Yeah the early albums to me were very 10cc.
The later (1980 - 1986) stuff was very akin to Toto, The Tubes in their David Foster era, Steely Dan, even Bridge 2 Far, kind of westcoast-AOR.
Unfortunately, when you had one big hit that was a ballad, then you're gonna be pegged in with Air Supply I guess. But that's where the similarity ends.
As a live band, they'd fit perfectly on a Firefest bill, if they chose the right setlist for that audience, because they have the songs to do that. Musically they are probably better than someone like Danger Danger (not knocking them, I love them when I fancy some melodic-cock-rock), but I see why looking at them for that one hit you wouldn't put them on the same bill.
I wouldn't think of putting Toto on the same bill as Magnum, Saxon and The Pretty Maids, but a promoter did that with success.
All depends how you market it. Seeing as Firefests only major marketplace is this site, a few magazines, Facebook and ARFM, then you promote them as a rock band, and play their AOR songs, do interviews, show live video clips, etc...
You wouldn't market them as a one-hit wonder who released a power ballad in 1979 (although that's probably more UK hits than most of the bands over the past 10 years of Firefest! lol!). There's plenty of heavy bands that play Firefest that don't sit well along the AOR bands, but they bring in their fans, and plenty of softer bands who don't fit as well alongside the heavier stuff. It's just finding the balance, and promoting it properly.
And like I say, it's down to the guys in the said bands to choose the right set-list for the event.
There's plenty of bands i've seen at Firefest that have failed to do that...
You never know, untill you try it. Rick Springfield would be a great addition to Firefest, but most people see him as a pop singer from the 80's... ditto Richard Marx.
Niv