Jahfin Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 From Blackfoot's Facebook page: Philip Shouse, Lead Vocals & Guitar Tim Rossi, Lead Guitar & Vocals Brian Carpenter, Bass & Vocals Christopher Williams, Drums & Vocals 2012 brings a new era of Blackfoot to the masses, introducing a new line-up personally chosen and to be produced by founding member Rickey Medlocke. The new line-up is modeled after the live high energy version of Blackfoot in the early 80's. It's bad enough that they've been touring around the country for the past fifteen years without lead singer, principle songwriter and founding member Rickey Medlocke but now they're touring with absolutely NO original members which begs the question, when is a band no longer the band they present themselves as? To me, this is little more than a tribute to Blackfoot. From what I understand, when the group wanted to regroup a few years ago they had Rickey Medlocke's blessing to do so without him even being in the band (he has a bigger, better paying gig in the band that calls themselves Lynyrd Skynyrd). He apparently produced their upcoming new album and approved the new line up. Someone out there might be happy with that but I know I would have no interest whatsoever in seeing them in concert. To be honest, I haven't heard anything else by them I'd liked nearly as much as Strikes anyway. I have something like five of their albums altogether, some better than others but none that really stand up to Strikes. For the record, I've seen them in concert twice. Once, as the headliner at Minges Coliseum in Greenville, NC around 1980 or so. Also on the bill that night was opening act Def Leppard who were followed by the Johnny Van Zant Band. The second time was at Roadies in Goldsboro, NC when they were touring in support of Siogo. At that time they had just added former Uriah Heep keyboardist Ken Hensley to the line up. Little did I know at the time but that Roadies gig was Charlie Hargrett's last show with the band at the time (he joined the Medlocke-less version several years ago). Charlie relates a brief bit about that Roadies concert on his website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazedcat Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 That "brand name" thing is taking a new leap (or dive) into pure lunacy.........you don't even need one original band member playing now to keep the name. Sadly, it's too believable based on past events or 'reunions' for other groups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jahfin Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 That "brand name" thing is taking a new leap (or dive) into pure lunacy.........you don't even need one original band member playing now to keep the name. Sadly, it's too believable based on past events or 'reunions' for other groups. A friend of mine was recently raving about having seen the Marshall Tucker Band but I had to bite my tongue. The Marshall Tucker Band's current line up only includes one original member, vocalist Doug Gray (and apparently he can barely even sing anymore). Speaking just for myself, even though I'm a fan of the Marshall Tucker Band, I wouldn't have any interest in seeing them in concert these days. The one and only time I've ever seen them was at a free show back in the early 90s. Even then, they only had two original members (at least that I was aware of), Doug Gray and keyboardist Jerry Eubanks. To me, they ceased to be the Marshall Tucker Band after Toy Caldwell left the group in 1984. I understand Kiss plans for the group to continue with no original members after Stanley and Simmons retire. Same thing for Lynyrd Skynyrd after Rossington steps down (or dies). Again, just speaking for myself but I would have no interest whatsoever in seeing either of those two bands with no original members (to be honest, I have no interest in seeing them at all at this point). Kiss is already bad enough as they are now with two members parading around in makeup previously made famous by Peter Criss and Ace Frehley. In Skynyrd's case, it's mainly down to Rossington simply because most of the other members have died off. Ed King, Artimus Pyle, Bob Burns, Larry Junstrom and Leslie Hawkins (one of the three original Honkettes) are the only other surviving members of the pre-crash version of the band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dawg Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 That's why you've got to hand it to band like ZZ Top, the only band from the 70s that still has all the original members. I saw Black Feet open for Ted Nugent in te early 80s in the Baltimore Civic Center. I thought they were awesome. I could not wait to see them again. They headlined at the Towson Center a shitty venue for concerts but their show was every bit as good as any live band I've seen. Sorry to hear there are no original members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jahfin Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 That's why you've got to hand it to band like ZZ Top, the only band from the 70s that still has all the original members. There may be other bands I'm not thinking of but Aerosmith also includes all of the original members. They had a different guitarist (Ray Tabano) prior to Brad Whitford joining the band but the line up that's on Aerosmith's debut album is the same line up that's still performing today. Yes, they've been through some line up changes over the years but the current line up is the same one that's on their first record. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knebby Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I saw them last month they were pretty good actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Ugh...BLACKFOOT?!?! I haven't thought about them in eons...the last time I listened to one of their albums("Strikes" the ONLY Blackfoot album you need; I also had "Highway Song Live") was when I was still in the Army, stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas. 1982. After that, they were an afterthought. I subsequently was stationed in Germany and I couldn't bring all my records over, so I had to make decisions on who was worthy of going to Germany and who stayed behind. Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Outlaws made the cut...Blackfoot didn't. I left them for my little brothers to play and never gave them a second thought. Blackfoot are one of those bands best left in the dustbins of history. They were radio filler, grade C fodder to fill the time between albums and tours of superior hard rock bands. Hence they were always opening up for somebody in the 70s. In fact, contrary to the PR blurb above, I always considered Blackfoot a Seventies band. I first saw them in the 70s, and their look and sound was redolent of the 70s. Christ, Blackfoot wasn't even up to Ted Nugent/Molly Hatchet/April Wine level. As for this latest news about a "Blackfoot" band with no original members...well, I'm sure I've made my feelings known before about how I feel about phony bands, so my disgust should be obvious. As for anybody that attends one of these gigs, one can only think of the old saying, "A fool and his money are soon parted". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the chase Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Yeah ... this is pretty lame..... The band might be great.. But if Ricky Medlocke wants to keep Blackfoot alive, he should be in it. He's given them his stamp of approval and he'll make money as their manager / producer ... whatever.. but it's misleading. He can work it around Lynyrd Skynyrd's schedule. I doubt Gary Rossington would have an issue with him gigging with Blackfoot when Skynyrd is inactive.. . Warren Haynes is a member of The Allman Brothers, but he still keeps Gov't Mule alive. EDIT: sorry Warren Haynes.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jahfin Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 When Blackfoot regrouped fifteen years ago Medlocke had an opportunity to join them then but turned it down for his more lucrative career in Skynyrd. At that time it was the original line up, save for Medlocke himself and he approved it. That's fine but Blackfoot without Medlocke simply isn't Blackfoot. So, a Blackfoot without any original members definitely isn't Blackfoot. I understand they're all ace players handpicked by Medlocke himself but that doesn't change the fact that they aren't Blackfoot. To be true to the fans of the actual band they should at least be honest about it and call it a tribute to Blackfoot because that's what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the chase Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 When Blackfoot regrouped fifteen years ago Medlocke had an opportunity to join them then but turned it down for his more lucrative career in Skynyrd. At that time it was the original line up, save for Medlocke himself and he approved it. That's fine but Blackfoot without Medlocke simply isn't Blackfoot. So, a Blackfoot without any original members definitely isn't Blackfoot. I understand they're all ace players handpicked by Medlocke himself but that doesn't change the fact that they aren't Blackfoot. To be true to the fans of the actual band they should at least be honest about it and call it a tribute to Blackfoot because that's what it is. Makes sense to me. If he's endorsing it, that's fine...but they should be upfront about what it is. Call it something else. Australian Pink Floyd has full approval from Pink Floyd and they've even been supplied equipment from Gilmour and Nick Mason. Musical Box has approval from Genesis as well. They supplied them with all of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway slide and props. Both do very well. I imagine the original bands get a cut too. Blackfoot obviously is not in that league. But they could make the approved tribute band thing work in their favor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knebby Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 As for anybody that attends one of these gigs, one can only think of the old saying, "A fool and his money are soon parted". Like I said - saw em last month and they were pretty good. It was in a local pub so the evening wasn't just about watching the band, it was also pretty cheap, but it was fun. Was never a big fan and only knew a couple of their songs. There may have been one or two fools in the crowd that night from what I remember, but by no means as many as I have seen at many other gigs I could name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jahfin Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 The real Blackfoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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