What's with the endless re-formations/'don't look back' gigs..?

This has confused me, why do people go and see has beens churning out the hits/classic albums when they're all so obviously out of shape/past it/should know better....?

I've always had 3 rules

1. Never go and see a band that formed a great part of your formative years listening experience when they're past it creatively.

2. Never go and see a band that formed a great part of your formative years listening experience that you didn't see back in the day (eg at their peak when you should've seen them) and they're now past it.

3. Never go and see a covers band of a band that formed a great part of your formative years listening experience.

Why do people do it, surely its just shitting in the face of your memories...?

Or am I completely off here...?

Re: What's with the endless re-formations/'don't look back' gigs..?

I quite like the concept. I seen Slint do Spiderland and Teenage Fanclub do Bandwagonesque. Oh, and SY's Daydream Nation.

I'd love to see Stereolab do one of their classics. Not sure which one. It'd be great if they did what Sparks - play their entire catalogue of albums chronologically. Amazing.

Re: What's with the endless re-formations/'don't look back' gigs..?

I saw a local Devo cover band, they were pretty good. :)

Re: What's with the endless re-formations/'don't look back' gigs..?



These rules are not too bad on the whole but there are always exceptions.

SY Daydream Nation was awesome (and I did see them back in the day and they never broke up) but the handful of new shit they did after was shit. They should have stopped the show after Eliminator Jr.

Devo were great live despite not doing some of their edgier stuff from Hardcore Volume 1 and 2. I never saw them in their prime but they were worth watching.

Having said that, there are too many reformations at the moment. I feel sorry for youngsters that have their festivals loaded up with 90's "gods". It is especially crappy to see also rans hailed as some superstars. No names spring to mind but heaps of these reformed bands were not exactly super yet their shows sell out because they are touted as legends.

I am also cynical about many reformations such as FNM who clearly hated each other. They were great in their prime but there is no need to come out again. I assume money plays a big part.

If I were younger these days I would feel like I did as a kid when 60's legends performed all star jams at hall of fame inductions where 30 super dudes got on stage together and twanged 30 electric guitars to produce the sound of a single guitar; Bored and annoyed.

Your rule 3 does need some modification, never see any cover bands ever would be my advice.

Having said all of the above, my advice is to choose with caution. A reformation may be great, shows sell out in part because people want to see that stuff and who am I to judge?

Re: What's with the endless re-formations/'don't look back' gigs..?



I thought the newer tracks they played at the end were really good, and at the date I saw they finished with "Shaking Hell" which was pretty mindblowing. So I have to disagree there!

Re: What's with the endless re-formations/'don't look back' gigs..?



I agree.
Music is like a shark - it either keeps moving forward or it dies (or something like that)...having said that I did fairly recently go and see Ray Davies playing and I sang along with all the old Kinks stuff like everyone else in the audience. His newer stuff just doesn't seem to have the old magic.

Re: What's with the endless re-formations/'don't look back' gigs..?



I'd say each case should be taken on it's own merits, these kind of shows can be either great or awful but I don't think everything should be written off in a sweeping generalization. For example I have been to see Arthur Lee and Love perform "Forever Changes" as a "classic album" show, which was a truly fantastic gig. I went to see Morrissey 3 times last year which was brilliant, recently Hawkwind and Gong both did great tours, which were so much more than mere nostalgia. And I recently had a "Magma pilgrimage" where I had to travel to France to see them (4 times!) before it was too late, which were among the greatest concerts I have ever seen (on what was billed as a "40th anniversary" tour)....but I agree some others should have called it a day long ago (the Incredible String Band spring to mind as having been very disappointing live). I don't think I'm going to go see Pavement, for some of the reasons you mention (I was a big, big fan in my late teens and saw them "back in the day", first time on the Crooked Rain tour). I'm kind of concerned it could be a bit rubbish, but also I never really listen to them much anymore anyway...."those days are past now, and in the past they must remain" :)

Re: What's with the endless re-formations/'don't look back' gigs..?



Hm. The hiatus should remain so then, eh?

~8^|>

Re: What's with the endless re-formations/'don't look back' gigs..?



Not the groop one! I still listen to Stereolab all the time, Pavement hardly ever....

My obsession with them ended even before the band fizzled out....I don't think I've even heard "Terror Twilight" properly. This is just my personal taste, if others still listen to them then great, I hope they really enjoy the shows! But for me Pavement is frozen in time (early to mid 90s), and although those were great days I feel no need to revisit that period of my "musical history" :)

Re: What's with the endless re-formations/'don't look back' gigs..?



Time will tell. :-)