Faster Pussycat

Biography

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Faster Pussycat (1985-1992, 2001-present): a Glam Metal band from Los Angeles, California, USA.

he nucleus of Faster Pussycat was started in 1986 by Taime Downe (vocals) and Mick Cripps (guitar; who was subsequently replaced with Greg Steele soon after). Brent Muscat (guitar) and Eric Stacy (bass) and Mark Michaels (drums) were enlisted shortly later. Quickly signing to 'Elektra' they raised the tide of L.A. styles "sleaze"/oldies scene along side the likes of Guns N' Roses and the lot. In 1987 they released their self-titled debut. The album became a classic of the genre and pushed all the right influential buttons coming across as a mix of Hanoi Rocks, Aerosmith, Kiss and The Rolling Stones. Don't Change That Song, a track on said aforementioned album, illustrated Russ Meyer's (creator of the cult film Faster Pussycat Kill! Kill) ability to influence the band in more than name but also a video featuring large-breasted rock "girls" bobbing to-and-fro in front of a jukebox. The album made the top 100 at 97 US all the same and helped boost the 1989 follow-up Wake Me When It's Over making 35 UK/48 US The album benefited from a more professional and conventional approach but lacked much of the sleaze that got them such notoriety. The subsequent European tour saw Michaels getting arrested on drug charges. Their final set proved to be Whipped (1992), an album that received acclaim from certain sectors of the rock press but was not enough to maintain their record contract and they split soon after.

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In 2001, Faster Pussycat reformed with original members Downe (vocals), Muscat (guitar) and Steele (guitar), alongside Downe's former Newlydeads bandmates Xristian Simon (guitar), Danny Nordahl (bass) and Chad Stewart (drums). Nordahl had also played in the Throbs, and Nordahl and Chad Stewart also both play in Motochrist.

A remix compilation, Between the Valley of the Ultra Pussy, was released the same year, featuring industrial-rock remixes of the band's classic tracks, along with a bonus cover of Kiss's I Was Made For Loving You. However, this divided fans, as many of the older fanbase who enjoyed standard hard rock were not familiar with industrial rock.

Steele left the band halfway through the 2001 headlining reunion tour. Tracii Guns filled in as guitarist for the rest of the tour, after which Faster Pussycat continued as a five-piece. Eric Griffin from Murderdolls, Synical and (later) Wednesday 13 filled in as guitarist for the American tour, as Muscat's scheduling conflicts prevented him from participating. Muscat returned briefly, until oral cancer sidelined him in late summer of 2005, and he was temporarily replaced by Michael Thomas, an arrangement that would become permanent when Muscat chose not to return to the lineup.

In December 2006, three former original Faster Pussycat members, Brent Muscat, Eric Stacy and Brett Bradshaw, along with Underground Rebels vocalist Kurt Frohlich and Sin City Sinners guitarist Todd Kerns, began performing under the name Faster Pussycat, effectively creating two versions of the band, both claiming to be the original. Muscat claimed that this was to allow fans to hear Faster Pussycat tracks played the way they were originally recorded, as opposed to the industrial-rock version of the band that he said Downe continued to front. Muscat also made a legal claim to the name Faster Pussycat.

Muscat's lineup agreed to play the AVN Awards after-party at the Dive Bar in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to a press release, the band--which did not include Downe--would perform "all classic tracks, no remixes, no B.S."

In response, Downe posted a bulletin on Myspace saying Faster Pussycat was not playing in Las Vegas and that Muscat's version was a "tribute band." Muscat responded that he donated all his earnings from the gig, and planned to donate a portion of any future earnings, to cancer research. In various interviews, Downe disputed Muscat's version of events and indicated that the issue was being dealt with via the courts.

On April 21, 2007, Muscat circulated via Myspace an open invitation to Downe and Steele to reunite, along with Stacy and Bradshaw. There was no response from Downe. Brent's version of Faster Pussycat toured Europe in Spring 2007 with Frohlich replacing Downe on vocals along with Kerns on guitar.

In July 2007, Muscat decided to drop the battle to use the name Faster Pussycat, and has since started a band called Sin City Sinners. Brent has stated in an interview that "Faster Pussycat is dead."

Downe continued with the name Faster Pussycat, performing at Rocklahoma in July 2007. During the band's set, Downe went on a tirade, referencing Muscat's cancer and stating his wish that Muscat would die, which received a poor reception from both the crowd and journalists. He then cut the set short and left the stage without playing several of the band's biggest hits.

Faster Pussycat toured the U.S. in the summer of 2008 with Tracii Guns' version of L.A. Guns.

In the late spring of 2010, Ace Von Johnson replaced Michael Thomas, who was devoting his full-time work to Adler's Appetite.

In late 2013, Faster Pussycat's current lineup went on tour, performing mainly in clubs, bars and university venues. While the band's past problems had shrunk their audiences, the 2013 shows received positive reviews.

During an August 15, 2015, performance at the Cathouse, Brent Muscat, Eric Stacy, and Greg Steele from the classic lineup joined Downe and his then-current incarnation of the band on stage to perform Bathroom Wall and Babylon.

Former drummer Brett Bradshaw died unexpectedly on March 26, 2021, at age 50.

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