ, but flips out when the host decides to play Puddle of Mudd
instead of Ted's music during the interview.
Evan, meanwhile, is still distraught about Sebastian drinking the night before, and starts to complain to other members, to which Doc responds with "you've been here 12 days... try 12 years" and they all conclude that Sebastian needs serious help.
T.L., the stylist shows up again with a set of clothes to try, with little luck on Evan, Scott or Ted, but is able to convince Jason to wear a cowboy hat, while Sebastian insists on a leather jacket which is visibly too small on him.
The band expands their playlist with Biohazard
's song "Punishment
," but Evan is concerned about Ted learning the song. Upon trying to show Ted the riffs, Evan ends up expressing his sadness about Sebastian's drinking problem, and tells Ted that if there's anyone who can convince him to stop, it's probably Ted, since Sebastian feels a paternal bond with him. Ted takes up the task, and has a tough talk with Sebastian, explicitly forbidding him any alcoholic drink. Sebastian is shocked, but promises to comply, and eventually adopts Ted as his "dad."
The group goes to a guitar store for a promotional signing, only to see that they can in fact have rabid fans at their show, some of them being lifetime fans of their respective bands. Back at home, upon practicing "Punishment," Jason admits that he's not familiar with the song, but promises to learn it as soon as he can.
At dinner, Ted and Shemane invite the whole band to their farm, something which the band is a little surprised but extremely happy about. Sebastian points out in front of everyone that he's not drinking, and insists on not ever doing so, in fright of Ted's repercussions.
Jason proceeds to learn "Punishment," and although first a bit alienated, he ends up admiring the song for bringing new elements to his style of drumming. Sebastian goes running in the nearby mountains, and enjoys the first day of his complete sobriety. Ted also learns the song, and he points out that while it's not his kind of music, he insists on playing it with full attitude, to the great satisfaction of Evan.
Doc takes the band to the Fremont Street Experience
, for reasons unknown to them. When they arrive, they are shown a cartoon animation of the group represented as a superhuman rock group, destroying various "bubblegum pop" icons and joining forces upon seeing a searchlight
with the Damnocracy logo (akin to the Bat-Signal
). The band, for the first time in the show, genuinely agrees on the quality and effect of the animation. Evan and Sebastian stay in downtown Vegas to spend a romantic night with their respective wives.
Upon asked about the band's future, Sebastian expresses concern about the business side of Damnocracy, as it is unknown who owns the rights to the band's name. This eventually turns out to be in reaction to a prior problem, where during his time in Skid Row, it turned out that Sebastian did not own any legal rights to the band name "Skid Row." While Doc does not understand the reason for this (as Sebastian was only the second singer of Skid Row), Sebastian and Doc talk through the issue and clear up matters.
Evan, however, suddenly packs up and storms out from the house with Tera without giving any reason to anyone, leaving the entire band and management alike in confusion. The band, however, has to leave immediately to do a soundcheck
. The group meets the first members of their future audience, and proceeds to go to the soundcheck, to be joined by Evan 45 minutes later. The soundcheck brings out some classic technical problems such as wrong monitoring and broken or malfunctioning equipment, infuriating Scott for the first time during the show. After problems are resolved, the band prepares for the show backstage, being extremely excited about the performance.
The concert starts with the Motörhead classic "Ace of Spades
," and the band enjoys complete comfort on stage as they head into AC/DC's "T.N.T.
," Skid Row's "Youth Gone Wild
," and Anthrax's "Only
." They also perform "Punishment," the song they feared so much, but in retrospect, all of them confess that it was probably the tightest song during the whole set.
The group dedicates "Out on the Tiles
" to the late John Bonham
, and while Sebastian audibly has a tough time with the song, Jason performs a spectacular roll-off at the end. "Stranglehold" delivers a bit of a tension, when Sebastian continues to throw Damnocracy T-shirts in the crowd during Ted's guitar solo, but the band nevertheless continues with their own song, "Take It Back," the song previously labeled "dated," which, regardless, receives a large ovation.
During "Sin City
," however, Sebastian shocks the band by pulling out a bottle of Jack Daniel's
and guzzling part of it down on crowd request. A suspicious Ted takes part of the drink, and lights up to realize that it's in fact simple tea
. The band closes the show with Cat Scratch Fever.
In retrospect, all band members express their joy with the project, and hope to work again on either an album or a tour. And at the end of the final seventh episode, viewers were left with a text message saying that Damnocracy had continued to rehearse and make new music after shooting wrapped. However, at the end of the text, the band was still willing to continue with even more rehearsing and making new music but they could not pull Ted Nugent away from going hunting.
(Note: This is a reported song order - the show might have presented the concert in an edited order.)
of Heart
, Charlotte Caffey
of The Go Gos, and drummer Stephanie Eulinberg of Kid Rock
fame were slated to take part. Financial and scheduling difficulties put a halt on the project.
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
that follows five well-known hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
and heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
musicians over a 12-day period where they live together in a Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
mansion in order to create, plan and perform a live show together. The show, starring band members Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach is a Canadian heavy metal singer who achieved mainstream success as frontman of Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. Since his departure from Skid Row, he has had many television roles, acted within Broadway plays, and leads a successful solo career.-Early life:Bach was born Sebastian...
, Jason Bonham
Jason Bonham
Jason John Bonham is an English drummer. Jason's parents are Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and his wife Pat Phillips. After his father's death in 1980, he has played with Led Zeppelin on different occasions, including the Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert at The O2 Arena in London in...
, Scott Ian
Scott Ian
Scott Ian Rosenfeld , better known by the stage name Scott Ian, is an American musician, best known as the rhythm & lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Anthrax. Ian is also the guitarist and a founding member of the crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death...
, Ted Nugent
Ted Nugent
Theodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
and Evan Seinfeld
Evan Seinfeld
Evan Seinfeld is an American musician and actor, as well as a director, photographer, and writer. He has also appeared in several pornographic films under the pseudonym "Spyder Jonez". He is best known for playing bass guitar and serving as vocalist for the heavy metal band Biohazard, and as the...
, as well as manager Doc McGhee
Doc McGhee
Doc McGhee is an American music manager, best known for working with KISS, Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe. The latter two groups experienced their rise to stardom under his management...
, aired in seven segments during May–July 2006.
In addition to McGhee, who had previously worked with Bach and Skid Row, the show also features appearances by Kale Klein, New Mexican hard rock DJ and former member of Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
(1994–1996), journalist Lonn Friend
Lonn Friend
Lonn Friend is an American journalist and author. Friend is best known for his work in the late 1980s and '90s as editor of RIP Magazine, which covered the debaucherous world of heavy metal music and the rock stars who led the movement...
and photographer Ross Halfin
Ross Halfin
Ross Halfin is a British rock and roll photographer. He began his career working for Sounds magazine in the 1970s, shooting various artists on the punk scene including The Clash, The Jam, The Sex Pistols, 999 and The Adverts...
, both long-time contributors for other VH1 features, such as Behind the Music
Behind the Music
Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
.
Band name
Damnocracy
Damnocracy are a heavy metal supergroup formed on, and for, the VH1 TV show Supergroup in 2006.The members of the band ultimately dubbed their band project Damnocracy....
, suggested by lead singer Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach is a Canadian heavy metal singer who achieved mainstream success as frontman of Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. Since his departure from Skid Row, he has had many television roles, acted within Broadway plays, and leads a successful solo career.-Early life:Bach was born Sebastian...
after hearing Scott Ian
Scott Ian
Scott Ian Rosenfeld , better known by the stage name Scott Ian, is an American musician, best known as the rhythm & lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Anthrax. Ian is also the guitarist and a founding member of the crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death...
say "a god damn democracy, but we can't use 'god damn'" in response to their inability to come up with a band name everybody liked. Previously, the name FIST was also suggested by Sebastian Bach, saying that it means the five of them coming together, like fingers forming a fist. Eventually Sebastian and Ted agreed they had grown to dislike the name FIST.
Another name that was suggested was "Rawdog," then flipped around to "Godwar" by Evan Seinfeld, to which Bach replied that he did not want a band name that he "…had to think about." Ted Nugent suggested the name "Hunting Deer With a Bow and Arrow."
YTMND
YTMND, an initialism for "You're the Man Now, Dog", is an online community centered on the creation of hosted web pages featuring a juxtaposition of an image centered or tiled along with optional large zooming text and a looping sound file...
and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
having made videos referencing that particular instance. The "Savage Animal" mania has gone as far as for Bach to be listed as a member of "Savage Animal" instead of "Damnocracy," intentionally or not, on some websites.
One initially proposed name was "Celebutard," a name suggested by Bach prior to "Savage Animal." This name was quickly laughed away.
Band members
- Sebastian BachSebastian BachSebastian Bach is a Canadian heavy metal singer who achieved mainstream success as frontman of Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. Since his departure from Skid Row, he has had many television roles, acted within Broadway plays, and leads a successful solo career.-Early life:Bach was born Sebastian...
- vocals - Ted NugentTed NugentTheodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, vocals - Scott IanScott IanScott Ian Rosenfeld , better known by the stage name Scott Ian, is an American musician, best known as the rhythm & lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Anthrax. Ian is also the guitarist and a founding member of the crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death...
- rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, vocals - Evan SeinfeldEvan SeinfeldEvan Seinfeld is an American musician and actor, as well as a director, photographer, and writer. He has also appeared in several pornographic films under the pseudonym "Spyder Jonez". He is best known for playing bass guitar and serving as vocalist for the heavy metal band Biohazard, and as the...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Jason BonhamJason BonhamJason John Bonham is an English drummer. Jason's parents are Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and his wife Pat Phillips. After his father's death in 1980, he has played with Led Zeppelin on different occasions, including the Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert at The O2 Arena in London in...
- drums, percussion
Original airing dates
- Episode 1 - May 21
- Episode 2 - May 28
- Episode 3 - June 4
- Episode 4 - June 11
- Episode 5 - June 18
- Episode 6 - June 25
- Episode 7 - July 2
Episode 1
The band members and Doc meet for the first time for the project. The band starts to explore their "creative space", a large mansion in Las VegasLas Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. On the first rehearsals, they click musically, but are unable to come up with a name. They also meet Danushka Lysek, their chef for the upcoming two weeks, who immediately becomes a constant and easy target for tormenting, and a two-man PR team, whom they immediately disregard as business professionals. The first song also starts to take shape, but an unexpected problem occurs when the rehearsal space turns out to be less proficient for studio recording than expected.
Episode 2
Jason Bonham has to leave because of two Foreigner shows he has to perform at, so the management gets Kid BeyondKid Beyond
Kid Beyond is a singer, beat boxer and live looper based in the San Francisco area.-Early career:Chaikin attended Brown University and was a leader in the co-ed fraternity Zeta Delta Xi. He sang in the Jabberwocks, a student a cappella group...
, a human beatboxer to fill in, as well as a fashion stylist to "update their image" — the band protests vehemently to both approaches (with Bach literally slamming the door in the beatboxer's face).
They do, however, manage to settle on a name, "Fist," which Sebastian explains by "five fingers coming together." Evan and Sebastian start to shape up the lyrics for their first co-written song, but while Evan insists on leaving for a dinner that he was hosting for the group, Sebastian stays and decides to work on the song, along with newly arrived recording engineer Kirk Moll, while Ted leaves to jam with Joe Bonamassa
Joe Bonamassa
Joe Bonamassa is an American blues rock guitarist and singer.-Early life:Bonamassa was born and raised in New Hartford, United States. His parents owned and ran a guitar shop. He is a fourth-generation musician...
.
Episode 3
The band meets two graphic artists, who are to design the band logo. Valerie, the PR person, tells the band that Ross Halfin
Ross Halfin
Ross Halfin is a British rock and roll photographer. He began his career working for Sounds magazine in the 1970s, shooting various artists on the punk scene including The Clash, The Jam, The Sex Pistols, 999 and The Adverts...
is coming from England to photograph them later that day. Sebastian insists on taking a jog and a makeover against the majority's will, seemingly upsetting the rest of the group, especially Jason.
During the wardrobe-check for the shoot, the group meets "Heatherette," a styling team, who presents the group a (perhaps deliberately) outrageous set of clothes. (Jason calmly remarks "I'm English," upon being presented a star-spangled jacket.) The group protests, except for Sebastian who picks out a jumpsuit, but is outvoted by the rest of the band, after pointing out that his choice is embarrassing to the rest of the band. At the photoshoot, Ross matches up Sebastian in verbal swashbuckling, much to the amusement of the rest of the band and the PR-team.
The next day, Evan explains his talk with Doc to Sebastian, who decides to settle things with Doc later. Sebastian also discovers the wine-cellar, and shows his discovery to Scott, who explains that the wine he's drinking is "two-buck Chuck," an extremely cheap brand. Sebastian pulls Doc aside at dinner and tries to talk to him, but neither of them shows any enthusiasm to settle things long-term.
Ted and Sebastian start to have second thoughts about the name "FIST." Sebastian has an interview scheduled, but he becomes hard to find and to convince after he decides to "be ready." During a rehearsal, Jason's thumb becomes numb and painful, so he visits a doctor and gets an X-ray, who advises a week of rest — something Jason obviously does not have time for. While Doc tries to enlist famed producer Rob Cavallo
Rob Cavallo
Rob Cavallo is a record producer and A&R, most famous for signing and producing Green Day. He is currently Chairman of Warner Bros. Records.- History :...
to help the band, Scott is visited by his wife (listed by VH1 as "fiancee") Pearl Aday
Pearl Aday
Pearl Aday is an American female singer and adopted daughter of Meat Loaf and his wife Leslie Aday. Pearl, whose biological father was the drummer for Janis Joplin’s band, Full Tilt Boogie, was adopted by Meat Loaf after he married her mother....
. The band also disregards the idea of writing a ballad.
Episode 4
Rob Cavallo
Rob Cavallo is a record producer and A&R, most famous for signing and producing Green Day. He is currently Chairman of Warner Bros. Records.- History :...
to tell his opinion about their first song, "Take It Back." Cavallo voices his dislike of the song, telling the band that it's "dated" (which Ted considers an insult) and that the beat should be "more punk-like" (which insults Jason). The band, nevertheless, realizes that their views on the song are far too subjective, and sometimes they need a reality check.
Evan finally gets his revenge on Ted, and with the help of Scott, he wakes Ted up by putting his bass amp in front of Ted's door, cranking it up to the maximum and placing the bass nearby so it feeds back and resonates loudly. Ted acknowledges the effort, although he states that his door handle broke, so he could not display a white flag to surrender.
The band, much to the dismay of the management, decides to ditch the name "FIST," and starts wondering about another one. Evan and Scott come up with "Godwar," partly because it's "raw dog" spelled backwards. Sebastian (according to Jason, not entirely surprisingly) disregards the name, and insists on his choice, "Savage Animal," albeit at this radio interview, he only mentions that the band has a couple of ideas. During the final band meeting, Scott notes that things would work much better if it was not for the "damn democracy," which ignites Sebastian to come up with "Damnocracy." The band (and the management) finally agrees. Sebastian's wife Maria Bierk and Evan's wife Tera Patrick
Tera Patrick
Linda Ann Hopkins, better known as Tera Patrick is a former American pornographic actress.-Early life:Tera Patrick was born Linda Ann Hopkins in Great Falls, Montana. While at Boise State, Patrick earned an AAS degree in nursing and a BS in Biology.-Career:Patrick moved to New York City and her...
also arrive.
Sebastian also starts to show the repercussions of his wine consumption, at one point having a near-romantic talk to a quite puzzled Scott about how he would never change a guitar player. He also insists that the band should watch his performance on TV in the show The Gilmore Girls — something no one really seems to enjoy besides him.
At dinner, Jason notes that Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
and Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
recommended the band to do a cover of the 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...
song, "Out on the Tiles
Out on the Tiles
"Out on the Tiles" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, from the 1970 album Led Zeppelin III. The title of the song is derived from the British phrase for going out for a night on the town. Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham would talk about going "out on the tiles," meaning to go to bars,...
," because Zeppelin never performed it live. Since it's a song that was born after an idea by Jason's father, John Bonham
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
(whose death also had its 25th anniversary in 2005), the band decides to pay tribute and rehearse the song, albeit all of them point out that playing a Led Zeppelin song recommended by Led Zeppelin comes with a large responsibility. The song's vocal range, however, seems to be a difficulty for Sebastian, who also insists on having constant eye-contact with Jason during songs, something that Jason does not quite understand.
Tera and Evan decide to do a photo shoot, only to later convince Maria to join in and make some photos together. Sebastian enjoys this immensely, but Ted says he is turned off by public displays of sex and leaves.
Episode 5
The band discusses their next day warm-up performance, during which Sebastian and Jason debate their stage show, and while Sebastian insists that the drummer look him in the eye, Jason simply prefers to play his own thing and others to follow.Ted takes Scott and Evan to a shooting range, where they fire various heavy weaponry. Jason stays home, because he does not like the idea, while Sebastian stays to take a rest. Ted's wife Shemane also arrives, and voices concern about her attitude not being a "rock-star wife" and not fitting in with the other wives, and the band's constant swearing.
Chris, a graphic artist, brings a promotional painting of the superheroic likenesses of the band that he was working on, which amazes the group, save Scott, who's a bit sad about his character looking like "mashed potato." Jason suggests to auction the picture for charity.
Sebastian eventually reaches a low point in inebriation, and starts to ramble during a rehearsal and recording session of a ballad they recently wrote. He insists on Evan to noogie him, and when that happens, the two jokingly start to wrestle on the floor. As soon as Scott can be heard "Here we go..." (and later noting that "I just looked at Jason and said, 'This is gonna get serious in about ten seconds,'" possibly referring to experiences he previously talked about in Behind the Music
Behind the Music
Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
when Anthrax's Charlie Benante
Charlie Benante
Charlie Benante is the drummer for the heavy metal bands Anthrax and Stormtroopers of Death .- Career :...
and Frank Bello
Frank Bello
Frank Bello is an American musician who plays bass guitar for the thrash metal band Anthrax. Originally he was a roadie and guitar technician for the band, but later he replaced Dan Lilker on the Spreading the Disease album. After leaving Anthrax in early 2004 Bello joined Helmet - another New...
would fight the same way in the studio), Sebastian turns Evan over and pushes him on the floor, not realizing that Evan hits his head on a nearby amp. Evan becomes furious, pushes Sebastian away and tries to punch him. While Sebastian insists that he's just playing, Evan storms out from the room. Scott and Jason try to mediate, but Sebastian also storms out.
The next day, while Jason updates Ted with the news, Evan is still furious about Sebastian being out of control. Sebastian goes to him to apologize, attributing his out of control behavior to the wine. They end up settling things, but Evan clearly states that Sebastian has to cut down on his drinking.
The band gets ready for the performance, although Scott and Jason are worried about playing to "five tourists and ten people holding up Skid Row album covers." The gig eventually turns out to be quite popular, as the band plays "Sin City
Powerage
Powerage is the fifth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released in May 1978. It is also AC/DC's fourth international studio album. All songs were written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott....
" (AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
) and "Cat Scratch Fever
Cat Scratch Fever (song)
"Cat Scratch Fever" is a rock song by Ted Nugent that appears on the album of the same name. The song is well known for its signature riff, which is a 3-tone "blues scale" melody harmonized in parallel fourths...
." The group is satisfied, although Doc points out that the songs were not as tight as they could have been, something which the band decides to work on.
The band decides to celebrate at a sushi restaurant, joined by Nikki Benz
Nikki Benz
Nikki Benz is the stage name of a Canadian pornographic actress and Penthouse Pet who was selected as the 2011 Pet of the Year. Benz resides in Los Angeles, California, USA....
and Lexie Marie
Lexie Marie
Lexie Marie is an American pornographic film actress, exotic dancer and nude model.She began working as an exotic dancer at a club in Phoenix, Arizona a few weeks after her 18th birthday. Soon after, she appeared nude in a magazine pictorial, which then led to girl-girl videos...
, models for TeraVision, invited by Tera. Evan is shocked to notice that Sebastian is drinking again.
Episode 6
Puddle of Mudd
Puddle Of Mudd is an American rock band from Kansas City, Missouri, USA. To date the band has sold over 7 million albums, and have had a string of #1 mainstream rock singles in the United States. Their major-label debut Come Clean has sold over 5 million copies...
instead of Ted's music during the interview.
Evan, meanwhile, is still distraught about Sebastian drinking the night before, and starts to complain to other members, to which Doc responds with "you've been here 12 days... try 12 years" and they all conclude that Sebastian needs serious help.
T.L., the stylist shows up again with a set of clothes to try, with little luck on Evan, Scott or Ted, but is able to convince Jason to wear a cowboy hat, while Sebastian insists on a leather jacket which is visibly too small on him.
The band expands their playlist with Biohazard
Biohazard (band)
Biohazard is a band originally based in Brooklyn, New York. They are acknowledged as one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip hop. The original lineup consisted of Vocalist/Guitarist Billy Graziadei, bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Bobby Hambel,...
's song "Punishment
Urban Discipline
Urban Discipline is the second album from American band Biohazard. The intro to the song "Punishment" is from the 1989 film The Punisher starring Dolph Lundgren.-Track listing:# "Chamber Spins Three" – 3:41# "Punishment" – 4:44...
," but Evan is concerned about Ted learning the song. Upon trying to show Ted the riffs, Evan ends up expressing his sadness about Sebastian's drinking problem, and tells Ted that if there's anyone who can convince him to stop, it's probably Ted, since Sebastian feels a paternal bond with him. Ted takes up the task, and has a tough talk with Sebastian, explicitly forbidding him any alcoholic drink. Sebastian is shocked, but promises to comply, and eventually adopts Ted as his "dad."
The group goes to a guitar store for a promotional signing, only to see that they can in fact have rabid fans at their show, some of them being lifetime fans of their respective bands. Back at home, upon practicing "Punishment," Jason admits that he's not familiar with the song, but promises to learn it as soon as he can.
At dinner, Ted and Shemane invite the whole band to their farm, something which the band is a little surprised but extremely happy about. Sebastian points out in front of everyone that he's not drinking, and insists on not ever doing so, in fright of Ted's repercussions.
Jason proceeds to learn "Punishment," and although first a bit alienated, he ends up admiring the song for bringing new elements to his style of drumming. Sebastian goes running in the nearby mountains, and enjoys the first day of his complete sobriety. Ted also learns the song, and he points out that while it's not his kind of music, he insists on playing it with full attitude, to the great satisfaction of Evan.
Doc takes the band to the Fremont Street Experience
Fremont Street Experience
The Fremont Street Experience is a pedestrian mall and attraction in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. The FSE occupies the westernmost 5 blocks of Fremont Street, including the area known for years as "Glitter Gulch," and portions of some other adjacent streets.The attraction is a barrel vault canopy,...
, for reasons unknown to them. When they arrive, they are shown a cartoon animation of the group represented as a superhuman rock group, destroying various "bubblegum pop" icons and joining forces upon seeing a searchlight
Searchlight
A searchlight is an apparatus that combines a bright light source with some form of curved reflector or other optics to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direction, usually constructed so that it can be swiveled about.-Military use:The Royal Navy used...
with the Damnocracy logo (akin to the Bat-Signal
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
). The band, for the first time in the show, genuinely agrees on the quality and effect of the animation. Evan and Sebastian stay in downtown Vegas to spend a romantic night with their respective wives.
Episode 7
It's the day of the concert, and everyone starts to show signs of nerve and excitement. To calm down the other members, Ted arranges a barbecue to raise their spirits; at the barbecue, all band members express how much they enjoy the current project and agree to treat the project as an actual band instead of a one-off performance.Upon asked about the band's future, Sebastian expresses concern about the business side of Damnocracy, as it is unknown who owns the rights to the band's name. This eventually turns out to be in reaction to a prior problem, where during his time in Skid Row, it turned out that Sebastian did not own any legal rights to the band name "Skid Row." While Doc does not understand the reason for this (as Sebastian was only the second singer of Skid Row), Sebastian and Doc talk through the issue and clear up matters.
Evan, however, suddenly packs up and storms out from the house with Tera without giving any reason to anyone, leaving the entire band and management alike in confusion. The band, however, has to leave immediately to do a soundcheck
Soundcheck
A soundcheck is the preparation that takes place before a concert, speech, or similar performance, when the performer and the sound crew run through a small portion of the upcoming show on the venue's sound system to make sure that the sound in the venue's "Front Of House" and stage monitor sound...
. The group meets the first members of their future audience, and proceeds to go to the soundcheck, to be joined by Evan 45 minutes later. The soundcheck brings out some classic technical problems such as wrong monitoring and broken or malfunctioning equipment, infuriating Scott for the first time during the show. After problems are resolved, the band prepares for the show backstage, being extremely excited about the performance.
The concert starts with the Motörhead classic "Ace of Spades
Ace of Spades (song)
"Ace of Spades" is a song by the English band Motörhead, released in 1980 as a single and the title track to the album Ace of Spades. The song spent 12 weeks in the United Kingdom Singles Chart, peaking at #15.-Overview:...
," and the band enjoys complete comfort on stage as they head into AC/DC's "T.N.T.
T.N.T. (song)
"T.N.T." is a single recorded in 1975 by the hard rock band AC/DC, taken from their Australian album T.N.T. and the international version of High Voltage. The song was written by Bon Scott, Angus Young and Malcolm Young...
," Skid Row's "Youth Gone Wild
Youth Gone Wild
"Youth Gone Wild" is the debut single by Skid Row and the lead single from their 1989 eponymous debut album.Its music video received heavy airplay on MTV; however, while the album itself was a major hit and went multi-platinum in the U.S...
," and Anthrax's "Only
Only (Anthrax song)
"Only" is a heavy metal song by Anthrax of their 1993 album Sound of White Noise. It is one of their most popular songs from the John Bush era, and has also appeared on their compilation album, Return of the Killer A's.-Personnel:...
." They also perform "Punishment," the song they feared so much, but in retrospect, all of them confess that it was probably the tightest song during the whole set.
The group dedicates "Out on the Tiles
Out on the Tiles
"Out on the Tiles" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, from the 1970 album Led Zeppelin III. The title of the song is derived from the British phrase for going out for a night on the town. Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham would talk about going "out on the tiles," meaning to go to bars,...
" to the late John Bonham
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
, and while Sebastian audibly has a tough time with the song, Jason performs a spectacular roll-off at the end. "Stranglehold" delivers a bit of a tension, when Sebastian continues to throw Damnocracy T-shirts in the crowd during Ted's guitar solo, but the band nevertheless continues with their own song, "Take It Back," the song previously labeled "dated," which, regardless, receives a large ovation.
During "Sin City
Powerage
Powerage is the fifth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released in May 1978. It is also AC/DC's fourth international studio album. All songs were written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott....
," however, Sebastian shocks the band by pulling out a bottle of Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors. It is known for its square bottles and black label. As of November, 2007, one blogger was claiming that it was the best-selling whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by...
and guzzling part of it down on crowd request. A suspicious Ted takes part of the drink, and lights up to realize that it's in fact simple tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
. The band closes the show with Cat Scratch Fever.
In retrospect, all band members express their joy with the project, and hope to work again on either an album or a tour. And at the end of the final seventh episode, viewers were left with a text message saying that Damnocracy had continued to rehearse and make new music after shooting wrapped. However, at the end of the text, the band was still willing to continue with even more rehearsing and making new music but they could not pull Ted Nugent away from going hunting.
Premiere concert setlist
Performed at The Empire Ballroom on March 5, 2006:- "Ace of SpadesAce of Spades (song)"Ace of Spades" is a song by the English band Motörhead, released in 1980 as a single and the title track to the album Ace of Spades. The song spent 12 weeks in the United Kingdom Singles Chart, peaking at #15.-Overview:...
" (Motörhead) - "Free for All" (Ted Nugent)
- "T.N.T.T.N.T. (song)"T.N.T." is a single recorded in 1975 by the hard rock band AC/DC, taken from their Australian album T.N.T. and the international version of High Voltage. The song was written by Bon Scott, Angus Young and Malcolm Young...
" (AC/DCAC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
) - "Out on the TilesOut on the Tiles"Out on the Tiles" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, from the 1970 album Led Zeppelin III. The title of the song is derived from the British phrase for going out for a night on the town. Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham would talk about going "out on the tiles," meaning to go to bars,...
" (Led ZeppelinLed ZeppelinLed 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...
) - "OnlyOnly (Anthrax song)"Only" is a heavy metal song by Anthrax of their 1993 album Sound of White Noise. It is one of their most popular songs from the John Bush era, and has also appeared on their compilation album, Return of the Killer A's.-Personnel:...
" (AnthraxAnthrax (band)Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
) - "Take It Back"(DamnocracyDamnocracyDamnocracy are a heavy metal supergroup formed on, and for, the VH1 TV show Supergroup in 2006.The members of the band ultimately dubbed their band project Damnocracy....
) - "PunishmentUrban DisciplineUrban Discipline is the second album from American band Biohazard. The intro to the song "Punishment" is from the 1989 film The Punisher starring Dolph Lundgren.-Track listing:# "Chamber Spins Three" – 3:41# "Punishment" – 4:44...
" (BiohazardBiohazard (band)Biohazard is a band originally based in Brooklyn, New York. They are acknowledged as one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip hop. The original lineup consisted of Vocalist/Guitarist Billy Graziadei, bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Bobby Hambel,...
) - "Stranglehold" (Ted Nugent)
- "Sin CityPoweragePowerage is the fifth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released in May 1978. It is also AC/DC's fourth international studio album. All songs were written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott....
" (AC/DC) - "Youth Gone WildYouth Gone Wild"Youth Gone Wild" is the debut single by Skid Row and the lead single from their 1989 eponymous debut album.Its music video received heavy airplay on MTV; however, while the album itself was a major hit and went multi-platinum in the U.S...
" (Skid Row) - "Cat Scratch FeverCat Scratch Fever (song)"Cat Scratch Fever" is a rock song by Ted Nugent that appears on the album of the same name. The song is well known for its signature riff, which is a 3-tone "blues scale" melody harmonized in parallel fourths...
" (Ted Nugent) - "Whole Lotta LoveWhole Lotta Love"Whole Lotta Love" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is featured as the opening track on the band's second album, Led Zeppelin II, and was released in the United States and Japan as a single. The US release became their first hit single, it was certified Gold on 13 April 1970, when it...
" (Led Zeppelin)
(Note: This is a reported song order - the show might have presented the concert in an edited order.)
Supergroup II
VH1 greenlit a second season of Supergroup which would have had an all female ensemble. Ann WilsonAnn Wilson
Ann Dustin Wilson is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, flute player, songwriter, and occasional guitar player of the rock band Heart.-Personal life:...
of Heart
Heart (band)
Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
, Charlotte Caffey
Charlotte Caffey
Charlotte Irene Caffey is an American rock and roll guitarist and songwriter, best known for her work in the Go-Go's in the 1980s, including writing "We Got the Beat."...
of The Go Gos, and drummer Stephanie Eulinberg of Kid Rock
Kid Rock
Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...
fame were slated to take part. Financial and scheduling difficulties put a halt on the project.