One Order

This week it was announced that on their tour of North America, New Order would no longer feature founding member Stephen Morris and his wife, Gillian Gilbert, due to health reasons. And as bassist Peter Hook has not been in the band for two decades, the only original member will be Berbard Sumner.

I have said for many years that without Hooky there can't be New Order, so without three of them that trebles it down.

This then is the age old question of how few orginal members does there have to be to still be honestly called by the act's name?

The Who tour with just Daltry and Townsend playing now that Entwhistle and Moon have passed away. Is that really The Who?

The Stranglers now tour with just Jean-Jacques Burnel as the sole original member, is that really The Stranglers now, even if Baz Warne has been singler longer than Hugh Cornwell ever was?

A few years back, I had tckets to see Dr. Feelgood in concert, thinking that Wilko Johnson was still in the band. But he had left again years before. In fact no original members of the band are in the current touring version under that name. So is that really Dr. Feelgood? No matter how long some have been in the band, its just a tribute act, but under the name of the band they are aping.

Both Morris and Gilbert are in their late 60s, and suffering from ill health. Not everyone can be Mick Jagger or Paul McCartney, performing into their 80s. In Jagger's case, leaping around stage like a man half his age. We all get old, but when its over shouldn't it be over?

Barney could call Hooky to rejoin the band, I suppose.