Vain (band)
Encyclopedia
Vain is an American heavy metal
band from San Francisco Bay Area
, California
, formed in 1986. As of 2011, the lineup consists of Davy Vain (lead vocals), Jamie Scott (guitar), Danny West (guitar), Ashley Mitchell (bass) and Louie Senor (drums).
After recording a demo, Davy Vain founded Vain in 1986, adding Scott, West, Mitchell and drummer Tom Rickard to the lineup. They signed with Island Records
in 1988, before releasing their debut album he following year, titled No Respect, which peaked at number 154 on the Billboard 200
.
Though they recorded a second album, Vain were released by Island in 1991, with West and Rickard departing the same year. Following the addition of both Shawn Rorie and former Guns N' Roses
drummer Steven Adler
, Vain renamed themselves Road Crew
. However, they also disbanded in 1991. The band reformed in 1993 and go through a number of lineup changes for the release of their next two studio albums. By 2005, Scott and West had returned to the band, while Rickard would rejoin them in 2009 (before departing again the following year).
To date, Vain have released six studio albums; No Respect (1989); Move On It (1993); Fade (1995); On The Line (2005); All Those Strangers (2010), and Enough Rope (2011).
, producing Death Angel
's debut album The Ultra-Violence
, before recording a demo with Metallica
guitarist Kirk Hammett
in 1986. After recording, Vain decided to form a band, in the San Francisco Bay Area
, under his own moniker, adding bassist Ashley Mitchell, drummer Tom Rickard and guitarists Jamie Scott and Danny West to the lineup. From 1986 to 1987, the band proceeded to play shows in San Francisco, before playing regularly in Los Angeles, where they also opened for Guns N' Roses
prior to their success, and were featured on the cover of Kerrang!
magazine. After showcasing to major record labels, including Geffen Records
, Vain signed with Island Records
in 1988.
Recorded with producer Paul Northfield
, Vain released their debut album entitled No Respect in 1989. The album peaked at number 154 on the Billboard 200
. Critically, the album was also well received, with Vain featured on the covers of both Kerrang! and BAM
. Geoff Barton
would later give a positive review for Classic Rock
describing the album as "a Maybelline
-metalised debut par excellence – no ‘perhaps’ about it" with the music being "unharnessed, haystack-haired heaviness from beginning to end" and that "it’s the Crüe
at their most coarse and corrupted." In support of the album, Vain toured the US while they also supported Skid Row on their tour of the UK.
, Vain were dropped by the label in 1991, with All Those Strangers remaining unreleased. The same year, West and Rickard departed the band.
Vain soon added guitarist Shawn Rorie and former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler
to the line-up. Vain then renamed themselves Road Crew
, the name of one of Adler's previous bands that featured both Slash and Duff McKagan
. They recorded a new album and gained record label attention. However, Adler's drug problems at the time led to the band disbanding.
, to record their third album (and second release) Move On It, which was released in Japan through Polystar Records. The rise in popularity of Seattle's grunge movement
meant the album did not achieve the same success as No Respect. By the time Vain began recording their fourth album, Scott, West and Fury had departed the band, with Scott going on to audition for Ozzy Osbourne
and join Big Blue Hearts, while West released a solo EP
entitled Taste the Sounds. With Davy Vain handling both vocal and guitar duties, as well as producing the album, and Mitchell on bass, Vain added drummer Louie Senor to the line-up to record Fade, which was released in 1995, through Polystar.
In 2000, Davy recorded and released his debut solo album entitled In From Out of Nowhere with Mitchell, Senor and guitarist Craig Behrhorst. The same year, Scott returned to the band and contributed to the solo album. The following year, Davy worked with Christina Aguilera
as the assistant engineer
and Pro Tools
engineer on her album Stripped
.
Vain re-released their debut album No Respect, through Gott Discs in 2005, with West rejoining the band. In support of the re-release, Vain toured the UK, for the first time since 1989, and Europe from May 21–June 3. Kerrang! writer Steve Beebee
reviewed their show at Rock City in Nottingham, stating that "even though their set-list includes a mere four songs from that Holy Grail of debuts [No Respect]," it was a gig that "leave[s] you genuinely amazed, and more than anything, angry that a trend-fixed music industry could possibly have suppressed this awesome band for 15 years."
Vain then recorded a new album entitled On the Line in Davy's recording studio, The Groove Room, which was released on August 23 of the same year through Perris Records. Reviewing the album for Blogcritics
, Chris Akin stated that "Vain seem to have stepped back into the time machine and created an album that falls somewhere between No Respect and Fade" and that "one of the best unknown bands of the era comes back with a cool reunion album here." Vain toured again in 2006 while in 2008, they performed at Rocklahoma
and the four-day Rock the Bayou
festival from August 29–September 1.
, stating that the album "initially came on like a comedown from its fast, trashy birth mother." However, "upon release [the album] now proves no slump."
In 2011, Vain toured Europe, before releasing their new album entitled Enough Rope on October 28, through Music Buy Mail, in the US and Europe, and Spiritual Beast/Universal
in Japan. The album featured drums by Rickard, Senor and Adler as well as unreleased material from their time as Road Crew. An additional song from the Road Crew sessions was included on the Japanese release of the album.
Former members
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...
band from San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, 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...
, formed in 1986. As of 2011, the lineup consists of Davy Vain (lead vocals), Jamie Scott (guitar), Danny West (guitar), Ashley Mitchell (bass) and Louie Senor (drums).
After recording a demo, Davy Vain founded Vain in 1986, adding Scott, West, Mitchell and drummer Tom Rickard to the lineup. They signed with Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
in 1988, before releasing their debut album he following year, titled No Respect, which peaked at number 154 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
Though they recorded a second album, Vain were released by Island in 1991, with West and Rickard departing the same year. Following the addition of both Shawn Rorie and former Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
drummer Steven Adler
Steven Adler
Steven Adler is an American musician. He is best known as the former drummer of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s...
, Vain renamed themselves Road Crew
Road Crew
Road Crew were an American garage band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1984. The band was composed of future Guns N' Roses members Slash, Steven Adler and Duff McKagan. They auditioned a number of singers while writing material...
. However, they also disbanded in 1991. The band reformed in 1993 and go through a number of lineup changes for the release of their next two studio albums. By 2005, Scott and West had returned to the band, while Rickard would rejoin them in 2009 (before departing again the following year).
To date, Vain have released six studio albums; No Respect (1989); Move On It (1993); Fade (1995); On The Line (2005); All Those Strangers (2010), and Enough Rope (2011).
Formation and No Respect (1986–1990)
Davy Vain had initially began his career as a record producerRecord producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, producing Death Angel
Death Angel
Death Angel is a Filipino-American thrash metal band from Concord, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. Death Angel has released six studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and two live albums....
's debut album The Ultra-Violence
The Ultra-Violence
The Ultra-Violence is the first album by the Bay Area thrash band Death Angel, released in 1987. The album was recorded while all members were under 20, with drummer Andy Galeon just 14 years old...
, before recording a demo with Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
guitarist Kirk Hammett
Kirk Hammett
Kirk Lee Hammett is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the heavy metal band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, Hammett was ranked 11th on Rolling Stones list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
in 1986. After recording, Vain decided to form a band, in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, under his own moniker, adding bassist Ashley Mitchell, drummer Tom Rickard and guitarists Jamie Scott and Danny West to the lineup. From 1986 to 1987, the band proceeded to play shows in San Francisco, before playing regularly in Los Angeles, where they also opened for Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
prior to their success, and were featured on the cover of Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine. After showcasing to major record labels, including Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
, Vain signed with Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
in 1988.
Recorded with producer Paul Northfield
Paul Northfield
Paul Northfield is a prolific record producer and sound engineer, who has worked on albums by bands like Dream Theater, Queensrÿche, Rush and Suicidal Tendencies.-Selected discography:-External links:* * *...
, Vain released their debut album entitled No Respect in 1989. The album peaked at number 154 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. Critically, the album was also well received, with Vain featured on the covers of both Kerrang! and BAM
BAM (magazine)
BAM , was a free bi-weekly music magazine founded and published by Dennis Erokan in the San Francisco Bay Area starting in January 1976 and continuing on for 23 years until 1999...
. Geoff Barton
Geoff Barton
Geoff Barton is a British journalist who founded Kerrang! heavy metal magazine and was an editor of Sounds music magazine.He joined Sounds at the age of nineteen after completing a journalism course at the London College of Printing. He specialised in covering rock music and helped popularise the...
would later give a positive review for Classic Rock
Classic Rock (magazine)
Classic Rock is a British magazine dedicated to the radio format of classic rock, published by Future Publishing, who are also responsible for its "sister" publication Metal Hammer. Although firmly focusing on key bands from the 1960s through early 1990s, it also includes articles and reviews of...
describing the album as "a Maybelline
Maybelline
Maybelline is an American makeup brand sold worldwide and owned by L'Oréal. Their motto is Maybe she's born with it. Maybe it's Maybelline.-History:...
-metalised debut par excellence – no ‘perhaps’ about it" with the music being "unharnessed, haystack-haired heaviness from beginning to end" and that "it’s the Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
at their most coarse and corrupted." In support of the album, Vain toured the US while they also supported Skid Row on their tour of the UK.
Released by Island and Road Crew (1990–1991)
The band began recording their second album, titled All Those Strangers, with producer Jeff Hendrickson. The release of the album was advertised in Japan while a number of pre-release cassettes were released. However, when Island Records were bought by PolyGramPolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
, Vain were dropped by the label in 1991, with All Those Strangers remaining unreleased. The same year, West and Rickard departed the band.
Vain soon added guitarist Shawn Rorie and former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler
Steven Adler
Steven Adler is an American musician. He is best known as the former drummer of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s...
to the line-up. Vain then renamed themselves Road Crew
Road Crew
Road Crew were an American garage band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1984. The band was composed of future Guns N' Roses members Slash, Steven Adler and Duff McKagan. They auditioned a number of singers while writing material...
, the name of one of Adler's previous bands that featured both Slash and Duff McKagan
Duff McKagan
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
. They recorded a new album and gained record label attention. However, Adler's drug problems at the time led to the band disbanding.
Reformation and subsequent releases (1993–2008)
Vain reformed in 1993 with new drummer Danny Fury, formerly of The Lords of the New ChurchThe Lords of the New Church
The Lords of the New Church were an English/American post-punk supergroup with a line-up consisting of four musicians from prominent 1970s punk bands...
, to record their third album (and second release) Move On It, which was released in Japan through Polystar Records. The rise in popularity of Seattle's grunge movement
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
meant the album did not achieve the same success as No Respect. By the time Vain began recording their fourth album, Scott, West and Fury had departed the band, with Scott going on to audition for Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
and join Big Blue Hearts, while West released a solo EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
entitled Taste the Sounds. With Davy Vain handling both vocal and guitar duties, as well as producing the album, and Mitchell on bass, Vain added drummer Louie Senor to the line-up to record Fade, which was released in 1995, through Polystar.
In 2000, Davy recorded and released his debut solo album entitled In From Out of Nowhere with Mitchell, Senor and guitarist Craig Behrhorst. The same year, Scott returned to the band and contributed to the solo album. The following year, Davy worked with Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
as the assistant engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
and Pro Tools
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
engineer on her album Stripped
Stripped (Christina Aguilera album)
Stripped is the fourth studio album by American pop recording artist Christina Aguilera. It was released on October 26, 2002. It reached the top two of the album charts in both the United States and United Kingdom and features two UK number-one hits: "Dirrty" which gained criticism and controversy...
.
Vain re-released their debut album No Respect, through Gott Discs in 2005, with West rejoining the band. In support of the re-release, Vain toured the UK, for the first time since 1989, and Europe from May 21–June 3. Kerrang! writer Steve Beebee
Steve Beebee
Steve Beebee is a journalist, author and broadcaster, best known for his work with Kerrang! magazine. Beebee is one of the magazine's longest serving writers. He is known for championing bands for their genuine entertainment qualities as opposed to their tendency to fit in with present fashions and...
reviewed their show at Rock City in Nottingham, stating that "even though their set-list includes a mere four songs from that Holy Grail of debuts [No Respect]," it was a gig that "leave[s] you genuinely amazed, and more than anything, angry that a trend-fixed music industry could possibly have suppressed this awesome band for 15 years."
Vain then recorded a new album entitled On the Line in Davy's recording studio, The Groove Room, which was released on August 23 of the same year through Perris Records. Reviewing the album for Blogcritics
Blogcritics
Blogcritics is a blog network and online magazine of news and opinion. The site—a self-proclaimed "sinister cabal of superior writers"—was founded in 2002 by Eric Olsen and Phillip Winn...
, Chris Akin stated that "Vain seem to have stepped back into the time machine and created an album that falls somewhere between No Respect and Fade" and that "one of the best unknown bands of the era comes back with a cool reunion album here." Vain toured again in 2006 while in 2008, they performed at Rocklahoma
Rocklahoma
Rocklahoma is an annual hard rock music festival held in Pryor, Oklahoma...
and the four-day Rock the Bayou
Rock the bayou
Rock The Bayou was a four-day rock festival celebrating the 1980s rock scene. From Houston, Texas the inaugural show took place from Labor Day weekend, August 29- September 1, 2008 on the former location of Houston’s AstroWorld theme park and featured a variety of musical acts from genres such as...
festival from August 29–September 1.
All Those Strangers and Enough Rope (2009–present)
In 2009, original Vain drummer Tom Rickard returned to the line-up, with the band toured the UK from November 24–December 1 the same year. The following year, after acquiring the master recordings, Vain released All Those Strangers, that was originally to be released in 1991, through Davy's Jackie Rainbow Records. Reviewing All Those Strangers for The Austin Chronicle, Raoul Hernandez compared the music to Mother Love BoneMother Love Bone
Mother Love Bone was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1988. The band was active from 1988 to 1990. Frontman Andrew Wood's personality and compositions helped to catapult the group to the top of the burgeoning late 1980s/early 1990s Seattle music scene...
, stating that the album "initially came on like a comedown from its fast, trashy birth mother." However, "upon release [the album] now proves no slump."
In 2011, Vain toured Europe, before releasing their new album entitled Enough Rope on October 28, through Music Buy Mail, in the US and Europe, and Spiritual Beast/Universal
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
in Japan. The album featured drums by Rickard, Senor and Adler as well as unreleased material from their time as Road Crew. An additional song from the Road Crew sessions was included on the Japanese release of the album.
Band members
Current lineup- Davy Vain – lead vocals (1986–1991, 1993–present)
- Jamie Scott – guitar (1986–1991, 1993–1994, 2000–present)
- Danny West – guitar (1986–1991, 1993–1994, 2005–present)
- Ashley Mitchell – bass (1986–1991, 1993–present)
- Louie Senor – drums (1994–2009, 2010–present)
Former members
- Tom Rickard – drums (1986–1991, 2009–2010)
- Shawn Rorie – guitar (1991)
- Steven AdlerSteven AdlerSteven Adler is an American musician. He is best known as the former drummer of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s...
– drums (1991) - Danny Fury – drums (1993–1994)
Discography
Studio albums- No Respect (1989)
- Move On It (1994)
- Fade (1995)
- On the Line (2005)
- All Those Strangers (2010)
- Enough Rope (2011)