Do you need to be in a professional rock band to be good at 'Rock Band?'
The question was posed to a couple of actual bands -- Panic at the Disco and Plain White T's -- at the 'Rock Band 2' concert/promotional bonanza held at the House of Blues on Sunset Strip. Their answer? Well, it doesn't hurt.
"Consistency and commitment," Panic bassist Jon Walker said as he and his bandmates wheedled their way through the Allman Brothers' "Ramblin' Man," "Those are the keys to success."
"I didn't even know the words to the song we were doing," PWT frontman Tom Higginson laughed after delivering a yowling version of Nirvana's "Drain You." "But I still got 100 percent on 'Hard.' I'm like Kurt Cobain here."
Given that both bands are going to Sunday's Video Music Awards -- Panic is nominated for Best Pop Video -- we figured it would be a good time to get some predictions about who'd be taking a Moonman on show night.
"I'd like to see Panic win, because we're going on tour with them," Higginson said, while his bandmates wailed through Alice In Chains' "Man In The Box." "I don't know how Britney got nominated for anything though."
"I think the Jonas Brothers are going to take Best Pop Video," Panic guitarist Ryan Ross said. "But I'd like it if we won. Jon gave his first Moonman (Panic's 2006 Video of the Year award) to his parents, and they won't give it back."
Stay up-to-date on everything about the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards at vma.mtv.com, and don't miss the big show Sunday (September 7) at 9 p.m. ET/PT or the pre-show red carpet coverage that starts at 8 p.m. ET/PT.