should bands carry on when there's only one original member?

[prowla]

I saw a Steve Hackett's "Genesis Revisited" gig a few years back and it was rather good; it wasn't purporting to be Genesis though.

I saw Deep Purple, but Ian Paice is the only original member - they were good (and Europe were the support, so that was a bonus).

Journey with the alternative singer were pretty awful though.

[Woodinblack]

I saw steve hackets genesis revisited and it was great, same year I saw the musical box which I didn't enjoy as much.

[12stringbassist]

Slade are now in that situation, with only Dave Hill from the original line-up.
I haven't seen the Nod and Jim-less version of the band since 2000.
I just can't bear it.
When Dave and Don parted company, that made it even less attractive.

[PaulWarning]

23 minutes ago, 12stringbassist said:

Slade are now in that situation, with only Dave Hill from the original line-up.
I haven't seen the Nod and Jim-less version of the band since 2000.
I just can't bear it.
When Dave and Don parted company, that made it even less attractive.

in some ways it's better to see a full tribute, at least they usually a bity younger than the original members like @NancyJohnsonI saw Brian Connelly towards the end, it was rather sad, he was obviously not in a good way

[NancyJohnson]

48 minutes ago, PaulWarning said:

in some ways it's better to see a full tribute, at least they usually a bity younger than the original members like @NancyJohnsonI saw Brian Connelly towards the end, it was rather sad, he was obviously not in a good way

 

I think I've posted elsewhere on Basschat about that gig.  The Sweet were one of my first big musical squeezes when I was pre-teen.

 

He'd been really ill and, truth be, I can't grasp how difficult it must have been for him to perform.  While he didn't have an issue remembering the words, he was pretty much glued to one spot and was led on and off stage with helpers (it was like Joe Biden); he was heckled too.  It was a shambles. Thoroughly unpleasant.

[dmccombe7]

Our drummer was friends with Steve Priest and had a few drum lessons from Mick as a teenager. He knew the full band but was close enough to know the issues Brian was going thru. So sad to hear about it and see vids appearing from his daughters wedding when he wasn't at his best.

Brilliant band and my first step into music really. I'm still in awe of just how good they were together.

Dave 

[cybertect]

4 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

I'm sure there's bands out there trading off a name where there's no a single original member; I'd have respected Connolly and Gray more if they'd just gone out under their own name rather than using Sweet/Mud.

 

End of the day, bands are like football teams, many of which are simply a revolving door of talent.  Personally, I'm of the belief that once your primary singer goes, then that should be that. 

I will be seeing Soft Machine play in my corner of south London in December.

 

The oldest serving member of the band is John Etheridge, who crossed over with the only remaining original member of the band, Mike Ratledge, for a few months in 1975/6. Not a problem for me.

 

Then again, Soft Machine are not exactly best known for their charismatic lead vocalists 😁

 

 

Edited October 20 by cybertect

[diskwave]

Its a funny thght that in 100 years time there will be bands playing all this stuff and the original members will be long gone (obviously). I guess when Bach et al were at the top of there success they had their own orchestras who were associated with them. Time goes on but the music is remembered and played by those who love it.

[EssentialTension]

Are the songs good? Are the musicians good? Is the performance good?

 

Nothing else matters.

[Lozz196]

I saw The Vibrators do a set last night at The 100 Club at a memorial for their old bassist Pat Collier who sadly passed earlier this year. The usual gigging line-up only has Eddie the drummer from the originals, however due to the event Knox the singer also attended even though he`s not in particularly great health. Sounded great.

Edited October 21 by Lozz196

[PaulWarning]

1 hour ago, Lozz196 said:

I saw The Vibrators do a set last night at The 100 Club at a memorial for their old bassist Pat Collier who sadly passed earlier this year. The usual gigging line-up only has Eddie the drummer from the originals, however due to the event Knox the singer also attended even though he`s not in particularly great health. Sounded great.

I remember going to see 'The Vibrators' about 35 years ago with Eddie the only original member, they'd just bought out a new album and played all the songs off it, no original Vibrators songs, with the crowd getting restless the new singer said "Can't you see this is a completely different band?" well yes, but maybe you should have had a completely different name then, call yourselves the Vibrators and we're going to expect well known Vibrators songs

[Lozz196]

If that was Alaska 127 whilst I think it`s an excellent album I`d get where the crowd were coming from, sure promote your new album by playing the lead tracks off it, that`s what bands do, but play mostly stuff the audience know.

[geoham]

Reading this thread again after it's recent resurrection got me thinking about the situation with Delain. (Dutch symphonic metal band)

It's a modern band, rather than the classic examples discussed here - but a similar situation.

Short version of events:

• It started as a solo project by keyboard player Martijn Westerholt.
• Rapidly evolved in to an actual band, with several line-up changes over the years, but with the same lead vocalist, Charlotte - who was also the main lyricist.
• After about 15 years, Martijn decides he wants it to be his solo project again, suggests the band continue as session members. The band all quit.
• Martijn recruits new members and continues Delain.
• Charlotte launches a solo career. All of the final lineup of Delain - other than Martijn - now play in her band.

We have the slightly absurd situation both the new Delain lineup and Charlotte's band are touring simultaneously. Both playing in the UK in November, sometimes in the same venue within a matter of days. They don't in fairness, seem to be playing the same material.