Mighty McFly

Just when you thought Mighty McFly
couldn't get any better, two more
members bail. That's right. This summer, guitarist and drummer left Mighty McFly to pursue other interests. So, with only lead vocalist/gymnast Brent left,
what's a band to do? Get four cool new people and truck on, that's what. If it weren't for the suit-clad Brent climbing speakers or the amazing tunes blaring from them, Mighty McFly might be mistaken for an entirely different band. The most
notable characteristic of the group is its lack of feminine stage presence. Despite the lack of "T & A," Mighty McFly fans have stood by their band. "I was really worried about it," Brent said about the all-male lineup during an interview.
Apparently, there was nothing to worry about. Since the new lineup began touring nearly two months ago, fans have welcomed the newcomers with open arms.
"We are thrilled beyond belief with the piles of people who come out and accept the new faces," said new guitar player Anar Starchild.
Fans are important to the success of any artist or band, and the men of Mighty McFly have taken notice of fan support. "We would like to personally thank the fans," Brent said. The guys of Mighty McFly also notice differences with the new lineup, including, as keyboardist Jason Vaine pointed out, "less bathroom breaks on the road."
"We're much more musically solid," Brent said. Before the new lineup went into effect, certain aspects of McFly's performance had begun to wan, Brent said, including energy and musicianship. "That's all back now," he said. Mighty McFly can definitely boast about better musicianship. The band, which is working on a new album and playing an eight-state tour, is slated to play at USC on Tuesday
during orientation week. Everyone in the band is credited as a vocalist, which "allows certain people to sing
songs they're more suited for,"Sweet Baby J, drummer said.
The men of Mighty McFly also have talents outside music. Drummer Jeremy was a landscaper before he joined the group, Brent has a degree in accounting and guitar player Anar is a lawyer. However, the decision to play music is not a difficult one. "I chose music way before," said Anar, who had been playing local gigs in Los Angeles
before becoming part of Mighty McFly. "A bunch of us have worked day jobs," Jason Vaine said. "Why do that when you could do this?"
As to why he joined Mighty McFly, BaceGhost said, "This was something completely different. We were like 'Hell yeah! We want to be part of Mighty McFly.' In addition to covering '80s hits, Mighty McFly is also working on an original album and is scheduled to be in the studio early next year. The upcoming album was a deciding factor in who joined the band. "Everyone was picked for personality and what they can bring to the table for the new album," Brent said. "It's about playing songs everybody would like and writing songs everybody would like." Until they enter the studio, Mighty McFly will continue touring. Their touring schedule takes them to eight states, as far north as Illinois, as far south as Florida and as far west as Louisiana.
Mighty McFly is slated to play at USC on Tuesday during orientation week. - The Gamecock - Brindy McNair - 08/18/05

Mighty McFly, not to be
confused with the British boyband
of similar name and lesser
talent, is a retro-cover band with a
secret weapon: a mile-long song list
and energy to boot. The band covers music from the ’70s and ’80s, as well as more contemporary music like Tool’s “Sober” and “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” by The Darkness. With a song list of more than 120 songs, McFly provides a little something for everyone. Having played more than 600 shows in 12 states, the band has acquired a rather large following.
Despite the loss of vocalist and
keyboardist Bambi Lynn and
bassist Ricky Zero, who, according
to a newsletter e-mailed to fans,
left the band to pursue other
interests, Mighty McFly continues
to rock. The band has performances booked through August, with two performances scheduled at Delaney’s in Five Points each month. Last month, the band
performed at the Dance Marathon
fund-raiser Feb. 19, where it
gained at least one more fan.
Third-year computer information
systems student and Dance
Marathon committee member
Brian Buran was impressed by
Mighty McFly’s show. “They were a very energetic group of people who were really fun to watch,” Buran said. “They had a great selection of songs.” “Energy” is a word that perfectly describes a Mighty McFly
performance. Lead vocalist Brent
entertains his audience not only
with his voice, but also with his
keen acrobatics. It is not unusual
to see him, sharply dressed in his
signature suit, jumping off the
nearest fixture and dancing on
tables. “Brent was jumping off the
speakers and climbing up the walls
and doing all kinds of crazy stuff,”
Buran said. This energy is what keeps fans, old and new, coming back for more. - The Mix - Brindy McNair - 03/16/05

During a recent concert in Charleston, the well-traveled cover band Mighty McFly kicked off its show with "Summer of 69" by Bryan Adams before diving into "What I Like About You" by the Romantics. And the crowd went nuts. Decked out in checkerboard, stripes and other 80's garb, McFly uses its look as well as its sound to get the crowd moving and grooving.
"We want to put on a show, so it's more than just music to us," said bassist Ricky Zero. "We feel like the image is a big part of why people come out. The show is really important to us as well as the music." Johanna Barona, 21, said McFly knows how to get everybody
into the act. "They're really good and have a great sound," Barona said. Their outfits, performance and what they wear gets the crowd into it. It's just fun music that everybody can enjoy." "I think there are definitely some people who look at being in a cover band as sort of selling out or not being as true to your musical muse as playing original music," Zero said. "I think for the most part people in other bands have been really supportive of us regardless of whether they play original or covers. "I think we're fun to watch whether you're into original or covers. We actually have a lot of people come out and see us and say 'Usually I don't like cover bands but you guys are just a lot of fun.'" Pay scale is traditionally higher for successful cover bands,
because club owners know it will sell. In Greenville there were waiting lines down the stairs waiting to pay cover charge for Mighty McFly's June 12 performance.
By playing covers in addition to their original music Mighty McFly plays fulltime and the members don't have day jobs. The Atlanta-based band plays about 20 shows per month around the Southeast. McFly has released its first CD entitled "Mighty McFly," which features 14 original songs plus three cover tracks on the first 1,000 copies. - Greenville Online - Price Atkinson - 06/21/04

BY MOSI REEVES
Published 05.24.06
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Here's a battle of the bands for you. Mighty McFly, a cheeky, 80s-inspired pop-rock band that usually plays joints like Wild Wing and El Azteca,
is fighting with McFly, a bunch of British teenyboppers trying to crack the U.S. market, over the similarity of their name. What's the beef?
"It's all about branding," says Nancy Furlong, manager and wife of Mighty McFly's lead vocalist, Brent.
First forming as McFly in August 2001, the Alpharetta group is locked in a trademark dispute with Rashman Corp., a California firm that manages McFly U.K.'s affairs in the States. In 2005, the group agreed to change its name to Mighty McFly as part of a settlement. Now, the corporation wants Mighty McFly to relinquish its new name, too, or face a costly civil suit. Rashman also filed a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization over Mighty McFly's URLs, www.mcflyrocks.com and www.mcflyusa.com. "They no longer want us to use 'McFly' in any context," says Furlong.
According to legal documents provided by Furlong, Rashman Corp. is represented by the legal firm Blakely, Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman. Neither a spokesman for the firm nor WIPO could be reached by press time. Ironically, McFly U.K. is hugely popular in Britain, but rarely plays in the States. (Some of you may have seen McFly U.K. in the Lindsay Lohan flop Just My Luck.) Meanwhile, Mighty McFly plays four to five shows a week around Georgia and the Carolinas. "It's absolutely imperative that we keep
the name," says Furlong. "It's so well-known for us that I can book this band anywhere by calling and saying the name of the band." She hopes that if they win the WIPO case, it will dissuade Rashman from pursuing the trademark dispute any further. "I just don't have the money to pursue this proactively," she says. "Mighty McFly is an original band trying to make it, and there's just not a lot of money. We're an unsigned band." She expects WIPO to deliver its
decision in the next several weeks. - Creative Loafing Atlanta