Aug 24: When is a band not a band?

In November 2024 I went down to the Barbican Hall to see Tangerine Dream perform their album 'Phaedra' live. 

Or did I?

The band was founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. 

The best-known lineup of the group was its mid-1970s trio of Froese, Christopher Franke, and Peter Baumann (who later formed the record label Private Music.) Froese has passed away, and the other two original members don't perform with the band.

I'm seeing them play in Norwich next year too.

How about Kraftwerk?

They have been touring all summer, but only Ralf Hütter is from the original band.

They were formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Wolfgang Flür joined in 1973 and Karl Bartos in 1975. Schneider passed away in 2020.

And Steve Howe's version of Yes is basically just him from the classic line-up from the 1970s - and they released a new album recently called Aurora - meanwhile, I have tickets to see Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks at the London Palladium - the closest you will get to seeing Yes today? I'm lucky to have seen the classic line up several times, plus the Union tour and various solo tours and other incarnations.

Here's Anderson and the Band Geeks playing "Counties and Countries".

How about Pink Floyd without Roger Waters? 

They reunited for Live 8 in 2005, but Richard Wright has since passed away.

00:00 Speak 01:05 Breath in the Air 04:56 Money 11:30 Wish You Were Here 16:21 Comfortably Numb

Genesis without Anthony Phillips or Hackett or Gabriel? Well, there's still a chance they might get together again I guess...

Rush without Neil?

Well, there's one that has plenty of fans talking... but the tour seems to be going very well with some epic shows, and they are heading for the O2 and Manchester next year.

Which other bands are still going despite having very few (or no) members from the original line-up?