The way those farewell gigs for Ozzy Osbourne and Jeff Lynne’s ELO played out gave food for thought again on end-of-an-era final concerts. Both artists had quite a contrast in their planned last gigs and a sad twist in both instances. There are plenty of 1970s bands planning those last gigs this year too.
And that has attracted a lot of comments from readers. While many saw the sad finality of guitars being put down and live dates being closed off for favorite bands, others had conflicting views.
Some fans felt artists were past their prime and should have quit performing earlier. There was also a view that the last hurrah was a money-making exercise, though Osbourne's Back To The Beginning Event was a huge charity fundraiser.
1970s Rock legends: Keep on rocking or call a halt?
Another key reason for complaint was that many bands were missing key members. Stars from the original lineup had left the group, with agreement or often acrimoniously, or had died and left the original lineup needing to find stand-ins.
That all raises the question of when a band should come to a halt when the members change significantly. It ought to be a simple situation, but often isn’t. If what’s left of the band wants to keep playing, that’s fine. If the fans show up and buy tickets, merchandise, and albums, that’s great too. There are some caveats, though.
The band needs to understand that, depending on who has gone and who remains, fans may not be as keen as before to pay up for gigs. Especially not at some of the top prices we see today. That also leads on to the key point of clarity, perhaps some bands need to be more honest about just how far or close they are to the way they started out.
Often it’s pretty obvious, but on occasions, especially where members drift in and out, a tour lineup needs to be open and honest.
Over the years, some bands have gotten this sometimes delicate and awkward situation covered superbly. Others much less so. Let’s take a look at some 1970s rock legends where band members have seen significant changes and whether the remaining musicians have gotten it right with their 'what next' decisions.
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