Ed Kowalczyk address Lawsuits and LIVE, Article 8/27/12 Options

[SJN1279]

I think some people overestimate the possibilities for Live if they reunite. We're in 2012, they are not relevant since 2001. They can tour a bit on the east coast. in Netherlands and in Australia...ok, fine. Else than us on this board who really care about Live, a reunion tour and Ed's departure? Some won't even see the difference with Shinn fronting the band, and anyway they will be happy since they will see a singer that keeps his shirt ON, for Christ sake!!!

In this era of one hit wonders, just hope a great record from CCCP and after we'll see. Even with the name LIVE, it will be hard to get noticed, as it was with TGF. But what we want at first is 4 guys happy to work TOGETHER delivering a great record. And now Chris Shinn is the singer of the band and I'm looking forward to hear what he can do!

LIVE reunited can tour the entire US and do very well in most cities. The Summerland tour this summer featured bands much less successful than LIVE, and did pretty well whereever it went. A reunited LIVE would probably get the headlining spot on that tour or something similar, LIVE without Ed would be the 4th band on the bill if lucky.

Releasing on their own label in 2012, the chance for LIVE 2.0 to have a commercially successful records is near impossible. Touring with Shinn will draw a lot less than touring with Ed. They will effectively kill LIVE.

For those who say LIVE was dead in 2009, they sold out the majority of their shows that year, and headlined a successful summer tour with Blues Traveler and Collective Soul the year before. The setlists in 2009 were also some of the strongest in the band's history.

LIVE with four original members in 2013, I think would be a hit with most fans. They really should give it a shot.

If it is just about the music as many of you say, why do CCP need the name LIVE to release new music?

[Aitkens]

Just going to put this out there.


The people clamoring for Ed to make his return are the same ones that only go to a Live concert so that they can hear Lightning Crashes. They don't give a shit about the rest of the songs, they want to hear Lightning Crashes, sway back and forth with their significant other, and hold their cell phone in the air, since apparently nobody holds up lighters anymore.

For those people, I say "Fuck You", as you are not or have never been a fan of Live.

This post has been edited by Aitkens: Aug 29 2012, 8:33 am

[thefunkyredcaboose]

I am going to lay this out there in black and white for you guys:

If you don't respond to him, this thread will plummet to the bottom of the board and we won't have to hear about this PR stunt of an article anymore. If you keep responding, it will stay at the top of the board and be the first thing people see and read when they come to the board.

Out of respect for CCCP, stop responding and let this article and idea take its proper course since LIVE, who I saw perform to a packed and hype house back in March, is currently finishing a new album.

(I realize there is some hypocrisy in posting this here, but I knew you guys wouldn't be able to resist responding )

This post has been edited by thefunkyredcaboose: Aug 29 2012, 8:36 am

[alexou]

In 2009, despite the fact that the setlists were different (I wouldn't say some of the best in their history), the stage energy was horrible since the guys knew they would stop the band shortly. It was a bad ending. We saw some terrible videos about bad interactions between band members. That's not the way I want the band to perform.

Anyway, without arguing more with you, what I want is a good quality record. I want to give Shinn a try and I hope it will be a long term one. Success for me is REALLY accessory. Show me good music and that's it. TGF did it just fine with me.

Ed does his own thing...good for him. He must do it legally though which we are not he is. I own alive and don't hate it like some of the other posters, but it's like they all put the budget on Grace and Zion and they rushed the rest. Not a way to treat the art of music where all the details are important.

I want a Live tour in which they play darker songs and I don't believe Ed can do that anymore. I want more that the 2009 tour, which I did'nt want to see because of the context.

This post has been edited by alexou: Aug 29 2012, 8:41 am

[briburge]

Just going to put this out there.
The people clamoring for Ed to make his return are the same ones that only go to a Live concert so that they can hear Lightning Crashes. They don't give a shit about the rest of the songs, they want to hear Lightning Crashes, sway back and forth with their significant other, and hold their cell phone in the air, since apparently nobody holds up lighters anymore.

For those people, I say "Fuck You", as you are not or have never been a fan of Live.

Want ed to return and if i never hear lc again i would be fine with that. i have been a live fan since 1992.

[mfitz804]

I think some people overestimate the possibilities for Live if they reunite.

I agree with this. The casual fan doesn't even know any of this is going on. There was no media exposure for Live in 2009, and there isn't any now. In fact, I have not heard one single thing about Ed leaving or Chris joining other than on this website.

Live wasn't exactly top of the charts or the most popular band in the world at the time of the hiatus. Most people had long since stopped caring. To think they would make some kind of an impact by reuniting when nobody really cared when they broke up seems silly.

For me personally, I loved Live with Ed. I haven't made up my mind about Shinn, because frankly we haven't heard what he is capable of. All we have heard thus far is re-recorded tracks and some live performance of old Live tunes. Shinn's performance on these tracks was good, and excellent at points, and also a complete imitation of Ed at points.

The new album will tell me whether I like Live with Chris, or if I would prefer Ed was back. I imagine that ultimately, whichever way they go, I'll still be listening.

[FishOutaWater]

The new album will tell me whether I like Live with Chris, or if I would prefer Ed was back. I imagine that ultimately, whichever way they go, I'll still be listening.

Great point. No one has any basis for deciding whether you want Ed back until you hear and see Live with Chris Shinn. Then, you can't delude yourself and pretend that Live with Ed would be like 1995 again. Youwould have to compare Live with Chris Shinn to SFBM, Alive and the concerts in 2009. See how that works for you. Then you can make a decision.

[jclive]

Want ed to return and if i never hear lc again i would be fine with that. i have been a live fan since 1992.

I'd like to see Ed return too. Anohter fan since 1992..

[possum]

I'd like to see Ed return too. Anohter fan since 1992..

Fair enough, but can I ask why? Did you enjoy anything after 2000?

I'm a fan since 1991 and I would walk away if Live reunited with Ed. I think there has been only one concert I enjoyed seeing them play in the last 10 years. I'd imagine it would be more of the same...

same question for briburge.

[OutToDry]

I agree with this. The casual fan doesn't even know any of this is going on. There was no media exposure for Live in 2009, and there isn't any now. In fact, I have not heard one single thing about Ed leaving or Chris joining other than on this website.

Live wasn't exactly top of the charts or the most popular band in the world at the time of the hiatus. Most people had long since stopped caring. To think they would make some kind of an impact by reuniting when nobody really cared when they broke up seems silly.

For me personally, I loved Live with Ed. I haven't made up my mind about Shinn, because frankly we haven't heard what he is capable of. All we have heard thus far is re-recorded tracks and some live performance of old Live tunes. Shinn's performance on these tracks was good, and excellent at points, and also a complete imitation of Ed at points.

The new album will tell me whether I like Live with Chris, or if I would prefer Ed was back. I imagine that ultimately, whichever way they go, I'll still be listening.

Good points.

[SJN1279]

Great point. No one has any basis for deciding whether you want Ed back until you hear and see Live with Chris Shinn.

LIVE is one of the very few bands that was able to keep its original line-up in tact from inception. That was one of the things that made them special. In my opinion, LIVE should stay that way as long as they are all healthy enough to continue on.

[jclive]

Fair enough, but can I ask why? Did you enjoy anything after 2000?

I'm a fan since 1991 and I would walk away if Live reunited with Ed. I think there has been only one concert I enjoyed seeing them play in the last 10 years. I'd imagine it would be more of the same...

same question for briburge.

Why? Because the band that made my favorite music, the main parts of the soundtrack to my life (at least this far), is Live. Ed, Chad, Chad, Pat.

I'm looking forward to them continuing in any way / combo that they wish, but my preference is for the original 4. I will likely enjoy the new stuff, but its not going to give me that same feeling of seeing and listening to the band I 'grew up' with. And I hope that they dont do any more remakes of the old songs.

You stated that you imagine a reunion with Ed would be more of the same. The rift between the guys would have to be mended, somehow, for a reunion to happen. Why couldnt that lead to more of what you enjoyed about the band?

[thefunkyredcaboose]

You stated that you imagine a reunion with Ed would be more of the same. The rift between the guys would have to be mended, somehow, for a reunion to happen. Why couldnt that lead to more of what you enjoyed about the band?

I agree 100 percent that they don't need to do anymore remakes of songs. That's not my bag!

As for this, obviously I'm not possum, but I can answer that I just don't think Ed has the right style for the band anymore. His take on Believe (which became Honest Man) was dreadful, and he hasn't been a part of a song that I've enjoyed in years. I think his style and tastes have changed, and he now wants to make pop music. That's fine, but that's not what Live is and it isn't what Live should ever be. I'd rather him do what he is most passionate about, which is decidedly pop/rock based on SFBM and his solo efforts. Add in the Christian angle that he has taken including changing the lyrics to old songs, and you've got a guy who I don't want to see fronting Live.

All of that is more than enough for me, and doesn't include anything about the lawsuits, money, etc.

[possum]

You stated that you imagine a reunion with Ed would be more of the same. The rift between the guys would have to be mended, somehow, for a reunion to happen. Why couldnt that lead to more of what you enjoyed about the band?

Internally things have been wrong with the guys for 10+ years so I guess the notion that they can mend fences and work things out seems so unlikely to me.

Obviously if we could go back to 1999 and rewrite Live's history I would continue the story with Ed as part of the band.

I've spent a lot of time and money the last decade trying to support my favorite band only to be burned time and time again. Shame on me I suppose.

[Pokey]

E, your only problem is

Stop saying the same stuff over and over and over again. It's been ages, really.

C'mon, give it a break.

I like how I'm the problem here, no one can seemingly practice what they preach, ignoring the steaming pile of shit in the room doesn't make the steaming pile of shit go away, it'll still stink. And it will continue to stink whether people ignore, engage, or whatever because the shit thinks and knows there are absolutely no consequences to anything it does and so long as that goes on, the shit will keep on and it doesn't matter what anyone else here does or how they act.

That being said, yes I will give it a break, the board has definitely felt less fun over the last little while and I probably need a break, and so it seems people need a break from my posting too, I got end of year exams around the corner so I think I'll stick to taking a proper leave until then. Enjoy, guys