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Posted: 06/12/01
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 A few months back VH1 threw their hat into the reality television ring. Unlike their sister network MTV however, VH1 actually attempted to do a show about real life that involved music! (No, music looped for effect after the fact and then passed off as authentic Real World tunes does not count.) Entitled Bands On The Run, the show chronicles a day in the life of four struggling bands. The winning band gets $50,000 cash, $100,000 in music gear from Guitar Center, a video that will be in heavy rotation on VH1 and a showcase for major record labels. Bands On The Run also borrow a bit from its reality show predecessors. Just like Road Rules, the groups spend a bulk of their time on tour buses, occasionally boning up for a bonus opportunity or two. Not unlike Survivor, the band with the lowest overall score is thrown off with bands continually being eliminated until one band rules supreme. And a lot like all of its reality television contemparies, drama prevails over anything else.
Finally, there’s Flickerstick- the Jerry Springer of Bands On The Run. Complete with smashed guitars, trashed band members and dissed significant others, the boys of Flickerstick take creative differences to new heights. For Flickerstick the life of a rock band truly does equal sex, drugs and rock and roll as different acts of decadence are featured every week. Although it’s not an exact science, it even seems like Flickerstick is shown more than the other bands. I believe the reason for this is mostly because their bad behavior equals good television.
That said- after watching almost an entire season of Bands On The Run I can honestly say that at this point it’s anyone’s game. Although if you’re asking my personal opinion I think Flickerstick should be the one to win based on pure musical talent alone. You know, the reason they all forget they are on the show in the first place and probably the last reason most people tune in. Janet Branagan is a freelance writer and pop culture addict from New Jersey. Got a problem? Email Janet at onthebox@go.com |
Bands On The Run
The original four band line up included the Ben Folds Five-esque Josh Dodes Band, the emotionally charged alternative group Flickerstick, the fun rock sounds of Soulcracker and the goth chick presence of Harlow. The first to go was Josh Dodes, making the competition only fiercer. Truth be told, the Josh Dodes Band was a late addition as well as an early dismissal, so to me they always felt like the new kids. Early on the guys of Soulcracker were dubbed the workhorses, continually pushing to win with unmatched enthusiasm for both their music and the thrill of competition. Their, “we must win attitude” however leaves them least likely to win any congeniality awards.
On the other end of the spectrum we have Flickerstick and Harlow, aka “the party bands.” For every ounce of dedication that Josh Dodes and Soulcracker put in, Flickerstick and Harlow have another beer and another hour of sleep. (Yes, the two really are that interchangeable). Harlow is comprised of four “bad ass” girl rockers who, if music were the corporate world, would be interning for Courtney Love. Garnering as much if not more attention for their looks than they do for their music, the girls of Harlow are quick to agree that it’s all about the image.
The funny thing about Bands On The Run, and perhaps the only thing I’d change, is that sometimes the producers tend to forget they created the show around a musical competition. The time actually spent seeing a band prepare or perform often pales in comparison to that of the time spent on members airing their dirty laundry.