FASTER PUSSYCAT Submitted By Cassie on 06/13/06 Link to Faster Pussycat Discography Faster Pussycat was formed in Hollywood during the Glam metal boom of the late 1980s, the earliest incarnation of the band featured Taime Downe and Brent Muscat along with Greg Steele. After several more member changes, Faster Pussycat soon morphed into the band's most well known line-up, consisting of; Taime Downe (vocals), Greg Steele (guitar), Brent Muscat (guitar), Kelly Nickels (bass) and Mark Michals (drums). Musically, Faster Pussycat drew influences from various rock, punk and glam groups; the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Sex Pistols, New York Dolls and others. Before recording their debut album, Nickels left the group and was replaced by Eric Stacy (ex-Champagne). The band released their debut album Faster Pussycat, the same year Guns N' Roses released the infamous Appetite for Destruction, the two bands even toured the United Kingdom together in 1987. The two groups also toured Germany where former Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin took drummer Mark Michals tied him up, threw him in an elevator, and sent him to the hotel lobby. Although Guns N' Roses would overshadow Faster Pussycat in album sales, the band managed to build a cult following and put out several promotional videos from the first album for songs such as "Cathouse", "Bathroom Wall" and "Don't Change That Song". In the United States the band toured with Alice Cooper, David Lee Roth and Motörhead in support of the album. Two years later, Faster Pussycat would record their most successful album Wake Me When It's Over. The album received gold status; its sales being largely boosted by the hit single, "House of Pain". Music videos where also produced for "House of Pain" and "Poison Ivy". While the band were touring for the album in 1990, drummer Mark Michals was arrested in Omaha, Nebraska for trying to mail heroin to his hotel room and was subsequently kicked out of the band. Frankie Banali of Quiet Riot filled in as drummer for the remainder of the tour, before Brett Bradshaw became Faster Pussycat's new long-term drummer. Tours with KISS and Mötley Crüe followed. In 1990, they recorded a cover of Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" for a compilation called "Rubáiyát: Elektra's 40th Anniversary". A video was also filmed for this track. It featured Taime for the first time with dark hair. The song was also later included on the 1992 Belted, Buckled And Booted EP, which served as the single for "Nonstop To Nowhere" and also included two unreleased tracks. Whipped! the third album by Faster Pussycat, had darker themes than their previous efforts, without losing their trademark sound. The album was not a commercial success, due mostly to the rise of grunge music from Seattle (Ironically, Downe is a Seattle native). Promotional videos for "Body Thief" and "Nonstop To Nowhere" were produced but saw little rotation. Faster Pussycat were dropped by Elektra Records in 1992 and the band broke up the following year. The album features backing vocals by Bekka Bramlett. After Faster Pussycat broke up, the members went their separate ways into various projects. Taime Downe was involved with industrial musical act Pigface before expanding on the darker themes started on Whipped!, by forming his own industrial rock act with Kyle Kyle of Bang Tango called The Newlydeads. In 2001 Faster Pussycat reformed featuring original members Taime Downe (vocals), Brent Muscat (guitar), Greg Steele (guitar); alongside Taime's former Newlydeads bandmates Xristian Simon (guitar), Danny Nordahl (bass), and Chad Stewart (drums). Danny Nordahl had also played in The Throbs, and Danny Nordahl and Chad Stewart both also play in Motochrist. A remix compilation Between the Valley of the Ultra Pussy was released the same year by the band, featuring industrial rock remixes of their classic tracks, along with a bonus cover of KISS' "I Was Made For Loving You". This divided fans as many of the band's older fanbase who enjoyed standard hard rock, were not familiar with industrial rock. Steele would leave the band half-way through the band's 2001 tour with Poison and Cinderella. Tracii Guns filled in as guitarist for the rest of the tour, but once the remaining dates were completed, Faster Pussycat continued as a five piece. After Brent was unable to tour in 2005, Eric Griffin from Murderdolls filled as the guitarist for their United States tour. There has been no official word concerning Brent's future in the band. Via their MySpace website, two new tracks "Number One With A Bullet" and a cover of "These Boots Were Made For Walking" were put up for listening. These tracks were previews for the album The Power And The Glory Hole which was released on July 13, 2006. It is the first Faster Pussycat album release in 14 years. The tracks were supposed to be a return to a more hard rock based sound for the band, in comparison to the Between the Valley of the Ultra Pussy remix compilation released earlier in the 2000s. In December 2006, three former original Faster Pussycat members; Brent Muscat, Eric Stacy and Brett Bradshaw alongside THE UNDERGROUND REBELS vocalist Kurt Frohlich began performing under the name, the purpose of this is so fans can hear Faster Pussycat tracks played in the way they originally were opposed to the Industrial rock-themed version Downe continues to front. They played the AVN Awards after-party at the Dive Bar in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to a press release, this version of the band — which does not include vocalist Taime Downe — will perform "all classic tracks, no remixes, no B.S." Taime sent out a bulletin on Myspace saying FPC was not playing in Vegas and Brent was just trying to make a buck; Brent has stated he donated all his money and planned to donate a portion of any future earnings to cancer research. In February 2007, Brent issued these statements on his myspace blog: "In 2000 Taime made an awful remix cd. It was not until Greg Steele and I threatened him with legal action that we were paid and invited to join our own band. In 2005 I was diagnosed with oral cancer. The band which I had been part of for 20 years all of a sudden replaced me and lied about my condition. I was very hurt that Taime never bothered to call me once. As a result of Taime's drunken and erratic performances, the price for Faster Pussycat live performances plummeted and fans have voiced their displeasure. I decided I would attempt to reunite the band to commemorate our 20th anniversary. I invited both Greg and Taime, (which is more than he did for me) but neither responded" In March 2007 Brent did an interview with an Italian publication which he stated: "I love Taime but I believe he is caught up in a dark, fake and lonely place, where the people around him kiss his ass and then talk shit behind his back..They use him for his drugs and ride his coat tails...Hollywood has been dead for a few years now... I'm so glad I got away from there and moved to Las Vegas. What is most sad about this, is the fact that I'm one of Taime's only real friends and he is too messed up to see it" On April 21, 2007, Muscat circulated via MySpace an open invitation to Taime Downe and Greg Steele to reunite with him, Stacy and Bradshaw. There has been no response. Faster Pussycat is currently on tour this Spring 2007 in Europe. Kurt Frohlich is replacing Taime on vocals along with Todd Kerns on guitar :: GO BACK TO THE METAL EPICENTER HOME PAGE! :: DISCUSS THIS POST ON THE FORUMS! :: BUY WRESTLING DVD'S THROUGH OUR STORE!

JOIN YOUR FELLOW METAL HEADS ON THE EPICENTER FORUMS!

The information on this website is exclusive property of Epicenter International and cannot be used elsewhere without proper link credit. All mail (electronic or postal) sent to this site becomes property of Epicenter International which allows the site to reprint that e-mail in it's entirety by doing so, if the email is considered newsworthy.