The vitriol that I've seen on You Tube in reaction to postings of the The Straits set at the RAH in May 2011 and subsequent appearances is somewhat understandable given some of Alan's comments and the what appears to be an undercurrent of resentment that he, Chris and Phil aren't entitled to perform the compositions that generated their reputation and fame without MK's permission. That said, there is some precedence for bands or their offshoots touring successfully and finding a great depth of fan acceptance of live sets that consist entirely of back catalogue. Fleetwood Mac comes toured as kind of mini Mac for a number of years without Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham. Fans loved the music but left venues with a sense of longing or wistfulness that the FMac in its complete form would find a way to tour together.
CSNY was held hostage from touring a number of times because of Neil Young's refusal to tour because he didn't hear the muse. Does anyone feel Crazy Horse should refrain from playing Neil Young penned songs which they recorded with him because he doesn't tour with them anymore ? Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin the drummer and bass player from Buffalo Springfield tried to tour playing back catalogue under the band's name without Young and Stephen Stills. Young and Stills weren't bothered: if fans wanted to hear Bluebird and Mr. Soul performed by the band without them it was fine by them, they'd moved on to solo work and later CSNY. If you attended either a solo or CSNY performance of that era there was a deafening absence of Springfield tunes. Maybe a concession to the crowd by playing Mr. Soul, but nothing else.
Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker suffered financially and musically because Eric Clapton refused to entertain a reunion first when he sullied himself playing with Delaney and Bonnie, and even later when he toured with his studio band and rendered canned pop like performances. Would have been interesting if the two had toured as Cream with someone else as lead guitar. Actually, Bruce tried to play some Cream in live performance with Mountain and West, Bruce and Lange. I heard them play Crossroads and it was great. Despite a world wide appetite for a reunion it took until Ginger and Jack were in their 70's and of ill health for Eric to realize that the fan base that had supported him for almost 50 years wanted to hear Cream again.
FMac, Savoy Brown, Pink Floyd, Foghat and other bands missing key members were able to tour under their iconic band monikers because they had legal rights to a name not because their musicianship was necessarily the core of the sound of the back catalogue. I'm wondering if the The Straits would generate such harsh criticism if they limited their sets to tunes where they had significant composition rights. Did anyone hold their nose when Squeeze continued performing without Jools Holland ? How about when they toured without Chris Difford ?
The irony of Steve Ferrone handling the drum kit is that he'd love to tour regularly with Tom Petty. Mike Campbell had to cool his heels while Petty toured with the Wilburys. Difford is producing a new show about him and Squeeze that doesn't include Glenn Tilbrook. Are Squeeze fans throwing rocks at Difford ? Is Jools Holland's nose bent out of shape ?
The Straits aren't like Australian Pink Floyd which make every effort hit every note, movement and look like the Floyd. Tribute bands attempt in every way to mimic the 'real' act on stage. Terence Reis doesn't wear a headband and red Reebok workout shoes. His natural voice is similar to MK's in timbre and its hard to detect mimicry in the way he sings, or for that matter plays the DS standards. Three members of the band (although Phil Palmer wants to stay home rather than tour) were part of DS and recorded and performed the tunes that we so love. Their rendition of the DS catalogue is outstanding and after the RAH performance appears to be getting better and tighter. It's not a question of closing your eyes and believing that its 1985 and MK is effortlessly running the fingerboard of a Schecter Strat. The essence is the music and playing it right and with integrity. The Straits seem to employ that spirit, and frankly its a joy to hear such great music played with new energy by really capable musicians who are passionate about the DS legacy.
MK found far more artistic passion in his solo work, and always has starting with his movie compositions (Local Hero) in 1983. The man is brilliant, a blessing to those who love his music and his artistry. That said, he doesn't want to tour performing the DS classics, doesn't want to play with his old bandmates. Frankly, those of us who have seen MK since the Sailing to Philadelphia tour, and this may be blasphemy to this lot, have seen a mellowness in MK and his playing (like all of us he's aged) that really isn't a fit for the way we remember the DS sound; The Straits are preserving the sound and keeping it bright. Whatever animosity MK might feel in the vein that his former "sidemen" are capitalizing on his work, or "his" band while understandable is really a bit dismissive of his three colleagues, their competency and the fond desires of the DS fans to hear the music played passionately.
