Bands Reunited

"Bands Reunited" was a television program produced by VH1 in 2004. Hosted by Aamer Haleem, the show documented the attempted reuniting of a formerly popular musical ensemble for a special concert in either London or Los Angeles.

A show normally consisted of the crew first hunting down the ex-members of the band (often first in disguise) one-by-one, and convincing them to agree for the one-time concert; the members were "contracted" by signing a record album by their former band. The band members were then interviewed, usually focusing on the reasons of the breakup. The final segment would consist of the formal reunion of the band in the rehearsing studio, and a joint interview about why the group parted ways. If the reunion was successful, the episode ended with the final performance.

In 2005, VH1 attempted to get the British band The Smiths back together, but the show abandoned its attempt after its host Aamer Haleem was unsuccessful in his attempt to corner Morrissey before a show.

Bands which have appeared

Note: The bands that did the reunion performance are noted, as well.

Criticism of the show

The artificial nature of parts of the show and the contractual arrangements behind it have been criticised. Kurt Harland of Information Society detailed his own negative experiences with the program, and how his experiences differed from the portrayal of events as broadcast, on his website. [http://web.archive.org/web/20071230112756/http://insoc.org/texts/BandReunion.HTML]

External links

* [http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/bands_reunited/series.jhtml Official Site]
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* [http://web.archive.org/web/20071230112756/http://insoc.org/texts/BandReunion.HTML Kurt Harland of Information Society details his experiences with the program]