The Goo Goo Dolls und Neon Trees

The band was formed by John Rzeznik on lead vocals and guitar, Robby Takac on the bass guitar and George Tutuska on the drums. The band took their name from a toy advert the band saw when they were preparing for a gig in the same evening, and to this day Rzeznik swears blind that if he had five more minutes then he would have picked a better name.

However, this was the late 80's leading into the early 90's. A banner time for bands with really stupid names. This was the age of Foo Fighters and and The Lemonheads, and the Goo Goo Dolls became one of the biggest names in American rock by their fifth album "A Boy Named Goo".

The album was the first on their indie label Metal Blade to go double platinum and suddenly, the band had the whole of the music world at their feet. And they were going to get even bigger.

Soon after, they were asked to write a song for the motion picture "City of Angels", and despite Rzeznik going through a serious period of writers block, the song he came up with was "Iris". A worldwide hit that's still on the radio to this day, this turned them into one of the biggest bands in the country.

They remain at this level to this day, their last four albums having debuted in the top ten and "Iris" is still a staple of radio playlists and American Idol auditions. They may not be the coolest band around but they remain at the top of their game, able to pull off a killer live show in front of any crowd they find themselves in front of. Highly recommended.

The band started life in 2005, after former neighbours Tyler Glenn (vocals, keyboards) and Chris Allen (guitar, vocals) moved from Southern California to Provo, Utah. Later, Branden Campbell (bass guitar, vocals) and Elaine Bradley (drums, percussion, vocals) joined, forming the four piece act. All the members of Neon Trees are part of the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-day Saints, with their religious beliefs being a significant influence in their lyrical content.

Neon Trees were given their big break after The Killers' drummer, Ronnie Vanucci Jr. went to see the band play. Impressed, the drummer from The Killers chose the band to support them on a number of dates during their 2008 North American tour, exposing Neon Trees yo a whole host of new fans and listeners.

The band released their debut album on Mercury/Def Jam records in 2010, titled "Habits." The release was a moderate success, with their lead single "Animal" featured as the Itunes free single of the week. With a performance on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' and the 'Tonight Show with Jay Leno' they gained further exposure, gaining more fans in the process.

Their brand of disco rock which collides with radio-friendly new wave has a definite David Bowie influence, featuring many mainstream-friendly hooks that entice the listener. Their single, "Everybody Talks" was a popular hit from their second album "Picture Show" (2012) and featured on a number of television programs.

In 2014, Neon Trees released "Pop Psychology," their third studio album, which was a more polished affair, with "Sleeping With a Friend" becoming a popular hit. Lead singer Glenn came out publicly as gay before the album was released, making the record all the more poignant, revealing a sense of soul searching that seemed to be a prominent theme throughout the album.