Herman's Fake Hermits at Casino Canberra next week.

Duke may appreciate the fact that my son will be having a “spinal tap” next week!

Are Aurelius and Thumper failed stand-up comedians?

No maam, we’re musicians…

Failed musicians?

You do have to admit that post #40 is pretty funny 😉

A couple of lame puns……but a dandy attempt, according to my sentimental friend over there. Let’s hope there is a kind of hush all over Canberra Casino next Monday and Tuesday. When I started this post, I thought; “Listen people, I’m into something good here.” But these blogs could be a little bit better, woh hoh.

Don’t be surprised if you find me leaning on a lamp post on the corner of the street until a certain little Barry Whitwam and his impostors have gone by!

Tonight, Canberra Casino will serve alcoholic drinks only — no milk today!

There you are, I’ve used up all the well-known titles……….. my blood pressure’s up now. Can’t you hear my heart beat?

V8-Prius said :

And don’t worry about the flatliners on this site. The majority of em are wankers with an abundance of time on their hands and nothing really to say. Doesn’t stop em posting on every thread though….

I’m sorry to hear that. I thought this site was supposed to be a forum for intelligent discussion about a particular subject. I like what Spitfire3 said; “if you don’t care don’t post.” Any comment should add value, shouldn’t it?

Are Aurelius and Thumper failed stand-up comedians?

Thanks for your comments, Granny —- very appreciated, my son will be okay.

Any more insults, and I might become a Hermit (a genuine one) !

Ged, by the way I am really sorry about your son and I do hope the operation goes well. It is good that you care enough to stand up for what you believe is right. Good luck with it all.

Oh, yeah!

: )

Granny,
Paul’s dead. Everyone knows that!

There must be some mathematical equation by which we can determine what constitutes an ‘original’ band and what is a phoney.

For instance, if Paul and Ringo reformed ‘The Beatles’ would they be phoney and why?

Also, were the Beatles actually phoney when Pete Best was the drummer, or were they technically ‘pre-Beatle’?

And if so, should they be sued for calling themselves Beatles at that time?

I’m out.

Ged said :

We all love The Rolling Stones, but would we accept the band under that name if they were to tour the world without Mick Jagger?

Mick Jagger IS the Rolling Stones, in the same way that Peter Noone IS Herman’s Hermits.

Well, I don’t accept any Rolling Stones without Brian Jones. It’s just not real.

And now Riotact is showing an ad for ‘Youtube Living Legends – Rolling Stones’! So by supporting this website are we now all implicit in the proliferation of phoney franchises perpetuated in the name of clapped out baby boomer nostalgia?

*groan*

Keep it real Ged. Werd.

^^^ See! See! Someone who cares who’s finally come out (and I use that term advisedly) and nailed his colours to the mast. So that’s two placard wavers bound for Binara Street.

Do we hear three?

I’m witcha Ged, these fraudsters need to be exposed. I heard the ad on the wireless and assumed it was the real deal.

And don’t worry about the flatliners on this site. The majority of em are wankers with an abundance of time on their hands and nothing really to say. Doesn’t stop em posting on every thread though….

@ Spitfire. Oh pshaw! What’s the alternative? He posts once and it sinks like a stone two days ago. At least it’s getting an airing.

And some of us are having some fun with it.

Someone once told me if you don’t care, don’t post. That’s better than crapping all over something that someone else does care about.

I don’t care, which is why I’m not posting. Except for this. Which is fine.

And the questions continue …

* How long will the ‘whingers’ keep putting their ‘inept one-liners’ on this blog?
* Can they continue to ‘force’ Ged to reply?
* Will he have to ‘keep going on’ forever?

This show is a must to avoid. A complete impossibility.

Careful with those inept one-liners, Granny or you may not be spared the Wrath of Her-Man, Legend of Grey Skool (music). OK, that one started out sounding a lot more promising than it delivered. But technically, it takes me to a two-liner (three including this one), albeit ineptly.

Well, Thumper has sure been told!

*guffaw*

mutley said :

Let it go Rainman

Another inept one-liner!

Let it go Rainman

To Thumper, the word is heinous, not henious.

I won’t tolerate pore speling on my blogs! 🙂

To Granny, of course world hunger is more bloody important than Herman’s Hermits! It’s more important than almost any blog on this website. So why are all these “whingers” complaining about such relatively petty things, when there is terrorism and war, and political ineptness in NSW? I’ve already said my piece, and explained it, end of story.

The only reason I keep going on is because people keep putting inept one-liners on this blog, forcing me to reply. My son goes into Calvary hospital next Monday, Sept 15th, for a serious back operation, and I’ll be devoting my attention to him. Obviously, this is more important to me than the Hermits fiasco, but it’s hardly a subject for RiotAct, and it doesn’t mean I have to ignore everything else while I am worrying about my son.

Whether there is world hunger or not, misrepresentation in advertising, to profit by fraud, is a punishable, criminal offence —- and nobody has suggested you personally get involved in it. So, if not interested, blog somewhere else.

I, on the other hand, think we should picket Canberra Casino and put a stop to this henious crime against music.

Oh, that’s right, herman’s hermits were a henious crime against music 😉

I just got a mental picture of one man (let’s call him ‘Ged’) standing outside the Casino with a placard plastered with ‘Here Be Heretical Hermits’, yodelling “The Truth Will Be Told!!!”

This one goes to eleven, it’s one louder!

The day the music died …

hehe

Ged, you don’t seem to get the point that we do get your point, but either we don’t care or we care so much about other things that we don’t have the time and energy to care about this.

On a scale of 1 neighbourhood quarrels to 10 world hunger, this issue just isn’t up there. The passion just isn’t happening for me … sorry!

I think your anger at 2CC is misplaced, I don’t believe they have too much control over the content of the ads.

Listen to the radio ad — the concert is PROMOTED by 1206 2CC.

the media persists in deceiving audiences

Heaven forfend. It’s almost like they’re trying to make money, or something.

Advertisement Does Not Tell Whole Truth – Film at 11.

I think your anger at 2CC is misplaced, I don’t believe they have too much control over the content of the ads.

To Duke;

Spinal Tap? Now you are pulling everyone’s legs !!!!

Funny how most of you miss the point — we all know long-running bands change their members, even The Rolling Stones have had a few personnel changes over the years, but as long as the core of the group is there, i.e., Mick and Keef, we can accept that group as The Stones.

The “Beach Boys” toured Australian cities last year and copped heavy criticism — not a Wilson brother in sight! Only Mike Love and his mates.

People who go to see INXS know that they won’t be seeing Michael Hutchence; that’s why the group doesn’t sell as many tickets as they once did.

Glenn Shorrock and Co. can only tour as “The Voices of LRB” because some American guitarist owns the name Little River Band. And so it goes on.

I am not passionate about Herman’s Hermits, they are one of many acts that I have followed over the years. So, I haven’t “maintained the rage for forty years” like some sarcastic person wrote. Herman himself is approximately 60 years old, he still tours and sings, and appears regularly on TV in the USA, where he is based, because that is where his biggest audiences have always been.

The sin, I repeat to those for whom it hasn’t sunk in, is not that bands have to change their personnel over the years, but it is that the media persists in deceiving audiences that the bogus touring band bearing the name of Hermit’s Hermits is the real thing, the group that sold millions of records in the sixties.

If any of you have noticed, you might take on board the fact that “big-name” bands, past and present, virtually never come to Canberra.

Ged the Music Historian

is INXS without Hutchence still INXS ?

Won’t somebody please think of the children!

The reformed Sex Pistols who came to Canbera were all (stouter) members who had originally played with the band in their somewhat brief prime, except of course for Sid who couldn’t make it..

Next thing, somebody will be saying the Bay City Rollers aren’t the same as they used to be! (said very TIC – last thing I heard they had 2 different bands going with one member of the original band in each new incarnation – both of whom wanted to beat the bejeezus out of the other one).

The only time I don’t think I’m being conned these days in going to see a previously famous musician is if they’re a solo performer. I saw Dion a few years back at the Hellenic Club, Leo Sayer at the Convention Ctr etc. With bands, you’ll very rarely get the original line-up unless it’s playing somewhere like the AIS Arena. Better still, if they refuse to come to Canberra because it’s too small you can almost bet they’re the real deal…

I mean the band Spinal Tap has had 37 different members over the years. Are they supposed to change their name every time a drummer spontaneously combusts and the lineup changes???

Jeez, it must be tiresome maintaining the rage for 40+ years.

Yeah finished in 1972 but started in 1963 – do the math on that! You’re whinging about a band that isn’t the same lineup five decades later and the fact they’re charging $37.

But on one thing we agree Ged, you should definitely take this protest further, “meet them on the beaches” perhaps.

By the way Duke, be fair to us oldies, mainly we are not THAT old!

You asked “how many bands … still have all their original members after fifty-odd years”?

The original “Herman’s Hermits” finished their career circa 1972.

Do the maths, and you will find this was 36 years ago.

Ged, The Canberra Music Historian (and part-time mathematician)

To Granny

The band you saw in the 1980s was not the same band that will appear in Canberra next week, apart from Barry Whitwam. Of course it was fun, and the songs are great — but, as I keep stressing, these are not the REAL Herman’s Hermits.

And Herman will not be there! We all love The Rolling Stones, but would we accept the band under that name if they were to tour the world without Mick Jagger?

Mick Jagger IS the Rolling Stones, in the same way that Peter Noone IS Herman’s Hermits.

To Thumper —

You are right on!

What would it take to get a letter published in the Canberra Times, informing potential audiences that they are being conned into paying money ($37 a ticket, without dinner) to see and hear a band that is definitely not going to turn up on the night?

It’s not too late — we could make history by having a demonstration, with banners etc., explaining the truth, starting on Sunday 14th, then Monday 15th and Tuesday, if there are any potential audiences left by then.

The public needs to be told. Okay, it’s not as important as the Iraq situation, nor the fact that NSW is broke, but as far as I am concerned, any form of public deception is a crime.

PS I’ve never attended a public demonstration in my life, but this sort of on-going fraud makes my blood boil. My niece and her friends paid $200 a ticket to see Fleetwood Mac in Sydney a couple of years ago, and then were quite dismayed when they realised that two of the original members were missing.

I saw them back in the 80s and it was kind of fun. It was nice to hear the songs again, even though they were fake hermits.

Duke,

Let me make this perfectly clear —

I have NO OBJECTION to this band performing in Canberra, and playing Herman’s old hits.

As I have already said ( please go back and read it again); I would be happy to go along, pay my money, and enjoy the music from a TRIBUTE band.

NOBODY has disagreed with me on this.

What I DO object to passionately is the way Radio 2CC, falsely and knowingly, promotes this very same tribute band as being the original, multi-million selling Herman’s Hermits of the 1960s. Somebody at 2CC (or a related studio) edited and prepared this fraudulent material for broadcast.

Listen to their inevitable ads on the radio tomorrow — and yes, I am a long-time 2CC listener, mainly to listen to Tim Webster, and occasionally I talk to Tim and Glenn A Baker on Thursdays about the music scene.

Mike Jeffrey can be quite entertaining in the early mornings, Steve Price alternates between being amusing, incredibly naive and infuriating, and I find Mike Welch a complete waste of time, he has nothing useful to say about anything, and he repeats himself several times an hour. Most Canberra news commentators tend to be rather gutless, which is a shame, considering we are in the national capital of Australia.

I thank God that two of the most useless and idiotic commentators, Mike Frame and Kane Bond, have left the station. I don’t ever listen to the radio after about 3pm. I used to enjoy John Laws, but, like most listeners, I did not always agree with him. I liked the way you could ring John up and talk about anything you felt like, whereas these days, the announcers only want you to ring up about the subject they are currently enthusiastic about.

Enough said —

Ged the Canberra Music Historian

Ged I was being quite sincere when I said “enjoy the show.” I recognise you have enormous passion for the band but it seems silly to deny yourself a Hermits tribute concert based on principle.

Besides, most fans will already know the status of the band members. How many bands can you name that still have all their original members after 50 odd years?

I am a 2CC listener – you should not assume that those who disagree with you are part of a 2CC management conspiracy.

To: Thumper

I won’t get over it, while a group makes money from unsuspecting audiences, and nobody in a position to do so will do anything about it.

But have you ever really seen any controversial news in Canberra? The local Chronicle’s most important concerns are about the use of abandoned public schools, and residents complaining about the latest development. The increasing number of rapes, missing persons, robberies and assaults, and even murder, rates a few columns in that paper and that sort of news fares not much better in the Canberra Times, as that paper considers anything not political to be beneath it.

And then we have that condescending WIN-TV news, with the bland, banal, plastic-faced, one-expression bimbo Jessica Good (arguably the worst newsreader ever in the history of TV).

It’s no use complaining about big business, radio and newspapers in Canberra, as they all appear to have vested interests in each other.

Apathy on the part of the public explains why both Kate Carnell and John Hargreaves got away with drink-driving; and why Belinda Neal, the most obvious liar and public bully, has no case to answer for.

Hi Duke, I respect your comments but you don’t seem to be paying full attention.

1. 2CC is playing the original group’s RECORDINGS (not merely the songs) in their ads with Peter Noone’s unique voice on them. It was the sound of his voice that helped to make the records hits. But Peter won’t be there on the night, much less his voice !!!!

2. 2CC also shows Peter’s picture with the REAL Hermits on its website — and one of those guys (the outstanding lead guitarist Dereck “Lek” Leckenby) has been deceased for many years. How dare they use his image in a commercial exploitation for some other bunch of upstarts? What would his family think?

3. I’ve already said I will NOT be attending this show. Your patronising “I’m sure you’ll enjoy the show regardless” makes me think you are probably 2CC management or maybe from Casino Canberra.

A fake is a fake; and a lie is a lie, no matter how many times it is repeated.

At least the backers behind the “Cliff & The Shadows Show,” the “Neil Diamond Show” and the various Johnny Cash shows don’t pretend you’re going to get the real thing.

What next? Ringo teams up with three fresh-faced musicians and tours the world as “The Beatles” ?????

I am on a mission here — on behalf of the real Herman’s Hermits,

Peter Noone
Dereck Leckenby (deceased)
Karl Green
Keith Hopwood

and even their (second) drummer, Barry Whitwam, who has disgraced himself by registering the band name for his own use (legally), yet now going around the world with any musicians he cares to employ, and trying to promote the current combination as the original Herman’s Hermits who made three movies in the 1960s and sold over 50 million records.

This sort of thing isn’t an isolated incident. In their early years Bjorn Again had to change their logo and advertising when ABBA threatened to sue. A year or so a tribute artist doing a Neil Diamond show had ads on 2CC featuring the real Neil Diamond’s music. We really shouldn’t be shocked at this sort of thing from 2CC – after all they are simply a relay station of 2UE and 2GB rebroadcasting other people’s work and pretending it is their own (not to mention their so-called “local” news bulletins which consist of recycling items from 2UE’s bulletins of the previous hour).

I can see why you’re feeling a bit sore about all this, but it would be band management not 2CC that dictates the content of a paid radio promotion.

This is not a new phenomenon. Dead Kennedys reformed a few years back minus founder and frontman Jello Biafra as did Sex Pistols – both bands trading off their original names minus most original members.

I had not heard of the Hermits but I did remember their songs after hearing the 2CC ads. This is an example of effective advertising because they played the songs people are most familar with. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the show regardless.

The band is definitely misleading, you are right. But it is 2CC that is using recordings by the ORIGINAL band, featuring Peter Noone, in its radio ads, and displaying a photo of the original “Hermits” on its website. This is fraudulent advertising, the consumer laws are very clear about promoting a product as something that it is not.

2CC is fully aware — I have communicated with Peter Davidson, the station’s programme manager —- of its fraudulent use of these images and sounds, but he has told me that the promotion is the responsibility of Casino Canberra. On the other hand, the Casino displays a picture of the CURRENT Hermits on its own website, so it is being much less deceptive than the radio station.

As a long-term fan, I am happy to know that the music lives on, but the band playing it should let it be known that they are a TRIBUTE BAND, rather than pretend to be the original chartbusters. On top of that, their management agencies and promotional outlets should also let the TRUTH be known to the public.

I have a CD by the current “Hermits” and they are nowhere near as good as Peter Noone and the original band. If only 1206 2CC had used the inferior copies in their daily radio ads… would the concerts still be sell-outs?

If this was the REAL Hermits, I would be first in the ticket queue. If they were promoted as a tribute band, I would still go along to enjoy the songs. But I will not give money to a band pretending that they are the original hitmakers.

If anybody is being misleading it is the band, not 2CC, which is merely promoting a concert from a band calling themselves Herman’s Hermits and playing Hermit hits!

As a long term fan you should be pleased this now obscure band and their music is being dusted off for a new audience, or are Hermits tribute bands so plentiful in Canberra you’re not going to bother seeing them?