Some band names are so straightforward (Loudness, Cannibal Corpse, Bread...) there's no confusion about their intentions. Then there are those bands whose names are the reason you become curious/interested in the first place. 

Auckland, New Zealand's The Naked And Famous falls in the latter category. They came up with the moniker from a lyric in trip-hop legend Tricky's song 'Tricky Kid'. It has that killer combination of vague/profound/provocative (vaguefoundcative?) potential. I had to know: are they a scandalously volatile new glam rock band? Ironically subtle indie folk combo?...

...I was rewarded by my curiosity with three albums worth of the catchiest, most atmospheric indie-electronic pop out there. 

Before we get to the name origin of GWAR, please take a gander at the greatest fake rock bio EVER:
​
"At the beginning of all things, there was the Master, a hideous planet-sized creature floating in an endless void. And it was a boring void, so he created everything ever just to amuse himself. And as life spread through this void, The Master found the best way to amuse himself with his new toys was to make them fight each other, so he created WAR. And he saw that it was good, so he created The Scumdogs of the Universe as the ultimate executors of his favorite activity."

"Led by The Master’s most loyal servant, the cyborg Techno-Destructo, the Scumdogs had become the most powerful force in the universe. So great that they dared to rise up in rebellion against their creator and fulfill their dream of destroying everything. The ensuing battle was beyond epic, as The Master deployed his newest and most powerful weapon, The Death Pod, and turned it against GWAR. Ultimately defeated, the Scumdogs were loaded into the dreaded Butt-Cannon and shot to the most insignificant, isolated mud ball of a planet in the entire galaxy—the planet Earth!"

And when you have Jerry Springer as an honourable member, there's really nothing left to say except,
​"​Gwaaarrrgghhlllgh!"

Eight albums and 30 years of brutally heavy compositions about war, death, plague, more war and more war brought the band a devoted following (including British radio legend, the late John Peel!) until their breakup in 2015 due to the death of drummer Martin 'Kiddie' Kearns.

The connection between metal and role-playing/tabletop gaming is a perfect one, but how many folks actually played Bolt Thrower whilst playing Warhammer? Inspiring for some, discombobulating for others.

Either way, a killer name. 

There are band names based on songs, quotes, street names... but an unaired Monty Python sketch!?! 

Toad The Wet Sprocket, come on down. 

...but instead of becoming an all-out eccentric, DEVO-type group, this Santa Barbara, CA band goes the way of milquetoast radio-friendly pop. The guys just thought the name was 'hilarious'. But because it comes from such a Python deep cut, how could they not be a little more weird/out there?!? Easy - because they didn't have it in them. 

*sigh* 

Yes, they hit the Top 20 with the songs shown above and below, and had the bottom (see how I'm not even mentioning the names? That's how miffed-yet-underwhelmed by the unused potential of the band name) song featured on the soundtrack for the Friends TV show, but disappeared but the end of the 90's along with the other 'meh' MOR bands of the time, like Tonic, Matchbox 20 and Counting Crows (whom they have toured with at one time or another - sarcastic 'YAY!'). 

They broke up in 1998 and got back in the late 2000's, releasing an album, EP and touring regularly, but does anyone care?

I'm sorry - as a Python fan, I can't get over the fact that an idea of theirs was so badly misused. At least the band could have had Cleese, Idle and/or Palin in a video or song! Or perhaps the Pythons boys turned that down once they heard Toad's music - at least I hope as much. 

The only good thing that's come out of this is that I've finally decided on the name of the Wet Sprocket cover band that I'll be starting up: The ​Batley Townswomens' Guild.