by Ed RivadaviaTo put it simply, Rhino Bucket sound exactly like Bon Scott-era AC/DC, something for which the band makes no apologies. Furthermore, what could easily be passed off as mere plagiarism, becomes instead a celebration of the original masterpiece thanks to Rhino Bucket's bold-faced indifference and oftentimes fantastic songs. They also deserve some credit for coming up with one of the most original and bizarre names in rock history.
Formed in Van Nuys, CA, in 1987 by Finnish-born transplant Georg Dolivo (Bon Scott-cloned vocals and guitar), lead guitarist Greg Fields, bassist Reeve Downes, and drummer Liam Jason, Rhino Bucket perfectly replicated AC/DC's raw, three-chord boogie to perfection on their self-titled debut album. But while they were quickly embraced by the U.K. and European press, the band was faced with nothing but apathy and scorn in America, where they were pegged as rip-off artists and received little promotional support from their label. Despite the inclusion of one of its tracks, "Ride With Yourself," in Mike Myers' popular Wayne's World movie, their aptly titled second album, 1992's Get Used to It, also failed to make any headway, and the band was soon unceremoniously dropped by Reprise. Still they soldiered on, and in an ironic twist of fate, recruited former AC/DC skin-pounder Simon Wright to replace the departed Liam Jason for their third album, 1994's independently released Pain. Rhino Bucket finally called it a day the following year, but eventually re-formed in 2001 with plans to record a new album. Interestingly, the new lineup included original drummer Liam Jason, billed as Jackie Enx following sexual reassignment surgery. After a lengthy hiatus, the group returned in 2006 with And Then It Got Ugly.