Reformed bands. Yes or No?

In the back of NME this morning. Dates for Electrelane! Ok most of you won’t have heard of them, but when I was 16 No shouts No calls pretty much changed my musical mind. They are pretty important to me. Want to see them live, but the whole ” reformed band” thing… Dunno

Can bands ever do it successfully. Am I setting myself up for massive disappointment?

quick google says they stopped performing for 3 years might make little difference as that is quite short and I assume they will be doing old stuff. As a general rule few pop acts make good music for 20 years I give you the rolling stones – who cannot even do good covers of their own songs anymore let alone write a decent song as a prime example
I would go see them thne when you are old you can say you saw them if nothing else

If they are trying to recreate an old image nd re-live past times and the motive is to make some more money, then no. If they think they have something new to offer, why not?

I saw the reformed Pavement live last year – they were awesome. They took a slightly different approach to their classics, but didn’t really deviate heavily from the formula that earned them so many fans. Some might say that they were that far ahead when they broke up.

So reformed bands can rock. Guess it depends on the band and their mindset.

Having said all that, I’d not seen Pavement live before they broke up, so don’t have a great comparison point.

But you might as well check them out. Better to have loved and lost and all that.

I thought this was going to be about Flock of Seagulls.

I say go. They might still be good, might have some new stuff or could just be plain crap, but you will never know unless you see them.

I wish they would have a 90’s/britpop revivial festival, i reckon they would sell out easy if a few past big names took it up.

takes rose tinted spec off and sighs…

harryparabolics – Member
I saw the reformed Pavement live last year – they were awesome.

They most certainly were!

Was that at ATP? Great weekend.

electrelane – did they do “two for joy”?
remember hearing that, all pissed up somewhere, very late one night & thought it was fantastic

Can’t say they’re my favourite band but that track made a real impression, caught me just at the right time

I saw the reformed Pavement live last year – they were awesome

Glad to here Pavement reformation gigs were good. I saw them a few times pre-split and hoped to see them on their US tour last year. Unfortunately work / wife got in the way.

Dire Straits

*drums fingers impatiently*

🙂

Dire Straits

That would work, I can’t imagine Mark Knopfler’s ‘singing’ voice has deteriorated over the years.

Electralane more of a hiatus than a break up i would go
loved No shouts No calls beautiful album
went to see a reformed Dinosaur Jr couple of years back great
and the album beyond was a return to form
so sometimes is does work
on the other hand i hear Blue are back together
…..i fear the worst

It’s definitely doable. Terrorvision still rock, and they’ve had more farewell tours than Spinal Tap have had drummers. Faith No More blew me away at Donington a couple of years back. In fact I’m struggling to think of bands who have reformed (properly) and sucked; I’d say it’s a minority certainly.

Dire Straits

*drums fingers impatiently*

Yeah, good luck with that, it’s about as likely as Pink Floyd. Race you to the ticket office if they ever announce it though.

Saw Cud a few years ago – brilliant and well worth reforming

Saw Big Audio Dynamite a couple of weeks ago – superb and hope they write some new stuff.

I guess if you’re talking about less than 5 years, then it should be OK.

As an oldie, I’ve seen the odd band second time around but we’re talking of a gap of 20-30 years! I won’t be bothering again. 🙄

Ian brown and John squires (from the stone roses) apparently buried the hatchet at mani’s mothers funeral. If they can get reni to join them again it would be one of greatest band reunions of recent times. 8)

electrelane – did they do “two for joy”?

Not one I know, sorry. Yeah, I’ve got to go really haven’t I.

Eastnor at the Big Chill, anyone else?

The Beatles and Queen should reform, now hey would be worth listening to.

Bit of a problem 2 of them being dead.

Soundgarden

It would be nice to see Dulli pull his shit together too and get the Whigs rolling again.

Yeah, good luck with that, it’s about as likely as Pink Floyd.

Yeah. 🙁

Meant to say “been drumming them for years” 🙂

I thought this was going to be about Flock of Seagulls.

*prepares to run so far away*

I can`t believe anyone would want to see Dire, sorry what are they called?

I have a couple of their albums, I reckon they’d be great fun live. I say go. Never been to the big chill, used to read the forum a lot as there were plenty of people there who knew their onions. Actually listening to something now I heard about on there (Moderat). It’s great 🙂

I saw Faith No More in 2009, after they reformed. They were brilliant. I never saw them before they split up and I’d always regretted that. I get the impression that before they split up they could the tensions in the band could affect the quality of the shows so perhaps post reformation they were even better than they once were. Current indications are that they’ve split up again, which is a pity.

Dire Straits

I’d like to see one of the earlier line-ups reform, not the bloated band from the late 80s/early 90s. The Blu-Ray release of Alchemy had a special feature that included footage from a gig they did between Communique and Making Movies and it looked (well sounded) brilliant. I saw Mark Knopfler last year and he did a few of the obvious Dire Straits songs but it wasn’t the same.

I saw Dire Straits in Birmingham many years ago, second row seats, about 5m from the stage. What else can I say?

Relax iDave, I’m too young to have any idea what FofS sounded like, let alone whether or not they should’ve reformed. Nice hair though 🙂

Actually, now you guys have suggested it, I’d go see Dire Straits.

Mainly for the Local Hero theme though (I hope).

It Depends ™. I’ve no problem with it in principle… Oh, with a couple of exceptions, mainly when there’s been a “last tour ever” followed shortly afterwards by another one and then another one.

Most of the reform tours I’ve seen have been worthwhile- Faith No More and Carter USM as standouts. (I’m disqualifying the Wildhearts from this, since they’ve split and reformed several hundred times now). Some of these bands I’d seen before they split, others not, I don’t mind that much.

I would like to see At The Drive-In and Refused reform, not sure whether either is particularly likely.

Relax iDave, I’m too young to have any idea what FofS sounded like

Sorry Yeti guv, but that’s a proper “whooosh”
🙄 youngsters! 😉

There you go Yeti…. I had a shirt just like the lead singers…. 😯

That’s a cool tune iDave!

shocking fashion though. LOL

It was shocking fashion back then too, at least in my part of rural Ireland

terrorvision??? Dire Straits?? I saw terrorvision about 6 or 7 years ago with an ex and they were completely rubbish, a band who were very reliant on a click track with effects and a lot of bolstering (backing tracks and filler instruments) on them to hide the fact they couldn’t play

stone roses aren’t going to reform, john squire and ian brown may be more civil/friendly but they have no plans to go on stage (the NME getting a bit misty eyed it would seem)

if you hadn’t guessed – I’m against bands reforming, surely it’s more important to find out the new stuff than trade on past glories

The Blu-Ray release of Alchemy had …

There’s a BD of Alchemy? Is it a decent transfer?

edhornby – Member

I saw terrorvision about 6 or 7 years ago with an ex and they were completely rubbish, a band who were very reliant on a click track with effects and a lot of bolstering (backing tracks and filler instruments) on them to hide the fact they couldn’t play

You’re thinking of another band.

Terrorvision at Sonisphere were awesome. Also saw a reformed Carter USM in 2009. Also awesome. A lot of it came down to the atmosphere – at both gigs the fans were really up for it.

Ah, but to be fair Terrorvision have utterly taken the piss with the “last ever gig” thing. I’ve got a commemorative t-shirt from 2001 of theirs, “First and Last” cd, there was a “last ever gig” DVD… Then they reformed in 2005 and did 2 tours and that “last ever gig” at Scarborough with the Wildhearts, with a “last ever gig” CD. And then they reformed again, and again…

idave, you should be ashamed of yourself – misrepresenting the mighty flock like that !
here you go: 😆