(Alan Metcalfe to his mum),
the singer, songwriter, lead guitarist and general all-round genius behind Bad News. His first taste of fame came at the age of 11, when he appeared on Opportunity Knocks, playing "Purple Haze" on acoustic guitar,
accompanied by his father on the trumpet. Survived the near-fatal "Donnington Incident" which marred the band's appearance at the Monsters of Rock festival,
when Vim proclaimed, "I am the reincarnation of Jimi Hendrix, all kneel and praise me!" and was severely beaten by the angry crowd.
the band's rhythm guitarist,
was previously a member of The Hounds Of Zaroff.
"They were rubbish," recalls Vim, "but all you had to do to get in was drink half a bottle of vodka and keep it down."
Den tried six times before he was allowed to join. His favourite food is "curry, because it's open late at night."
The band's bass player, Colin is a full-time rock star, and is anxious to point out that, despite evidence to the contrary,
he does not live with his parents and does not have a day job working in a bank.
"You must be confusing me with my twin brother, Trevor," he pleads.
Spider, the wild man of rock 'n' roll who can throw up exactly half a pint into a half pint glass with no spillage.
When not drinking, taking drugs or taking advantage of the band's groupies, Spider also occasionally plays the drums.
Famed for his nervous laugh and frequent cries of "It's all anarchy, innit?".
Bad News are a spoof rock band, created for the Channel 4 television series The Comic Strip Presents....
Its members are Vim Fuego (aka Alan Metcalfe), vocals and lead guitar (played by Adrian Edmondson); Den Dennis, rhythm guitar (Nigel Planer); Colin Grigson, bass (Rik Mayall); and Spider Webb, drums (Peter Richardson).
Their first appearance was in 1983, in the first series of The Comic Strip Presents... (written by Edmondson, and produced by Michael White/Comic Strip Productions).
The episode, Bad News Tour, took the form of a spoof rockumentary, in which the incompetent band is followed on tour by an almost equally incompetent documentary crew.
Coincidentally, it was in production at the same time as the similar film This Is Spinal Tap, which was released the following year to much greater acclaim.
The band also guested on some TV music shows and released a self-titled album, consisting of thrashy rock songs interspersed with arguments amongst the band.
Brian May of Queen produced the album, which included a cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody".
They also played a tour of universities and polytechnics as well as playing Reading Festival in 1987.
They also played a suitably bad set at the Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington.
This performance was featured in a second Comic Strip film, More Bad News, broadcast in 1988.
A feature of the band's performance that day which did not appear on film was an interesting method of dealing with the audience's (plastic) bottle barrage,
which was a traditional and awkward welcome for some bands at the Donington festival in those days. Before the performance proper started,
the band spent some time just running around on stage dodging bottles, and Mayall used his guitar as a bat in an attempt to return some.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_News
Bad News (October 1987)
1. Bad Dreams Rehearsal
2. A.G.M.
3. Introducing the Band
4. Bad News
5. Hey Mr. Bassman
6. Hey Mr. Drummer
7. Masturbike
8. Trousers
9. Drink Till I Die
10. Vim Is Angry
11. Hey Hey Bad News
12. Warriors of Ghengis Khan
13. Excaliber Rehearsal
14. Bohemian Rhapsody
15. Double Entendre
16. Cashing in on Christmas
17. Dividing up the Spoils
The Cash In Compilation (August 1993)
1. Hey hey bad news
2. Bad dreams
3. Warriors of Ghengis Khan
4. AGM
5. Bohemian rhapsody
6. Oh pretty woman
7. O levels
8. Life with Brian
9. Bad news
10. Masturbike
11. Double entendre
12. Drink till I die
13. Cashing in on Christmas (Dub)
OFFICIAL UK SINGLES
Bohemian Rhapsody
In three different flavours:
Bohemian Rhapsody
Life With Brian
(7", EMI EM 24, September 1987)
Bohemian Rhapsody
Pretty Woman
Life With Brian
(12", EMI 12EM 24, September 1987)
Bohemian Rhapsody
Pretty Woman
Life With Brian
(CD, EMI CDEM 24, September 1987)
Cashing In On Christmas
In three different flavours:
Cashing In On Christmas
Bad News
(7", EMI EM 36, November 1987)
Cashing In On Christmas
Bad News
(7" Christmas card / poster pack, EMI EMG 36, November 1987)
Cashing In On Christmas (Let's Bonk Mix)
Bad News
Cashing In On Christmas (7" Version)
(12", EMI 12EM 36, November 1987)
VIDEO RELEASES
The Comic Strip Presents: Bad News & More Bad News
VIDEO SINGLE - Bohemian Rhapsody
man i love bad news! BEST BAND EVER! people try to persuade me otherwise but im not having a word of it! all this new fangled R&B kinda music is SHIT! BRING BACK 80S HEAVY METAL! ESPECIALLY BAD NEWS! YEAH!!!!!!
It seems i am to plug my wares here now the pleasantries are done with so er...
Yo dudes i've got a new song out, it's called 'fix my grin'. It's a totally original reworking of Dante' Inferno set to the music of Val Doonican. Sinister yet charming....
Just wondered if Vim's had a chance to get 'META-PHYSICAL' with Micheal Jackson yet? Has he given you any new songs yet? maybe 'Chiller' 'Meat It' or maybe 'Rough Criminal'?
Cheers from São Paulo. Passing by to wish you a great week and to tell that we have a new link to download the first Temple of Sin album ( for free that is. it's not about money, it's about filling the world with metal...) as the old one seemed to have some problems. The new link is: http://rs738.rapidshare.com/files/213936075/Temple_of_Sin_-_OHM_2008.rar If you dont like it, tell me. if you do, tell everyone else... Keep rocking on and hails from brazil, Timo kaarkoski - Temple of Sin
Online Now!
