The Black Crowes

Though breaking up is said to be hard to do, getting back together appears to be much easier. At least in the world of rock and pop, where reunions are de rigueur and often translate into big paydays. Akin to what happened with the stigma associated with artists who license songs to advertisements, the cynicism that once greeted reformations has faded. The notion of “selling out” by staging a reunion now feels as antiquated as the cassingle.

Fans weren’t quite sure what to make of the Black Crowes when they tumbled onto the Pinkpop stage in Landgraaf, Holland, at 10:15 a.m. on a gloomy June morning in 1990. With their preening bohemian grandeur and druggy bonhomie, they seemed more like glamorous all-night revelers staggering home after a night of clubbing instead of the opening band for this prestigious festival. 

Forget about peace, love and understanding. Brothers in rock ‘n’ roll bands aren’t meant to get along. The unwritten rule stretches back to the Everly Brothers, whose siblings, Phil and Don, cemented their disdain for one another by breaking up on stage in 1973. Similar feuds between Liam and Noel Gallagher (Oasis), Ray and Dave Davies (Kinks), William and Jim Reid (The Jesus and Mary Chain) and Gary and Van Conner (Screaming Trees) have become as famous as their respective groups’ music.