Buckcherry and Filter

Lead Vocalist Josh Todd founded Buckcherry in the mid 90’s after bonding with guitarist Keith Nelson over a mutual appreciation of AC/DC in a California tattoo parlour. After recording music together, they added a bass player, Jonathan Brightman, and a drummer, Devon Glenn, and toured local bars and clubs in Hollywood, under the name Sparrow.

After gaining a local fanbase due to their classic rock n roll style, they were quickly snapped up by Dreamsworks Records, and forced to change their name to legal reasons. The band claims they named themselves after a draq queen in Hollywood.

Buckcherry released their self-titled debut studio album in 1999, which was a commercial and critical success, with the album certified Gold. Following on from the album, the band toured extensively, with highlights including an opening slot for Lenny Kravitz and playing at Woodstock festival.

They quickly followed with a sophomore album “Time Bomb” in 2001, however they album was considered by fans and critics as a disappointment, and with various artistic differences and member changes within the group, the band eventually broke up in 2002

After Todd and Nelson flirted with a project with Guns N’ Roses member Slash, and wrote and produced records for other bands such as Velvet Revolver, they decided to reform Buckcherry for a second stint in 2005.

They unleashed their successful comeback album “15” in 2006, which marked the completion of a successful return for the group as it was certified platinum. Since their return, Buckcherry have continued to write fruitful albums, including 2013’s “Confessions”.

Since their comeback, the band have played on massive tours with rock behemoths KISS and Motley Crue, and contributed music to movie soundtracks such as the “Avengers Assemble”

Prior to meeting through a mutual friend, vocalist, guitarist, bassist and drummer Richard Patrick had been a touring member of Nine Inch Nails on the band’s first tour, and programmer, guitarist, keyboardist and drummer Brian Liesegang had graduated in philosophy from the University of Chicago. Shortly after meeting the pair began recording their brand industrial rock that resulted in Filter’s debut album “Short Bus” in 1995. Recorded in a small room in Cleveland and released by Reprise Records, the album hit the mainstream aided by notable MTV rotation of the single “Hey Man, Nice Shot”.

In support of the album the duo enlisted the help of guitarist Geno Lenardo, bassist Frank Cavanaugh, and drummer Matt Walker and embarked on their first tour. Two years later in 1997, Liesegang left the group citing creative differences, however Patrick continued on and released “Title of Record” in 1999. Thanks again to significant radio air play and MTV rotation, the album proved another success, later being certified platinum, featuring the single “Take a Picture”. The album marked the departure of Walker who left to work with the Smashing Pumpkins and the arrival of Steve Gillis on drums.

In 2002 the band’s third full length “The Amalgamut" arrived, aided by the singles “Where Do We Go From Here?” and “American Cliché”. Alan Bailey was hired to perform guitar on the subsequent live tour, however it didn’t last long as Patrick voluntarily checked himself into rehab for alcohol and drug dependency. After getting himself clean Patrick was part of the supergroup The Damning Well and formed the other supergroup Army of Anyone, although neither found particular success and the band leader returned his focus to Filter.

Filter released their fourth studio album “Anthems for the Damned” in 2008 and in the same year the remix album “Remixes for the Damned”. The band’s fifth full-length “The Trouble with Angles”, produced by Bob Marlette, was eventually issued in 2010 and was notably much heavier and industrial then their previous releases. Working with Marlette again on the album “The Sun Comes Out Tonight” (2013) the album was led by the single “We Hate It When You Get What You Want” and was supported by a tour opening for the Stone Temple Pilots.