Correction: The writer identified “40 oz. to Freedom” as the album released shortly after Bradley Nowell’s death. The album was in fact self-titled and released soon after Nowell’s passing. – Daily Titan Editorial Board

By Brittny Ulate

Daily Titan Detour Editor

“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” In this case, Shakespeare had it wrong. A name does not become irrelevant when it comes to bands and the integrity of their sound.

Members of a band should not continue to use a name when not all the members can equally benefit from the use of it.

Sublime reincarnate performed at this year’s Smokeout Festival over the weekend and received some mixed reviews.

The band, which disbanded after lead singer and songwriter Bradley Nowell died from an overdose 13 years ago, declined to call their performance with new singer Rome Ramirez a “reunion,” instead opting to label it a “celebration,” according to a Rolling Stone article.

Either way, they should not have been billed as “Sublime.”

Sublime no longer exists because not all the members, and most importantly the main songwriter of the group’s hit songs, were present on stage.

Nowell was the heartbeat of the group, and based on past attempts of surviving members Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh to restart their music careers (which haven’t been too successful), he is very much needed.

Sublime fans would love it if their favorite band were somehow reunited and could come out with new music, much like women across the world would probably like to see Heath Ledger in another starring role. Problem is, this is just not going to happen.

These people are dead, and much like their physical form, their talent is gone as well. Come to terms and move on, people.

Not to say bands cannot soldier on after a member has passed. The most successful example would have to be AC/DC when they replaced deceased original singer Bon Scott with Brian Johnson.

This worked only because AC/DC, while popular, had not reached its height of success prior to Scott’s death. The band released their most popular album “Back in Black” with Johnson.

Sublime had  reached its pinnacle of success with the release of the band’s self-titled and final album.

Even though Nowell had already passed before they released the album, he was still a part of that success. The group became popular with him, and it is just not the same without him.

Wilson and Gaugh should take note of The Doors’ surviving members: John Densmore, Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger, and their many attempts at resurrecting their band. Pay attention boys, it doesn’t work, especially when facing an uphill battle with the estate of the deceased singer.

Nowell’s family is threatening a lawsuit against Wilson and Gaugh if they try and play under the Sublime moniker according to Rolling Stone. So before they even try and make it work with Ramirez, they should really consider if it’ll be worth it. Will Sublime fans accept Ramirez as a permanent replacement for Nowell?

Reviews of the band’s Smokeout performance are mixed. Based on a YouTube clip of the performance, Ramirez sounded decent, but he did not have the same quality of Nowell’s voice, which combined punk and ska sounds into a smooth mix that became unmistakably and undeniably Sublime’s trademark. At best, Ramirez is a good cover artist.

Ramirez did not do justice to the words that were written by Nowell, and really the members of this new Sublime should not be allowed to profit from his words unless they are given permission to do so by his estate, which it doesn’t seem like they will.

They definitely do not have permission to use the name since the Nowell family is claiming Bradley registered Sublime under his own name. If the late singer had the foresight to do this, then his decision should be honored.

If this newly grouped threesome think they are talented enough to gain success, they should do so under a new name and new material, not off the back of a group that ceased to exist the moment the singer did.