Line #39 Main/GarageBand


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4	[[quoteright:349:[[WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/family_guy_thumb_5_4.png]]]]
5
6	->''There's twenty-two singers! But one microphone\
7	Back in the garage\
8	There's five guitar players! But one guitar\
9	Back in the garage\
10	Complaints! Complaints! Wot an old bag\
11	Back in the garage\
12	All night''
13	-->-- Music/TheClash, "[[Music/TheClashAlbum Garageland]]"
14
15	So you want to start a band?
16
17	No money? Instruments held together with spit and duct tape? But you're gonna make it big someday, right? You'll need someplace to practice before you play the big stage. If you're from {{Suburbia}} do I have news for you! You have the ultimate practice space right in your own home!
18
19	The garage!
20
21	Yes, that dinky space where your dad keeps the Christmas decorations on the off season and keeps swearing that one day he'll clean it out so he can actually park his car in there. Co-opt that space now! Kick some stuff out of the way and drop your instruments where you can find space and wail away. You'll be playing concerts in no time, just open the garage door and the neighbors can get in on the action.
22
23	This trope is often played in fiction as a ragtag group of teenagers, for bonus points it may be a group of {{Emo Teen}}s, forming a band. More rarely, it will consist of middle-aged adults; usually this is PlayedForLaughs, or to show what [[ManChild immature]] [[LoserProtagonist losers]] they are for doing something ''usually'' associated with teenagers or twenty-somethings. Sometimes the band is a spur of the moment thing, started as a weekend project or to win a talent show and becomes the plot of the episode. Often the band will break up at the end of the episode.
24
25	TruthInTelevision, obviously, as it tends to be the largest single room in a typical suburban house that isn't in constant use by the rest of the family. (It also tends to be somewhat soundproof, which is a bonus if you're not very good.) A number of successful bands have started out as Garage Bands, with Music/{{Nirvana}} being one of the most famous in recent years. Hell, there's even a genre of music called GarageRock. Not directly related to the Apple software of the same name, although many garage band members swear by it... [[CrackIsCheaper if they can afford a MacBook.]]
26
27	See also ThreeChordsAndTheTruth.
28
29	----
30	!!Examples:
31
32	[[foldercontrol]]
33
34	[[folder:Advertising]]
35	* Creator/ChuckECheese is the leader of Munch's Make Believe Band, the rock and roll band which he forms with his friends Helen Henny, Mr. Munch, Jasper T. Jowels, and Pasqually P. Pieplate. They are joined by Bella Bunny in the early 2020s.
36	[[/folder]]
37
38	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
39	* In ''Anime/TamakoMarket'', Tamako's father was in one with Kunio, the current owner of the music cafe when he was a teenager. He even wrote a song for his future wife.
40	[[/folder]]
41
42	[[folder:Fan Works]]
43	* In [[http://sparkydearly.proboards.com/thread/654 this fanfic]] of ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatiansTheSeries'', the main pups form their own rock band. This fanfic later inspired a few fan arts and other fan works.
44	* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic ''Rock N Roll Equestrian Style'' is about the Mane Six forming a rock band to perform at Canterlot. There are several fan arts of the Mane Six as a rock band, but [[http://www.deviantart.com/art/Ponyville-s-favorite-band-299959502 this one]] matches the positions they have in the fanfic mentioned above, which seems to appropriately match their personalities (according to most user comments).
45	[[/folder]]
46
47	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
48	* ''WesternAnimation/TheBarbieDiaries'': Barbie is the leader of Charmz, the rock band she forms with Tia and Courtney.
49	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks'':
50	** The human counterparts of the ''Friendship Is Magic'' characters form a rock band, the "Rainbooms", following Rainbow Dash's idea. They're even seen rehearsing in the barn of Applejack's family farm. Several of the Web shorts preceding the movie also show them picking up their respective instruments.
51	** The human Trixie forms one, "Trixie and the Illusions", with her two girlfriends.
52	** Flash Sentry and his two buddies form their own, which is called "Flash Drive" in the novelization.
53	** Photo Finish also forms one with two of her friends, known as "Photo Finish and the Snapshots" from the novelization.
54	* ''WesternAnimation/PixarShorts'': In the ''Mater's Tall Tales'' short "Heavy Metal Mater", Mater started out as the leader of his own garage band, Mater and the Gas Caps, before they became a famous rock band called Heavy Metal Mater.
55	[[/folder]]
56
57	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
58	* Marty [=McFly=]'s band The Pinheads in ''Film/BackToTheFuture1'', which auditions for the school dance. (The judge? [[Music/HueyLewisAndTheNews Huey Lewis]] in a cameo.)
59	-->'''Audition Judge:''' Hold it, fellas. I'm afraid you're just too darn loud.
60	* ''Film/BillAndTedsExcellentAdventure'' has the main duo's band [[XtremeKoolLetterz Wyld Stallyns]].
61	* The Australian movie ''Film/GarageDays'' is about a band like this.
62	* In ''Film/FreakyFriday2003'', Anna's band practices down in the garage and don't get a real break until the Wango Tango auditions.
63	* Film/{{Scott Pilgrim\|Vs The World}}'s band, Sex [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Bob-omb]].
64	[[/folder]]
65
66	[[folder:Literature]]
67	* In "Literature/ColdSnap", Jamie Chambers is in a punk band called Transhumance with his girlfriend (who writes their songs) and his former roommate (who's the drummer). He figures Transhumance has a shot at success if they can get a PA system that works properly, a better drummer, any bass player, and enough songs to play a full set without repeating themselves. Another character notes that they've never played to an audience larger than fifty, which Jamie defensively says is a large crowd for the kind of venue they're able to get bookings at.
68	* In ''Literature/SoulMusic'', there's Insanity/The Whom/The Surruptitious Fabric/The Blots/And Supporting Bands. Due to an absence of cars (and hence of garages), they rehearse in Crash's dad's stables.
69	* In the ''Literature/SergeStorms'' novel ''Florida Roadkill'', there's a Satanic Rock band that practices in a storage unit. They're so bad that they have to practice with the door closed because of noise complaints from the nearby airport.
70	[[/folder]]
71
72	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
73	* ''Series/{{iCarly}}'': The b-plot of "iGet Banned" has Freddie and Gibby form a band called The Floors.
74	* ''Series/JulieAndThePhantoms'' has Sunset Curve, a 90's garage rock band who were about to get their big break with a gig at the Orpheum, but three of the four members died before they even got to play. Years later the ghosts of the three dead members meet a living girl in the old garage where they used to play (as her family now owns it) and form a new band, the eponymous Julie and the Phantoms.
75	* ''Series/MakeItPop'': Sun Hi, Jodi, Corki, and Caleb form the K-Pop garage band XO-IQ.
76	* In ''Series/RitaRocks'', Rita, a harried but HappilyMarried mother, finds a creative outlet in a garage band with her neighbor, her best friend, and her daughter's boyfriend.
77	* Series/ThePartridgeFamily started out this way in their show.
78	* Matt from ''Series/LizzieMcGuire'' started a garage band once for a subplot.
79	* ''Series/CoryInTheHouse'' has [=DC3=], formed by Cody, Meena, and Newt. Sophie joins them one time.
80	* ''Franchise/{{Degrassi}}'' has had at least one active garage band among the main characters in every version of the franchise since 1987.
81	* ''Series/TheGeorgeLopezShow'' has an episode where George's son Max joins such a band as he is learning to play guitar.
82	* The freaks had one in ''Series/FreaksAndGeeks'', before it fell apart.
83	* ''Series/LivAndMaddie'': Season 2 has Liv form one with Willow, Andie, and Holden called The Dream.
84	* On ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'', Earl recalls how he and his old friend Ralph, plus Randy and an elderly man from a fast-food drive-thru started a local band called "Phish Tako". They borrowed instruments, and even got a gig at the [[LocalHangout Crab Shack.]] But Earl and Ralph were hoping to get groupies...and their elderly bassist was scaring the women away, so they kicked him out. Earl ends up with ''two'' misdeeds to make up for: kicking out a band member on the basis of his age (just to get laid), and [[IBangedYourMom sleeping with Ralph's mother]] while drunk after the show.
85	* On ''Series/OrangeIsTheNewBlack'', it's revealed that Caputo used to be in one of these, until his then-girlfriend informed him that she was four months pregnant (and not by him; she had cheated on him with one of his bandmates), he gave her an HonorableMarriageProposal, and eventually that band broke up. Later in life (many years after she divorced him for that former bandmate), he joins another garage band called "Sideboob."
86	* ''Series/{{Taken}}'': In "Charlie and Lisa", Lisa Clarke becomes the drummer in a garage band several days after she moves to UsefulNotes/{{Seattle}} in September 1992. In "God's Equation", she is still a member of the band in 2002.
87	* ''Series/TheThundermans'': Max has his own band formed with his three buddies Oyster, Gideon, and Wolfgang (who replaced Angus after two episodes), but haven't agreed on a name. They break up in Season 4
88	* An episode of ''Series/TheWonderYears'' has a rock musician transfer into the protagonists' school and gets Kevin and friends to [[FiveManBandConcert form a band]]. Even the so-called musician can't actually play; luckily the local cops shut them down for noise complaints before they get a chance to play for an audience.
89	* ''Series/YoGabbaGabba'': The Season 2 episode "Band" focuses on the Gabba Gang forming their own band like the Yo Dazzlers, and learning the importance of practice and performing together.
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
93	* Jeremy has one in ''ComicStrip/{{Zits}}''.
94	* Chip Flagston has a band with two of his friends in ''ComicStrip/HiAndLois''.
95	* The New Delhi Monkey Gang, Hil's band in ''ComicStrip/SallyForthHoward''.
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:Radio]]
99	* Ed Grundy's band Dross in ''Radio/TheArchers''.
100	[[/folder]]
101
102	[[folder:Video Games]]
103	* ''VideoGame/{{Hiveswap}}'': Xefros and Dammek are in a band called the Grubbles (or Grubbels). The former acts as the vocalist laying down pro-rebellion raps with an auto tuned microphone, while the latter provides instrumentals and backup singing.
104	* Mae, Gregg and Angus of ''VideoGame/NightInTheWoods'' played in a band together before Mae left for college, and Bea joined during her absence. Gregg wastes no time recruiting Mae back in to play bass once she returns to Possum Springs.
105	* Subverted in ''VideoGame/TotalDistortion''. One of its endgame locations is called "Hell's Garage", a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin literal garage in Hell]]. You can listen to a group of satanic rock songs by downloading them from a [[Platform/AppleMacintosh Macintosh]], but the band itself is never seen, just its equipment.
106	[[/folder]]
107
108	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
109	* Invoked in Morgan’s epilogue of ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'' with Uncle Tommy’s band, The Tits. Uncle Tommy, having to put on a concert as the last surviving band member, [[spoiler:enlists Morgan and the protagonist to play with him, even though the protagonist has no musical background and Morgan’s playing is horrible]]. After several practices in the garage, they don’t seem to be getting any better, but Uncle Tommy eventually tells them that he was looking for a more amateur sound. And the concert delivers just that.
110	[[/folder]]
111
112	[[folder:Web Animation]]
113	* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'':
114	** The ''WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail'' "[[http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail141.html death metal]]" gave us Brainkrieg, a garage band in the ''WebAnimation/TeenGirlSquad'' universe. They even play out of a garage in "[[http://www.homestarrunner.com/brainkriegween.html Decomposing Pumpkins]]", with an Easter egg showing they had to leave before the lead singer's mom comes home.
115	** In one episode, the Teen Girl Squad tried to form their own band, Kissyboots, but it didn't go so well.
116	[[/folder]]
117
118	[[folder:Web Comics]]
119	* ''Webcomic/KevinAndKell'': The [[https://kevinandkell.com/2008/kk0823.html August 23, 2008]] strip shows Rudy and some of his friends having formed one, which consists entirely of them howling at a picture of the moon. It's never been mentioned since.
120	* [=Deathmøle=] in ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent''.
121	[[/folder]]
122
123	[[folder:Web Original]]
124	* ''The Hard Times'' (the punk rock answer to Website/TheOnion) ran [[https://thehardtimes.net/culture/wife-of-man-who-started-midlife-crisis-band-wishes-hed-just-had-an-affair/ a satirical news story about a woman whose husband started a midlife crisis band, leading her to wish that he'd just had an affair instead.]]
125	[[/folder]]
126
127	[[folder:Western Animation]]
128	* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'' has an episode where Jimmy & Co. try to start a band for a talent show.
129	* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' has Steve and his friends starting a band in one episode.
130	* The titular characters of ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead'' started a garage band in one episode, despite only knowing how to play air guitar. They named their band "Metallica" and caused a huge riot when they didn't show up to a gig, where hundreds of people awaited [[Music/{{Metallica}} the band of the same name]].
131	* ''WesternAnimation/TheBremenAvenueExperience'' takes the animal characters from the FairyTale "Literature/TheBremenTownMusicians" and re-imagines them as a modern day FunnyAnimal Garage Band.
132	* The ''WesternAnimation/BubbleGuppies'' start a garage band in "We Totally Rock!" to perform for the Bubbletucky townsfolk.
133	* In the ''WesternAnimation/ChalkZone'' music video segment "All Day Jam", Rudy, Penny, and Snap perform as one.
134	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'', there's Trent's band Mystik Spiral ([[RunningGag but they're thinking of changing the name]]).
135	* ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'': In the episode "A Revolution in Home Appliances," Gosalyn, Honker, and Tank start a garage band of sorts.
136	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'' had an episode about this, apropriately titled, "Doug's Garage Band".
137	* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'': The Three Caballeros are reimagined as having been one in this continuity, with Donald Duck, Panchito Pistoles, and José Carioca having literally practiced in Scrooge's garage during their college years, much to the latter's annoyance.
138	* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'':
139	** Chris starts a metal garage band in one episode.
140	** In another episode, Peter and his buddies form a rock band, but things don't go so well at their first gig when they find out they don't know any songs.
141	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Grojband}}'' naturally stars one. [[DontExplainTheJoke Because "groj" sounds like "garage."]]
142	* In ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Gumby}} Gumby Adventures]]'', Gumby and his friends have a rock band of their own. They practice in their barn.
143	* ''WesternAnimation/HomeMovies'':
144	** Duane's garage band SCÄB (note the HeavyMetalUmlaut). They even do a rock opera based on Creator/FranzKafka.
145	** Brendon and his pals start a band in "Guitarmageddon", but they put more energy into coming up with band names than on their music.
146	* ''WesternAnimation/KickButtowski'' had the episode "Garage Banned" where Brad and his gang practiced to win the Battle of the Bands, leaving Kick and Gunther to practice elsewhere.
147	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'':
148	** "House Band" features Luna and the Loud siblings forming a garage band to perform at the Family Fun Fair. A flashback in the same episode reveals Lynn Sr. used to be in one himself, but his horrid cowbell skills got him kicked out.
149	** Luna Loud is the lead singer of her garage band, the Moon Goats, along with Sam, Sulley, and Mazzy.
150	** Lynn Sr. later forms his own garage band, the Doo-Dads, with Kotaro, Harold, and Rodney.
151	* The early 2000s specials for ''Toys/PollyPocket'' revolved around Polly and her friends forming a band, Polly and the Pockets, which performs at the end of each production.
152	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
153	** The episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E1HomersBarbershopQuartet Homer's Barbershop Quartet]]" shows Homer in a flashback starting a barbershop quartet with Barney Gumble, Principal Skinner, and Apu.
154	** The episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS26E8Covercraft Covercraft]]" has Homer, Kirk Van Houten, Rev. Lovejoy, Dr. Hibbert, and Apu form a garage band.
155	* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'':
156	** The Lords of the Underworld. They only become popular when they become [[EnsembleDarkhorse Timmy]] and the Lords of the Underworld.
157	** There's also Moop. In the same episode, Faith+1 starts out this way before getting popular.
158	* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': The episode "Krabby Road" has [=SpongeBob=] and Plankton starting a band with Patrick and Squidward, which is actually a plot by Plankton to steal the krabby patty formula.
159	* ''WesternAnimation/SunnyDay'': "Band Together" has Sunny form a band with Rox, Blair, and Doodle for Timmy's talent show, called Sunny and the Sun Rays.
160	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Vampirina}}'' has the titular vampire girl and her two human girlfriends form one called "The Ghoul Girls".
161	[[/folder]]

Context Main / GarageBand