Stage Names

[Mykesbass]

Having inadvertently hijacked an earlier thread, and at @snorkie635's suggestion, has anyone given themselves a stage name? My original post suggested place names were a good source, and, had I been a lot funkier mine would have been Rufus Stone. Once my Americana band gets gigging I'm thinking of going with the local 'beauty spot' Clent Hills.

 

What's yours, and how did you come by it?

[Jackroadkill]

My username started out as a stage name.  I was once described as "the type of scum who would happily eat roadkill", and I decided to own that.  My brother pointed out that "Owen Roadkill" didn't really have the edge it should have, so the Jack part was made up to fit.  Of course, this is when I was a twentysomething snake-hipped rock god and the lack of irony wasn't a problem.  Now I'm older, tubbier and greyer I look more like the actual roadkill itself.

[Lozz196]

I’ve just always used Lozz - with records/publishing etc that’s what I’m listed as for credits. 

[MacDaddy]

Yup. To avoid identity theft.

But also Macdaddy sounds more showbiz than my real name which is Brett Starshine.

[Mickeyboro]

Just now, MacDaddy said:

Yup. To avoid identity theft.

But also Macdaddy sounds more showbiz than my real name which is Brett Starshine.

Mine is Mick St Michael, a pseudonym I invented in 1984 when editing a short lived music paper, Soundcheck. It inflated the number of writers under my control!

 

Alvin Stardust once bought me a coffee. Amazingly, that was what appeared on his Mastercard rather than Bernard Jewry…

[steantval]

Back in the 80’s and 90’s when I used to sign the receipt for the gig money at the end of the night, I used a different stage name for every signature 🤔

[Roger2611]

Chris P Trousers!

[Maude]

I had to sign up to Facebook for band reasons and didn't want to use my real name as I hate all that previous acquaintance 'wants to add you as a friend' shite (if I haven't stayed in touch there's a reason). 

It's not really a 'stage name' but I signed up as Lowdown Al (Allan being my real name) and it's kind of stuck as a stage name now as obviously that's what it says when I'm tagged in stuff. 

If/when I'm introduced on stage it's usually "On bass, Lowdown Al, lowering the tone since '73".

 

My username is another story, which I probably should've used as a stage name looking back. 😁

[terryj]

I've always used Terry Gee, don't know why but there you go!

[Cat Burrito]

When I was 20, I joined a band where everyone had stage names. I was told I had to have one so I just kept my first name and used my middle name as my surname. After that band, I vowed to use my real name and have done for the last 30yrs+.
 

My middle name is James and I thought with Brian James, Tony James, Steve James, Wendy James etc, it was suitably rock n roll sounding. Changing my first name always seemed silly as I have never had a nickname or really been called by my surname so always wanted just to be known by my first name. 

[Rosie C]

1 hour ago, Maude said:

I had to sign up to Facebook for band reasons and didn't want to use my real name as I hate all that previous acquaintance 'wants to add you as a friend' shite (if I haven't stayed in touch there's a reason). 

 

 

Likewise, when I joined Facebook my employers had a 'no social media' policy so I used a fake name, then as I promoted our band my fake name sort of became the name people know me as. 

[Geek99]

2 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

I’ve just always used Lozz - with records/publishing etc that’s what I’m listed as for credits. 

Short for Lorraine? 

[Lozz196]

Nothing so glamorous, I am mostly Laurence. 

[snorkie635]

After being christened such by a mate at school, I went under the name Ivan Schmuffigan for a very long time.

[ghostwheel]

6 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

I’ve just always used Lozz - with records/publishing etc that’s what I’m listed as for credits. 

Nothing to do with IBM z196 then?

 

P.S.: sorry for off-topic. 

[Cosmo Valdemar]

There's inspiration everywhere if you keep your eyes open.

 

[Norris]

I first joined a proper band in 1985 and quickly acquired the nickname Norris. It stuck.

[super al]

5 hours ago, Cat Burrito said:

When I was 20, I joined a band where everyone had stage names. I was told I had to have one so I just kept my first name and used my middle name as my surname. After that band, I vowed to use my real name and have done for the last 30yrs+.
 

My middle name is James and I thought with Brian James, Tony James, Steve James, Wendy James etc, it was suitably rock n roll sounding. Changing my first name always seemed silly as I have never had a nickname or really been called by my surname so always wanted just to be known by my first name. 

Don't forget Al James from Felis Leo (who? 😂).

And Jimmy James from My Morning Jacket.

@Mykesbass did you know there was a soul band called Rufus Stone? 

[leschirons]

I was in a party/ function band in the 90s for about  eight years. We had quite a few Police numbers under our belt and one night the vocalist, during introductions shouted

..and on bass, Spam.

And so, I became Spam.

 

 

 

Edited October 5 by leschirons

[rushbo]

In the same week that a distant relative of mine - Sir Henry Rushbury - had a retrospective exhibition of his work in the Brum Art Gallery, my band was featured in Record Mirror. Sadly for me, the picture used went across two pages and I appeared to be impaled by a staple. My bandmates thought this was hysterical, and for the remainder of the mercifully brief duration of the combo, I was referred to as Sir Henry Staple. 

[wolfninefingers]

My favourite band member name would Big John Thomas who was in Budgie.

Probably his real name i would gather, being Welsh and all. But who wants to be a Slash or an Edge when you can be called that.

[Leonard Smalls]

For me it started when I joined the UK Subs fanclub at a tender age under the name of Marton Geerblorn...

 

[cetera]

I've always fancied using either 'Star Anise' or 'Curly Kale' as stage names.....

[casapete]

All of this reminds me of seeing the wonderful Hank Wangford band, back in the 80’s.

 

Hank (aka Dr Sam Hutt) had a superb set of musicians with him, all with great stage names too.

The ones I can remember included Irma Cetas on vocals, guitarists Brad Breath and Jett Atkins,

Manley Footwear on pedal steel ( the legendary BJ Cole) and Milton Keynes on drums. 

 

[rushbo]

Back when I worked in a very big record shop in Brum, one of my co-workers - a very affable chap called Chris Long - was in one of John Peel's favourite bands, The Noseflutes. They had a snappy way with marketing and released albums with titles like 'Girth,' 'Several Young Men Ignite Hardboard Stump' and the all-time classic 'Zib Zob And His Kib Kob.'  They also had some stellar stage names - take a bow Sven Vortex, The Hog, Peter Heater, Shrobengo Tullonge His Levitating Masterfulness, Vic Pelthrust and Ralph Dangerfish.  Chris' stage name was Legs Akimbo.  As a side note, Chris once adopted the name of a colleague of ours who was in hospital when one of their Many John Peel sessions was broadcast.  Peel dutifully announced the band line-up and our bed-ridden colleague screamed, thus waking the entire ward and bringing several alarmed nurses to her bedside. True story. 

 

The Noseflutes were bloody brilliant, too.