MovieChat Forums > Rock Star (2001) Discussion > Steel Dragon Anglo-American Band?

Steel Dragon Anglo-American Band?


I was thinking about the nationalities of the Steel Dragon band members. Jason Flemyng as Bobby Beers, Dominic West as Kirk Cuddy and Jason Bonham as A.C. were British. Zakk Wylde as Ghode and Jeff Pilson as Jorgen were American. When I think about the classic rock and metal bands that I grew up listening to their original lineups were almost always either English or American, not both. When those bands replaced members nationality was not important. They seemed to hire good players who fit in with the band. Were Ghode and/or Jorgen ever referred to as the "new guys"?

For example, Judas Priest started to come together in 1969 in Birmingham, England. All of the band members were from the Birmingham area. In 1989 American Scott Travis joined the band as drummer. And in 1996 American Tim "Ripper" Owens joined as lead singer. Black Sabbath and Deep Purple are also English bands that hired American musicians as replacements.

The only band I can think of with an Anglo-American original lineup is Foreigner. Their original lineup consisted of three English and three American musicians. Someone said no matter where they were there would be at least three foreigners in the band. That remark inspired their name. Coincidentally two members of the fictitious Steel Dragon played with Foreigner. Jason Bonham was their drummer from 2004 to 2008. And Jeff Pilson has been their bass player since 2004.

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You are pretty much right about that. Super groups aside. The bands that start out in a garage or local clubs and then sign contracts tend to be local or regional guys who get together and start to make music. Priest, UFO, Purple, Def Lep, Iron Maiden, Lizzy, Sabbath, then in America/Canada you have Rush, Mettalica, BonJovi, Triumph, etc. but rarely do young unknown musicians hook up with players across the pond to form a group of the likes above. My favorite band ever is UFO and even in their most popular lineup they had the German Michael Schenker who was NOT in the original band. As time went by they had Americans and Brits (including Jason Bonham!) and they are still around after 45 years including one American member Vinnie Moore. Rainbow had the American Ronnie Dio, butt hey too were a so-called supergroup with members of Deep Purple and the Jeff Beck Group. So you make a great point!

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When I first started to get interested in music I thought the late Ronnie James Dio was English because I knew him from singing with Rainbow and Black Sabbath, two bands who were mostly English.

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Rainbow was formed with both....Dio and his American band Elf joined Ritchie Blackmore in 1975. From there it was a constant revolving door of band members both British and American.

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Oh you knew that...haha! Yeah Scott Gorham joining Thin Lizzy comes to mind. Obviously Randy Rhoads joining Blizzard of Ozz (the original band name). Jimi Hendrix going to England and having Chas Chandler hooking him up with his Brit backers Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding.

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