Bay Area Glam outfit VAIN formed in late 1985 and had their first demo produced by ALICE COOPER keyboard player Paul Horowitz. Guitarist Jamie Scott (real name Chuck Mooney) had previously been a member of Metal band VICIOUS RUMOURS. Mainly thanks to their San Francisco roots, the big-haired VAIN was taken a little more seriously than their Los Angeles counterparts as far as the press were concerned.

Signing to Island Records VAIN debuted in September of 1989 with a strong, Paul Northfield produced album, 'No Respect'. Promotion was afforded by video clips for 'Beat The Bullet' and 'Who's Watching Who', both tracks garnering significant radio play. The band opened for SKID ROW in Europe that November before headline gigs in Japan. VAIN steadily fostered many fans mainly due to the undoubted quality of Davy Vain's songwriting skills.

A second album, produced by Jeff Hendrikson and to be titled 'All Those Strangers', was recorded but rejected by Island. As no CD copies were made, few bootlegs of these sessions have surfaced. Disillusioned, West and Rickard decamped, the guitarist duly joining SHINE. After this episode, Davy Vain perservered, by drafting new guitarist Shawn Rorie and forging a brief union with ex-GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler with his act ROADCREW. The band undertook a plethora of showcase gigs but Adler's previous and well documented addictions kept the record companies at bay.

Shawn Rorie later surfaced with WISH, HEAVY INTO JEFF, issuing a brace of albums, and THE VENTS. Meantime DANNY WEST released a Japanese solo album 'Taste The Sounds'.

VAIN regrouped with West and LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH drummer Danny Fury to record a new album. The 'Move On It' record was originally released in Japan on Polystar Records in November of 1993 before being picked up by British independent outfit Heavy Metal. The track listing included three ROADCREW compositions and also 'Planet's Turning' from the 'All Those Strangers' sessions.

A further album, 'Fade', was released in Japan by Polystar during March 1995 although only Vain and Mitchell now remained from the original band. Drums were in the hands of Louie Senor. This trio were then to rename the band DRAGONFLY. Once again Davy Vain dug into the archives, with 'Shooting Star' coming from the 'All Those Strangers' set and 'Can't Get Back' another ROADCREW track. SaRaya Recordings issued 'Fade' in the USA in 1996 with Revolver Records licensing the album for Europe.

Subsequently, Danny West gigged across California with DUKES OF HAZZARD and THE PIMPS OF VENUS. James Scott joined THE DANGS then BIG BLUE HEART. Tommy Rickard journeyed on to LOADED before enrolling into the ranks of a JACKSON 5 tribute band. DAVY VAIN issued a solo album 'In From Out Of Nowhere' in 2000 which featured Scott, Mitchell and Senor.

VAIN marked a return to live action during 2005, touring Europe in May and including Spanish dates with support from Barcelona's BAD WAY. A new album, 'On The Line', would be cut at Davy Vain's recording studio, The Groove Room. VAIN scheduled Uk tour dates for November 2006.