Whitney points us to this list of the Top 12 Appearances By Bands In Films, which is a great idea, but ends up being shit ’cause most of the examples don’t even include notable bands — they’re just music scenes! Here’s what they came up with:
San Francisco dinner jazz in Bullit
Jazz club scene in Collateral
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds in Wings of Desire
Cliff Richard ‘Junior’ in Thunderbirds
The Pretty Things and Norman Wisdom in What’s Good For The Goose
Graham Bond Organisation in Gonks Go Beat
Warhol party scene from Midnight Cowboy
Moby Grape from Sweet Ride
Chico Hamilton Quintet in Sweet Smell of Success
Jazz band creates havoc in Tati’s Playtime
Bauhaus in The Hunger
The Yardbirds in Blow Up
Of course The Yardbirds and Nick Cave are always appreciated, but let’s put together something with more actual bands, yeah? Doesn’t even have to be an awesome appearance. Here are some to get started:
My Morning Jacket (playing “Freebird”) in Elizabethtown
Twisted Sister in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure
L7 in Serial Mom
Ray Charles in Blues Brothers
Aretha Franklin in Blues Brothers
James Brown in Blues Brothers
James Brown in Ski Party
Aerosmith in Waynes World 2
Morris Day & The Motherfucking Time in Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back
Alice In Chains (as Alice In Chains) in Singles
Soundgarden (as Soundgarden) in Singles
Pearl Jam (as members of Citizen Dick) in Singles
The Ramones in Rock ‘N’ Roll High School
Miles Davis in Scrooged
Ween in It’s Pat
ZZ Top in Back To The Future III
Yo La Tengo (as Velvet Underground) in I Shot Andy Warhol
And of course we immediately thought of Oingo Boingo’s “Dead Man’s Party” from Back To School, but only ’cause we’ve been rocking to Rolling Stone‘s Saddam Execution Playlist. Your turn!
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Alice Cooper as himself in Wayne’s World.
Ed Kowalczyk of Live as a waiter in Fight Club.
Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains as Jesus of CopyMat in The Cable Guy.
Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine/Audioslave as a best man in Made.
The Offspring performing at a high school dance – where Dexter Holland gets killed by a zombie – in Idle Hands. Bonus from the same movie: Blink-182/Angels & Airwaves’ Tom DeLonge as a fast food drive-thru attendant.
Placebo in Velvet Goldmine playing a glam rock band doing a cover of 20th century boy.
* Rufus Wainwright, his father Loudon Wainwright III, and his sister Martha Wainwright in “The Aviator” (in the Cocoanut Lounge).
The Lovin’ Spoonful in What’s Up Tigerlily
Since TV’s been mentioned:
Aimee Mann is sick of playing vampire towns in an episode of Buffy.
Since TV’s been mentioned:
Aimee Mann is sick of playing vampire towns in an episode of Buffy.
Also on TV and weird, Buffalo Springfield on Mannix.
Speaking of T.V i can’t believe no one has mentioned the Simpsons yet.
They had:
Tom Jones
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Smashing Pumpkins
Sonic Youth (Both great bands, who can’t really act)
Peter Frampton
Cypress Hill
George Harrison
Ringo Star
Paul and Linda McCartny
Keith Richards
Mick Jagger
Elvis Costello
Tom Petty
and thats just a list off the top of my head
i think there are more especially from the same episode that had Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Elvis Costello and Tom Petty, the one where Homer goes to rock summer camp, but i forget them now
John Doe (X) has made a pretty nice career for himself as an actor. Check him out as Julianne Moore’s ex in Boogie Nights and, in a genius move, as Kevin Tighe’s nephew in Road House, where he’s got an awesome moustache.
I saw Jenny Lewis mentioned once- let’s not forget her starmaking turns in Troop Beverly Hills and The Wizard.
Bowie in Zoolander.
werent the physcidelic furs or thom yorke in the velvet goldmine?
Urban Dance Squad in Hackers.
White Zombie is playing at a club in Airheads. Farley (playing a cop) rips some dude’s nipple ring off.
Three of my faves…
Medicine in “The Crow”
Godflesh in “Hideaway”
Orbital in “XXX”
Three of my faves…
Medicine in “The Crow”
Godflesh in “Hideaway”
Orbital in “XXX”
King Sunny Ade in O.C. and Stiggs
fountains of wayne wrote the title song to that thing you do.
Wow, no one mentioned the Clash in “Rude Boy”.
And let’s not forget gun toting, cigar smoking mexican lesbian legend Chavela Vargas singing Llorona in Frida. ¡Picante y sabrosa!
The Violent Femmes were once on an episode of Sabrina The Teenage Witch. I think Sabrina had been obsessed with them or something.
I think the Olsen twins vehicle New York Minute is about trying to get to a Good Charlotte show or something.
I’m fairly sure that Rammstein was in “XXX” as well.
As for TV, take Miami Vice, quite possibly the pioneer of musical artist cameos. Phil Collins, Debarge, Glenn Frey, et al.
Jim Carroll in Tuff Turf
how about The 5,6,7,8′s in Kill Bill?
I’m from Lousiville Kentucky….My Morning Jacket at the Brown Hotel in Elizabethtown was seriously the ultimate.
the Nymphs in Bad Influence
Skunk Anansie in Strange Days
Tom Jones in Mars Attacks!
Thanks for the info on the RHCP’s cameo. Thought it was the movie “Rad” but instead “Thrashin”. So close.
Not sure if this counts, but Jack White as Elvis in Walk Hard looks abso-lutely hilarious!