Line #18 Main/BritishRockstar


1	[[quoteright:345:[[Film/ThisIsSpinalTap https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/britishrockstar_6158.png]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:345:"You wot m8? I canear ya."]]
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4	UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion helped cement British artists as big players in the international market. As such many bands or singers found in American media will turn out British. They're generally of the Metal or Rock genre with [[ImpossiblyTackyClothes horrible fashion sense]], who [[SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll take lots of drugs, drink lots of booze]], have [[TheCasanova incredibly high sexual tallies]] (often [[EuropeansAreKinky going for the weird stuff]], too), [[TrashTheSet trash hotel rooms]] and [[ApplianceDefenestration throw TVs out the window]], and are either indifferent or throwing themselves behind [[CharityMotivationSong whatever good cause]] [[ProtestSong might be available]]. Pierced nose and spiky mohawk optional.
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6	One particular trait is that they're likely to avert IAmVeryBritish, opting for a [[UsefulNotes/{{London}} cockney]] or [[OopNorth Northern accent]] (usually Liverpudlian or Mancunian, thanks to the existence of [[Music/TheBeatles famous]] [[Music/JoyDivision rock]] [[Music/NewOrder bands]] [[Music/TheSmiths from]] [[Music/TheStoneRoses those]] [[Music/{{Oasis}} cities]]).
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8	A subtrope of TheRockStar, who is usually a more positive, glamorous figure (and they can be British too!).
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10	\
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12	----
13	!!Examples:
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15	[[foldercontrol]]
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17	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
18	* The English dub of ''Anime/ExcelSaga'' gives the punk band that appears briefly in episode 21 comically British accents and mannerisms (one of them even calls another one "you wanker").
19	* In ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'', England invokes this trope in his character songs and versions of "Maru Kaite Chikyuu" and "Hatefutte Parade", all of which have distinctly rock feel to them. Just look at the front cover of his [[http://www.horror-vacui.net/hetarchive/images/images/other/character_cd_covers/englandcdcover.jpg Character CD]].
20	* ''Manga/{{Shy}}'' has one in the form of Stardust, a middle-aged British superhero based off of Music/DavidBowie that also pursued a rock career among other things.
21	* Zack from ''Anime/BeybladeBurst'' has a British accent in the English dub and dresses in a rocker fashion.
22	[[/folder]]
23
24	[[folder:Comic Books]]
25	* ''[[ComicBook/TwoThousandAD 2000 AD]]'' had ''ComicBook/{{Zenith}}'', a British '80s superhero-cum-rockstar who fit almost all the negative aspects of this trope.
26	* Jetta from ''ComicBook/JemAndTheHologramsIDW'' is the token Brit in an otherwise American metal band called The Misfits.
27	* The guest stars in the first issue of ''Comicbook/TheMuppetShowComicBook'' are the Zimmer Twins, an elderly British rock duo named Rick and Leif (parodying [[Music/TheRollingStonesBand Mick and "Keef"]]).
28	[[/folder]]
29
30	[[folder:Film -- Animation]]
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32	* Angus Scattergood from ''WesternAnimation/RockDog'' is a FunnyAnimal version of this trope.
33	* WesternAnimation/SpiderManAcrossTheSpiderVerse: Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk becomes this due to his AdaptationalNationality from a New Yorker to a Londoner.
34	[[/folder]]
35
36	[[folder:Film -- Live Action]]
37	* ''Film/TwentyFourHourPartyPeople'' is based on the true story of Factory Records, and Happy Mondays fits the trope to a tee, as they did in real life. At the lowest point, the band is sent to Barbados to record an album and get off heroin, but they in turn start smoking crack and end up selling the studio equipment, and when returning home, Shaun Ryder keeps the masters hostage, however after a gun point negotiation with the label owner Tony Wilson, agrees to hand them over for [[ComicallySmallBribe for £50]].
38	* Very early example -- the Creator/AmericanInternationalPictures movie ''Film/BikiniBeach'' (1964) had Frankie Avalon playing pop star Potato Bug (a ShallowParody of UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion rockers) in very cringe-worthy IAmVeryBritish mode (apparently all Britons acted like Creator/TerryThomas at the time.)
39	* Aldous Snow in ''Film/ForgettingSarahMarshall'' and ''Film/GetHimToTheGreek''. Snow is interesting in that he combines [[ExaggeratedTrope exaggeration]], [[SubvertedTrope subversion]], and SelfParody:
40	** Exaggeration. Cockney? Check. Excessive drug and alcohol consumption? Check, although ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'' is during a clean period. Incredible amounts of sex? CHECK. Indifference or random causes? ''Both'': "African Child" is an attempt to make a "cause" song that [[CluelessAesop just proves he doesn't care]]. Horrible fashion sense? Well, it's highly eccentric. Take it or leave it.
41	** Subversion, because he is actually a NiceGuy, albeit one with serious problems.
42	** Self-parody, because when you substitute "comedian" for "rock star", a lot of Aldous Snow's character is like that of his actor, Creator/RussellBrand.
43	* ''Film/GetCrazy'' -- among the players at a New Year's Eve show at a venerable ballroom venue is jaded Music/MickJagger expy Reggie Wanker, played by Creator/MalcolmMcDowell.
44	* Nighy took on a strikingly similar role to the above in the better known ''Film/LoveActually'' as [[TheDanza Billy Mack.]]
45	* Steel Dragon from ''Film/RockStar'', albeit a band hiring an American singer to act as a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute.
46	* ''Film/StillCrazy'': The story concerns Strange Fruit, a fictional British rock band led by Creator/BillNighy.
47	* Ben Sergeant and his band in ''ComicBook/TamaraDrewe''.
48	* The titular band from ''Film/ThisIsSpinalTap'' provides the page image. It doesn't help that the film captures them in their decline, as they struggle with the release of their latest album and a concert tour that eventually sees them get second-billed to a theme park puppet show.
49	* Protozoa of the band Microbe in ''Film/{{Zenon}}''. Unfortunately, his lyrics are made up of FutureSlang that seems to be a random mish-mash of unrelated scientific terms. Of course, he's wildly popular with the teenage girls in the movie, while the boys complain that his lyrics make too much sense (one wonders what sort of music they listen to).
50	[[/folder]]
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52	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
53	* Series/LaverneAndShirley nearly get into a marriage of convenience to two British Invasion rockers (Eric Idle and Peter Noone).
54	* ''Series/{{Bones}}'': [[Creator/StephenFry Dr. Gordon Wyatt]] once performed as Ziggy Stardust-expy "Noddy Comet", "a bisexual spaceman with a taste for glitter, lycra and an exhibitionist's disdain for underwear".
55	* ''Series/TheFortyFourHundred'': In "The Ballad of Kevin and Tess", Shawn befriends a British musician named Nick Crowley, whose music he loves, when he heals him in the aftermath of his drug and alcohol-fueled binge. When Nick has a similar episode the next day, he insists on being brought to the 4400 Center instead of a hospital so that Shawn can heal him again. Nick invites Shawn to come on tour with him so that he can heal him every time that this happens, but Shawn declines, as he thinks that his ability was meant for something better than continually bringing a rock star back from the brink of death.
56	* Derek Jupiter, the lead singer of Iron Weasel from ''Series/ImInTheBand''.
57	* In the final season of ''Series/JustShootMe'' Nina has a washed-up British pop-star as a boyfriend.
58	** An early episode had Maya interview a famous British rocker whose big hit was called "Nina in the Cantina". Everyone, including Nina, assumes the song is about her, but when the two meet, he doesn't have any idea who Nina is. He eventually recalls that [[spoiler:she's "that crazy bird what shagged our bass player" while drunk/stoned out of her mind. She's [[NobodyLovesTheBassist appalled]] to learn this]].
59	* Principal Mitchell from ''Series/KirbyBuckets'' is practically British rock star turned [[SternTeacher Stern Principal]].
60	* Charlie on ''Series/{{Lost}}'' was one in his back-story. Along with his brother, to push the Music/{{Oasis}} analogy further.
61	* The inclusion of Davy Jones in ''Series/TheMonkees''.
62	* Once on ''Series/QuantumLeap'' Sam leaped into a British Rock Star, whose band had taken up Music/{{KISS}}esque facial makeup as a gimmick. He has a stalker who claims to be his son from a tryst with his mother 16 years previous (which would make this band a popular British band in America [[UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion pre-Beatles]]).
63	* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'':
64	** The sketch "Needs More Cowbell" has the British producer/rock star [[Creator/ChristopherWalken Bruce Dickinson]] (not to be confused with [[Music/IronMaiden the real]] Music/BruceDickinson, who is also British).
65	** ''SNL'' marked UsefulNotes/{{Margaret Thatcher}}'s death with a sketch about Ian Rubbish, a fictional British punk rocker who confounded his bandmates by writing ''pro''-Thatcher songs.
66	* ''Series/{{SCTV}}'' "Mel's Rock Pile" has punk band The Queen Haters playing "I Hate the Bloody Queen", which underwhelms the ''Series/AmericanBandstand'' style audience.
67	* Henry Mallett in ''Series/{{Spirited}}'', whose appearance appears to have been based on a combination of Adam Ant and [[Music/TheRollingStonesBand Keith Richards]].
68	* In one episode of ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' Wayne plays a rock star in his hotel room in [[https://youtu.be/h-s2uAovzbQ this]] round of ''Let's Make A Date''. He automatically goes for a British accent.
69	* ''Series/WKRPInCincinnati'' had an early episode where the station sponsored a concert with the British band, Scum of the Earth, who stress that they specialize in ''Hoodlum Rock''. The difference from Punk Rock is that they dress in fine suits and ties, speak in erudite English and gleefully commit violent crimes on everyone, including their fans, whenever possible. Their leader is played by Michael Des Barres, a RealLife British rock star whose subsequent acting career would also take him to the above-mentioned "Nina in the Cantina" episode of ''Series/JustShootMe''.
70	[[/folder]]
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72	[[folder:Magazines]]
73	* Gary Bloke from ''Magazine/PrivateEye'' practically runs on this.
74	** There's also Spiggy Topes of Spiggy Topes and the Turds (later "[[UsefulNotes/KnightFever Sir Spigismond Topes]]") who is essentially a combined parody of every fading sixties rock star. Unusual in that this RunningGag actually started at the time of the British Invasion itself, so it has carried on in real time with the real thing.
75	* The October 15, 2012 issue of ''Magazine/TheNewYorker'' featured an Creator/{{Eric Idle}}-penned piece, "In Me Own Words", told from the perspective of an egotistical, aging British rock star who is about to publish his (ghostwritten, and when one gets [[FunetikAksent a load of his spelling]] one can see why) autobiography. It can be read [[http://www.ericidle.com/blog/?p=230 here]].
76	[[/folder]]
77
78	[[folder:Music]]
79	* Murdoc Niccals of Music/{{Gorillaz}} fame. 2D as well, but Murdoc fits the persona, whereas 2D is just TheDitz.
80	[[/folder]]
81
82	[[folder:Music Video]]
83	* Screamin' Lord Byron in the music video/short film ''Jazzin' for Blue Jean'' (1984) may be far more glamorous than the norm, but he still lives a wild lifestyle (when your entourage has oxygen tanks and B12 vitamins at the ready...), can be snobby to the help, and despite his super-smooth posturing is a quivering wreck when the protagonist, who is trying to maintain a CelebrityLie, literally falls into his dressing room. And [[ActingForTwo both characters]] are played by Music/DavidBowie, [[AdamWesting an actual rock star from Britain who had infamously wild days in the 1970s]] and TheRockStar, period.
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86	[[folder:Video Games]]
87	* Naturally a few of these turn up in ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'', like the Guardian of Metal (voiced by Ozzy Osbourne) and the Kill Master (voiced by Lemmy Kilmister).
88	* ''VideoGame/DeadRising2'' has heavy rockers named Jeanna Slick, Floyd Stone, and Allen Ash who are members of the band Angel Lust. The trio mistook the zombie horde for fans (admittedly, it's not that much of a stretch). They had such lines as "Oi mate, get off the bloody stage!" and "Zombies? Blimey!" They even destroy a crowd of zombies through ThePowerOfRock.
89	* There are several examples in the ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' series:
90	** In ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCity Vice City]]'', you must escort Love Fist, a Scottish band that is very similar to [[Film/ThisIsSpinalTap Spinal Tap]], around the city, along with their manager Kent Paul.
91	** In ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas San Andreas]]'', you meet up with [[Music/TheBeatles Maccer]], the frontman of a band called The Gurning Chimps who are largely parodies of this trope, though their style leans more towards proto-{{Britpop}}, like Music/TheStoneRoses, Music/{{Suede}}, and Music/HappyMondays (he even wears a Reni hat). Kent Paul has moved on to managing him since Love Fist burned out. To truly hammer the point home: Maccer is voiced by Shaun Ryder, the lead singer of the Music/HappyMondays.
92	** ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoLibertyCityStories Liberty City Stories]]'' has Crow, an ahead-of-his-time, egotistical humanitarian crusader who serves as a thinly-veiled parody of Sting from Music/ThePolice.
93	* Axl Low, the time-travelling goofball of the ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' games is designed after this whole aesthetic (''Guilty Gear'' being an {{Animesque}} fighting game chock full of rock/metal references), although it's only in ''Xrd'' he really gets his British accent, despite him being based off an ''[[Music/GunsNRoses American]]'' rockstar.
94	* Death Metal from ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' was one of these before he became the 10th ranked assassin in the UAA.
95	* ''Videogame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' has Piers, a rock star Gym Leader of the Galar Region ([[FantasyCounterpartCulture the setting's version of England]]) who has massive hair, overstylized clothes and is even written to have what seems to be a Northern accent in the localization. While he's not nearly as wild as other examples due to the kid-friendly nature of the series he is however a Dark Type Trainer and [[spoiler:the leader of [[FootballHooligans Team Yell]], who are his Gym Trainers that he sent out to support his sister Marnie]].
96	* ''VideoGame/RockStarAteMyHamster'' has the player assume the role of the [[TheSvengali sleazy manager]] of a British rock band, boosting its publicity by having the stars appear in noxious tabloid stories and accepting offers from dubious (and sometimes {{Fake Charit\|y}}ies such as the Nuke Your Granny Society.
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99	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
100	* In ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'', Morgan’s uncle, Tommy, used to be in a band, and he likes reminding everyone of that.
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103	[[folder:Web Original]]
104	* Fred Armisen's Ian Rubbish of Ian and the Bizarros (mentioned in Television above) has subsequently appeared in several web videos, released a few parody songs, and interviewed Music/TheClash.
105	[[/folder]]
106
107	[[folder:Western Animation]]
108	* On the ''California Raisins'' TV specials, the Raisins' main rival is a Mick Jagger-esque rocker named Lick Broccoli.
109	* The ''[[WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius Jimmy Neutron]]'' episode where Jimmy, Sheen, and Carl start a rock band has Carl adopting a fake British accent at one point.
110	-->'''Carl:''' [Accent] Hey what’s this? I have to share a blooming dressing room with you two blokes.\
111	'''Jimmy:''' Carl, why are you talking like that?
112	* ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'': The episode "Risky Beesness" involved a British rock band who were locked in their room by the villainess who wore a bee costume, could command bees and considered herself a musician. While in their dressing room, they spoke in received British pronunciation, had tea, and showed that the show's writers DidNotDoTheBloodyResearch regarding language in a children's show.
113	* Jetta, the [[SixthRanger later addition]] to The Misfits on ''WesternAnimation/{{Jem}}''. She's apparently [[AmericansHateTingle not popular in her home turf]] but is a part of one of the most popular bands in America. Jetta honestly doesn't like going back to Britain either. This was an enforced trope. Originally, she was going to be a black American woman, however ExecutiveMeddling didn't want a [[FlawlessToken black villain]] (the show later had a black villain in one episode though). It was decided that she could be either white and British or white and Australian. The [[ComicBook/JemAndTheHologramsIDW comic reboot]] [[RaceLift changed her]] to be a half-Japanese and half-black Brit.
114	* Luna from ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'' is American however she admires many British rockstars. She often [[BriefAccentImitation puts on a British accent]].
115	* Jagged Stone of ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' is Marinette and Adrian's favourite rock star, and he has a British accent in the English dub. He is also Thomas Astruc's [[CreatorsFavorite favourite]] character. This isn't the case in the original French, where he has an American accent instead.
116	* Jinky from ''WesternAnimation/{{Mixels}}'' is a former heavy metal star that has mellowed out and left the industry, with tendencies to relapse into his old persona if cornered (at least, so says his bio). He has a thick Liverpudlian accent to compliment this.
117	* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'':
118	** A future version of Mordecai and Rigby, who are famous rock stars, speak in vaguely Liverpudlian accents despite being American. It turns out that it's fake.
119	** Another episode features Ace Balthazar, a British heavy metal artist
120	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "The Otto Show", the B-plot has Bart -- notably inspired by his trip to a Spinal Tap concert (see Film -- Live-Action above) -- get a guitar. He has an ImagineSpot where he becomes one of these:
121	-->I'd [[FunetikAksent loik to play me latest chaht-toppah]]. It's called, "Me Fans Are Stupid Pigs."
122	* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'':
123	** Punk Rocket, who was the villain in the Lost Episode.
124	** In another episode, Beast Boy is brainwashed into temporarily having a British accent, which Raven proceeds to [[DeadpanSnarker snark]] about. He responds, "You're just jealous because I sound like a rock star."
125	[[/folder]]

Context Main / BritishRockstar