The next summer series on FX is bringing a new meaning to musical comedy. Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll is a show about a band reuniting to back the daughter of their former lead singer and take another stab at fame. But, are The Heathens from Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll a real band? On the FX series, Denis Leary plays Johnny Rock, the leader of this band. The rest of The Heathens consists of other cool-sounding characters like Flash, Rehab, and Bam Bam. They broke up the day their debut album is released, which has already sold me on the comedic aspects of this show. That's so extreme and hilarious! While the series is fictional and no, The Heathens is not a real band, that doesn't mean they weren't influenced by real rock and roll artists from that era.
Based on hairstyle alone, it's not difficult to place where Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll was coming from with this group. They're the type of rock & roll band in the 1990s that may have dipped into glam, heavy metal, grunge, or punk while re-defining themselves in the new decade. I would imagine that The Heathens just missed their chance to play a gig at CBGBs in New York City. They're like the fictional band in This Is Spinal Tap, but American and maybe slightly less ridiculous. Here are a few examples of what I think the FX series is going for with The Heathens.
1. Aerosmith
In the special look at Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll , the actors compared the relationship between Flash and Johnny to Steven Tyler and Joe Perry.
2. The Ramones
From the looks of it, while The Heathens hit their prime in the 1990s, they were emulating bands of the late 1970s and 1980s like The Ramones. Perhaps that commitment to a look that was already on the way out contributed to their downfall.
3. Bon Jovi
You can't tell me that Denis Leary's look wasn't inspired by Bon Jovi.
4. Pearl Jam
I definitely think that if the fictional band The Heathens hadn't broken up, they would have gone grunge like the Seattle bands of the 90s.
5. Alice In Chains
This is like the West Coast version of what Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll is going for with The Heathens.
6. Stone Temple Pilots
The timing is right for this band, who released their debut studio album at about the same time as Johnny Rock's group.
7. Nirvana
Hopefully, this video also gets the creepy trailer for The Gallows out of your head.
8. Def Leppard
Their rock & roll is exactly what I think the show is idolizing. But, I guess we'll see for sure on July 16.
Image: Patrick Harbron/FX
