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Pop Rock Nation

Tag: Band reunions

  • The Return of Creed: Did Anyone Ask for This??

    creed

    Lordy, who asked for the late Nineties to return so quickly? First, we got the news that a Limp Bizkit (or limpbizkit?) reunion was on the horizon. Now, we’ve been smacked with a doozy: Creed is getting back together for a summer tour. If you remember, Creed’s brand of post-grunge (with an extra religious twist!) made them one of the biggest selling bands of the late Nineties and early 00s. They split up acrimoniously a few years later, and lead singer Scott Stapp (who does the most constipated-sounding Eddie Vedder impression of anyone I’ve ever heard) recorded a solo album to lukewarm reception. The remaining members got a new lead singer, renamed themselves Alter Bridge, and released two albums, also to lukewarm reception. The most noteworthy thing that happened during that period was the unearthing of an X-rated video starring Stapp and Kid Rock. So much for being a semi-Christian band.

    Anyhow, someone somewhere feels like enough time has passed that there is still an audience for this band? Their music-which wasn’t espeecially good in the first place-hasn’t aged well, and now just sounds bombastic and cheesy. No way in hell I’d pay to go see them in concert. After all, who wants to sit through this again?

  • Hippies Of The World Rejoice: Phish is Back (…and the Band Reunion Theory)

    Phish. Photo by Joe Goldberg.
    Phish. Photo by Joe Goldberg.

    So, here’s a thought musicians.

    Say you’re in a band, right? You’ve been together for a period of time. You don’t especially like one another anymore. You decide to take a break, as your guitarist is about to crush your lead singer like a pancake in between two Marshall amps. You guys hate each other so much that you don’t think you’re ever going to get back together.

    Hold off on actually saying that shit.

    In the past two years alone, Phil Collins has reunited with Genesis after a decade and a half apart. The Police returned to action after twenty years. New Kids on the Block got back together after a 1 year absence. Scott Weiland returned to Stone Temple Pilots after taking off the entire 21st century so far. Even A Tribe Called Quest have gotten back together for a handful of tour dates. Now, there’s the news that Phish (who, to be fair, never ruled out a reunion at some point in the future) are headed out on a tour, their first since their breakup four years ago. Somewhere, a barefoot longhair is smiling (no disrespect to you, Rock Dad. I don’t figure you for a Phish fan! 🙂 )

    What gives?

    I mean, you could very easily say it’s the promise of a big payday. It’s easy to think that both Collins and NKOTB’s Wahlberg looked at pending alimony payments and realized they needed a quick infusion of cash. However, does anyone think any of the three Police-men needed money? What about Phish? Has pot become that expensive that the band members need to reunite to keep themselves rolling in that sticky icky?

    So here’s my proposal. This is for The Talking Heads, The Jackson 5 and any other band that might have preliminary discussions about getting together, but it’s more for bands who may be contemplating the idea of splitting up and think that the breakup will be permanent. Don’t do it to yourselves! 10 years from now, there’s going to be a tearful reunion (or someone is going to hold up dollar signs that will be just too impossible to resist) and you’re gonna end up eating crow. Even though the fans that are cursing you for going back on your word are probably gonna shell out top dollar to see you anyway.