[Rumori] devo, erm. version 2.

[M.Simons]

> About time the franchise idea developed in music - been expecting it for a
> while, but not in this way, I must admit.

Franchises sort-of exist

look at that way many 'bands' tour even though there is only one original 
member left..

for example look at how the english beat is handled...
different groups in the UK and the US.. different and incomplete 'reunion' 
in the UK a few years back..

Dave Wakeling regularly changes and is billed in the US (and a backing 
group) in different ways depending on many different factors..  we've seen 
"Dave Wakeling"  "The English Beat" and even "general public"  when he's 
billed as the english beat, it is the MOST misleading..

okay, so I guess technically, that's not really a franchise, but..

or how about how a group *name* and *song catalog* gets used by an 
entirely new group of folks doing a 'nostalgia' type tour.. even though NO 
original (or logical/historical successor) members are in the group, this 
is only possible because the groups name and their entire song catalogs 
are entirely owned by various record companies/management groups.. often 
times the audience doesn't even realize.

as far as the whole dev2.0 debacle.. there's a pretty intense discussion 
in some of the hardcore devo fan communities, as far as fans, there are 
some dedicated fans spread worldwide, including in the UK, Italy, etc. 
thing is, Devo hasn't really toured to europe in a while.  they did 
however within the past few years do some large sold-out shows here in the 
colonies.

--
MS