Lastly, let's discuss ticket prices. I can't. I am so pissed off about ticket prices that I very very rarely go see concerts anymore. $300 for the Police? Fuck you, Sting. Remember when Pearl Jam went to congress about ten years ago to keep their prices under $20? The last tour I saw cost me $100 a ticket. Keep in mind that the minimum wage hasn't budged. Know what minimum wage was when I last saw the Police? It was $3.35, and Police tickets were $12. For comparison purposes, four hours of labor would get you a Police ticket. Now, minimum wage is $5.15 and tickets are $250. Today I would have to work 48 hours to get same ticket. Plus, these basketball arenas everyone plays in sound terrible. For $250 I better get to sit on Sting's lap.
So, can you reunite if the singer is dead? Tough call. I would have to go case by case on that. I like how the Grateful Dead handled it. Without Jerry, they traveled as just 'the Dead'. I think that was a classy way to acknowledge their past... but understand it isn't the same without Jerry. Plus, the Dead traveled with all the original dudes who are still alive (you guessed it, a loaner keyboarding was thrown in). Also, Dead tix were only about $75 each. That isn't much, when you consider they have a minimum of six dudes onstage.
Just a year ago, I was writing with outrage about $97 tickets.. It seems like a naive and quaint time... like how we complained about $2 gas. Those were the days, kiddies.
So, how does a discussion on reunions become a diatribe on ticket prices? Easy, how could it not? I am tired of getting raped by greedy bands, promoters, and of course Ticketbastard. Now you know why we all have to steal our music from the internet, we can't afford to buy both CDs and tickets. At least with tickets, some money goes to the band.
Article comments
1 - Charles Goldstein
The original Grateful Dead Keyboardist was Ron (Pigpen) McKernan. He's dead, died in 73.
2 - lono
incorrect > the original Dead keyboardist was Tom Constantenen
3 - Tim Hall
To me, how many original members are left is less important that whether the band are any good live. I'm not interested in five old guys going through the motions; having some new blood to give them a kick up the ass is sometimes just what's needed.
Two weekends ago I saw the Thin Lizzy/Styx/Deep Purple tour, three 'classic' old bands, none with the original lineup.
Lizzy were pretty average. Without Phil Lynott they sounded like a pub band playing Thin Lizzy covers. Thumbs down for that one.
Styx put in an absolute blinder of a show. Their barnstorming set made the 70s studio versions of the songs they played look hopelessly tame by comparison. Dennis DeWho? A massive thumbs up this time.
Headliners Purple are minus Richie Blackmore (pushed out for being a jerk) and Jon Lord (quit because he was too old for tourning). Still turned out a good show, although Styx upstaged them.
4 - Tom Johnson
With regards to Peter Gabriel, he released Up and the score for Long Walk Home in 2002, and released his OVO: Millenium Show album in 2000. Then, of course, he toured behind Up for a while and is now back to being a hermit for a while as he works on another album (which he claims will be out much sooner than the last one.) Remember, he also runs a very successful record label (Realworld), charities, and all kinds of creative multimedia applications. He's a busy dude.
I'm guessing he will reunite for a short tour with Genesis when the Gabriel-era remasters box is out this fall. The timing of the boxset is conspicuous - Christmas, etc. - and it'll make for just the right time for a small tour that Gabriel and Steve Hackett can rejoin and do their thing with the band and then go their separate ways again. Otherwise, that box would already have been out - they're saving up the big surprise for this fall to drive sales of both tickets and the box.
5 - lono
I knew I would take shit for the Gabriel comment, and that was fair. I know dude works hard, and does very very cool stuff for Amnesty International.
it's just that my local Clear Channel megalopoly outlet hasn't had any new Gabriel for 5 or 10 years so all they play is that Afro Celt song 'when you're falling'. That is it, inbetween Jack Johnson songs. I used to like Jack Johnson, and Dave Matthews too. Rock radio just killed them for me.
6 - lono
As for Styx without Dennis DeYoung, I say a firm NO. He sang all the songs (ok, Tommy Shaw had a few). If DeYoung were dead, that might be ok... but he ain't. It should be called 'Styx revisited' or any one of those stupid new Doors names before they just gave up.
I'm not saying Ray Manzarek is a whore for the money, but I just dropped a dollar bill and he showed up under my desk. He offered to tell me stories about Jim for $5.
7 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Anthrax put out a f*cking classic without Belladonna, that was :"Sound of White Noise" though I do miss "State of Euphoria", we all know Joey can't sing for sh!t nowadays. AND, Anthrax is on hiatus so they won't be touring this summer.
The only way your ever gonna put Led Zep back together is by raising John Bohnam because even though John Paul Jones was a massive bass player & hardly got any credit for it...Bonham was the f*cking virtuoso of that band and laid the groundwork.Robert Plant can't sing a f*cking lick anymore and Jimmy Page, well...Nevermind.(Note: I'm not much of a Zeppelin fan.)
As for Metallica and G'N'R...They should've called it quits when they had a chance. ya know, save face?!? For Metallica, anything after "And Justice..." blows f*cking chunks(well, except for Garage Days RE-VISITED NOT THE RE-RE album...LOL, RE-RE)Guns just plain-out sux ass after "Appetite... and Velvet Revolver is for pussies!!
The best re-union is Heaven & Hell which should be rightfully called Black Sabbath because Ozzy has been a Blubberin Idiot for quite some time!!
The new Megadeth album f*cking sux and the only real old-school metal band left is IRON F*CKING MAIDEN!!!
8 - Tom Johnson
Radio wouldn't really play any new Gabriel - Up's material was too weird and off-putting to be radio-friendly, save for the 10-years-too-late "Barry Williams Show."
And Guppus was right - Sound Of White Noise is KILLER.
9 - lono
also I totally agree about Maiden. In the last five years, I have probably seen Maiden more than any other band. I can't say enough good about them. In fact, if you do some digging, I have a few pieces here on Blogcritics on Maiden.
Am anxiously awaiting the long rumoured DVD release of 'Live after Death'.
As for Belladonna & Anthrax... indeed his voice isn't peak anymore (whose is?). Still, 'Among the Living' is absolutely their finest work... and John Bush can suck my ass.
10 - Temple Stark
Hear hear Brian aka. Couldn't agree more, except for the GnR comment, though Appetite was clearly their rawest and best.
Ticket prices are absolutely worth getting outraged over. Keep in mind all those stealing songs off the "Intertubes" aren't helping matters either. A band has always made their money on tours, and a little from record sales. That has changed for both the positive and negative with online music availability. I'm a big iTunes fan, will even bigger when the DRM disappears. I like legal online music. Hands up who else's main music-listening experience these days is via their computer?
In reality, reunion shows aren't about drawing new fans, they're about fleecing older, richer ones, so the prices are always and will always be $$$ with an extra $ for those bands who think their millions mean they aren't rich enough, yet.
11 - Hung Nguyen
Styx has been without DeYoung since 2000. I personally think they've been better in recent years than they have ever been. I prefer the "Cyclorama" lineup over any other incarnation of the band.
Since missing DeYoung, they've dropped most of the ballads (which, while I like them, has been a big part of the band's stigma). Gowan is doing great, and even JY has taken over some of DeYoung's vocal parts. The best thing about the band now is that they all genuinely like each other and have FUN on stage. I saw the video for the Return to Paradise concert...they looked pretty bored and sounded very uninspired.
12 - JC Mosquito
I found a Styx cover album (not covers of Styx - Styx doing covers) at the library last year - oddly enough, it sounded pretty good. So did the Def Leppard offering which I also found at the library.
Maybe these guys are actually having fun in their old age. Go fig.
13 - Big Al
Bruce Hornsby played keyboards with the Dead for a couple of years (a couple of great years, in fact), and he's very much alive.
Also an earlier post is absolutely correct - Rod "Pigpen" McKernan was the keyboard player when the Dead was formed in 1965. Constanten was added as a second keyboard player from 1968-70.
14 - lono
ok, I stand corrected on both keybaordist issues. I should have known both, as I consider myself very much a Deadhead. Also, I was on Brent's last tour, and saw 2 or 3 of their shows with Hornsby. Hell of a piano player, that guy.
To drop into the shoes of the Dead is something. Supposedly, they have about 1200 songs they could pull from at anytime. Also, it was quite courageos of Hornsby to fill in... knowing the fatality rate.
15 - KISS Fan
You mentioned high ticket prices. I agree, but we can blame Napster downloads, and song "sharing" (stealing) as one reason for the sky-high concert tickets. If artists don't make a profit from selling their music, they've got to make up for it somewhere. I don't blame them. Musicians have a long history of getting cheated...ask The Who, Ted Nugent, The Stones, Collective Soul...the list is endless. After all, what is the original inspiration to be in a band?...it's not the love of making music. It's the possibility of making millions and getting laid. Ask Gene Simmons.
16 - The Haze
what is the original inspiration to be in a band?...it's not the love of making music. It's the possibility of making millions and getting laid. Ask Gene Simmons.
Have you see what Gene has done lately? It was always about the music until Kiss arrived and turned it into a farce.I saw them before the the multi-million dollar shows and they f**king rocked! You don't need a thousand lights and gimmicks,but that is what the youth of today want.Kiss's first three albums(remember them?)were some of the best straight forward rock n roll going at the time,then they turned into Fuller Brush salesmen.Christ! His show on TV is so sad! Haven't been to a show in years because of the prices but I am going to see Rush this summer.Not happy about the prices but if there's one group to see,they're it! B.O.C. is playing at a local club this weekend.Most of the originals still in it.Man!the 70's were great!
17 - Brady
The Haze... yes, the 70's rule. 70's KISS can't be equaled. I'm still a big fan. I used Simmons as an example, but have nothing against the guy. He has the right to do whatever he wants...paid his dues touring non-stop in the 70's. As far as RUSH, I saw them (5th row) in 77'...one of my best concerts.