Draco and the Malfoys
Encyclopedia
Draco and the Malfoys are a wizard rock
band founded in Woonsocket, Rhode Island
in 2004. The group is composed of half-brothers Brian Ross and Bradley Mehlenbacher, who both perform under the persona of Draco Malfoy
from the Harry Potter
book series.
Since the band's formation in 2004, they have released two full-length studio albums, one extended play release and have collaborated on four compilation albums.
, who were performing at a local house party. In late 2004, Matt Maggiacomo invited the Harry and the Potters
to play at an all-Harry Potter show at his Rhode Island home. That night, Maggiacomo made his debut as The Whomping Willows, and his friends, Mehlenbacher and his brother, Brian Ross, played for the first time as Draco and the Malfoys.
ABC news reports that Brian Ross and Bradley Mehlenbacher's:
is all for show. In fact, the Potters and the Malfoys toured together for a month in the summer of 2007 and often collaborate on albums."
Neither Draco and the Malfoys nor their nemesis Harry and the Potters
think of the burgeoning wizard rock
community as a joke, or "even as some bastard-dork cousin of indie-rock". The Boston Phoenix reports that:
The Boston Phoenix wondered - in spite of fully booked calendars - how long will wizard rock
last once there are no new stories to riff on as their musical identity is contingent on the lasting success and popularity of a book series.
perspective. Thus dressed in Slytherin-themed costumes (green and silver ties), their anti-Potter lyrics – "You may have freed our house elf, and brought doubt to our family name/ but your parents still got toasted by a big, green, glowing flame" – were initially a parody of wizard rock
but were met with success and another Harry Potter-themed garage band was born. Draco and the Malfoys write catchy pop songs from the perspective of Harry's rival and tormentor, Draco Malfoy - "My dad's always there to open all my doors, you have to call a patronus just to catch a glimpse of yours... my dad is rich, and your dad is dead" - goes one chorus They make reference to various Harry Potter objects, such as the Mirror of Erised and the Patronus Charm. The lyrics are generally mocking and condescending towards Harry, Ron, and others. BostonNOW asked the band if Ross ever had "any anti-fan
s at your shows?" Ross replied:" Never. Everyone is very supportive, although we will get little kids getting mad and yelling at us because we write songs making fun of Neville and Harry". The Advocate
of Stamford, Connecticut
reported that:
, who were in turn inspired by the J.K. Rowling book series Harry Potter
.
.
and both bands usually charge $5 to $10 for tickets to their shows, though some performances are free. Draco and the Malfoys put their songs on Apple's iTunes for download and have created a MySpace page (see external links).
Extended plays
Wizard rock
Wizard rock is a genre of rock music that developed between 2002 and 2004 in the United States. Wizard rock bands are characterized by their performances and humorous songs about the Harry Potter universe. Wizard rock initially started in Massachusetts with Harry and the Potters, though it has...
band founded in Woonsocket, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
in 2004. The group is composed of half-brothers Brian Ross and Bradley Mehlenbacher, who both perform under the persona of Draco Malfoy
Draco Malfoy
Draco Malfoy is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. He is a Slytherin student in Harry Potter's year. He is frequently accompanied by his two accomplices, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, who act as henchmen...
from the Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
book series.
Since the band's formation in 2004, they have released two full-length studio albums, one extended play release and have collaborated on four compilation albums.
Early career (2004-2005)
Ross and Mehlenbacher originally conceived Draco and the Malfoys as a parody of Harry and the PottersHarry and the Potters
Harry and the Potters are an American alternative rock band known for spawning the genre of wizard rock. Founded in Norwood, Massachusetts, the group is primarily composed of Joe and Paul DeGeorge, who both perform under the persona of the title character from the Harry Potter book series...
, who were performing at a local house party. In late 2004, Matt Maggiacomo invited the Harry and the Potters
Harry and the Potters
Harry and the Potters are an American alternative rock band known for spawning the genre of wizard rock. Founded in Norwood, Massachusetts, the group is primarily composed of Joe and Paul DeGeorge, who both perform under the persona of the title character from the Harry Potter book series...
to play at an all-Harry Potter show at his Rhode Island home. That night, Maggiacomo made his debut as The Whomping Willows, and his friends, Mehlenbacher and his brother, Brian Ross, played for the first time as Draco and the Malfoys.
ABC news reports that Brian Ross and Bradley Mehlenbacher's:
...love for the Harry Potter book series is no less than that of the DeGeorge brothersHarry and the PottersHarry and the Potters are an American alternative rock band known for spawning the genre of wizard rock. Founded in Norwood, Massachusetts, the group is primarily composed of Joe and Paul DeGeorge, who both perform under the persona of the title character from the Harry Potter book series...
, but Brian and Bradley seem to better recognize the absurdity of the bands, even mocking the idea that Paul and Joe represent two differently aged versions of the popular wizard.
"We look like nothing like Draco Malfoy, and are clearly too old to be going to Hogwarts," said Brian, 32, of he and his brother Bradley, soon to be 27. "So we say that we're Draco from years 19 and 15 at Hogwarts."
Harry Potter fandom and fan conventions (2006-2007)
Ross said in the ABC news story that the mock rivalry between Draco and the Malfoys and the Harry and the PottersHarry and the Potters
Harry and the Potters are an American alternative rock band known for spawning the genre of wizard rock. Founded in Norwood, Massachusetts, the group is primarily composed of Joe and Paul DeGeorge, who both perform under the persona of the title character from the Harry Potter book series...
is all for show. In fact, the Potters and the Malfoys toured together for a month in the summer of 2007 and often collaborate on albums."
It's a catchy concept, two bands portraying the most beloved and hated characters in the Harry Potter series, both celebrating their passion for the fictional wizard world with catchy tunes and kid-friendly rock concerts."
Neither Draco and the Malfoys nor their nemesis Harry and the Potters
Harry and the Potters
Harry and the Potters are an American alternative rock band known for spawning the genre of wizard rock. Founded in Norwood, Massachusetts, the group is primarily composed of Joe and Paul DeGeorge, who both perform under the persona of the title character from the Harry Potter book series...
think of the burgeoning wizard rock
Wizard rock
Wizard rock is a genre of rock music that developed between 2002 and 2004 in the United States. Wizard rock bands are characterized by their performances and humorous songs about the Harry Potter universe. Wizard rock initially started in Massachusetts with Harry and the Potters, though it has...
community as a joke, or "even as some bastard-dork cousin of indie-rock". The Boston Phoenix reports that:
Both groups - Draco and the Malfoys and Harry and the PottersHarry and the PottersHarry and the Potters are an American alternative rock band known for spawning the genre of wizard rock. Founded in Norwood, Massachusetts, the group is primarily composed of Joe and Paul DeGeorge, who both perform under the persona of the title character from the Harry Potter book series...
- take their efforts quite seriously, especially at this juncture. Amidst the fervor leading up to the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, wizard rockWizard rockWizard rock is a genre of rock music that developed between 2002 and 2004 in the United States. Wizard rock bands are characterized by their performances and humorous songs about the Harry Potter universe. Wizard rock initially started in Massachusetts with Harry and the Potters, though it has...
ers seem to be drawing bigger and better crowds, at every show.
For Draco and the Malfoys, the band is an escape from the humdrum pressures of hipster irony — like the PottersHarry and the PottersHarry and the Potters are an American alternative rock band known for spawning the genre of wizard rock. Founded in Norwood, Massachusetts, the group is primarily composed of Joe and Paul DeGeorge, who both perform under the persona of the title character from the Harry Potter book series...
, they’re prone to rocking out in libraries. In this venture, says Ross, he and his band are just a pipeline for Pottermania. “With this, we’re all fans of something much larger,” he says. “Everyone shows up to have a good time, never to be a snob about the music, ever, ever, ever.”
The Boston Phoenix wondered - in spite of fully booked calendars - how long will wizard rock
Wizard rock
Wizard rock is a genre of rock music that developed between 2002 and 2004 in the United States. Wizard rock bands are characterized by their performances and humorous songs about the Harry Potter universe. Wizard rock initially started in Massachusetts with Harry and the Potters, though it has...
last once there are no new stories to riff on as their musical identity is contingent on the lasting success and popularity of a book series.
Ross sound[ed] almost tearful, in fact, when he professes his faith that the Potter phenomenon will outlast Deathly Hallows. He and his brother have both been in bands where, “if you go four hours away from your hometown, nobody comes to see you.” When the wiz kid is involved, they have a built-in fan base wherever they go. “Our experience with wizard rock has been the best musical experience of our lives,” says Ross. “We don’t really have any interest in stopping at all.”
Recent events (2008-present)
Draco and the Malfoys, Tom Riddle and Friends, Whomping Willows and the Moaning Myrtles played at Wrockstock 2008 at a YMCA summer camp lodge in the Ozark foothills. They released their third studio album, It's A Slytherin World and a compilation album, Anthology of Slytherin Folk Music, in 2009. They have released plans to create a series of extended plays, the first being Draco and the Malfoys Celebrate... Piracy!.Lyrics
Ross and Mehlenbacher write lyrics from Draco'sDraco Malfoy
Draco Malfoy is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. He is a Slytherin student in Harry Potter's year. He is frequently accompanied by his two accomplices, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, who act as henchmen...
perspective. Thus dressed in Slytherin-themed costumes (green and silver ties), their anti-Potter lyrics – "You may have freed our house elf, and brought doubt to our family name/ but your parents still got toasted by a big, green, glowing flame" – were initially a parody of wizard rock
Wizard rock
Wizard rock is a genre of rock music that developed between 2002 and 2004 in the United States. Wizard rock bands are characterized by their performances and humorous songs about the Harry Potter universe. Wizard rock initially started in Massachusetts with Harry and the Potters, though it has...
but were met with success and another Harry Potter-themed garage band was born. Draco and the Malfoys write catchy pop songs from the perspective of Harry's rival and tormentor, Draco Malfoy - "My dad's always there to open all my doors, you have to call a patronus just to catch a glimpse of yours... my dad is rich, and your dad is dead" - goes one chorus They make reference to various Harry Potter objects, such as the Mirror of Erised and the Patronus Charm. The lyrics are generally mocking and condescending towards Harry, Ron, and others. BostonNOW asked the band if Ross ever had "any anti-fan
Anti-fan
While fan studies, as part of media audience research, has traditionally positioned the fan as one who engages with ideas related to a topic they are exceptionally interested in and enjoy, little research has been done for those who engage just as obsessively with media they claim to oppose, but...
s at your shows?" Ross replied:" Never. Everyone is very supportive, although we will get little kids getting mad and yelling at us because we write songs making fun of Neville and Harry". The Advocate
The Advocate (Stamford)
The Advocate is a seven-day daily newspaper based in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. The paper shares a publisher and editor with the Greenwich Time; both are owned and operated by the Hearst Corporation, a multinational corporate media conglomerate with $4 billion in revenues.The Advocate circulates...
of Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
reported that:
The pair said they had fun trying to figure out why Draco's so mean, Mehlenbacher said. Their lyrics are written tongue-in-cheek, and all but the very youngest Harry Potter fans seem to understand that.
"Little kids really take it personally," Ross, 32, told the Advocate. "They yell at us."
Influences
The band was inspired by the band Harry and the PottersHarry and the Potters
Harry and the Potters are an American alternative rock band known for spawning the genre of wizard rock. Founded in Norwood, Massachusetts, the group is primarily composed of Joe and Paul DeGeorge, who both perform under the persona of the title character from the Harry Potter book series...
, who were in turn inspired by the J.K. Rowling book series Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
.
Instrumental
Draco and the Malfoys both play guitar. Brian plays a Fender Stratocaster, and Bradley plays a Fender Telecaster. They are often backed up by a BOSS Dr. Rhythm drum machine (both live and in studio recordings). Their music is more akin to hard rock than Harry and the PottersHarry and the Potters
Harry and the Potters are an American alternative rock band known for spawning the genre of wizard rock. Founded in Norwood, Massachusetts, the group is primarily composed of Joe and Paul DeGeorge, who both perform under the persona of the title character from the Harry Potter book series...
.
Reception
Draco and the Malfoys have toured with Harry and the PottersHarry and the Potters
Harry and the Potters are an American alternative rock band known for spawning the genre of wizard rock. Founded in Norwood, Massachusetts, the group is primarily composed of Joe and Paul DeGeorge, who both perform under the persona of the title character from the Harry Potter book series...
and both bands usually charge $5 to $10 for tickets to their shows, though some performances are free. Draco and the Malfoys put their songs on Apple's iTunes for download and have created a MySpace page (see external links).
Discography
Studio albums- Draco and the Malfoys (2005)
- Party Like You're Evil! (2007)
- It's A Slytherin World (2009)
- An Anthology of Slytherin Folk Songs (2009)
Extended plays
- Family (2007)
- Draco and the Malfoys Celebrate... Piracy! (TBR)
Further reading
- Dowling, Tim. Books, films and now gigs: Harry Potter rocks. The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
. July 17, 2007.