Here’s a paradoxical question for you: When is a bad marriage a very good thing? When it’s the Boston-based rock band Bad Marriage, of course. And when you throw in custom printed bandanas.
And this ain’t no faint-hearted, rip-off band like a lot of the newer ones you see now. Nope, these guys are the genuine article, and they have only one goal. That goal, in the words of Mike Fitz, is to “play classic rock and roll in its purest form, trying to capture the classic sound – not a rip-off, not a throwback, but trying for a unique sound.”
And Bad Marriage has done exactly that . . .
As you can hear and as their website aptly puts it, “Boston’s Bad Marriage comes out of the gate swinging their hard rock hammer with both fists, laying down blistering boogie with heavily swung rhythms.
“Their repertoire digs deep with influences including AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses and Aerosmith. Indulging their collective thirst for tone and over-driven guitars, Bad Marriage pack their material with British blues-infused hard rock riffs and gutsy, soaring melodies.”
And Craig S. Semon, who writes for the Worcester, MA, Telegram, describes the band in no uncertain terms: “Who is Bad Marriage, you ask? Well, they’re quite possibly the band that will bring rock ‘n’ roll back into the forefront. They’re that good.”
Basically, they play genuine rock – the kind we like.
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Bad Marriage’s Genesis
Mike Fitz, founder of and lead guitarist for Bad Marriage, said that the inspiration for forming the band was simply one last effort to make it big playing his kind of music. And it looks like they are well on their way . . . since they are touring with Tesla and now have a debut CD out. (More on that in a minute.)
Fitz formed the band in early 2015. Most of the members, who are all from the Boston area, had known one another for over 20 years and had all been in various bands during those years.
When Fitz’ last band broke up, he decided to give it one more try. So he hand picked all the members of Bad Marriage, seeking out guys who were plainly professional and had (hopefully) what it took.
An obvious first choice for Fitz was Bad Marriage’s drummer, Michael Delaney, whom Fitz had played with on and off for 20 years. Another undeniable choice was singer Jonny Paquin who, according to Fitz, is “cut from the same cloth as Steven Tyler and Robert Plant” – with a sound so good Fitz says he is envious. Guitar player Ian Haggerty was in because, Fitz said, “he is a great player and has a great look and attitude.” Fitz didn’t know bassist Todd Boisvert, but after seeing him was certain he’d be a great fit for Bad Marriage.
So all the pieces were in place for a final push aimed at capturing the classic sound of the old-time rock and roll Fitz grew up with. It was, he said, simply “circling back to why I fell in love with rock and roll and guitar in the first place.”
“Fronted by flamboyant singer Paquin of Worcester (formerly of Uxbridge) and riff-heavy guitarist Fitz of Milford, Bad Marriage – which also features slinging axe-man Ian Haggerty of Attleboro, blistering bassist Todd Boisvert of Medwey and powder-keg drummer Michael Delaney of Milford – keeps building a steady stable of loyal fans with their high-energy stage show and unbeatable arsenal of crown-pleasing originals” (Telegram).
The Name “Bad Marriage”
You’re probably just as curious about the band’s name, Bad Marriage, as we were.
The first thing that comes to mind is that there are some sour grapes here – that these guys have had some miserable marital experiences. But it’s nothing like that really. Fitz has never been married, and two of the band members are happily married, so the name doesn’t have anything to do with failed marriages.
The name Bad Marriage serves to signify what being in a band is like. Trying to keep a band together is always a struggle, and being in a band involves frequent bad breakups. It’s a tough job keeping everyone afloat and friendly, especially with all the volatile ingredients that have to be juggled – five guys, big egos, the lifestyle. “Being in a band,” Fitz said, “is like being in a bad marriage.”
Fitz coined the name and explained it to Telegram writer Semon. “I’ve never been married so it has nothing to do with an actual bad marriage, even though everybody who hears the name seems like they can relate. It’s hilarious.
“Eddie Money kicked open our dressing room door and said, ‘Bad Marriage. That’s the best (expletive) name I’ve heard. I’m going through one right now.’ . . . The name is loosely based around being a musician throughout the years in different bands. Trying to keep it together as a band, it’s like having four relationships. Not only do you have your girlfriend, but you also have four other members to deal with and their significant others. It’s not an easy thing.”
They may be called Bad Marriage, but right now they’ve got a pretty solid musical relationship . . . pleasing fans and racking up the accolades. And offering custom printed bandanas (from Wholesale For Everyone) sporting the band’s unique logo.
Bad Marriage’s Accolades and Accomplishments
Maybe you’ve never heard of Bad Marriage, but you should have – and you will. Consider . . .
- In 2017 Bad Marriage was featured twice in Classic Rock magazine – once in the “Stars Issue” and again in the “Best of the Year” issue.
- Classic Rock also used the Bad Marriage song “Electric Emerald Eyes” – right smack between Alice Cooper and Deep Purple – on the companion disc that accompanied the year-end issue.
- Bad Marriage now gets numerous requests from UK fans to come over to the UK because they consider Bad Marriage’s song the best on the disc.
- Bad Marriage’s AC/DC-inspired song “Nay-Sayin’ Blues” was recently licensed to the sport apparel giant Fanatics, who “offer fans the world’s largest collection of official sports apparel from all the leagues, teams and players you love.”
A high point for the band earlier this year was touring with and opening for Tesla, and the band will again tour with Tesla in September. Pretty impressive really. So check out tour dates and venues to find out when they will be in your area.
“Bad Marriage makes it “their job to give people absolutely no choice but to have an amazing time” (Telegram). Now that’s an impressive feat.
Brand New CD Coming Out . . . Now
And now you can own you some Bad Marriage. The band will release their first full-length album in just a few days. You can get your original Bad Marriage classic rock CD from your local music retailer or from the band’s website. You can also purchase individual songs online or all of them on digital streaming media outlets.
And here’s just some of what you’re gonna get . . .
“Already, the band has released three musical videos – for the retro-headbanging rocker ‘Old School Stereo,’ the hard-rocking ‘Diablo’ and the band’s solid cover of Tom Petty’s ‘Honey Bee.’ Bad Marriage has also been asked to record a killer cover of Dio’s ‘Holy Diver’ from the publishing company that owns the Dio catalog” (Telegram).
Special Offer with Custom Printed Bandanas
Now, here’s where it gets even better. You can purchase the VIP Package that includes not only the debut CD, but also a custom printed bandana sporting the band’s logo. But supply is limited and you have to order before September 1.
These are one-of-a-kind custom printed bandanas by Wholesale For Everyone. The Northeast is a big motorcycle area, Fitz indicated, so it was only logical to use collectible, custom-printed bandanas as promotional swag. And to show appreciation to fans, they decided to use them as bonus giveaways in the VIP Package.
But why custom-printed bandanas specifically from Wholesale For Everyone? Fitz said he researched online, but it was hard to find a company that would create custom printed bandanas. He also needed a company that had the capability to do professional printing that would look great – because they want only the best for their fans.
Naturally this raised the question of what’s next for Fitz in his search for custom printed bandanas?
The difficulty also lay in ordering something suitable for their rock niche. Fitz finally reached out to Wholesale for everyone. He said Dan’s staff at Wholesale For Everyone were quick to get back to him and that they sounded real. So a partnership was struck, and Bad Marriage entered into a good professional marriage here. “Both the turn-around time,” Fitz said, “and the quality are great.”
But you have to order your VIP Package right away, and, so far, there are only 300 bandanas available.
Don’t Miss Out
It’s certainly not every day or year or even decade that you come across a band like Bad Marriage. When you hear them, we’ll bet your reaction will be much like ours – astonishment at never having heard of a band that plays real rock so well. Original, but still redolent of rock from the era when it was great.
But now you have heard of them. To discover more, check out their website or Facebook page.
And now you also know where to go when you need custom printed bandanas for any occasion or event. Order your custom printed bandanas only at Wholesale For Everyone and don’t forget to send us pictures of your custom printed bandanas!
