So, we were out on a car trip this morning and I was introducing the kids to some of the music of my youth (Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Guns ‘N’ Roses…) when our conversation turned to band names. Matilda asked what my band would be called if I had one, but my mind blanked – all I could think of was those goofy memes where you combine the colour of your underwear and your favourite mexican dish -type things. (Green Fajita, if you’re wondering).
Matilda then informed us that if her band was an all-girl one, it would be called the Go Girls. I am sure this is in no way original, and probably appears as some cheesy cartoon super group on TV, but I loved it. It immediately conjured for me something like a fizz-filled Spice Girls full of Nikki Webster wanna-be’s. I could imagine them bouncing around in video clips singing age-inappropriate lyrics and being way too excited about the prospect of pyjama parties, pillow fights and skipping school. Brilliant, but she was not done.
If her band had boys and girls in it, they would be called The Screws…
The Screws.
Kirsty, sitting in the passenger seat beside me, totally lost it. She turned red trying to hold her laughter in and not draw undue attention to her amusement. I don’t dare contemplate where my dear wife’s mind went! But for me, this is the best band name I have ever heard from an eight year old. For me, it conjured the feel of bands like The Clash and The Cure, and even The Police. I imagined black eyeliner and wild hair. I wondered if the name was a reference to the band feeling like screw-ups, having a screw-loose, or being former prison guards. Perhaps it refers to the thumb-screws the government forces on every-day men and woman through taxation and legislation. I immediately saw the black-and-white self-titled album cover, filled with edgy alt-rock / post-punk / new-wave anthems like A Philips-Head In Phillip’s Head and Freedom is Solitary Confinement.
So, if you were in a band, what would it be like, and what would it be called?
*As a side note, there is actually a band called The Screws, and you can find more about them here.
**Also, do not google “Go Girls”. It will reveal both New Zealand comedy, and women urinating while standing up. Honest.
