Bands touring with no original members

[2HOTinPHX]

My last hockey rink concert was the Eagles in 2003. No venues larger than a few thousand, many a few hundred.

Off topic but have you seen the Eagles hell freezes over concert on DVD or Blu-ray from 1994. Oh my what a fantastic concert. Top 10 in my book.

 

[HFWR]

Off topic but have you seen the Eagles hell freezes over concert on DVD or Blu-ray from 1994. Oh my what a fantastic concert. Top 10 in my book.

I saw it on EmptyV when it was on originally. I do have Farewell Tour 1, which was basically the concert I saw in 2003, only in Australia, with as many hot women as they could fit on the front row as possible. Almost comical… But excellent show.

 

[Montecfo]

TLDR: Some of these bands still sound great and thankful some of the music lives on through tribute bands.

Of course any great band from the 60s and 70s even the 80's is going to have lost members to illness and death. This is why years ago I created my Music Bucket List-see them before THEY die.

And it has worked to a large extent. I saw Three Dog Night a couple of times before Cory Wells died (of course Chuck Negron has not toured with the band for years though I've seen him also), saw Fleetwood Mac completely intact in 2015. That's no longer possible with band squabbles and the passing of Christine McVie. And Petty/Heartbreakers before Tom's passing. The Cars have long missed Ben Orr but without Ric Ocasek (RIP) it is not even an option. And there is the sad story of MeatLoaf or as the NYTimes refers to him, Mr. Loaf.

But the bands soldier on. Styx is otherwise intact and has done a great job of replacing Dennis DeYoung, Foreigner still sounds great without Lou Gramm (just one original member when I saw them). Frankie Valli can still sing though pushing 90 even with none of the Four Seasons. The latest incarnation of ELO sounds great with only Jeff Lynne and Richard Randy (but alas Tandy passed last year) as originals but with a larger band than they ever had previously. But I preferred the originals honestly. In fact The Orchestra has as many former ELO members (a must see if you like ELO). Hall & Oates still sound great but it could be Hall and Anyone frankly. Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman both sound great still but gravelly voiced Fred Turner has largely retired from music, and there really is no replacement for that unique part of the BTO sound.

Fans soldier on also. I was really pleased to see Joey Molland last year as the last living original member of Badfinger. He passed a couple of months ago. I will never see Eric Carmen, John Stewart, or the great Gerry Rafferty except in R&R heaven. But I would be up for tribute bands.

I think the bottom line is what they sound like. I always check that before. That's why I am avoiding Paul Simon's tour and glad I saw McCartney more than a decade ago-he was old even then. Have not seen Earth, Wind and Fire and can't imagine them without the late Maurice White. But I have heard they still sound good.

But their music and that of Chicago and Steely Dan still live with Leonid and Friends. Best tribute band I ever saw-will be 4th time this summer. And I have seen a great Cars tribute band out of Philly. And I have high hopes for the lookalike soundalike MeatLoaf tribute band I'm seeing here in a week or so.

This is what is left and glad we have that.

 

[djsander]

I’m not sure I’ve seen a band with all of the original members. Some leave before they become popular. I know if I went to a concert these days I wouldn’t expect to see all the members. I saw Stevie Nicks in 1985 which was good at the time. But, that was an individual and not a band. Haven’t gone to a concert since around 2006.

 

[dixonge]

Here, in my opinion, is the order in which band members can die or otherwise be replaced without greatly affecting people's desire to see the group:

1. Drummer - very few are irreplaceable - exceptions for Neil Peart and Phil Collins
2. Bass player - same
3. Lead guitar - mostly the same
4. Lead vocalist

For me, if you switch the lead vocals you completely change the way the song sounds and you might as well watch a cover band. I felt that way when Sammy Hagar took over from David Lee Roth. Same for Queen, Journey or any major band reunion tour. Different lead singer = cover band. Now this mostly applies to changes *after* the hit-making days are over. I actually liked the Doobie Brothers with Michael McDonald.

Oddly enough, an original lead singer can replace the whole band and probably make it work. Sure, people like groups that stay together, but at least those songs will mostly sound the same. As previously mentioned in this thread, Steely Dan was a perfect example of this.

On a related note, if you want to see lots of old rock guys cutting loose in a great format having a great time, on YouTube check out Daryl Hall's channel:

 

[FlyingCircus]

I saw the "Little River Band" last summer at a local venue. I THINK the singer was the second singer from the early 80s, and the musicians were all contemporary studio dudes.

 

[FlyingCircus]

I saw the "Little River Band" last summer at a local venue. The singer was the second singer from the early 80s, and the players were all current studio musicians. So definitely not original ;-)
I was not a fan of them BITD and their massively overplayed "Lady". Regardless, they put on a really good show, the singer brought it, a tight band.
Now I want to see Get the Led Out!

 

[MC Rider]

I am glad Dweezil is carrying on Franks music. It's a special kind of cover band I guess.

 

[Gumby]

I still see Steely Dan whenever they come to town. There never really was a "band" per se after the first couple albums. Just Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, the two songwriters. At some point, they stopped touring and just produced studio albums throughout the late 70s.

Donald was also the lead singer, and they both contributed some instrumental tracks. But the "band" consisted mostly of elite LA session players... usually a different bunch on every track.

They started touring again in the 90s. Walter Becker died in 2017. But Fagen still tours as: "Donald Fagen and the Steely Dan Orchestra"... or something like that. In any case, it is by-far the best assemblage of high-caliber musicians you can get for a live backing band... completely consistent with who they were as a "band" back in the day.

I'll keep going as long as Donald is singing and picking the musicians. But I really miss Walter's presence, especially his laid-back, slightly sleazy storytelling riff during the middle of Hey Nineteen. Classic Steely Dan, now gone.

I really like Donald Fagan; The Nightfly is one of the best albums ever. Oddly enough, though, my favorite Steely Dan song features David Palmer as the lead vocalist.

 

[HFWR]

I am glad Dweezil is carrying on Franks music. It's a special kind of cover band I guess.

The first time I saw ZPZ, it included several former Zappa alumni. Fuzzily, Steve Vai, Chad Wackerman, Terry Bozzio, and Scott Thunes, IIRC.

 

[MC Rider]

Zappa was a one of a kind musical genius.

 

[disneysteve]

That is how I feel about Paul McCartney.

I'm a huge McCartney fan and have seen him in concert (many years ago) but he lost his voice long ago.

 

[HFWR]

1977, 1980, 1984

 

[rk911]

We've been to a lot of concerts and music festivals over the years but the only one I regret not pulling the proverbial "trigger" on was The Eagles....Timothy B. Schmitt, Fry, Henly, Walsh and Felder. At the time I thought $500
per seat was just too much. I didn't think long term but if I had really thought about it I might've concluded that $1000 + expenses would have zero materal effect on our financial well being. Now, with Fry dead and Felder out, then in, then out it just would not be the same.

 

[2HOTinPHX]

We've been to a lot of concerts and music festivals over the years but the only one I regret not pulling the proverbial "trigger" on was The Eagles....Timothy B. Schmitt, Fry, Henly, Walsh and Felder. At the time I thought $500
per seat was just too much. I didn't think long term but if I had really thought about it I might've concluded that $1000 + expenses would have zero materal effect on our financial well being. Now, with Fry dead and Felder out, then in, then out it just would not be the same.

Have you seen the Hell Freezes Over concert dvd? It was when all the above got back together. Excellent concert !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[HFWR]

I'm a huge McCartney fan and have seen him in concert (many years ago) but he lost his voice long ago.

1992 for me. Played Eleanor Rigby for the first time live on that tour. Goosebumps!

 

[HFWR]

I really like Donald Fagan; The Nightfly is one of the best albums ever. Oddly enough, though, my favorite Steely Dan song features David Palmer as the lead vocalist.

He was a “better” singer, but Fagan had the voice to match the hipster vibe of their songs. Haitian Divorce or Hey Nineteen just wouldn’t be the same.

 

[Montecfo]

Has anyone seen the Eagles at the Sphere?

I'm considering that.

 

[treeofpain]

To me, it depends on how memorable the members of the band are. Which sort of relates to @dixonge comment above.

The Beatles? Hard to replace any of the fab four. I would say the same for The Police or Rush.

I think you could in theory do an "80's Genesis" tour with Phil Collins and whoever else, though I don't think Phil is still playing.

For a lot of rock bands, it's about the lead singer/lead guitarist, at least with classic rock. How do you do a Van Halen tour without Ed? Guns n Roses without Axl and Slash. Conversely, Atlanta Rhythm Section could be almost anyone, and only the die-hard fands would know.

 

[Dtail]

We've been to a lot of concerts and music festivals over the years but the only one I regret not pulling the proverbial "trigger" on was The Eagles....Timothy B. Schmitt, Fry, Henly, Walsh and Felder. At the time I thought $500
per seat was just too much. I didn't think long term but if I had really thought about it I might've concluded that $1000 + expenses would have zero materal effect on our financial well being. Now, with Fry dead and Felder out, then in, then out it just would not be the same.

I did see the Eagles with all the band members at MSG for 650 per ticket perhaps around 12 years ago. They played every hit song.

 

[old medic]

Tickets to the cover bands are probably a lot less expensive.

Don't know about that.... a Led Zeplin tribute band was playing nearby and wanted $75-180 for seats.
I paid $18 to see the real band

 

[DrRoy]

I've been to the Eagles twice since Glenn died, but the songs with his lead vocal are so not the same, and for me, a bit 'off '.

 

[harley]

I don't bother with any of the "big name" bands, whether any of the original members are still playing or not. There are so many great but not arena name bands to see. I include bands like Tedeschi/Trucks, String Cheese Incident, The Aristocrats, Billy Strings, Lake Street Dive, Trombone Shorty, Michael Franti, and the list goes on and on. I see no reason to pay hundreds of dollars to see a pseudo-band play stuff I can hear on the oldies station.

Having said that, I am hoping to get to see Keb Mo touring with Taj Mahal. And I do miss seeing Bonnie Raitt. I used to see her every year, but when she got famous the crowds changed and the price went through the roof, so I quit going.

I would never pay to see a band with no original members left.

 

[Ronstar]

I would never pay to see a band with no original members left.

+1. With no original members, the band would just be a cover band. And I don't want to see that.

 

[marko]

With few exceptions, I'm more into the songs/music than who is playing it, as long as it's "close enough". Live music just has a certain magic that just can't be duplicated.

Exception: Saw Robbie Kreiger at a very small, local venue but I was more intrigued with seeing him and thinking about what he went through as part of the Doors. While I was never a huge fan, hearing HIM play Light My Fire held a certain poetry for me. (His son did the vocals and did Jim justice)

Regardless, I ALWAYS bring Mack's earplugs whenever I go to such a place.