Jeff Pilson Says Foreigner Doesn’t Get Negative Feedback at Shows

Foreigner bassist Jeff Pilson said the band doesn't receive negative reactions from crowds when they play live, despite some accusations of being a cover band.

Co-founding guitarist Mick Jones' health has prevented him from performing alongside his bandmates regularly, though he still joins them onstage sporadically. On the nights that Jones is absent, the Foreigner touring lineup features no original members — a situation that's led to criticism from some quarters.

Pilson, however, said the complaints of a few have been inflated. "You know what's funny? You see some of that on the Internet, but it’s not as pervasive as you think," he said in a recent episode of Real Music With Gary Stuckey, which you can hear below. "And I'm actually amazed because when we play, we get no negative feedback. So, sure, people are gonna say stuff like that online. It only takes one or two people to make it sound like there's a bunch."

The bassist also issued a challenge to skeptics. "Any time anybody has a problem with the no-original-members thing, I just say, 'You know what? I get it. But come and see the band. And then you tell me whether we do Foreigner justice or not.' And I stand by what we do a thousand percent."

Those who want to take Pilson up on the offer should act quickly, as Foreigner will launch their farewell tour in July, after completing their current dates at the end of May. Pilson reported earlier this year that the band was capable of continuing without any input from Jones but wouldn't do so.

"I think he feels like, 'Let's go out while we're still on top,'" the bassist said at the time. "The objective here is to go out on a high note, which not all bands do. … We're going to go out on a high note and make sure that this legacy is preserved with all the respect and integrity that it deserves."