Bands lured by reunion lucre

20th December 2001

The Sex Pistols may be coming together for reunion gigs – again.

When The Sex Pistols reunited for a 1996 world tour, John Lydon (formerly Johnny Rotten) made it clear why the members of the band had buried their discrepancies.

"We have found a common cause, and it's your money", Lydon sneered.

Several other bands have realised that the temptation of filthy lucre can resolve arguments that led them to split up.

The Velvet Underground first imploded in 1970 after a gap between John Cale and Lou Reed. However, in the beginning of the 1990s, a new set of fans made them cool and lifted their fame levels higher than before.

The first line-up embarked on a 1993 European tour, but Cale and Reed fell out again before the Velvet Underground could even begin the US leg and the reunion was broken apart.

However, thousands of fans were able to see them before guitarist Sterling Morrison died after two years.

The Who, a guitar-smashing rock band, was one of the greatest bands of the 1960–70s and have held several reunions since.

The band fell apart after wild drummer Keith Moon’s death in 1978, but reunited in their 25th anniversary tour in 1989.

The tour estranged some fans who thought that money was the motive of the reunion. The band continued to perform together for shows; among them are Roger Daltrey's 50th birthday and Live Aid, and two recently revealed charity gigs at Royal Albert Hall in London.

Another band hardly in need of the money was The Beatles, but the death of John Lennon in 1980 ruined the chances of the reunion.

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