New Lead Singer, New Band?
This summer a couple of 1990s bands are touring without their original late lead singers. For example, Sublime is touring without the late Bradley Nowell and has been replaced by Rome Ramirez. Alice in Chains is touring without the late Lane Staley and was replaced by William DuVall. When a band tours without the original lead singer do they have the right to promote themselves as the original band? The original members did replace the original lead singer with someone that sounds similar.
When bands tour with sound-a-like lead singers they should:
a) be required to mention that it’s different by saying “Tribute” or “New”
b) refund money back at show if fans don’t like it
c) record and tour new music to signify start of new band
Have you ever bought tickets to a show thinking it’s the original singer and find out they have been replaced?
Should the same hold true for other band members, then, too? If the guitarist or the drummer or the bassist is different, wouldn’t that need to be declared as well? I know the singer usually has the highest profile in a band (with some notable exceptions), but does it reinforce the overvaluing of the singer to single them out?