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Live music is rubbish

"Bonnie Prince Billy was the inspiration for this thread. Spectacularly dull. "

In my experience he's a moody bugger. Catch him on a bad day and you wish you'd stayed at home - I've been to a couple of really dull BPB gigs. But catch him on a good day and it makes you forget about the bad gigs - until you posted that I'd forgotten I'd seen any bad performances from him. Rock City in Nottingham a few years back and some church in Cov more recently both made the hair on my neck stand up. A Royal Festival Hall gig a couple of years ago made me wish I'd brought a book to read.

I have some sympathy with him. My job involves a lot of public speaking. Usually I'm good at it, but I have the odd off day....

Fingers crossed for when I see him again this spring....
 
See my thread on the way audio is going for cinema.

http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=113442

The cinema I refer to in Dublin is built right next to the '02' 14,000 seat venue on the Liffey. I would prefer to pay €20 to sit in the 500 seat cinema to watch a Live gig streamed-in from next door. You can then go to the bar afterwoods and feel the 'vibe'.

The enertainment industry is going through a strange time ATM.
 
I saw James Yorkston at a club in the west end. He took about 30mins to set up the acoustic instruments and the wait, volume of people and lack of air- conditioning was all forgotten once he started up.
I think some artists are very consistent live. David Byrne I have seen in various size halls and not a duff one yet for me.
I do agree that larger venues are possibly the worst place to musicians (except classical most of the time)
 
Not really on topic, but...

Last year I went to 32 gigs and ony four were in "large" venues - i.e. The ABC, Academy, and the Barrowlands in Glasgow (1700-2300 cap). The rest were in 100-500 (-ish) capacity venues. Funny that most of the music I tend to listen to is by bands who tour these smaller venues. This is also where I spend the most money on new music / merch.
 
Live music?
I can't get enough of it, me. If I had the money I'd probably go to a gig 3 or 4 times a week. 'Live' is what it's all about. Seeing the band get off on what they're doing together, the feedback from the audience when it all comes together, the feeling of 'being there' and being 'part of it'. Bloody marvellous.
Having said that, there's no way you would get me to a stadium venue, Earls Court, O2 or the like. I don't even go anywhere near the big stages at Glastonbury, I keep to the smaller, more intimate venues, where you can virtually touch the performers and they can touch you.
Big name bands at big venues is not what it's all about.
Even some pub gigs leave you feeling on a high. Get back to basics and let yourself go!
 
If there was no live music, there will be no music ever.

But of course, this is an audiophile forum where studio remixes of Genesis and talking about active speakers = music doesn't it?
 
I see local bands in pubs about once a week and many of them are very good indeed. I've heard many a covers band that sound much better than the (now ageing) original and bloody close to how they sounded in their prime!
The sound is usually very good and then there's the beer within yards of the stage.... Oh and it's free :D Just wish the beer was....
You can keep your big-name acts ;)
 
dehavillandrfc said:
This just convinces me of something I've always suspected, that the majority of folks in the 'hi fi' world are more into the hobby of it than the music. There is no substitute, in my view, for the experience of music. No hifi system - no matter how good - can match the excitement and emotion of a live gig. And I think my system is bloody good!

You guys just need to get out more!

Of course not all gigs are great but I have been to fantastic shows at the O2 (Led Zep, Santana), RAH (Cream, Porcupine Tree, various Proms) down to intimate gigs at places like the Shepherds Bush Empire, Borderline and even IndigO2 where I saw Little Feat and Return to Forever. It's not the size of venue but the music.

Live music rules....
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+1

Chris
 
One thing I have tended to notice: older bands seem to lose their energy when playing live, compared to when younger. Fleetwood Mac are an example - live on the Tusk tour, great. Later in The Dance - much lamer and just less exciting to listen to. Just my observation mind.
 
supertramp said:
One thing I have tended to notice: older bands seem to lose their energy when playing live, compared to when younger. Fleetwood Mac are an example - live on the Tusk tour, great. Later in The Dance - much lamer and just less exciting to listen to. Just my observation mind.
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Yeh I'll agree with that. Even if they are still very competent musicians they just seem to lose the fire, aggression and passion of a younger version.
 
There needs to be a law that prevents people getting on stage to perform rock and roll once they pass a certain age, I'm thinking 24/25...

'Hope I die before I get old'

Who knew just how prophetic that line was going to be...
 
l.jpg


The Jazz Cafe stage sign "During the performance STFU".

It does annoy me when loud conversations are held close to the performance &/or during quiet music.
 
Yes that makes my blood boil! I was at a gig 3 years ago, £20 a ticket, the support act may as well have not bothered. They were a quiet acoustic act and were talked over by a majority of the audience. What really got to me though was the group of 20 or so lasses not far from me who shouted shrieked and giggled at each others holiday photos during the main act! I had to get quite nasty to get them to shut up.... Why pay to go to a gig and then talk through it?
As a musician myself I know how annoying it can be from the other side of the microphone as well :eek:
 
Basil said:
There needs to be a law that prevents people getting on stage to perform rock and roll once they pass a certain age, I'm thinking 24/25...
QUOTE]

Not the case at all with lots of bands, and I'd go as far as to say that they're often better now. As far as punk bands go, I've seen the Damned, UK Subs and Angelic Upstarts lately, with all gigs being brilliant. ANWL always turn in a good performance too. They all work very, very hard for the audience, and that's usually reciprocated. Look on Youtube for UK Subs doing 'Warhead' at Blackpool recently if not convinced.

I always go along on my own, with the intention of having a jolly good time, and am seldom disappointed.

Just get yerself down the front and get into it...

Andrew
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pqpq said:
I went to an infamous early Jesus & Mary Chain gig I remember vividly. They shuffled on stage a couple of hours late, plugged in and there was just a wall of feedback for 15 mintes, then they shuffled off again. I'm not sure whether they played anything or not, but the whole thing, especially the near riot afterwards was absolutley electrifying.
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In 1986? About the time of 'Never Understand'? Somewhere in London? I think I was at that...it was amazing and notorious at the time.

But by and large Bub is absolutely right. The live experience has been fetishised as being something uniquely authentic, when for the most part it's not a pleasant experience for anyone apart from the promoters and merchandisers. The occasional exceptions are smaller venues and classical concerts - where I've almost never had a bad experience.
 
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