Is a Band Without Its Original Members Still the Same Band?

Does exactly what it says on the tin. Some of the nonsense contained herein may be very loosely related to The Sisters of Mercy, but I wouldn't bet your PayPal account on it. In keeping with the internet's general theme nothing written here should be taken as Gospel: over three quarters of it is utter gibberish, and most of the forum's denizens haven't spoken to another human being face-to-face for decades. Don't worry your pretty little heads about it. Above all else, remember this: You don't have to stay forever. I will understand.
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Nikolas Vitus Lagartija
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Definitely a frontman issue. Bunnymen without Mac, or The Stranglers without Hugh were just not the same.
Cannot imagine TSOM without Von any more than The m*****n with WH.
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Dan
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Pista wrote:There is no way on earth Queen could ever be Queen without Mercury [...].
Why either of them would think they could carry on under the same banner still baffles me.
Me too, especially as I distinctly remember an interview with Queen circa 1980 where they all agreed that if any member left the band they'd not continue because Queen isn't Queen without the four of them.
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stufarq
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Come to think of it, this is just the Ship of Theseus (or Washigton's axe, or Jeunot's knife, or Trigger's broom, depending on how you know it.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus
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Pista
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I think Trigger's Broom is a brilliant name for it :lol:
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Mav787
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Dan wrote:
Pista wrote:There is no way on earth Queen could ever be Queen without Mercury [...].
Why either of them would think they could carry on under the same banner still baffles me.
Me too, especially as I distinctly remember an interview with Queen circa 1980 where they all agreed that if any member left the band they'd not continue because Queen isn't Queen without the four of them.
I don't think that they considered a band member dying when they came up with that agreement
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shivarising
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Erudite wrote:Kinda makes me wonder if we could have had Bauhaus minus Mr Murphy.
You could. They were called Love & Rockets.
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Mav787
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shivarising wrote:
Erudite wrote:Kinda makes me wonder if we could have had Bauhaus minus Mr Murphy.
You could. They were called Love & Rockets.
And to me, L&R were a pale shadow
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eastmidswhizzkid
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couldn't agree more, and i'm far from being the biggest bauhaus fan, but L&R were just tedious IMO. "yin and yang" and "kundalini express" are the only two songs that stood out for me. saw them at rock city supported by the lorries, who were so storming and near-impossible to follow, that love and rockets didnt.......for 3 hours, :urff: claiming some s**t technical problem. when thery came on 75% of the audience had gone home or were pissed-and-fallimg-asleep, and the band were STILL terrible.
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Mothra
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Napalm Death. Not a single original member even made it to the second side of their first album.
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Kutan
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And no-one from this second side made it till today.
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Erudite
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Mav787 wrote:
shivarising wrote:
Erudite wrote:Kinda makes me wonder if we could have had Bauhaus minus Mr Murphy.
You could. They were called Love & Rockets.
And to me, L&R were a pale shadow
Regardless of personal opinion, the point being they did not trade as Bauhaus. :wink:
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Erudite
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Dr Feelgood probably deserves some sort of prize for touring for the last 20 years without any original members.
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Jeremiah
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Erudite wrote:Dr Feelgood probably deserves some sort of prize for touring for the last 20 years without any original members.
Not to mention The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, which has gigged and released albums under that name despite the death of Alex Harvey.
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EvilBastard
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eastmidswhizzkid wrote:good question. i think its partly down to who exactly leaves...
I think I have to agree with EMWK here. Bruce Dickinson leaving Maiden, Halford leaving Priest - the fans lost the identifiable front-man, and it wasn't "the same". If the "driver" leaves then it's just not the same band. The parallel goes beyond music, too - after Damon Hill retired it didn't mean that Williams wasn't turning out great F1 cars, but with that figurehead gone the wind seemed to drop out of the sails.

It was clear that TSOM survived without any of the original members but one - the driver kept it on the road, continued to deliver what the fans wanted. If Hussey (Marx, Gunn) had tried to make the band his own I have little doubt that it would have fallen flat on its arse. The Dead still play, with success, without Garcia, which makes them I think an exception to the rule.
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stufarq
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EvilBastard wrote: Bruce Dickinson leaving Maiden - the fans lost the identifiable front-man, and it wasn't "the same".
Although Dickinson was, what, the third singer? But (correct me if I'm wrong) the one they achieved success with. Which leads us to the question of bands who only achieved mainstream success after losing or changing their frontman/woman. Genesis, Ultravox, ABC, Duran Duran and The Cranberries all come to mind but there must be others.

And of course there's Marillion, who never really had a frontman before Fish. And by the time of their second album, had no original members left - which resulted in their third catapulting them to brief superstardom.
Any more of that and we'll be round your front door with the quick-setting whitewash and the shaved monkey.
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Rudolph
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I think it depends on the band. Because of their legacy and history, I struggle to think of the current lineup of New Order as real just because their lineup was so consistent for the best part of twenty years. That and I think Peter Hook's bass talents are essential to the band.
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Bruce Dickinson was the second Iron Maiden singer IIRC, the first being Paul DiAnno. But really, Maiden are Steve Harris's band.
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markfiend
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Rudolph wrote:New Order [...] Peter Hook's bass talents are essential to the band.
Oh definitely.
The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
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stufarq
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markfiend wrote:Bruce Dickinson was the second Iron Maiden singer IIRC, the first being Paul DiAnno. But really, Maiden are Steve Harris's band.
Apparently (according to Wiki - I don't claim to actually know anything) Paul DiAnno replaced Dennis Wilcock, who replaced Paul Day, so Dickinson was the fourth singer. (The first two were pre-record deal.)
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davedecay
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My favorite photo of Judas Priest...

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markfiend
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I stand corrected :D
The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
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stufarq
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davedecay wrote:My favorite photo of Judas Priest...

Image
Back when the line-up was Leo Sayer, Frank from Shameless, Clement Freud and Wil Wheaton.

That afro is soooo metal.
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A laughable attempt was the Stone Roses trying to carry on without John Squire and Reni.

When I'm feeling down I watch the Reading Festival headline from 1996 and have a good laugh......and then cry :cry:
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czuczu
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Spiggy's hat wrote:A laughable attempt was the Stone Roses trying to carry on without John Squire and Reni.

When I'm feeling down I watch the Reading Festival headline from 1996 and have a good laugh......and then cry :cry:
A great example of a band who would've been better if the singer did actually leave :D
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Pista
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The recent Axl Rose to front AC/DC made me think of this thread.

In seriousness, I think they should have just jacked it in once Johnson was put under doctor's orders.
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