Biography
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Years Active
1988 – present (36 years)
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Founded In
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States
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Members
- Alex Grossi (2003 – 2010)
- Anthony Focx (2002 – 2004)
- Bobby "Tango" Gibb (2002 – 2003)
- Danny Parker (1998 – 1998)
- Drew Fortier (2015 – present)
Although Bang Tango was often lumped in with the whole 80s glam metal movement (their deliberate 'pretty boy' looks and the fact that they hailed from Los Angeles, CA made it inevitable in their view), the hard rock quintet was one of the few L.A. metal groups to incorporate funk rockinto its sound, happening some time before the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Faith No More made it somewhat trendy to do so. Perhaps best known for their arena-ready tune "Someone Like You", the band's lineup consisted of Joe Lesté (vocals), Kyle Stevens (guitar), Mark Knight (guitar), Kyle Kyle (bass), and Tigg Ketler (drums), and the budding group gained the interest of MCA Records shortly after the quintet issued the in-concert recording 'Live Injection' in 1987. Their major-label debut, 'Psycho Café', was issued in 1989.
Though gaining a significant fan response, the group seemed cursed to have come in at the tail-end of the pop metal boom. Despite MTV's Headbanger's Ball program giving some air time to their single "Someone Like You", a release that came complete with a TV-hopeful music video, their album failed to break the band into the big time. Still, "Someone Like You" has ended-up included in various multi-artist hard rock album releases.
Bang Tango continued to issue albums during the early part of the 90s. These include 1991's 'Dancin' on Coals', 1992's 'Ain't No Jive...Live', and 1994's 'Love After Death'. Still, with the emergence of the alternative music movement, bands like Bang Tango became relatively passé with most of the metal community. Saddled with the 'also-ran' label, the band broke up shortly thereafter, with bassist Kyle joining former Faster Pussycat frontman Taime Downe's industrial rock project, the Newlydeads, while Joe Lesté did some time as a stand-in member of L.A. Guns.
As well, Ketler and Knight also resurfaced in the group the Worry Beads. In 1998, Kyle Kyle and Joe Lesté resurrected the Bang Tango name for the 1998 release, Live (on the Cleopatra label). A best-of compilation, Greatest Tricks, saw the light of day in 1999, as did United and Live the same year. In 2001, Lesté formed a more modern-sounding alt-metal outfit, Beautiful Creatures, issuing a self-titled debut the same year on Warner Bros., and toured as part of Ozzfest.
Bang Tango band members
(1987-1993)
Joe Lesté - vocals
Mark Knight - guitar
Kyle Stevens- guitar
Kyle Kyle - bass
Tigg Ketler (born Robert Ketler) - drums
(1993-1995)
Joe Lesté - vocals
Mark Knight - guitar
Matt Price - guitar
Kyle Kyle - bass
Tigg Ketler - drums
(1995-1996) SPLIT
(1996-1998)
Joe Lesté - vocals
Mark Tremalgia - guitar
Dan Aon - guitar
Kyle Kyle - bass
Rob Jones - drums
(1998-1999)
Joe Lesté - vocals
Mark Knight - guitar
Kyle Kyle - bass
Walter Earl - drums
Mattie B. - guitars
(2002-2003)
Joe Lesté - vocals
Michael Thomas - guitar
Anthony Focx guitar
Brian Saunders - bass
Robert Gibb - drums
(2003)
Joe Lesté - vocals
Michael Thomas - guitar
Anthony Focx guitar
Curtis Roach - bass
Glenn Sobel - drums
(2003)
Joe Lesté - vocals
Alex Grossi - guitar
Anthony Focx - guitar
Curtis Roach - bass
Glenn Sobel - drums
(2003-2005)
Joe Lesté - vocals
Alex Grossi - guitar
Anthony Focx - guitar
Curtis Roach - bass
Matt Starr - drums
(2005)
Joe Lesté - vocals
Michael Thomas - guitar
Jamie Keane - bass
Tod Burr - drums
(2005-2006)
Joe Lesté - vocals
Mark Simpson - guitar
Lance Eric - bass
Timmy Russell - drums
(2006-2007)
Joe Lesté - vocals
Michael Thomas - guitar
Lance Eric - bass
Timmy Russell - drums
(2007-present)
Joe Lesté - vocals
Michael Thomas - guitar
Ryan Seelbach - guitar
Lance Eric - bass
Timmy Russell - drums
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