by Doctor Who is back on the air! Finally, we can stop going crazy waiting for the new season, and instead go back to going crazy waiting for each new episode. Whether you’re right there on the night of or have to log out of social media and wait for your season pass to kick in, you know just how antsy you can get waiting to see what happens next in our favorite show.
Fortunately, fans are constantly creating new ways to enjoy the adventures of our favorite characters, even when they’re off the air. A major element of that is Time Lord Rock—“Trock” to its friends—which is exactly what it sounds like: music inspired by Doctor Who. Despite being labeled as “rock,” the genre includes all sorts of musical styles for every mood.
While Trock formally began in 2008, Doctor Who-inspired tunes have been around nearly as long as the show itself. From the “We Are the World”-esque “Doctor in Distress” to “I’m Gonna Spend My Christmas with a Dalek” by The Go-Go’s, the history of proto-Trock could fill its own article. For now, though, lets focus on newer fan creations. I’ve picked five songs that keep me going from Sunday to Sunday—and each tune is by a different Trock group, meaning that if you find something you really like, there’s even more to listen to.
(Author’s note: This was previously a list of five bands — however, due to information we received concerning one of them, we have opted to pull them from this list. Name check your favorite Trock band in the comments to help us fill the spot!)
“Hey Missy” – Legs Nose Robinson
Legs Nose Robinson—named for the Doctor’s nicknames for Amy, Rory, and River in “The Impossible Astronaut”—is a five-member band presenting themselves as rogue Time Lords. Well, three Time Lords, a Vashta Nerada “with other disturbing possibilities,” and an “unconfirmed shapeshifter.” Hailing from Nashville, the group delivers a mix of original and parody tunes.
LNR is still quite active, with their new album Z Is for Xylophone now available on iTunes and Google Play. They also share music videos on their YouTube Channel, which is more than 3,600 subscribers strong.
While all of their tunes have earworm potential, their parody of Toni Basil’s “Hey Mickey” is an especially memorable one. The theme expands on the villainous Missy’s own personal anthem—but it does contain spoilers for the Twelfth Doctor era, so if you’re especially far behind you might want to catch up first.
“Oi Spaceman!” – Time Crash
Self-described as “equal parts hard-rocking space band and sci-fi dance explosion,” Time Crash takes it name from the Fifth and Tenth Doctors’ Children in Need short. The five-member group formed in 2011, and has been creating music videos and performing online ever since.
Their first full album, Regeneration, is on sale on their website, and their EP Little Amelia is available via Bandcamp. For some music videos and quick listens though, drop by their YouTube channel.
Fans of “supertemp” Donna Noble from the Tenth Doctor’s era will want to add the band’s “Oi Spaceman!” to their playlist. The music video for the tune features a chase through an arcade, a purple Dalek, and footage from one of the band’s live shows. You also get a sweet close-up of lead vocalist Ronan Kohn’s GuiTARDIS.
“Those Killjoy Blues” – President Romana
The majority of Trock focuses on the modern era of Doctor Who, but there’s a little something for Classic fans, too! Singer/songwriter President Romana has been writing and performing tunes since 2012, and she’s still going strong with music from both eras of the series.
Her most recent song, “Those Killjoy Blues,” is a throwback to Seventh Doctor serial “The Happiness Patrol”—you know, the one with the pink TARDIS. Her YouTube channel features tributes to specific episodes—largely Classic era or Eleventh and Twelfth Doctor stories—with the occasional character tribute.
In fact, she’s already looking ahead at creating her “Thirteen” tribute once the current season is over. I can’t wait to hear it.
“A Girl from Earth” – Turn Left
Twins Victoria and Georgia Minnear originally found fame as wizard rock duo Riddle™, taking home an award for Best International Band at Wizrocklopedia’s People’s Choice Awards in 2009. The pair also performed as Trock duo Turn Left, though, sadly, it looks like they aren’t up to much lately.
Researching the Minnears’ output for this article led to a lot of dead ends, though I did find their Soundcloud for both bands. The last update was six years ago, and a lot of their Doctor Who content isn’t listed there.
Fortunately, you can still grab their album Void Stuff on iTunes, and some fans have made music videos of their songs. The upbeat tune “A Girl from Earth” is dedicated to the adventurous ladies of the TARDIS throughout the years.
Bonus Track: “Call Me During Doctor Who and I’ll Kill You” – Mitch Benn
This last song isn’t technically Trock, and isn’t so much for fans as it is for friends of fans—but you may want it handy in case anyone wants to talk to you on Doctor Who night.
Right before the premiere of “Rose” back in 2005, comedian and singer Mitch Benn made it very clear just how devoted he was to the return of his favorite series. His song “Call Me During Doctor Who and I’ll Kill You” lays out fairly clearly what what we’re all feeling—when the show’s on, we—appropriately enough—need our time and space.
The date and time information might not be accurate anymore with the new season’s jump to Sundays, but the sentiment still comes through loud and clear. So if there’s anyone else out there whose dad called during the climactic 13-TARDIS team-up in Day of the Doctor, you might want to keep this on hand.
Now, go out and build your ultimate Trock playlist!
