Are there any examples of bands in VK where all of the original members have left but the band remains active? I am expanding this discussion to bands that would lose their creative flair if their main creative lead(s) would break out.
I am wondering in VK specifically as the concept of the band is normally established by the founding members but this topic can be expanded to bands with a clear style or concept.
I think this can be ok to regular bands especially when those that keep the band going see it as a source of employment. However, for something with the need of a creative direction I think it would be difficult to keep original spirit going without at least a founding member.
Ayabie and AYABIE is like an example of members being able to splinter of do their thing with pretty much the same music(no offense to the die-hards with clear biases).
I don’t think I can also see a band like Versailles with just either Kamijo or Hizaki in it. Their own solos have proved that they would have their own specific direction.
Reason for Topic:
I just came back from seeing Hanabie with their 2 openers of Nekrogoblin and Enterprise Earth. They were great bands but I noticed none of the band members were original members. It was the first time reading about something like this so it was interesting seeing two examples right there. Checking each bands latest releases, they seem to be going alright.
That’s damn rare considering how much emphasis there is on the members as individuals as part of the brand in Japan as opposed to the west where it’s more common. Now in terms of your main songwriter leaving that’s actually pretty common like when Seiya left DEVILOOF, when Dai left Do As Infinity, can’t think of others off of the top of my head.
I can’t speak to this very muck in visual kei, but overall I don’t really think there’s too much difference between VK and otherwise when it comes to a band having a creative direction vs. seeing the band as employment. At least for the bands I typically listen to, yes the music is often their full-time and primary source of income, but that doesn’t negate them having a vision for the band’s artistic output, even if that vision shifts over time.
But overall, I don’t think it’s inherently a problem if a band continues on without any original members. In the case of Nekrogoblikon, even if there are no founders left they’ve had the same lead guitarist since 2007, nearly 20 years. And their current keyboardist has been in the band since 2011. I feel like there’s a certain sense of continuity that’s created by that much longevity. Another good example I can think of is Napalm Death, who not only have zero original members but also don’t even have the people that first replaced most of those original members. But they’ve also had a pretty stable 4-person core since the 90s, their bassist has been the same guy since the mid-80s, and the stylistic shift from pure grindcore towards more traditional death metal influence had already begun before they landed on their stable core.
I can actually more easily think of cases where there WAS still at least one original member but it still felt more like a parody or a cover band.
Idk. Maybe the culture of VK fandom makes things a little different in how something like this is perceived? But I see continuity of creative direction as not entirely independent on band lineup, but certainly able to be at least a little bit divorce from whether or not there’s any original members left.
With Nekrogoblikon, it is like a comic character. I think their art plays well with different writers adding to the story or mythos of the character. So I can see it living for a long time. Honestly, the music and themes they give wouldn’t really invoke a super serious fan-base that may knit pick a change in direction.
For your other band there, I think this is why I was gearing more towards VK specifically. I think bands like these don’t really have a strong enough visual aesthetic that they have to keep up with and musical themes aren’t as let’s say focused to a concept. VK bands generally have a commitment for all members to play their part aestheticaly. Musically, I am a little 50/50 if revolving members even matter for regular non-VK bands as the emphasisis is more towards putting out music keeping those music alive. I really can’t imagine a band like Versailles not have themes of roses, death and loss while keeping a Tanbi-kei aesthetic.
Disclaimer: I am little biased in that find many metal-core-like bands to be interchangeable and not all that unique compared to one another. Anything just heavy, mainly screams and not enough “color”, I generally don’t have as much of a sense of “pride” listening to this type of music. Nothing to against their music. Slap a VK aesthetic and have the lyrics flow to a theme though, and I would be more attentive.
No wonder whenever I clicking on that band over the years and keep getting mixed feelings.
Looking more into this topic, I kinda wish vkgy would also have those little charts that show the members active throughout the years. The affiliate list is cool but like figuring out when they were active on a specific band can be difficult.