Artists doing gigs playing a complete classic album

[killer b]

I'm a live promoter and I see no shortage of new acts. None at all.

You promote gigs in an area of London renown for it's nightlife. It's totally different to the rest of the country.

I'm not blaming bands playing their greatest hits for the current ills of the music industry - as I said at the start, it's more of a symptom than a cause. But I do think it has an impact on what the gig-going public spend their money on - where people are feeling the squeeze as they are atm, they're less likely to take a risk - that's true at all levels of the industry, and it inevitably means the less well known artists and less sure to sell shows will lose out.

 

[TruXta]

Surely the decline of small venues has a lot more to do with increased costs, greedy property owners and other larger economic trends.

 

[chilango]

Quite happy to see old bands because I know and love them.

No interest in said gigs being a wallow in useless nostalgia though.

Pixies and Sonic Youth are both faves of mine. But would much rather see a mix of their stuff than a run thru of some canonical LP.

 

[killer b]

Surely the decline of small venues has a lot more to do with increased costs, greedy property owners and other larger economic trends.

Sure. The same economic trends are at least partly responsible for the issues I'm raising too.

 

[editor]

You promote gigs in an area of London renown for it's nightlife. It's totally different to the rest of the country.

I'm not blaming bands playing their greatest hits for the current ills of the music industry - as I said at the start, it's more of a symptom than a cause. But I do think it has an impact on what the gig-going public spend their money on - where people are feeling the squeeze as they are atm, they're less likely to take a risk - that's true at all levels of the industry, and it inevitably means the less well known artists and less sure to sell shows will lose out.

I honestly think you're wildly exaggerating the impact these one-off 'classic album' tours have on the grassroots music scene. For the greater part it's an entirely different market to the generally younger, crowds seeing new bands.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

The absolute hammering the welfare state has taken over the last 20 years is part of the mix as well.

 

[editor]

Surely the decline of small venues has a lot more to do with increased costs, greedy property owners and other larger economic trends.

Absolutely. It's got far more to do with factors like rising pub beer prices/cheapo supermarket booze, changing tastes, plenty of alternative entertainment about/big TVs for home entertainment, Netflix, landlords flogging off pub venues to cash in on housing boom etc etc.

Back in the day you'd take a punt on a band because there was fuck all else to do. Now there's plenty of entertainment on offer.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I honestly think you're wildly exaggerating the impact these one-off 'classic album' tours have on the grassroots music scene. For the greater part it's an entirely different market to the generally younger, crowds seeing new bands.

The point is that they are a symptom, part of a trend... nobody is blaming the bands.

 

[DaveCinzano]

This is why I like free-improvisation, certainly.

Fozzie Bear, yesterday

 

[Orang Utan]

Back in the day you'd take a punt on a band because there was fuck all else to do. Now there's plenty of entertainment on offer.

This is true. I pretty much stopped going to gigs when clubs became more fun to go to.
Some people will always prefer live music, but many of us prefer hearing prerecorded music in a club environment, esp when it's electronic. I've never felt that escapist immersion in music at a live gig.

 

[editor]

This is true. I pretty much stopped going to gigs when clubs became more fun to go to.
Some people will always prefer live music, but many of us prefer hearing prerecorded music in a club environment, esp when it's electronic. I've never felt that escapist immersion in music at a live gig.

Works out nicely for the clubs too because DJs are generally a lot cheaper and less hassle than a night of bands.

 

[editor]

You promote gigs in an area of London renown for it's nightlife. It's totally different to the rest of the country.

I'm not blaming bands playing their greatest hits for the current ills of the music industry - as I said at the start, it's more of a symptom than a cause. But I do think it has an impact on what the gig-going public spend their money on - where people are feeling the squeeze as they are atm, they're less likely to take a risk - that's true at all levels of the industry, and it inevitably means the less well known artists and less sure to sell shows will lose out.

Again, I disagree and would argue that those people paying to hear the classic albums of their youth are unlikely to form a large chunk of the crowd interested in new bands.

 

[spitfire]

I went to see Spiritualized play Ladies and Gentleman... last year at the Barbican. Was fucking brilliant (even though everyone was sat down).

 

[Athos]

I think these nostagia-fests allow promotors to become lazy; they go for the guaranteed ticket sales, rather than taking a risk on/putting effort into finding decent new bands. To te detriment of new music.

 

[TruXta]

I think these nostagia-fests allow promotors to become lazy; they go for the guaranteed ticket sales, rather than taking a risk on/putting effort into finding decent new bands. To te detriment of new music.

In that case you should direct your ire at the likes of dinosaurs like the Stones and Dylan, not alternative acts such as Sonic Youth.

 

[Athos]

Ire migh be putting it a bit strongly. And, to be honest, I do like the occasional bit of nostalgia. But, on balance, I think it's become too dominant.

 

[Orang Utan]

Ire migh be putting it a bit strongly. And, to be honest, I do like the occasional bit of nostalgia. But, on balance, I think it's become too dominant.

so, nostalgia isn't as good as it used to be?

 

[Athos]

so, nostalgia isn't as good as it used to be?

I remember when you could see a band do their classic album, have ten pints, a bag of chips and the bus home fo a fiver. An this was all fields.

 

[ska invita]

classic music will be classic for ever...see bach for details....classic albums' aren't just nostalgia, they're mighty works of art. One off performances of any such albums are a rare chance to hear that particular work in the flesh. All good