Supergroups, it seems, are not meant for the ages.
The term took hold in the ’70s as a way to describe the unholy alliances formed when packs of egotistical rock stars band together in hopes their combined fame is more important than writing decent songs. Most supergroups make a splashy debut but fizzle away in a battle of big personalities.
During the ’90s, the alt-rock revolution seemed to sweep away the antiquated notion of the supergroup. But like tight trousers and the cowbell, supergroups have shown an amazing resiliency in the rock world.
With three modern-day supergroups now on the road–and two coming to Chicago this month–here’s a look at how all those egos are faring:
BAND
Velvet Revolver:
Audioslave:
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Soul SirkUS:
BIO
Velvet Revolver: Three Guns N’ Roses refugees–drummer Matt Sorum, bassist Duff McKagan and guitarist Slash–realized it was so much fun playing without the oppressive Axl Rose, they decided to form a new band. After drafting second guitarist Dave Kushner, they settled on heroin-addled former Stone Temple Pilot Scott Weiland as lead singer.
Audioslave: Following Zack de la Rocha’s surprise exit from Rage Against the Machine in 2000, the remaining trio–guitarist Tom Morello and rhythm section Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk–enlisted former Soundgarden main man Chris Cornell to take his place.
Soul SirkUS: Journey guitarist Neal Schon had been playing in a group dubbed Planet US with Van Halenites Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony. When the pair left to rejoin VH, Schon hired Jeff Scott Soto (a veteran vocalist known for his work with Yngwie Malmsteen and in the film “Rock Star”) and bass player Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy) for a whole new venture.
WHAT’S IN A NAME
Velvet Revolver: This sly nod to Guns N’ Roses is, at the very least, snappier than the band’s original moniker, the Project.
Audioslave: Initially, the foursome toyed with calling the band Civilian–not a bad choice at all. Unfortunately, they settled on Audioslave, which sounds like a suburban heavy-metal cover band, circa 1986.
Soul SirkUS: With its misspelling and capitalization, Soul SirkUS may well possess the supergroupiest name of all time.
ON RECORD
Velvet Revolver: The group’s debut, “Contraband,” entered the Billboard charts at No. 1 in June and has gone on to sell more than a million copies.
Audioslave: Since hitting stores in November 2002, the band’s self-titled debut has topped 2 million in sales and landed five hit singles on rock radio.
Soul SirkUS: The band initially released songs via its Web site, while the commercial version of their debut has found a small, but appreciative, audience among genre fans.
SHELF LIFE
Velvet Revolver: Trading a notorious control freak for a notorious drug addict may seem like stealing from Peter to pay Paul, but it’s working so far. The band has plans to release a live CD in the coming months, followed by a second studio album in time for the holidays.
Audioslave: Somewhat sketchy. The mercurial Cornell already quit the band once, prior to the release of the debut. And while their follow-up is due at the end of May, Audioslave’s publicist said that, as of two weeks ago, the band still wasn’t finished with it.
Soul SirkUS: If Steve Perry decides he’s ready to rejoin Journey– and his surprise appearance when the band was given a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame in January is a promising sign–expect Soul SirkUS’ own journey to be a short one, indeed.
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Edited by Cara DiPasquale ([email protected]) and Kris Karnopp ([email protected])