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{{Use British English|date=March 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}

{{More citations needed|date=June 2011}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Bad News
| name = Bad News
| image = More-Bad-News-Record-Store-250.jpg
| image = More-Bad-News-Record-Store-250.jpg
| caption = Bad News in a scene from ''More Bad News''. From left to right; Colin Grigson, Spider Webb, Vim Fuego, Den Dennis.
| caption = Bad News in a scene from ''More Bad News''. From left to right; Colin Grigson, Spider Webb, Vim Fuego, Den Dennis.
| background = group_or_band
| origin = United Kingdom
| origin = [[United Kingdom]]
| genre = [[Heavy metal music|Heavy metal]], [[parody music]], [[comedy rock]]
| years_active = 1983–1988
| genre = [[Heavy metal music|Heavy metal]], [[parody music]], [[comedy rock]]
| years_active = 1983&ndash;1988
| label = [[EMI]]
| label = [[EMI]]
| website =
⚫
| current_members =
| website =
⚫
| past_members = [[Ade Edmondson|Vim Fuego]]<br />[[Nigel Planer|Den Dennis]]<br />[[Rik Mayall|Colin Grigson]]<br />[[Peter Richardson (British director)|Spider Webb]]
⚫
| current_members =
⚫
| past_members = [[Ade Edmondson|Vim Fuego]]<br/>[[Nigel Planer|Den Dennis]]<br/>[[Rik Mayall|Colin Grigson]]<br/>[[Peter Richardson (actor)|Spider Webb]]
}}
}}

'''Bad News''' are a fictional English [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] [[Musical ensemble|band]] created for the [[Channel 4]] [[television]] series ''[[The Comic Strip|The Comic Strip Presents...]]''. Its members were Vim Fuego (also known as "Alan Metcalfe"), vocals and lead guitar (played by [[Ade Edmondson]]); Den Dennis, rhythm guitar ([[Nigel Planer]]); Colin Grigson, bass ([[Rik Mayall]]); and Spider "Eight-Legs" Webb, drums ([[Peter Richardson (actor)|Peter Richardson]]).<ref name="AMG"/> The band continued outside the context of the TV series, with the actors (in character) eventually playing a number of live gigs as Bad News, and recording an album (1987's ''Bad News'') and a single (a cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody") that made the UK charts.
'''Bad News''' are a fictional English [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band created for the [[Channel 4]] [[television]] series ''[[The Comic Strip|The Comic Strip Presents...]]''. Its members were Vim Fuego (played by [[Ade Edmondson]]) on vocals and lead guitar; Den Dennis ([[Nigel Planer]]) on rhythm guitar; Colin Grigson ([[Rik Mayall]]) on bass; and Spider "Eight-Legs" Webb ([[Peter Richardson (British director)|Peter Richardson]]) on drums.<ref name="AMG"/> The band continued outside the context of the TV series, with the actors (in character) eventually playing a number of live gigs as Bad News, and recording an album (1987's ''Bad News'') and a single (a cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody") that made the UK charts.


==Biography==
==Biography==
===Early incarnation: "Bad News Tour" (1983)===
===Early incarnation: "Bad News Tour" (1983)===
Bad News made their television debut during 1983, in the first series of ''[[The Comic Strip|The Comic Strip Presents...]]''<ref name="AMG"/> (written by Edmondson, and produced by Michael White/Comic Strip Productions). The episode, "Bad News Tour", took the form of a satirical [[fly-on-the-wall]] [[rockumentary]], in which the incompetent band is followed travelling to a gig in [[Grantham]], by an almost equally inept documentary film crew: It seemed to take much inspiration from [[Mark Kidel]]'s 1976 [[BBC]] documentary ''So You Wanna Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star?'' that followed the [[Kursaal Flyers]] around Scotland and northeast England.<ref name="TimeOutK">{{cite book
Bad News made their television debut during 1983, in the first series of ''[[The Comic Strip|The Comic Strip Presents...]]''<ref name="AMG"/> (written by Edmondson, and produced by Michael White/Comic Strip Productions). The episode, "Bad News Tour", took the form of a satirical [[fly-on-the-wall]] [[rockumentary]], in which the incompetent band is followed travelling to a gig in [[Grantham]], by an almost equally inept documentary film crew:<ref name="LarkinHR"/> It seemed to take much inspiration from [[Mark Kidel]]'s 1976 [[BBC]] documentary ''So You Wanna Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star?'' that followed the [[Kursaal Flyers]] around Scotland and northeast England.<ref name="TimeOutK">{{cite book
| title= 50 Greatest Music Films Ever
| title= 50 Greatest Music Films Ever
| date= 2 October 2007
| date= 2 October 2007
| publisher= TimeOut
| publisher= TimeOut
| location= London
| location= London
| url= http://www.timeout.com/film/features/show-feature/3567/8/}}</ref> In the episode, Bad News is a band just starting out; they have no recording contract, no management, no crew, and have apparently only been together for a short while. The 30-minute documentary follows them on their "tour" (apparently only one gig), which is an unqualified disaster ... only four people show up. Along the way, there is much inter-group squabbling as Bad News are profiled by "rock journalist extraordinaire" Sally Freidman ([[Jennifer Saunders]]), and pick up a schoolgirl groupie named Tracy ([[Dawn French]]). The episode was coincidentally in production at the same time as the similar mock-documentary ''[[This Is Spinal Tap]]'', which was released the following year to a much wider audience.
| url= http://www.timeout.com/film/features/show-feature/3567/8/}}</ref> In the episode, Bad News is a band just starting out; they have no recording contract, no management, no crew, and have apparently only been together for a short while. The 30-minute documentary follows them on their "tour" (apparently only one gig), which is an unqualified disaster ... only four people show up. Along the way, there is much inter-group squabbling as Bad News are profiled by "rock journalist extraordinaire" Sally Freidman ([[Jennifer Saunders]]), and pick up a schoolgirl groupie named Tracy ([[Dawn French]]). The episode was filmed in autumn 1982 and was coincidentally in production at the same time as the similar mock-documentary ''[[This Is Spinal Tap]]'', which was released in 1984 to a much wider audience.


The "Bad News Tour" episode is notable for featuring songs (written by Edmondson and Simon Brint) that do not appear on either of the Bad News albums or in the later TV episode. These rare tunes are "Bad News" (Version 1), "The Motorbike Song" (a.k.a. "Doing A Ton Down The Highway"), a brief snippet of a song whose title is unknown, and an almost complete live version of "Mr Rock N Roll". These tunes represent the only released Bad News material not co-produced by the [[Queen (band)|Queen]] [[guitarist]], [[Brian May]].
The "Bad News Tour" episode is notable for featuring songs (written by Edmondson and [[Simon Brint]])<ref name="LarkinHR"/> that do not appear on either of the Bad News albums or in the later TV episode. These rare tunes are "Bad News" (Version 1), "The Motorbike Song" (a.k.a. "Doing A Ton Down The Highway"), a brief snippet of a song whose title is unknown, and an almost complete live version of "Mr Rock N Roll". These tunes represent the only released Bad News material not co-produced by the [[Queen (band)|Queen]] [[guitarist]], [[Brian May]].<ref name="LarkinHR"/>

The opening sequence of "Bad News Tour" shows Vim living in the notorious Chantry Point tower block on the Elgin Estate in west London. The block was demolished in 1992.


===Revival: Monsters of Rock (1986), ''Bad News'' (1987), "More Bad News" (1988) and ''Bootleg'' (1988)===
===Revival: Monsters of Rock (1986), ''Bad News'' (1987), "More Bad News" (1988) and ''Bootleg'' (1988)===
After a pause of a few years, the previously fictional-only band became an entity in real life when Bad News were invited to play at the [[Monsters of Rock]] festival at [[Castle Donington]] in 1986.<ref name="AMG"/> A feature of the band's on-stage antics that day was a method of coping with the crowd's plastic (and often [[urine]]-filled) bottle barrage, which was then a traditional (if somewhat awkward) welcome for bands playing at the festival in those days. Before the performance began properly, the band spent time just running around on stage dodging missiles, with Mayall using his guitar as a bat in an attempt to return some. They also played a low-key London show at the [[Marquee Club]], with guest appearances by [[Jeff Beck]] and Brian May, and several other gigs, including opening for [[Iron Maiden]] and a show with a guest appearance from [[Jimmy Page]].
After a pause of a few years, the previously fictional-only band became an entity in real life when Bad News were invited to play at the [[Monsters of Rock]] festival at [[Castle Donington]] in 1986.<ref name="AMG"/> A feature of the band's on-stage antics that day was a method of coping with the crowd's plastic (and often [[urine]]-filled) bottle barrage, which was then a traditional (if somewhat awkward) welcome for bands playing at the festival in those days. Before the performance began properly, the band spent time just running around on stage dodging missiles, with Mayall using his guitar as a bat in an attempt to return some. They also played a low-key London show at the [[Marquee Club]], with guest appearances by [[Jeff Beck]] and Brian May, and several other gigs, including opening for [[Iron Maiden]] and a show with a guest appearance from [[Jimmy Page]].


All this was in aid of promoting an eponymously titled Bad News album, consisting of thrashy rock songs punctuated by frequent squabbling amongst the band's members.<ref name="AMG"/> Brian May produced the record, which included a [[cover version]] of Queen's "[[Bohemian Rhapsody]]". That track peaked at No.&nbsp;44 in the [[UK Singles Chart]] in September 1987.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 39}}</ref> A 1987 UK tour was put on, with May appearing during the encores.
All this was in aid of promoting an eponymously titled Bad News album, consisting of thrashy rock songs punctuated by frequent squabbling amongst the band's members.<ref name="AMG"/> Brian May produced the record, which included a [[cover version]] of Queen's "[[Bohemian Rhapsody]]".<ref name="LarkinHR"/> That track peaked at No.&nbsp;44 in the [[UK Singles Chart]] in September 1987.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 39}}</ref> A 1987 UK tour was put on, with May appearing during the encores.<ref name="LarkinHR"/>


The band's performance at the Monsters of Rock festival was the centre piece of a follow-up ''Comic Strip'' episode, "More Bad News", broadcast by Channel 4 in 1988. In this one-hour mock-documentary, the band is once again profiled by "rock journalist extraordinaire" Sally Freidman (Jennifer Saunders); Dawn French plays a different character this time, the band's manager Rachel. It is explained that Bad News "broke up" in 1983, six months after the original documentary was filmed, due to extreme personality conflicts. (A snippet of a supposed 1983 appearance on ''[[The Tube]]'' is shown, with Bad News being interviewed by [[Jools Holland]] before it devolves into a screaming match.) Five years later, the band is put back together again at Freidman's instigation, and now has an opportunity to record a song ("Warriors of Ghengis Khan") and make a video for it. Behind-the-scenes footage of the recording and video shoot are shown, but the single flops, and the band is in debt to their record company ("Fluffy Pink Records") when the opportunity to play the Monsters Of Rock festival comes along. In the film, highlights from the concert are shown, but it ends with Bad News' terrible performance causing a riot, and the members of Bad News being beaten mercilessly by the crowd <i>and</i> by the police. The documentary ends with all four members of Bad News in hospital, severely injured. Dennis (the only band member still actually capable of speech) muses that if Vim dies from his injuries and they market it properly, the band might be successful yet.
The band's performance at the Monsters of Rock festival was the centre piece of a follow-up ''Comic Strip'' episode, "More Bad News", broadcast by Channel 4 in 1988.<ref name="LarkinHR"/> In this one-hour mock-documentary, the band is once again profiled by "rock journalist extraordinaire" Sally Freidman (Jennifer Saunders); Dawn French plays a different character this time, the band's manager Rachel. It is explained that Bad News "broke up" in 1983, six months after the original documentary was filmed, due to extreme personality conflicts. (A snippet of a supposed 1983 appearance on ''[[The Tube (1982 TV series)|The Tube]]'' is shown, with Bad News being interviewed by [[Jools Holland]] before it devolves into a screaming match). Five years later, the band is put back together again at Freidman's instigation, and now has an opportunity to record a song ("Warriors of Ghengis Khan") and make a video for it. Behind-the-scenes footage of the recording and video shoot are shown, but the single flops, and the band is in debt to their record company ("Frilly Pink Records") when the opportunity to play the Monsters Of Rock festival comes along. In the film, highlights from the concert are shown, but it ends with Bad News' terrible performance causing a riot, and the members of Bad News being beaten mercilessly by the crowd and by the police. The documentary ends with all four members of Bad News in hospital, severely injured. Dennis (the only band member still actually capable of speech) muses that if Vim dies from his injuries and they market it properly, the band might be successful yet.


Bad News appeared at the 1987 [[Reading Festival]] and were joined onstage by [[Brian May]] for a performance of "Bohemian Rhapsody".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ukrockfestivals.com/reading-87.html|title=Reading Rock Festival 1987}}</ref>
⚫
Later in 1988, the band issued the largely spoken word album ''[[Bootleg (Bad News album)|Bootleg]]'', which ostensibly consisted of dialogue (mostly interband arguments) recorded during the sessions for ''Bad News''. In 1989, a CD reissue of the ''Bad News'' album combined tracks from both albums; the later ''Cash In Compilation'' (1992) compiled many of the same tracks.


⚫
Later in 1988, the band issued the largely spoken word album ''[[Bootleg (Bad News album)|Bootleg]]'', which ostensibly consisted of dialogue (mostly interband arguments) recorded during the sessions for ''Bad News''.<ref name="LarkinHR">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1999|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0257-7|page=46/7}}</ref> In 1989, a CD reissue of the ''Bad News'' album combined tracks from both albums; the later ''Cash In Compilation'' (1992) compiled many of the same tracks.
⚫
===Later activity===
In 2012, for the ''30 Years of Comic Strip'' documentary, Planer and Richardson returned as Den Dennis and Spider Webb respectively to recall stories from their time as Bad News.


⚫
===Later activity===
On 9 June 2014, Bad News member Rik Mayall (Colin Grigson) died at his home in [[Barnes, London|Barnes]], [[London Borough of Richmond upon Thames|Richmond-upon-Thames]], London, from a sudden [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]] after [[jogging]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/rik-mayall-cause-of-death-comedian-suffered-a-heart-attack-wife-confirms-9532662.html|title=Rik Mayall cause of death: Comedian 'suffered a heart attack' wife confirms|date=12 June 2014|work=The Independent}}</ref>
In 2012, for the ''30 Years of Comic Strip'' documentary, Planer and Richardson returned as Den Dennis and Spider Webb respectively to recall stories from their time as Bad News. In the documentary, the post-1988 fates of the Bad News members were revealed: Alan (Vim) returned to his business as a painter and decorator, with Den assisting him; Colin's father got him a job as a bank clerk; and Spider retired to the West Country with his partner and three children. It's also revealed that Vim and Sally eventually married—just as their portrayers Adrian Edmondson and Jennifer Saunders were married in real life.


In 2019, a vinyl record of Bad News rarities (''Almost Rare'') appeared. The following year, the band issued a 2-CD live compilation of material recorded in 1986, including a complete gig at the [[Hammersmith Odeon]] and their Monsters Of Rock show live at Donington.
In 2019, a vinyl record of Bad News rarities (''Almost Rare'') appeared. The following year, the band issued a 2-CD live compilation of material recorded in 1986, including a complete gig at the [[Hammersmith Odeon]] and their Monsters Of Rock show live at Donington.


==Discography==
==Discography==
*1987 &ndash; ''[[Bad News (Bad News album)|Bad News]]'' - [[UK Albums Chart|UK]] No.&nbsp;69<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/><ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|last=Mills |first=Ted|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/bad-news-mw0000654467|title=Bad News - Bad News : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=2013-02-20}}</ref>
*1987 &ndash; ''[[Bad News (Bad News album)|Bad News]]'' - [[UK Albums Chart|UK]] No.&nbsp;69<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/><ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|last=Mills |first=Ted|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/bad-news-mw0000654467|title=Bad News - Bad News : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=2013-02-20}}</ref>
*1988 &ndash; ''[[Bootleg (Bad News album)|Bootleg]]''<ref name="allmusic"/><!--
*1988 &ndash; ''[[Bootleg (Bad News album)|Bootleg]]''<ref name="allmusic"/>

PLEASE LEAVE TRACK LISTINGS HERE UNTIL ARTICLE CREATED
# Bad Dreams
# Bad Dreams
# AGM
# AGM
Line 59: Line 61:
# Making of Masterbike
# Making of Masterbike
# Cashing in on Christmas (DUB)
# Cashing in on Christmas (DUB)

-->

*1989 &ndash; ''Bad News'' (expanded reissue)
*1989 &ndash; ''Bad News'' (expanded reissue)
*1992 &ndash; ''The Cash in Compilation''<ref name="allmusic"/><!--
*1992 &ndash; ''The Cash in Compilation''<ref name="allmusic"/><!--
PLEASE LEAVE TRACK LISTINGS HERE UNTIL ARTICLE CREATED
PLEASE LEAVE TRACK LISTINGS HERE UNTIL ARTICLE CREATED
# Hey hey bad news
# Hey, Hey, Bad News
# Bad dreams
# Bad dreams
# Warriors of Ghengis Khan
# Warriors of Ghengis Khan
# AGM
# A.G.M.
# Bohemian rhapsody
# Bohemian rhapsody
# Oh pretty woman
# Oh, pretty woman
# O levels
# O' levels
# Life with Brian
# Life with Brian
# Bad news
# Bad News
# Masturbike
# Masturbike
# Double entendre
# Double entendre
# Drink till I die
# Drink till I Die
# Cashing in on Christmas (Dub)
# Cashing in on Christmas (Dub)
-->
-->
*2004 &ndash; ''Bad News'' (re-release on EMI International)<ref name="AMG"/>
*2004 &ndash; ''Bad News'' (re-release on EMI International)<ref name="AMG"/>


During the "AGM" sketch, their upcoming album is the provisionally entitled ''Satan Ate My [[Human penis|Knob]]''. During "Cashing in on Christmas", Colin states that as a band they have released 17 singles so far.
During the "A.G.M." sketch, their upcoming album is the provisionally entitled ''Satan Ate My [[Human penis|Knob]]''. During "Cashing in on Christmas", Colin states that as a band they have released 17 singles so far.


==Videography==
==Videography==
*1988: ''Bohemian Rhapsody'' (contains the music video for the title track and a skit entitled "EMI: Every Mistake Imaginable")
*1988: ''Bohemian Rhapsody'' (contains the music video for the title track and a skit entitled "EMI: Every Mistake Imaginable")
*1988: ''Comic Strip Classics: Bad News/More Bad News'' (the two Comic Strip Presents episodes)
*1988: ''More Bad News'' (The Comic Strip Presents... S03E02)
*1992: ''Bad News Tour'' (the first Comic Strip television special)
*1983: ''Bad News Tour'' (The Comic Strip Presents... S01E04)


==Band members==
==Band members==
Line 90: Line 93:
* '''Den Dennis''' ([[Nigel Planer]]) – Rhythm electric guitar and backing vocals
* '''Den Dennis''' ([[Nigel Planer]]) – Rhythm electric guitar and backing vocals
* '''Colin Grigson''' ([[Rik Mayall]]) – Electric bass guitar and backing vocals
* '''Colin Grigson''' ([[Rik Mayall]]) – Electric bass guitar and backing vocals
* '''Spider Webb''' ([[Peter Richardson (actor)|Peter Richardson]]) – Drum kit and backing vocals<ref name="AMG">{{cite web|last=Mills |first=Ted |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bad-news-mn0000764998 |title=Bad News - Music Biography, Credits and Discography |publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=2013-02-20}}</ref>
* '''Spider Webb''' ([[Peter Richardson (British director)|Peter Richardson]]) – Drum kit and backing vocals<ref name="AMG">{{cite web|last=Mills |first=Ted |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bad-news-mn0000764998 |title=Bad News - Music Biography, Credits and Discography |publisher=AllMusic|access-date=2013-02-20}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
Line 96: Line 99:


==External links==
==External links==
* {{allmusic}}
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A447950 BBC's h2g2 Bad News entry]
* {{IMDb title|0544862}}
* {{IMDb title|qid=Q123513801}}
* {{IMDb title|0544879}}
* {{IMDb title|qid=Q123516824|title=More Bad News}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MIXW6N0c7c Rare crowd-shot footage of the 1986 Donnington appearance]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MIXW6N0c7c Rare crowd-shot footage of the 1986 Donnington appearance]


Line 109: Line 112:
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1988]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1988]]
[[Category:The Comic Strip]]
[[Category:The Comic Strip]]
[[Category:Comedy rock musical groups]]
[[Category:British comedy rock musical groups]]
[[Category:Fictional musical groups]]
[[Category:Fictional musical groups]]
[[Category:Bands with fictional stage personas]]
[[Category:Fictional characters invented for recorded music]]
[[Category:Fictional English people]]

Latest revision as of 02:47, 11 December 2024

Bad News
Bad News in a scene from More Bad News. From left to right; Colin Grigson, Spider Webb, Vim Fuego, Den Dennis.
Bad News in a scene from More Bad News. From left to right; Colin Grigson, Spider Webb, Vim Fuego, Den Dennis.
Background information
OriginUnited Kingdom
GenresHeavy metal, parody music, comedy rock
Years active1983–1988
LabelsEMI
Past membersVim Fuego
Den Dennis
Colin Grigson
Spider Webb

Bad News are a fictional English heavy metal band created for the Channel 4 television series The Comic Strip Presents.... Its members were Vim Fuego (played by Ade Edmondson) on vocals and lead guitar; Den Dennis (Nigel Planer) on rhythm guitar; Colin Grigson (Rik Mayall) on bass; and Spider "Eight-Legs" Webb (Peter Richardson) on drums.[1] The band continued outside the context of the TV series, with the actors (in character) eventually playing a number of live gigs as Bad News, and recording an album (1987's Bad News) and a single (a cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody") that made the UK charts.

Biography

[edit]

Early incarnation: "Bad News Tour" (1983)

[edit]

Bad News made their television debut during 1983, in the first series of The Comic Strip Presents...[1] (written by Edmondson, and produced by Michael White/Comic Strip Productions). The episode, "Bad News Tour", took the form of a satirical fly-on-the-wall rockumentary, in which the incompetent band is followed travelling to a gig in Grantham, by an almost equally inept documentary film crew:[2] It seemed to take much inspiration from Mark Kidel's 1976 BBC documentary So You Wanna Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star? that followed the Kursaal Flyers around Scotland and northeast England.[3] In the episode, Bad News is a band just starting out; they have no recording contract, no management, no crew, and have apparently only been together for a short while. The 30-minute documentary follows them on their "tour" (apparently only one gig), which is an unqualified disaster ... only four people show up. Along the way, there is much inter-group squabbling as Bad News are profiled by "rock journalist extraordinaire" Sally Freidman (Jennifer Saunders), and pick up a schoolgirl groupie named Tracy (Dawn French). The episode was filmed in autumn 1982 and was coincidentally in production at the same time as the similar mock-documentary This Is Spinal Tap, which was released in 1984 to a much wider audience.

The "Bad News Tour" episode is notable for featuring songs (written by Edmondson and Simon Brint)[2] that do not appear on either of the Bad News albums or in the later TV episode. These rare tunes are "Bad News" (Version 1), "The Motorbike Song" (a.k.a. "Doing A Ton Down The Highway"), a brief snippet of a song whose title is unknown, and an almost complete live version of "Mr Rock N Roll". These tunes represent the only released Bad News material not co-produced by the Queen guitarist, Brian May.[2]

The opening sequence of "Bad News Tour" shows Vim living in the notorious Chantry Point tower block on the Elgin Estate in west London. The block was demolished in 1992.

Revival: Monsters of Rock (1986), Bad News (1987), "More Bad News" (1988) and Bootleg (1988)

[edit]

After a pause of a few years, the previously fictional-only band became an entity in real life when Bad News were invited to play at the Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington in 1986.[1] A feature of the band's on-stage antics that day was a method of coping with the crowd's plastic (and often urine-filled) bottle barrage, which was then a traditional (if somewhat awkward) welcome for bands playing at the festival in those days. Before the performance began properly, the band spent time just running around on stage dodging missiles, with Mayall using his guitar as a bat in an attempt to return some. They also played a low-key London show at the Marquee Club, with guest appearances by Jeff Beck and Brian May, and several other gigs, including opening for Iron Maiden and a show with a guest appearance from Jimmy Page.

All this was in aid of promoting an eponymously titled Bad News album, consisting of thrashy rock songs punctuated by frequent squabbling amongst the band's members.[1] Brian May produced the record, which included a cover version of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody".[2] That track peaked at No. 44 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1987.[4] A 1987 UK tour was put on, with May appearing during the encores.[2]

The band's performance at the Monsters of Rock festival was the centre piece of a follow-up Comic Strip episode, "More Bad News", broadcast by Channel 4 in 1988.[2] In this one-hour mock-documentary, the band is once again profiled by "rock journalist extraordinaire" Sally Freidman (Jennifer Saunders); Dawn French plays a different character this time, the band's manager Rachel. It is explained that Bad News "broke up" in 1983, six months after the original documentary was filmed, due to extreme personality conflicts. (A snippet of a supposed 1983 appearance on The Tube is shown, with Bad News being interviewed by Jools Holland before it devolves into a screaming match). Five years later, the band is put back together again at Freidman's instigation, and now has an opportunity to record a song ("Warriors of Ghengis Khan") and make a video for it. Behind-the-scenes footage of the recording and video shoot are shown, but the single flops, and the band is in debt to their record company ("Frilly Pink Records") when the opportunity to play the Monsters Of Rock festival comes along. In the film, highlights from the concert are shown, but it ends with Bad News' terrible performance causing a riot, and the members of Bad News being beaten mercilessly by the crowd and by the police. The documentary ends with all four members of Bad News in hospital, severely injured. Dennis (the only band member still actually capable of speech) muses that if Vim dies from his injuries and they market it properly, the band might be successful yet.

Bad News appeared at the 1987 Reading Festival and were joined onstage by Brian May for a performance of "Bohemian Rhapsody".[5]

Later in 1988, the band issued the largely spoken word album Bootleg, which ostensibly consisted of dialogue (mostly interband arguments) recorded during the sessions for Bad News.[2] In 1989, a CD reissue of the Bad News album combined tracks from both albums; the later Cash In Compilation (1992) compiled many of the same tracks.

Later activity

[edit]

In 2012, for the 30 Years of Comic Strip documentary, Planer and Richardson returned as Den Dennis and Spider Webb respectively to recall stories from their time as Bad News. In the documentary, the post-1988 fates of the Bad News members were revealed: Alan (Vim) returned to his business as a painter and decorator, with Den assisting him; Colin's father got him a job as a bank clerk; and Spider retired to the West Country with his partner and three children. It's also revealed that Vim and Sally eventually married—just as their portrayers Adrian Edmondson and Jennifer Saunders were married in real life.

In 2019, a vinyl record of Bad News rarities (Almost Rare) appeared. The following year, the band issued a 2-CD live compilation of material recorded in 1986, including a complete gig at the Hammersmith Odeon and their Monsters Of Rock show live at Donington.

Discography

[edit]
  1. Bad Dreams
  2. AGM
  3. Double Entendre
  4. Locked In
  5. AIDS
  6. O Levels
  7. Wedding
  8. Heavy Metal Farmer
  9. Making of Masterbike
  10. Cashing in on Christmas (DUB)


  • 1989 – Bad News (expanded reissue)
  • 1992 – The Cash in Compilation[6]
  • 2004 – Bad News (re-release on EMI International)[1]

During the "A.G.M." sketch, their upcoming album is the provisionally entitled Satan Ate My Knob. During "Cashing in on Christmas", Colin states that as a band they have released 17 singles so far.

Videography

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  • 1988: Bohemian Rhapsody (contains the music video for the title track and a skit entitled "EMI: Every Mistake Imaginable")
  • 1988: More Bad News (The Comic Strip Presents... S03E02)
  • 1983: Bad News Tour (The Comic Strip Presents... S01E04)

Band members

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  • Vim Fuego, né Alan Metcalfe (Ade Edmondson) – Lead vocals and lead electric guitar
  • Den Dennis (Nigel Planer) – Rhythm electric guitar and backing vocals
  • Colin Grigson (Rik Mayall) – Electric bass guitar and backing vocals
  • Spider Webb (Peter Richardson) – Drum kit and backing vocals[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f Mills, Ted. "Bad News - Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Colin Larkin, ed. (1999). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 46/7. ISBN 0-7535-0257-7.
  3. ^ 50 Greatest Music Films Ever. London: TimeOut. 2 October 2007.
  4. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 39. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  5. ^ "Reading Rock Festival 1987".
  6. ^ a b c Mills, Ted. "Bad News - Bad News : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
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