@barry-blue raises an excellent point in his Furs review which I think deserves a thread of it’s own. Current bands have to live on their wits, keeping recording costs down, making ‘sync’ deals, playing Social Media chess, touring with fewer musicians than they’d like, shilling ‘merch’ after gigs and in many cases working part time to pay the bills. How do moderately successful heritage acts of the recent past make it pay? How does Transvision Vamp turn in a profit once the Vampblokes have been paid their Per Diems?
Case in point – Modern English. Who They? They were a decent Post Punk band signed to 4AD, a more poptastic version of Wire. They had some Indie chart hits and then released this which became a huge US College radio hit. 34 Million YouTube hits and counting…read on in the comments….
Heritage acts with minor hits. How do they make a living?
So.. I heard the singer from Modern English on a Podcast the other day. That song up there wasn’t much of a hit over here but took flight on US College/Alternative rock radio, got used in a couple of movies and adverts. The singer has a place in London, a country retreat, a place in Thailand where he spends winter…you get the picture. This is why bands are always trying to ‘break America’ – this lot made a tiny chip on the corner of America and they’re set up for life. If the Furs have a good Publishing deal they will have coined in even more for ‘Pretty In Pink’ alone never mind the rest of it.
The question Barry Blue raised was aimed at the Furs support Transvision Vamp. I recall two hits – (it’s 1988 on TOTP BBC4 Re-Runs so watch out for them) – so two Top 10 hits and 5 other Top 40 hits, a number 4 LP and the 2nd LP was a no. 1 and went Platinum. This was in the late 80s when that meant something – a huge heap of cash although again that doesn’t always find its way to the musicians involved. 3 years later they made an LP which the record company refused to release and that was that. So their moment was brief, the music was a particularly unlovable, glassy sounding late 80s take on Trashy punk rock which has not aged well and isn’t going to be on any classic albums lists. They didn’t have a big US hit. I guess the rise of Absolute 80s and that kind of radio programming means they’ll get more radio play these days.
However, anyone who regularly reads SuperDeluxeEdition will know there’s a huge appetite for 80s pop in particular. No matter how critically reviled a band was, you can be sure someone somewhere will hold it dear – and wants that back catalogue – and ‘ver Vamp do indeed have a box set coming out which includes that lost 3rd LP.
https://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/transvision-vamp-i-want-your-love-6cddvd-deluxe-set-with-signed-print/
So I guess add to that the chance to do 80s revival festivals like ReWind, and other similar gigs across the world, and hook up with another band as a tour support – then yep – it starts to stack up.
Tour wise, there is strength in numbers. Modern English are currently on Tour with The Alarm and Jay Aston (not that one) and his band Gene Loves Gezebel – many dates are sold out and they’re smashing it seems.
So the answer is, the heritage acts have to play the game as much as the younger acts do – some of them have publishing money to fall back on to some extent but since the CD industry tanked they’re all having to get a bit more creative about how they carry on the life to which they have been accustomed.
I am a regular reader of the ‘Super Deluxe Edition’ website and i have been really surprised at the appetite from, i assume, middle-aged men for re-issues of 80s pop. Endless boxsets of Paul Young CD singles and Kylie’s 80s albums on vinyl etc.
I would say it’s not “Breaking America” alone that assures a musician/band’s future.
Getting tracks on those movie soundtracks and adverts is where the real money gets earned, if you sign the right deal.
Well – you asked the question and you seem to have answered it! It seems that the audience for whom those minor hits were actually major events in their lives will go and see them. And I don’t think the artists intend to make huge profits – if they can cover costs and flog a bit of merch they’ll be happy
And if worse comes to worst – tour Australia!
Good luck to any act, outside the big hitters, who hope to make a living in Europe after 31st October.
They will move and that will be known as the second British Invasion.
Tour, keep hold of publishing and be a cottage industry. This seems to be a subject of interest lately
Incidentally, on the subject of live music, I wonder how venues that cater to the less popular acts manage.
There’s a newish venue in Chelmsford called Hideaways. Very occasionally they have acts of the ‘I remember them’ variety (Toploader recently, Republica fairly soon). The rest of the time it’s either local acts in battle-of the-bands nights or tribute acts, of which there seems to be an increasing number. I hope they’re doing OK as Chelmsford didn’t have a venue of that type, but they haven’t scheduled anything I felt like going to yet.
A friend of mine is taking over a venue but it’s been neglected so needs a new PA and lighting system. He’s a lighting guy so will probably just draw from his stock. A suitable line array and monitors will probably set him back around £20 – £30k so a sizeable investment before he opens the doors. He does have good rock and roll connections so hopefully the standard of acts will improve but it must be a massive risk.
I have a great venue fairly locally and it seems to be able to cater for up and coming and local original bands but to do it, most weekends are given over to tribute and cover bands and I’m always amazed just how many there are. These seem to be really well attended.. I don’t know why anyone would want to see them but they’re often free and I guess if the fans drink enough it makes it viable and helps subsidise the original stuff.
Another acquaintance does sound for an established Eagles tribute band. He tells me they charge £1500 – £2000 so not doing the pub/toilet circuit.
This might seem painful to diehard fans of some bands but now and then one can witness tribute acts who can play their chosen artist’s material better than the original artists.
Occasionally you need to ask yourself whether you want to go and see an artist perfunctorily go through the motions on their material, with a bad grace, or see some musically-inclined fans playing it with gusto because they actually want to.
Yes, there’s a Stone Roses tribute coming to town soon. I wonder how authentic they are, or whether their “Ian Brown” can actually carry a tune in a bucket.
Let’s hope it isn’t a recreation of the “Roses at Reading Festival after John Squire left” period. I’ve already seen that once (for about 10 minutes).
I remember going to America in 1989 – suburban areas an hour out of Seattle and then over the other side in Noo Joisey. I noticed The Kinks were playing a stadium, which certainly wouldn’t have been attempted in the UK. It seems that once you make it big over there, the audience stays with you.
I saw this just the other day – King Crimson playing to an audience of 100,000 in Rio.
That would have been at Rock in Rio, so while the Crims were playing to 100,000, there probably would have been another 400,000 people queueing up for a hot dog and a slash before Iron Maiden came on.
And Crimson were staying in the Rio Travel Tavern and sharing rooms.
Recently read the new, great Nick Lowe bio Cruel To Be Kind. He talks about reaching a point in the mid eighties when the hits had dried up. He dreads the idea of a seemingly endless album/tour/album/tour/album/tour-cycle to make ends meet. A couple of years later Bodyguard happens and he’s sorted.
Bloody hell, I could have sworn that was Kevin Costner
On down the road in a couple of days, a rare non-tribute band gig for the venue, although I dare say most of them are practically tribute bands. This lot probably couldn’t have got arrested in the 70s, but they’re still at it. Dare I…?
I interviewed Steve Ellis a few weeks ago ahead of the Torquay date, and he was really looking forward to the tour – catch up with some old mates, play the old hits etc. But the 60s tours are starting to get a bit thin as the bands retire (The Searchers packed it in this year, and they were billtoppers on these things) and don’t look too closely at the personnel – e.g. The Fortunes, who are out on another 60s package, contain no original members at all. Steve is 69 now and the youngster on this one!
I last encountered Steve Ellis about 20 years ago singing under the North Stand at Highbury as we all piled in on match day, which was a bit weird. Nobody took the slightest bit of notice.
About 30 years ago an old friend who’s a bass player was hired to go out to Germany and play on sessions for a german guitarist’s self-financed metal album. The guy’s hired-in singer was Steve Ellis and he apparently made a good job of singing what was pretty uninspiring material. Very quick and professional in the studio. In and out and paid in a couple of days. The album, a rich kid’s vanity project really, flopped and disappeared without trace of course.
In related news, there’s a comprehensive box set on the way from **checks notes** DOLLAR!
https://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/dollar-ultimate-doller-7-disc-box/#more-153520
Someone asked for Shooting Stars to be the featured album in the cafe. Their other suggestion was one by Michael Bublé which, sadly, is not available on vinyl.
Re: Modern English and ‘Melt With You’
This was used in a Burger King TV commercial in 1990 over here a few years ago. I’m sure they made a few bucks off the back of that.
It was also covered by the Snowmen .
Hang on, whose is this coat over here?