WASHINGTON - Musical group promoter Julius Marx testified before Congress yesterday to oppose proposed legislation that would put a stop to imposter bands passing themselves off to concert-goers as the real deal. Marx claims that "real deal" or not, he owns the legal right to promote modern-day versions of The Platters and The Drifters, even though neither group has any of the original members. But those groups are small potatoes for the 38 year-old promoter. Marx claims that he owns the rights to what he refers to as "the big fish" -- a group 2,000 years-old and revered around the world, The Twelve Apostles. "I have all the documentation," said Marx. "I can trace [my rights] all the way back to the Apostle Matthew, the tax collector, who was in charge of the legalities for the Twelve." Marx said he is seeking an injunction to stop Christian churches from using the name "The Twelve Apostles" in its books, including the New Testament, and church services. "If a preacher so much as mentions any of the Twelve in a sermon, they'll have to pay me a royalty," said Marx.
Marx is even planning a multi-city tour, though one that assuredly won't include any of the original members. "We're casting right now," he said. "Everybody wants to be Judas because it's so much more interesting being the villain." He pauses and smiles. "I should know."
