Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Artistfacts

  • 1998-
    Peter HayesVocals, guitar, bass, synths
    Robert Levon BeenVocals, guitar, bass, piano
    Nick JagoDrums1998-2008
    Leah ShapiroDrums2008-
  • Black Rebel Motorcycle Club took their name from a 1953 movie. The name was name of Marlon Brando's motorcycle gang in The Wild One.
  • In 2003, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club had to stop a show halfway through because officials thought the floor of the venue might collapse. The band was playing at the Leeds Town Hall in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England when Leeds City Council officials suspected the 150 year old floor was about to give in. This led to the band sometimes being referred to as "the band who broke the floor."
  • At the 2004 V Festival in England, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club frontman Peter Hayes came out onstage early to sign an inflatable penis.
  • Tragedy struck Black Rebel Motorcycle Club after a gig on August 19, 2010. The band finished their set at the Pukkelpop Festival in Belgium only to find that bassist Robert Levon Been's father Michael had died backstage of a heart attack.
  • Black Rebel Motorcycle Club drummer Leah Shapiro has been playing drums since she was 18. She played drums in The Raveonettes before getting the call to play with BRMC on tour in Europe. After drummer Nick Jago suddenly left the band in 2008, they asked Shapiro if she'd be interested in being Jago's replacement. Within a month, Shapiro had learned 30 BRMC songs and was ready to hit the road.
  • Although Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is now based in Los Angeles, frontman Peter Hayes says he'd rather be traveling than stuck at home. He likes moving around and says that "if you have a problem with not showering and not sleeping in your own bed, it's the wrong job for you."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Daryl Hall

Daryl HallSongwriter Interviews

Daryl Hall's TV show is a hit, and he's been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - only one of these developments excites him.

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"Songwriter Interviews

Ian talks about his 3 or 4 blatant attempts to write a pop song, and also the ones he most connected with, including "Locomotive Breath."

Early Days of MTV

Early Days of MTVFact or Fiction

If you can recall the days when MTV played videos, you know that there are lots of stories to tell. See if you can spot the real ones.

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Jules Shear - "All Through The Night"

Jules Shear - "All Through The Night"They're Playing My Song

Shears does very little promotion, which has kept him secluded from the spotlight. What changed when Cyndi Lauper had a hit with his song? Not much, really.

Church Lyrics

Church LyricsMusic Quiz

Here is the church, here is the steeple - see if you can identify these lyrics that reference church.