Limits on calling a band a band

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Ran
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Limits on calling a band a band

Post by Ran »

Foreigner played here in town this weekend. Can't say I really care about them. A couple people on the radio were saying the band was good, but in reality it was more of a Foreigner cover band because there was only one original member. I know many bands replace members from time to time. But at what point should the band stop billing themselves as the original band?
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Re: Limits on calling a band a band

Post by anarky »

If a band has one, and only one, iconic member, they can get away with using the name with only that member. Mark Knopfler could be performing with a second-grade choir and call it "Dire Straits" and get away with it. However, if there's more than one iconic member and only one iconic member is in the current lineup, they cannot legitimately use the name. I don't care what the fuck the papers say, Axl, we both know it's true. Call up at least Slash and then we'll let you get away with it.

If all the members are relative unknowns, or more than one are iconic, then the band should be at least 50% original members, or at least 50% members who have recorded on at least one successful album under the band name. (Therefore there could be a theoretical band made up of Mark St John, Vinnie Vincent, Eric Carr, and Bruce Kulick, assuming one knew how to resurrect dead members, who would have every right to call themselves KISS if there was no band with a higher qualification (eg, Gene and Paul) calling themselves that. It would be better to call themselves The KISS Superfly Experience, though.)

If the band is named after someone (or someones) in the band, the name applies as long as this member (or these members) are present. Fleetwood Mac has been through, in addition to some minor personnel changes, three major lineup shifts, with Mick Fleetwood and John McVie being the only constants. They could play by themselves and get rid of everyone and still call themselves Fleetwood Mac.

If the band is not named after a member but everyone assumes it is, and that member dies of AIDS, then it is proper to add "+ [replacement member's name]" when touring with a shitty fill-in from Bad Company.

If a band is named after an iconic member, who happens to be the brother of a lesser band member, but they rotate lead singers like a guy with a spastic colon rotates underwear after eating at Taco Bell, and finally get all assholey and fire the other member to replace him with the iconic member's son, then rule #6B applies, no matter how good any members may be. The text of rule #6B follows in its entirety: "Fuck you, Eddie Van Halen."

A corollary to the first rule: if there are two iconic members and one leaves but the band still enjoys some success with only one iconic member, that iconic member will be all that is required from that point forth. For example, the iconic members of Journey, to most, would be Steve Perry and Neal Schon. Steve Perry left in the 1980s, but the band had some success without him for a while. This means they can now put out any shit they want under the Journey name as long as Schon is involved.
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Re: Limits on calling a band a band

Post by Sleazer »

Nark, I can't agree with the KISS theory...all 4 of those guys you mentioned were hired guns the entire time, never had a controlling interest in the company (since these are businesses).

Journey - what success did they have post-Perry? That song with Augeri on the Armageddon soundtrack? That's all I can think of...then they got that Youtube guy.

Survivor should be on this list, they played the local county fair here last year and had NEITHER of the sings that they recorded hits with.
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Re: Limits on calling a band a band

Post by anarky »

Journey also had the song "When You Love a Woman." Wasn't that post-Perry?

As for KISS, I still say they'd have the right to use the name. However, a bunch of people would kill them.
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Re: Limits on calling a band a band

Post by Sleazer »

I didn't know myself, so I looked it up...that was a Steve Perry sung tune, one of the last with him. Wiki says they shot the video at Skywalker Sound.
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Re: Limits on calling a band a band

Post by anarky »

There must be some other way to ensure current Journey's legitimacy. I'm going to say...

"If one or more 'iconic' members joined the group more than five years or two albums after their major label debut, this member need not be considered 'iconic' no matter how identified with the group he or she may be."

(This would also take care of Nicks-less Fleetwood Mac, not that it was a problem given the band's name and the constant presence of both Fleetwood and Mac[Vie] and prevent Skunk Baxter and Michael McDonald from recording together as Steely Dan. And deal with the Carr/Kulick/St John KISS conundrum at the same time.)

Because Eclipse is the best Journey album in ages, even counting some of the later Perry stuff.
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Re: Limits on calling a band a band

Post by Sleazer »

plus Neil Schon home-wrecked those White House Party Crashers and started banging the chick, so clearly Journey still has some relevance.
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Re: Limits on calling a band a band

Post by anarky »

Was that Nirvana playing with Sir Paul McCartney tonight? It was quite awesome, but isn't Nirvana without Kurt Cobain sorta like Queen without Freddie Mercury? You can use the name all you want; it doesn't make it true.

It would've fucking rocked (more) if Dave was out front with a guitar, and Ringo was on drums. True, he may not have the intensity of Mr. Grohl, but then it would be the surviving members of both bands, two of the best of all time.

Still, worth checking out once someone uploads it to YouTube if you didn't see it. (And don't bother checking the DVR if you recorded the concert. It went almost an hour over.)
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Re: Limits on calling a band a band

Post by vynsane »

these are the times i miss having cable. hopefully it will be available online. what network was this on (or was it simulcast on all networks, as they sometimes do?)
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Re: Limits on calling a band a band

Post by Ran »

It was on 20 something networks. It is supposed to have been on Youtube as well.

I didn't watch much of it. When I turned it on, it was Bon Jovi wearing a turtle neck sweater. I'm not a fan of his. I caught part of Paul McCartney.
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Re: Limits on calling a band a band

Post by Diabolical »

"As they say in China, 'Arrivederci'!"
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Re: Limits on calling a band a band

Post by anarky »

I tuned in later (which is good, since it went an hour overtime and I hadn't set the DVR). The Who's set was way the fuck too long.

Other observations:
Michael Stipe now looks like he's older than Billy Joel (both are bald with gray facial hair).
Kanye West still kinda sucks.
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Re: Limits on calling a band a band

Post by Ran »

Speaking of Michael Stipe, he has been on The Cobert Report a few times. Last night, he, Stephen Colbert, and Mandy Patinkin singing "Good King Wenceslas".
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