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When is a band not a band?

Hi All - this week's blog? When is a band not a band? BST (British Summer Time) festival has announced that The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) will be headlining one of their festival events in Hyde Park in London next summer. The tickets (none of them less than £140.00) sold out almost immediately which for me proves that the only 'audience' well off enough to afford the admission price (not including the eye wateringly expensive food and drink that can only be purchased at the venue)  is the generation of baby boomers who grew up listening to their music. Which is fair enough I guess but unfortunately there's a whole swathe of younger generations who won't get to learn that there is a lot more brilliance to ELO than singing 'Mr Blue Sky' in a Karaoke bar at 3am in the morning!

 

Anyhow, that's not really the point of this blog, and the reason I asked the question "when is a band not a band" is that there is only 1 surviving member of ELO actually in the band. OK it's Jeff Lynne who of course is the 'main man' so I kind of get it, but there are so many examples of bands who are lacking ANY of their original members but still performing under the name of the band.

 

So why do they do it, and why do fans part with their hard earned cash to watch them do it? Well there are a couple of reasons I guess:


Legacy and Recognition: Keeping the band’s name can help maintain its legacy and recognition. Fans often associate the name with a certain sound and time in history, which can be preserved even if the lineup changes - nostalgia is a very powerful emotion.


Brand and Business: From a business standpoint, the band’s name is a brand. It has value and recognition that can attract audiences, sell tickets, and generate revenue, regardless of the current members (As per my comments above).

 

However , some argue that without the original members, the band loses its authenticity. The unique chemistry and creativity of the original lineup can’t be replicated, and using the same name can be damn right misleading.

 

From a legal and ethical standpoint, the right to use the band’s name often depends on agreements made within the band or with management, something a lot of bands have struggled with. For example UB40 famously splintered into 2 factions in 2008 when Ali Campbell  left, and for a while there were 2 versions of the same bad touring and performing the same act!

 

In conclusion,  as with everything I guess, it's the paying public who will decide when the band isn't the band any longer. And when they do make that decision, there will always be a tribute act go and see to get their nostalgia fix and at a fraction of the cost no doubt :-)


What do you think? we'd love to have your thoughts on this post.

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