I'm only catching up on this now: Dry County's new name is Alias Empire (and not 'Alien Empire' as I originally wrote and was corrected below), so as to avoid confusion with a US country rock band. (Although there may very well be a good ol' boy hillbilly band called Alias Empire in some corner of Tennessee; who knows?)

Are there any examples of an established band changing its name and remaining successful? The recent Dagger Lees/Stagger Lee split, though perhaps not connected to the name change, has me wondering if changing names is fatal to a band.

After Damo Rice left, Juniper became Bell X1 - but with a new singer/frontman that made them a new band, so perhaps they don't count. Anyone think of any others?

No, successful bands don't really need to change their names. It'd be a pretty bad move. But nearly every band at the moment seems to have about 20 side projects

I hate side projects.

The Verve had to change their name from Verve because it clashed with an American indie band of the same name. And Nirvana had to pay something like $90,000 for the rights to their name from a60's Psyche act.

And is it not Alias Empire? Hope to see these guys playing soon too, whatever they're called.

Posted By IcaruS on 17 Feb 2009 08:23 AM
I hate side projects.

The Verve had to change their name from Verve because it clashed with an American indie band of the same name. And Nirvana had to pay something like $90,000 for the rights to their name from a60's Psyche act.

And is it not Alias Empire? Hope to see these guys playing soon too, whatever they're called.

You're right, thanks - it's Alias Empire. Sorry for that - not a good sign for the new name if it's hard to remember correctly! (Or maybe it's just me.) I've changed the thread title and edited my first post, just in case it IS me!

No, it's ok. Alien Empire sounds way cooler.

http://www.myspace.com/alienempire

Posted By IcaruS on 17 Feb 2009 08:23 AM
I hate side projects.

The Verve had to change their name from Verve because it clashed with an American indie band of the same name. And Nirvana had to pay something like $90,000 for the rights to their name from a60's Psyche act.

And is it not Alias Empire? Hope to see these guys playing soon too, whatever they're called.

Then there was the wave of '90s English bands who had to adapt their names to play in the States: The London Suede, Charlatans UK and so forth...

Posted By aidan on 17 Feb 2009 08:32 AM

Posted By IcaruS on 17 Feb 2009 08:23 AM
I hate side projects.

The Verve had to change their name from Verve because it clashed with an American indie band of the same name. And Nirvana had to pay something like $90,000 for the rights to their name from a60's Psyche act.

And is it not Alias Empire? Hope to see these guys playing soon too, whatever they're called.

You're right, thanks - it's Alias Empire. Sorry for that - not a good sign for the new name if it's hard to remember correctly! (Or maybe it's just me.) I've changed the thread title and edited my first post, just in case it IS me!

Oh great, now I look like the crazy one!

When The Raconteurs tour or release albums in Australia they have to call themselves The Saboteurs, due to some Queensland band of the same name who asked for more money off them, which was turned down. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raconteurs

I've absolutely no problem with side projects - only that I think it's unfair to call them side projects. Where's the problem with being involved in more than one musical group/activity? And why should one be given precedence over the other?

At least the ex-Dry County guys made a bit of a pun with their name change...band name changes...aliases....geddit? Well at least they tried.