http://www.thewrap.com/article/u2-no-money-horizon-gamble-9033

When you've got to play 42 concerts and gross 300 million dollars just to break even because of the cost of your 'equipment' (the stage), haven't we lost sight of what 'making music' is all about? Is this why we all wanted to be musicians when we grew up (the fact that we never grew up is incidental)? Somewhere, somehow, something must have gone terribly wrong. Does it really take this much to convince our audience that our music is any good? Man oh man, where will it end? Could be why I've always felt that Rock was more about show than about musical substance.

chas

cgiles,

Your quote
“When you've got to play 42 concerts and gross 300 million dollars just to break even because of the cost of your 'equipment”

It is no longer music that satisfies the audience, it is the dimension of the show.

Your quote
“Somewhere, somehow, something must have gone terribly wrong. Does it really take this much to convince our audience that our music is any good? “

Many of our values have gone from value to glitter. We are now faced with “What’s really real”. Can he really play the Guitar or keyboard or sing or is it being enhanced in some other way? Is that not the question that is being asked of arranger keyboards?

John C.

"Could be why I've always felt that Rock was more about show than about musical substance."

You've got to do something to make those same three chords interesting (ok 4 or 5 sometimes).

All you have to do is look at sports.
Basketball
Football
Baseball

Major league music is just following suit.

Eddie

It seems like in ANY entertainment venue a new show has to be bigger and more extravagant than what went before it ...
great question chas, when DID it stop being about the music ?!? ...

I think 'Broadway' is about the only entertainment venue that hasn't changed all that much ... while there are still some grand productions, i.e. "The Lion King", most of 'Broadway' is still about the play: the characters, the plot, the words recited ...
And chas, why is it we don't see elaborate productions in Jazz ... I guess there it STILL is about the music - thankfully ...

t.

Economy of scale... pure and simple. When 3 million people WANT to see you play in a year, you CAN'T play small clubs (do the math).

When jazz musicians have audiences that large, they'll play stadiums, too. I seem to recall Montreaux or Newport Jazzfest getting pretty big, but that's ONE WEEK. These guys pull that number twice a week

Anyway, this is not unique in any way. Anyone remember the scale of ELP's touring rig? Stadium rock is its' own experience. No, it's not a theater or a small club. It is its' own musical experience, different, but still enjoyable. Like seeing a small high school football match, then going to see a huge college or pro game. Same game, utterly different experience...

I have a feeling that, at this point in U2's career, that they aren't all that desperate to make money Playing to the most people, letting the majority of their fans that WANT to see them be able to, even if it means a lumbering, expensive touring system, seems fair enough...

Trust me, music all through the ages has been about money as well as art. Mozart, Beethoven, Verdi, none of these guys were immune to the commercial considerations of actually making MONEY while trying to produce 'art'.... This is more of the same, just ramped up for 21st C technology. I guarantee Liszt would have played to this number of people if he could have!

Somewhere along the line you've got to be able to differentiate Show Business from Musical Performance.

Then you make your pick as to which of those two you want to practice.


--Mac

Diki qoute

"Trust me, music all through the ages has been about money as well as art".

I feel they loved their music and their performances,but they used money to keep score.

John C.

Jazz and Country seem to be the least affected by pomp and circumstance...they are also my two favorite music genres.

They are usually only about the music, although there are exceptions.

No, folk music hasn't changed much. A guy and a guitar. Which I love... with the right guy/gal.