Faster Pussycat

The American hard rock act  Faster Pussycat was formed in Hollywood in 1985, namd after Russ Meyer's movie "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!". They quickly signed a deal with major label Elektra Records in December 1986. After several early line-up changes they found a first stable line-up consisting up Taime Downe (vocals), Greg Steele (guitars), Brent Muscat (guitars), Kelly Nickels (bass) and Mark Michals (drums). Before recording their debut album, Nickels had however departed and was duly replaced with former Champagne member Eric Stacy. The band released their eponymous Ric Browde produced debut album the same year as Guns N' Roses released their break-through album "Appetite For Destruction" and the two glam rock icons toured the UK and Germany together in 1987. US touring found them on the road with Alice Cooper, David Lee Roth and Motörhead. Two years later Faster Pussycat recorded their most successful album "Wake Me When It's Over" with producer John Jansen, an album that reached gold status in the US, much thanks to their hit single "House Of Pain". Music videos were shot for that song as well as "Poison Ivy". While touring with The Almighty and Dangerous Toys in 1990, drummer Mark Michals was arrested in Omaha, Nebraska for trying to mail heroin to his hotel room and was soon to be fired. Quiet Riot's Frankie Banali stepped in for the remaining dates. The new permanent drummer was Brett Bradshaw who was to follow the band on new tours with Kiss and Mötley Crüe. 

In 1990 Faster Pussycat recorded a cover of Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" for the compilation "Rubaiyat: Elektra's 40th Anniversary" where current Elektra artists recorded various songs from the label catalogue. The band's third album "Whipped!" was of a somewhat darker nature than their previous releases but did not sell as well as the Seattle grunge scene was taking over, leaving most glam rock bands behind. As a result, Faster Pussycat was dropped by their label in 1992 and split up the following year. Their final show was on July 6th, 1993, in Japan. Taime Downe joined Pigface before forming his own industrial rock act called  The Newlydeads with Kyle Kyle of Bang Tango. In 2001 Faster Pussycat reunited with a new line-up featuring a couple of members from Taime's Newlydeads band. The same year they released "Between The Valley Of The Ultra Pussy" which consisted of industrial rock remixes of their classic songs + a cover of the Kiss' classic "I Was Made For Loving You". Mid-way through their 2001 tour with Poison and Cinderella Steele suddenly left the band, leaving Tracii Guns to fill in for the rest of the tour. The summer of 2002 saw a strange band on the stage, now embracing an industrial WWII image with black leather, armbands and steel helmets as important attires. June and July of 2003 saw Faster Pussycat on the road with Pretty Boy Floyd and Enuff Z'nuff for the debut "Metal Sludge" tour. 

In 2005 Brent was unable to participate on their US tour. This time Eric Griffin from the Murderdolls filled in. The re-mix CD did not do well with the band's old fans and in December 2006 "original" Faster Pussycat members Brent Muscat, Eric Stacy and Brett Bradshaw started doing shows under the name with Kurt Frohlich of The Underground Rebels on vocals in order to do the old classics the real way. In Febuary 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 then he did for me) but neither responded" In March 2007 Brent did an interview with an Italian publication in which he stated: 

"I love Taime but I beleive he is caught up in a dark, fake and lonley 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 freinds and he is too messed up to see it"  On April 21st, 2007, Muscat placed an open invitation on MySpace to have Taime and Greg reuniting with him, Stacy and Bradshaw but nothing was heard from his former bandmates. Instead the band began touring Europe with Frohlich back on vocals and Todd Kerns on guitars. July would see the band take part in the unique event dubbed "Rocklahoma" in Pryor, Oklahoma, where the largest 80s rock festival ever was to take place, headlined by 80s hard rock legends Twisted Sister.  Taime Downe  was a co-owner of the legendary Cathouse club with TV and radio personality Riki Rachman.

FASTER PUSSYCAT GREATEST ALBUM (2003)

Track list

1.   Poison Ivy
2. Nonstop to Nowhere
3. Cathouse
4. Slip of the Tongue
5. Where There's a Whip There's a Way
6. Don't Change That Song
7. Bathroom Wall
8. Bottle in Front of Me
9. You're So Vain
10. House of Pain

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