"When a key member dies, I have no idea why the band carries on in his/her absence other than to get money. Carry on recording and touring, but do it as something else."
Maybe the group still play together as Big Country because they love it and there's an audience who still love it too.
Also, why is it a problem for professional musicians to make money? In the current climate there's probably less chance of them being employed elsewhere and like lots of other bands of their generation, they probably have mouths to feed at home too.
There's enough space in the world for every band and associated audience to enjoy themselves.