10 Movie Bands We Really Wish Were Real

From Sex Bob-Omb to Stillwater, these are the movie bands we desperately wish were real.

Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Universal Pictures

There are a lot of things in the world of cinema that we wish were real. Hover cars, intergalactic travel, and lightsabres being just a tiny example of the wonders every moviegoer has dreamed of experiencing. But cinema is also home to another kind of fictional world we desperately wish were real, and that's the music scene.

The silver screen has been a stage to an assortment of fantastical bands and musicians who we only wish we could see live on an actual stage. Their performances are over-the-top, romanticised romps full of energy and spectacle - not to mention they're usually fronted by some big names. If these supergroups decided to form in real life, there's no doubt that they'd be a massive success in the charts.

Unfortunately, though, this isn't the case. All that we'll ever hear of these movie musicians are the handful of performances recorded for their respective flicks. Although it's not much, it's still enough for us to have their songs forever stuck in our heads.

Spanning a diverse range of genres, these are the fictional film bands who we wish were real bands

10. The Fabulous Stains - Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains (1982)

Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Paramount Pictures

Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains follows rebellious teen Corinne (a 14-year-old Diane Lane) and her titular, all-female punk band’s rise to stardom.

This group of rebellious youngsters are the unfiltered essence of the punk movement, with their music amplifying their radical message.

They can barely play their instruments at their first show (supporting a small-time punk band portrayed by members of Sex Pistols and The Clash), but they couldn’t care less. In fact, when the group is jeered Corrine scalds the women in the crowd, calling them “suckers” before encouraging them to be themselves.

This is their call to arms to start a musical rebellion, with tracks like “Waste of Time” and “The Professionals” being their riotous anthems for revolution.

Even the film’s production was anarchic. It took two years to complete the ending due to disagreements between director Lou Adler and writer Nancy Dowd. Upon its eventual release the film faded into obscurity, but was later embraced by the underground cult scene through late night TV and bootleg tapes.

However, The Stains’ most notable legacy is how this fictional band inspired the real-life Riot Grrl scene. Bratmobile, Bikini Kill, and Courtney Love have all cited this band as inspirations.

Contributor
Contributor

Glasgow-based cinephile who earned a Masters degree in film studies to spend their time writing about cinema, video games, and horror.