Supergroups:
A supergroup is formed when a group of musicians from
different bands join up for a musical project, and make an album. Shortly after
they release it, they tour playing the music from the project and maybe a song
or two from their main band or other projects. A notable supergroup was the
band Cream. This band was most well known for their song “Sunshine of Your Love”
on their album “Disraeli Gears”. Cream only lasted a couple of years, which was
longer than most.
Many Supergroups have since been formed and broken up, with
very few actually having longevity. One of the few supergroups that has shown
longevity is Down. Down is a formation of musicians from the Louisiana metal music scene.
With some of the mainstays of the group: singer Phillip H. Anselmo (Pantera), Pepper
Keenan (Corrosion of Conformity), and Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod, Crowbar). This band
celebrates the metal scene in New Orleans by spreading the unique metal music that
was created there.
The Quick Burn Effect:
This term ‘the quick burn effect’ is when a new music group comes
together, and it only lasts for a short time, with an average life span of
about a year. The effect usually takes place during the tour or shortly after
the tour, when one or multiple members leave to go on to other projects or back
to their main band. If they aren’t replaced and continue on, the band is put
off indefinitely, in music purgatory, or disbanded altogether. But there is a
far worse outcome than this, the band never plays a live show, like the
supergroup KXM (Ray Luzier, George Lynch, and (Doug) dUg Pinnick). After KXM recorded
their album, they were too busy with other projects to go on tour together. The
quick burn effect usually takes place in either a newly formed supergroup or an
original project made up of one or two established musicians and new fresh musicians.
A band that died off after only a few years was California Breed. It was
comprised of Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham, and new guy Andrew Watt. They recorded
a fantastic record and then went on tour. After a few shows, Bonham left. They
replaced him with another drummer but they only lasted a short time before
disbanding. This behavior of short lived music projects is generally predominant
in the rock and metal world than in other genres.
Hired Guns:
When an established band needs to replace previous members,
they usually get hired guns. These musicians learn the material and only play with
the band live or sometimes in studio. This can persist over a few years. Very
few of these musicians actually become members of the bands full time, and even
fewer are allowed to become full partners.
The main argument is the differentiation between bandmates
and hired guns. Bandmates or band members are the people who have a vested
interest in the band. They have invested their time and creativity into the
band making it their own. Hired Guns or freelance players, are people that are
brought in to fill a role and not much else. These musicians usually have one
or two projects that are their main interest, and they are playing in this band
or bands for extra income.
Music is both and art and a business. Some musicians want to
work together to create something special outside their normal endeavors. Sometimes
situations change and musicians need to be replaced for short or longer periods
of time. Unfortunately, these projects can be short-lived. Creative and
financial success is not guaranteed. It is most disappointing to those fans who
listen and buy the music for they may only have one chance to experience the music
live or even own a recording.
