BADLAND
BANDITS
“After a month or so of being
together we jokingly said let’s play
the Whisky A Go Go,” Adam said,
“This is sort of a dream come true.”
The Whisky a Go Go is a
monumental venue for music in
Hollywood. It is a musician’s goal
to play on the same stage where
big names like The Doors and
Motley Crue began their careers.
On Tuesday, January 21st, we
met Badland Bandits, a rock band
from Plymouth, England. Members
include, Rob, the bassist, Adam,
the vocalist, Dave, the guitarist,
and Skins, the drummer. They
were playing a set at the famed
music venue.
The Bandits were in California on a two
week tour that included stops in Riverside
and San Francisco. “When we were
offered a chance to tour California, it was
very easy to say yes,” Rob said.
“Our previous drummer was more
of a guitarist and we then met
Skins. He was looking for
a band and we were looking for
a drummer,” Rob said.
The Bandits came together when they
were about 18 year’s old. It wasn’t until
Rob and David ran into childhood friend
Adam, that the band began to form.
Having been together for more
than two years, Badland Bandits
evolved. They had originally
played funk blues due to David’s
love for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
“I knew Adam from childhood but it wasn’t
until I saw him at a bar back home that
we started talking about music,” Rob said.
“Adam was like, ‘I always wanted to be
a singer,’ so we gave it a shot.”
As for the drummer, Skins, he was added
to the group after a previous drummer did
not work out for the Bandits.
“People used to call us glam,”
Adam said. “But we don’t wear
make-up. We are just good British
rock.”
While great bands have come
from England, the Bandits have
struggled to book shows.“It’s
really hard to get a home crowd in
England”, Adam said.
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