From the wreckage of roughly 20 nameless and faceless Los Angeles bands, Neon Horse arose as a collective of session musicians, home studio producers, waiters, postal workers, and bartenders who found a commonality among themselves as background players in the big picture of the L.A. rock scene. Literally hundreds of shows at clubs like The Troubadour, Spaceland (Silverlake, CA), The Viper Room, The El Rey, The Knitting Factory, etc. in various forgettable bands (or even more forgettable sessions) makes for a tough and realistic view of a working musician’s life, and the eventual members of the Horse were all looking for something new. After passing each other at dozens of shows – sometimes only to lend a hand with a busted chord or broken string, sometimes to keep an eye on the gear in the parking lot – and sharing countless tables for after hours war stories, the rather clichéd “inevitable” occurred and Neon Horse was formed.

Initially, the members played as a group only in their spare time, and didn’t really start writing music until… they met a man named Norman. In December of 2005, after an incredibly predictable event at the (now defunct) nightclub “Teddy’s” inside the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, the fledgling band first met their unpredictable singer – at the time, he was standing in the hallway, with a four-foot length of chain in his hand. After some uncomfortable conversation, the band realized Norman was just locking up and the police were not called. A brief and uninteresting chain of events led to an invitation to rehearsal. After two songs the lineup was settled and Neon Horse was formed.

Citing influences broad in range – from the Rock of AC/DC, Oingo Boingo, and even the Stooges to the Sass of Depeche Mode, Bauhaus, and Sisters of Mercy – the band set out to make music they could play with a straight face, and that would allow Norman to exhibit his wide range and… personality. Eclectic and manic, Neon Horse is a band of Rock and Roll roots in the purest form: An ever changing, mercurial, addictive – and at times, slightly bizarre – continuation of Rock’s re-inventive nature. Choosing to use the anonymity that had been their most recognizable common experience, the band elected to maintain a simple understanding: Beyond the logical necessity of establishing Norman as the face of the group, they simply prefer to be known as: Neon Horse.

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