vainandy said:

MickyDolenz said:

Zapp is still performing though. Look at the Temptations. They're two different groups, the official one with Otis Williams and the other one with Dennis Edwards.

The Stone City Band also continues to perform without Rick James also. I don't know if they tour or just put on a show every now and then as a tribute to Rick. But I can't see anybody making any money enough to go out on the road and tour with these type of shows though. A tribute show is fine but when it's an ongoing tour night after night, it just looks extremely desperate.

These people have to make a living though. You can't say they should retire, they're most likely not rich enough to do so. I imagine Rick made the money and the band was on salary. What else can they do? People pay to see imposter vocal groups and tribute acts. They make money touring or else they wouldn't exist. They might not be making Rolling Stones/U2 money, but I guess they make enough to live on. Some people just like performing. B.B. King is a millionaire and doesn't need to work, yet he does so even though his health isn't that great.

MickyDolenz said:

vainandy said:

The Stone City Band also continues to perform without Rick James also. I don't know if they tour or just put on a show every now and then as a tribute to Rick. But I can't see anybody making any money enough to go out on the road and tour with these type of shows though. A tribute show is fine but when it's an ongoing tour night after night, it just looks extremely desperate.

These people have to make a living though. You can't say they should retire, they're most likely not rich enough to do so. I imagine Rick made the money and the band was on salary. What else can they do? People pay to see imposter vocal groups and tribute acts. They make money touring or else they wouldn't exist. They might not be making Rolling Stones/U2 money, but I guess they make enough to live on. Some people just like performing. B.B. King is a millionaire and doesn't need to work, yet he does so even though his health isn't that great.

i agree, people have to make a living and performers like to perform. that's what they do. the problem that i, and maybe vainandy and others may have, is that in this case, it seems less like a love for performing and more like a money grab to cash in on mj's untimely death. if the bros. had been out on the road doing their thing, making their living, paying their own way for all these years post-victory tour, i wouldn't have jackshit to say about them touring now. but this thing just reeks of opportunism.

[Edited 6/20/12 14:07pm]

kibbles said:

MickyDolenz said:

These people have to make a living though. You can't say they should retire, they're most likely not rich enough to do so. I imagine Rick made the money and the band was on salary. What else can they do? People pay to see imposter vocal groups and tribute acts. They make money touring or else they wouldn't exist. They might not be making Rolling Stones/U2 money, but I guess they make enough to live on. Some people just like performing. B.B. King is a millionaire and doesn't need to work, yet he does so even though his health isn't that great.

i agree, people have to make a living and performers like to perform. that's what they do. the problem that i, and maybe vainandy and others may have, is that in this case, it seems less like a love for performing and more like a money grab to cash in on mj's untimely death. if the bros. had been out on the road doing their thing, making their living, paying their own way for all these years post-victory tour, i wouldn't have jackshit to say about them touring now. but this thing just reeks of opportunism.

[Edited 6/20/12 14:07pm]

In what kind of way? The Michael only fans are not going to their show. I would assume the main audience would be older, the ones who were around when The Jacksons or Jermaine's solo career existed. Now I don't know how well this tour is promoted. It's like the Original 7ven's album. If people don't know about it, they can't buy it.

MickyDolenz said:

vainandy said:

The Stone City Band also continues to perform without Rick James also. I don't know if they tour or just put on a show every now and then as a tribute to Rick. But I can't see anybody making any money enough to go out on the road and tour with these type of shows though. A tribute show is fine but when it's an ongoing tour night after night, it just looks extremely desperate.

These people have to make a living though. You can't say they should retire, they're most likely not rich enough to do so. I imagine Rick made the money and the band was on salary. What else can they do? People pay to see imposter vocal groups and tribute acts. They make money touring or else they wouldn't exist. They might not be making Rolling Stones/U2 money, but I guess they make enough to live on. Some people just like performing. B.B. King is a millionaire and doesn't need to work, yet he does so even though his health isn't that great.

I'm not saying they should retire and I'm not saying they don't have a right to do what they're doing. All I'm saying is, I can't see much money being made from it because most people don't want to see a show that no longer has the star in it.

I'm fully aware that people have to make a living and do desperate things to make a living. Old groups play casinos and outdoor festivals these days when they used to play coliseums. Countless R&B stars from the 1970, 1980s, and now even some of the 1990s stars who were either solo acts or were part of a group that is no longer together, go on tour starring in these gospel stage plays.

kibbles said:

MickyDolenz said:

These people have to make a living though. You can't say they should retire, they're most likely not rich enough to do so. I imagine Rick made the money and the band was on salary. What else can they do? People pay to see imposter vocal groups and tribute acts. They make money touring or else they wouldn't exist. They might not be making Rolling Stones/U2 money, but I guess they make enough to live on. Some people just like performing. B.B. King is a millionaire and doesn't need to work, yet he does so even though his health isn't that great.

i agree, people have to make a living and performers like to perform. that's what they do. the problem that i, and maybe vainandy and others may have, is that in this case, it seems less like a love for performing and more like a money grab to cash in on mj's untimely death. if the bros. had been out on the road doing their thing, making their living, paying their own way for all these years post-victory tour, i wouldn't have jackshit to say about them touring now. but this thing just reeks of opportunism.

[Edited 6/20/12 14:07pm]

Exactly. They've apparently been making a living fine all these years while Michael was still alive but all of a sudden now they need to tour. It just seems money hungry to me. Even old daddy Joe was trying to pimp out a new group or label of his and interrupted the reporter's questions about Michael's death in order to get his plug in. And this was only a day or two after Michael died.

vainandy said:

MickyDolenz said:

These people have to make a living though. You can't say they should retire, they're most likely not rich enough to do so. I imagine Rick made the money and the band was on salary. What else can they do? People pay to see imposter vocal groups and tribute acts. They make money touring or else they wouldn't exist. They might not be making Rolling Stones/U2 money, but I guess they make enough to live on. Some people just like performing. B.B. King is a millionaire and doesn't need to work, yet he does so even though his health isn't that great.

I'm not saying they should retire and I'm not saying they don't have a right to do what they're doing. All I'm saying is, I can't see much money being made from it because most people don't want to see a show that no longer has the star in it.

I'm fully aware that people have to make a living and do desperate things to make a living. Old groups play casinos and outdoor festivals these days when they used to play coliseums. Countless R&B stars from the 1970, 1980s, and now even some of the 1990s stars who were either solo acts or were part of a group that is no longer together, go on tour starring in these gospel stage plays.

At least they can draw some kind of audience. Some make money by touring Japan, who appreciate old R&B/funk acts more than in the US. I think the current "here today, gone tomorrow" acts are going to have a harder time 30 or 40 years from now. The younger generations seem to be less interested in nostalgia.

MickyDolenz said:

kibbles said:

i agree, people have to make a living and performers like to perform. that's what they do. the problem that i, and maybe vainandy and others may have, is that in this case, it seems less like a love for performing and more like a money grab to cash in on mj's untimely death. if the bros. had been out on the road doing their thing, making their living, paying their own way for all these years post-victory tour, i wouldn't have jackshit to say about them touring now. but this thing just reeks of opportunism.

[Edited 6/20/12 14:07pm]

In what kind of way? The Michael only fans are not going to their show. I would assume the main audience would be older, the ones who were around when The Jacksons or Jermaine's solo career existed. Now I don't know how well this tour is promoted. It's like the Original 7ven's album. If people don't know about it, they can't buy it.

Like I said before, if Jermaine toured doing his own solo material and played the small venues, casinos, outdoor festivals, etc. like the other old groups do these days, he might make a little money. But as far as touring as The Jacksons, Michael did the lead vocals on most of those songs so it just sounds no different than a local band doing Jacksons covers if another Jackson family member were to do those vocals.

And even if Michael were still living and touring, I'd love to hear him sing some old Jacksons songs like "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)", "Lovely One", etc. but not some old Jackson Five songs because he was a child when he recorded them and his voice had changed when he became an adult and the times when he did perform those songs as an adult, they sounded horrible even with him singing them. Kinda like how New Edition would sound now if they sang "Candy Girl" or "Is This The End". It would sound horrible. The only child star I can think of that might could pull that off as an adult and still sound good would be maybe Stacy Lattisaw because she had a powerful kinda adultlike voice back when she was a child. But men's voices change drastically as adults so them singing Jackson Five songs, even if it was Michael himself, would sound horrible.

MickyDolenz said:

vainandy said:

I'm not saying they should retire and I'm not saying they don't have a right to do what they're doing. All I'm saying is, I can't see much money being made from it because most people don't want to see a show that no longer has the star in it.

I'm fully aware that people have to make a living and do desperate things to make a living. Old groups play casinos and outdoor festivals these days when they used to play coliseums. Countless R&B stars from the 1970, 1980s, and now even some of the 1990s stars who were either solo acts or were part of a group that is no longer together, go on tour starring in these gospel stage plays.

At least they can draw some kind of audience. Some make money by touring Japan, who appreciate old R&B/funk acts more than in the US. I think the current "here today, gone tomorrow" acts are going to have a harder time 30 or 40 years from now. The younger generations seem to be less interested in nostalgia.

Now that's true about Japan. We had some local groups, Sho-Nuff, Freedom, and Wynd Chymes, and back in the 1980s, the local DJs were always saying these groups were over in Japan touring. Hell, we all thought they were lying and just trying to pump up the local acts and just couldn't dream that Japan of all places would be into stuff like that. But decades later during the internet age, if you search for a CD version of these groups music, the only results that come up are Japanese import CDs with a major price tag on them so apparently those local DJs weren't lying back then. They LOVE them some funk in Japan.

vainandy said:

kibbles said:

i agree, people have to make a living and performers like to perform. that's what they do. the problem that i, and maybe vainandy and others may have, is that in this case, it seems less like a love for performing and more like a money grab to cash in on mj's untimely death. if the bros. had been out on the road doing their thing, making their living, paying their own way for all these years post-victory tour, i wouldn't have jackshit to say about them touring now. but this thing just reeks of opportunism.

Exactly. They've apparently been making a living fine all these years while Michael was still alive but all of a sudden now they need to tour. It just seems money hungry to me. Even old daddy Joe was trying to pimp out a new group or label of his and interrupted the reporter's questions about Michael's death in order to get his plug in. And this was only a day or two after Michael died.

I agree.It seems odd that,all of a sudden,the brothers are so eager to tour and make a new album.Why weren't they doing all this in the late-80s (post-Victory) and throughout the 90s and beyond? Since Michael's death,various family members have now decided to come out with new projects,which makes people assume that they're cashing in on their brother's death.

vainandy said:

Now that's true about Japan. We had some local groups, Sho-Nuff, Freedom, and Wynd Chymes, and back in the 1980s, the local DJs were always saying these groups were over in Japan touring. Hell, we all thought they were lying and just trying to pump up the local acts and just couldn't dream that Japan of all places would be into stuff like that. But decades later during the internet age, if you search for a CD version of these groups music, the only results that come up are Japanese import CDs with a major price tag on them so apparently those local DJs weren't lying back then. They LOVE them some funk in Japan.

There's always the used record store. In the US, the focus of the record companies are on rock acts, which are constantly re-released, remastered, box sets with pictures and books, and the demo where they beat out the songs with rocks and hum out the melody on a cheap tape recorder in a bathroom.

vainandy said:

MickyDolenz said:

In what kind of way? The Michael only fans are not going to their show. I would assume the main audience would be older, the ones who were around when The Jacksons or Jermaine's solo career existed. Now I don't know how well this tour is promoted. It's like the Original 7ven's album. If people don't know about it, they can't buy it.

Like I said before, if Jermaine toured doing his own solo material and played the small venues, casinos, outdoor festivals, etc. like the other old groups do these days, he might make a little money. But as far as touring as The Jacksons, Michael did the lead vocals on most of those songs so it just sounds no different than a local band doing Jacksons covers if another Jackson family member were to do those vocals.

And even if Michael were still living and touring, I'd love to hear him sing some old Jacksons songs like "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)", "Lovely One", etc. but not some old Jackson Five songs because he was a child when he recorded them and his voice had changed when he became an adult and the times when he did perform those songs as an adult, they sounded horrible even with him singing them. Kinda like how New Edition would sound now if they sang "Candy Girl" or "Is This The End". It would sound horrible. The only child star I can think of that might could pull that off as an adult and still sound good would be maybe Stacy Lattisaw because she had a powerful kinda adultlike voice back when she was a child. But men's voices change drastically as adults so them singing Jackson Five songs, even if it was Michael himself, would sound horrible.

i think even mj realized this. believe me, i love 'i want you back', 'the love you save', 'sugar daddy', 'mama's pearl', but only when i hear them on the radio. i wouldn't pay to see grown assed men singing these songs. many of the j5 songs are either too age specific, or too much of their era. the jacksons, of course, are a different story. 'shake your body' is a great example of a song that hasn't gotten 'old'. i suppose the bros. realize this as well, which is why they're rehearsing to mj's 'can't let her get away', a song they had absolutely ZERO to do with, which underscores vainandy's point about this being a 'tribute' band.

also, i think that they didn't need to tour before b/c mj was funneling money to katherine, who then had money to funnel to them. one of jermaine's exes stated out that mj paid for everything, for everybody. since his death, mj's money has been mostly tied up in probate as the executors handle his outstanding business affairs and debts. no extra is going to katherine, which means no extra is going to his brothers.

Donny Osmond still sings this song. The video is from this year.

MickyDolenz said:

Donny Osmond still sings this song. The video is from this year.

yeah....he probably shouldn't....

however, i think there are some j5 songs mj and the bros. could have gotten away with performing into their adulthood, like 'got to be there' or 'never can say goodbye'. these songs were later covered by 'grown folks', right? but are they too "seventies"?

Lord Donny...

You could defend what the Jacksons/MJ were doing still singing their child songs at their 20s and 30s with the surviving "Teenagers" still doing "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" (albeit in its original doo-wop ballad sound before Frankie and George Goldner rearranged it) but then again that song sounded more grown. "I Want You Back" and "I'll Be There" are the only ones of the "four big ones" in which I can't see them not singing. I guess Jackie will sing lead on Michael's parts.

kibbles said:

however, i think there are some j5 songs mj and the bros. could have gotten away with performing into their adulthood, like 'got to be there' or 'never can say goodbye'. these songs were later covered by 'grown folks', right? but are they too "seventies"?

A lot of the J5 songs were originally written for adults or were covers of songs by adults (like Man's Temptation/Who's Lovin' You). There weren't really that many that were specifically geared towards children or teens.

[img:$uid]http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg877/scaled.php?tn=0&server=877&filename=3gfly.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg532/scaled.php?tn=0&server=532&filename=w22ez.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640[/img:$uid]

^^Where are those from? Are you at the show?

^ those are from tonight's show,

Can You Feel It? @Jacksons startting their Unity Tour @CasinoRamaLive. After false (without sound) video montage opening we can now hear it.

TheJacksons - Jackie, Jermaine, Tito and Marlon - struck a pose at front of @CasinoRama Live stage before starting with Can You Feel

Jackie, Jermaine, Tito and Marlon Jackson are backed by 9 musicians but are front and centre, busting dance moves. Rock with You is up now.

Jacksons have begun their Michael tribute with Jermaine singing lead on Gone Too Soon while stills of Michael are shown

TheJacksons are in fun groove now @CasinoRamaLive doing I Want You Back/ABC/Stop The Love You Save with old dance moves firmly in place.

"You and I must make a plan." @Jacksons now doing I'll be There with crowd singing along @CasinoRamaLive.

"I miss you so much Michael," said one the @Jacksons brothers during I'll Be There @CasinoRamaLive.

Jermaine Jackson is now alone on stage at the Unity Tour N.A. launch @CasinoRamaLive doing Dynamite with the band.

Jermaine finished 3 song solo set, rounded out by Let's Get Serious, Do What You Do, and all Jacksons back now for Can't Let Her Get Away.

tito, jackie, marlon and jermaine busting dance moves

[img:$uid]http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg860/scaled.php?tn=0&server=860&filename=j55ob.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640[/img:$uid]

Jacksons doing Wanna Be Starting Something @CasinoRamaLive during their Unity Tour N.A. Launch.

Another Michael Jackson classic Don't Stop Til You Get Enough at @Jacksons Unity Tour Launch @CasinoRamaLive and crowd is UP and dancing.

And I do know that I want ya." @Jacksons ending their show with Michael Jackson classic Shake Your Body @CasinoRamaLive. Unless encore

Now entire band (except for drummer, keyboardists, percussionist) and @Jacksons at front of stage doing dance moves 2gether

[img]https://p.twimg.com/Av4InRoCAAAvAj-.jpg[/img]

Jacksons have left the building after 95-minute set @CasinoRamaLive. First show of 2012 Unity Tour done. 15 more to go!

tweets are from Toronto Sun music critic

LOL @ them doing more Michael songs than their own #OVA

kibbles said:

vainandy said:

Like I said before, if Jermaine toured doing his own solo material and played the small venues, casinos, outdoor festivals, etc. like the other old groups do these days, he might make a little money. But as far as touring as The Jacksons, Michael did the lead vocals on most of those songs so it just sounds no different than a local band doing Jacksons covers if another Jackson family member were to do those vocals.

And even if Michael were still living and touring, I'd love to hear him sing some old Jacksons songs like "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)", "Lovely One", etc. but not some old Jackson Five songs because he was a child when he recorded them and his voice had changed when he became an adult and the times when he did perform those songs as an adult, they sounded horrible even with him singing them. Kinda like how New Edition would sound now if they sang "Candy Girl" or "Is This The End". It would sound horrible. The only child star I can think of that might could pull that off as an adult and still sound good would be maybe Stacy Lattisaw because she had a powerful kinda adultlike voice back when she was a child. But men's voices change drastically as adults so them singing Jackson Five songs, even if it was Michael himself, would sound horrible.

i think even mj realized this. believe me, i love 'i want you back', 'the love you save', 'sugar daddy', 'mama's pearl', but only when i hear them on the radio. i wouldn't pay to see grown assed men singing these songs. many of the j5 songs are either too age specific, or too much of their era. the jacksons, of course, are a different story. 'shake your body' is a great example of a song that hasn't gotten 'old'. i suppose the bros. realize this as well, which is why they're rehearsing to mj's 'can't let her get away', a song they had absolutely ZERO to do with, which underscores vainandy's point about this being a 'tribute' band.

also, i think that they didn't need to tour before b/c mj was funneling money to katherine, who then had money to funnel to them. one of jermaine's exes stated out that mj paid for everything, for everybody. since his death, mj's money has been mostly tied up in probate as the executors handle his outstanding business affairs and debts. no extra is going to katherine, which means no extra is going to his brothers.

There ya go right there. They have to work now because their gravy train was cut off. Mike didn't leave any of them a dime in his will either.

.

[Edited 5/8/18 14:57pm]

DiscoFunkChick said:

In all honesty, why does it feel like I'm the only one here who is actually ROOTING for the brothers?

Cause you are.

DiscoFunkChick said:

In all honesty, why does it feel like I'm the only one here who is actually ROOTING for the brothers?

Because some folks like seeing people fail. Why do you think people like gossip and tabloid stories? Does the media report about anyone doing anything positive? No, they talk about people fighting or talking trash to each other.

Yeah you're on your own here.

They sure wasn't performing much in 22 years.

Their setlist shows their limitations. Reminds me of Jermaine's "tribute" concert from two years ago.

.

[Edited 5/8/18 14:58pm]

smoothcriminal12 said:

LOL @ them doing more Michael songs than their own #OVA

^^ Yeah limitations. They had a chance to grow in the years since Michael had left...

smoothcriminal12 said:

LOL @ them doing more Michael songs than their own #OVA

yep. like vainandy said, this is an mj "tribute band".

This show was amazing! I was there tonight and wasn't sure what to expect, but man, I'm never going to see a show like this in my lifetime, I'm so glad I went instead of ignoring it like I was going to. They were raw, funky, emotional and even if they are not michael, they are talented and his bloodline that have a musical connection with him that resonated well with the audience. I felt emotional at times during the michael tribute bits, but they carried it on their own and sang his parts well. Jermaine did a great job, I was SO glad he sang Do What You Do, that was my shit back in the day! And Marlon can dance his ass off still and was rocking that sequined white shirt! Their band was also amazing, including a guitarist MJ had used on tour and musicians from Memphis that had worked with Elvis Presley. I was so emotional during the michael parts, but mostly happy and feeling so blessed I got to see these guys I've listened to for so many years! And of course they'll sing MJ songs, they did it like it would have been for Triumph or Victory, and I Can't Let Her Get Away was performed, probably for the diehard MJ fans! It was such a cool version too.