The mention of two specific acts in the “songs bands won’t leave out of their sets” thread got me thinking as to which – if any – acts should accept the reality that they can no longer cut it live and really ought to call it a day on the live performance front.
The two acts in question are Jethro Tull and Don McLean.
Having not seen the band since the SFTW tour in 77, grew all nostalgic and foolsihly went to see JT on their 50th anniversary tour in Dublin a couple of years back. With Anderson’s voice (never the greatest to begin with) shot to shit and the musicianship from his backing band workmanlike at best, they were shockingly bad. Couldn’t help but notice later that JT had booked two further tours for 2020 – both victims of COVID. While one can sympathise with IA in that he has serious COPD and his vocal chords are shot to shit after years of heavy smoking and inhaling dry ice, it’s hard to forgive him for taking such a piss poor act out on the road.
On Saturday, I was talking to a friend’s girlfriend who had seen Don McLean on his last tour. Apparently he was so disinterested in being onstage, he didn’t so much phone as text in his performance.
All of the above is not to criticize acts who can still cut it in the live arena (Neil Y being an excellent example) or acts who never sold that many records and depend on the live circuit for their living (e.g. TFC). The fact that IA and DM have both made shitloads of money merely makes their continued touring look like the greedy money-grabbing exercise it really is.
The Stones are getting quite good reviews for the current tour which was obviously scheduled before Charlie Watts’ sad demise. Hope they knock it on the head now, but I think there will be at least one more in Europe for their 60th anniversary next year. However it is their choice not mine or anybody else’s
They can at least flatter themselves that it’s the end of an era, and no doubt for many it is.
I think there are plenty of acts out there who have to keep going in order to earn any money, despite being well past their sell-by date. Those who signed bad deals early on, have had ruinous drug habits and/or divorces, and the generally hopeless with money people. The trend for selling song catalogs in the last year may take a few of these off the road, assuming that the catalog is theirs to sell.
Rather incredibly, apparently the Searchers have scheduled a new tour in 2023 after previously having called it a day in March 2019 – billed as a ‘Thank You’ tour to the fans I believe. Two members from the 60s survive (founder John McNally and Frank Allen), and Spencer James will be there having replaced Mike Pender in 1985 (Mike is still on the 60s nostalgia circuit billed as ‘the original voice of the Searchers’, but I don’t think a reconciliation is on the cards!). I know John didn’t want to stop, but Frank had had enough of schlepping up and down the motorway.
Besides Macca, Ringo, the Stones and the Who, who presumably get extemely well looked after thank you very much, I can’t think of too many other acts from the 60s still out there with many original members. Some of the folkies…Fairport, Steeleye Span I guess, and I saw Lindisfarne a couple of years ago, although I think there was only one original.
As an aside, I saw a sad post from Billy J. Kramer yesterday who has started a crowd funding page as he has fallen on hard times with no income from touring.
Re: the folkies. I think folk fans are particularly loyal, sometimes to a fault. Who would not want to give Maddy Prior rapturous applause? She still has great stage presence, remains an inspiration to new generations and her contribution over the decades is considerable, but what used to be a fabulous voice is not there any more.
Some years ago, I saw Martin Carthy with Swarb. I felt uncomfortable with how obvious it was that Carthy was propping up Swarb. Sadly, a few years later, I felt the same about a John Kirkpatrick / Martin Carthy gig, only now it was JK doing the supporting.
I saw Ralph McTell at the City Varieties in Leeds last week. He is 77 next month. It was a lovely evening – he admitted to a few “jazz chords” and I think the words escaped him on a couple of occasions but that was it
He entertained for the better part of two hours with just voice, a six and 12 string and a couple of songs on the piano. His song introductions always provided interesting background to the next song and were frequntly amusing and self-deprecating. He also played a few of his earlier songs.
I first saw him around 1974 and several times since and I did wonder if this would be the last time. But he seemed to genuinely enjoy being onstage and certainly wasnt “phoning it in”.
I saw the last two Swarbrick and Carthy tours and they were excellent both times. I guess with Swarb’s multiple health issues some days were better than others. In the first of those two gigs we were in the front row and the cheeky sod spent half the night staring at my girlfriend’s tits.
I saw Davy Graham, as it turned out towards the end of his life, and it was a bit painful at times, but on occasions it suddenly came together and you had flashes of the younger man. Bert Jansch was always a bit of a cumudgeon (obviously unhappy about the audience response when I last saw him, he had a go at us!), but he was still good, and John Renbourne was fine too around the same time.
I took my dad to see Bert Jansch and Davy Graham at a joint concert in Edinburgh – must have been about 2006 or so I think? I was really sad that my dad was a bit underwhelmed! They both seemed quite drunk, especially Davy who at one point stood up to leave the stage and walked away with a cable or something still attached to him, knocking over some stuff on stage.
But I liked it. I think older performers are sometimes interesting to see (especially solo, like this) because you get a kind of raw sense of their last remnants of talent. Davy was very incoherent and mumbly through the whole night, and as we left we saw him sitting alone in the venue bar, staring into space – it seemed rude to interrupt him, so we didn’t.
@Gatz, nicely executed humble-brag! 😀
@Jaygee, I agree with you regarding Ian Anderson`s voice. I also saw him on the 50th Anniversary Tour and the band were piss poor.
My mate who attends every J.T. tour at least twice commented it was the worst performance from I.A. & band he had ever seen/heard.
Two bands who should maybe bow out now, safe in the knowledge that they are leaving behind a super back catalogue from their glory years…..
Mmmm, yes, much as I enjoyed the last Yes gig I saw – possibly my last gig before lockdown – it felt a bit grim that Alan White was wheeled out to drum for about 15 minutes.
Some of the clips on YouTube of the current Genesis tour suggest Phil Collins ought to call it a day.
Meanwhile the evergreen Steve Hackett has never sounded as good. Caught him and his band of aural ninjas a couple of weeks back at The Globe Theatre in Stockton and was mightily impressed. Third time seeing him with a sizable gap in between last time and this. Admittedly ‘Seconds Out’ is one of my favourite live albums, but even so they played with much verve and passion. Which I suppose goes to prove that artists don’t always have to dial it in.
This is pretty strange situation. He looks like he really doesn’t want to be there. He can’t need the money (nor the others) or have they made some extremely bad investments?
In the sage words of David Hepworth (formerly of this parish), “most rock stars are either poorer than you’d think, or richer than you can imagine…”
Who knows quite where Phil Collins comes on this scale… divorces take their financial toll, however wealthy you are, and one imagines the lure of a final $X million for one more year on the road, if only to top up the pension plan or look after the grandkids, must be tempting… still more “work” than “play” perhaps?
I just hope he’s ok. I worry about Phil, he seems to be in a bad place. Brian May also.
Elsewhere, Gabriel’s voice in 2013 was not standing up to touring. Love the material, but wouldn’t see him doing it live again.
Don’s artistic levee is dry.
I started involuntarily running through the chorus of American Pie there following your comment.
You know what? After 48 years on this planet, I knew the song was superficially “about” Buddy Holly, but I’ve only just realised the lyric “This’ll be the day that I die” is a direct reference to Buddy’s most well known hit.
Oh wow. I too had never picked up on that… it’s true every day is a school day!
I am going to console myself with a ‘it’s so obvious, that’s why you missed it’ mantra
I decided 4 or 5 years back that after attending somewhere in the region of 40 of his gigs (in various guises and formations), that I don’t need to see Elvis Costello again. I’m not a big fan of his recent output and without the anger that age and contentment has drained from him I found the live experience has lessened for me. The last truly great performance of his I saw was in Norwich at the UEA on the night that Liverpool won the Champions League, he was pissed off that he was missing most of the match, Liverpool were 3-0 down when he came on stage and some pillock threw a bottle of water over him for being late on. He ripped the place apart that night, the best I’ve seen him since the early days, I’ve seen him a few times since then and by comparison it’s been cabaret.
Interesting question –
Mark Knopfler on his last tour almost intimated it was his last – he clearly was struggling a little with mobility and spent half the set seated (still sublime by the way)
On the other hand I saw Leonard Cohen when he was 80 and it ranks as one of the best gigs I have ever seen. It is down to the individual.
Speaking of 80-year-olds… Despite owning a fair few of his albums, I’ve never seen Bob Dylan and assumed that, based on what I’ve heard over the years, I’ve not really been missing anything. But from what I’ve heard on YouTube the past couple of days, I might well break my duck if the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour that kicked off in Milwaukee at the weekend ever comes anywhere near the North East of England.
I had a listen to the whole Milwaukee concert. If you have never even you are likely to get a consistent show, recognisable song and immaculate diction. Something that could not always be relied on previously.
However, the reviews to date oversell the show. Half the band are new , arrangement simpler and a lot semi spoken though his phrasing is a delight.
But if you don’t catch this tour there won’t be another.
But it lasts until 2024! (If Bob does)
Duration less relevant than location. Won’t be doing Melbourne more than once @Dai
Probably. I will go one more time if (when) he comes to Ontario/Quebec
I agree about Jethro Tull. I didn’t bother with the 50 year tour – I knew it would be terrible. I fear for the new album too. Ian just about gets away with intoning the lyrics croakily on the studio track released as a trailer but it will be painful onstage, alas.
I read an interview with McLean a year or so back – he came across as rather unpleasant and bumptious. His appearances in Channel 5’s current series of ‘The 70s Greatest Hits’ (or a title in that region), with each episode being a run down of each year of the decade’s top 30 sellers (and a few outliers), do nothing to dispel that view. His appearance too, is odd – a dyed-ginger brillo pad atop a football in indoor sunglasses. Whereas some of the nonentities (the bloke from ‘Yellow River’, the drummer from Middle of the Road…) almost look younger, certainly better, than they did 50 years back. It’s a fun series with many unfamiliar (non-BBC) clips…
I saw a well-known and venerable Irish folk legend 2 years back – usually very dependable but his set was full of memory lapses and he became increasingly angry with himself as a result. It was painful for the whole audience. I will probably not risk attending a show again, sadly.
Funnily enough, I was thinking only today of a friend – a very prolific, very talented singer/songwriter active since the late 80s but never quite sustaining a career outside of his local region (despite moments here and there). He’s having trouble shifting tickets for a post-lockdown comeback gig at a shopping mall (really). His talent hasn’t dried up up but I have a feeling that for the sake of dignity he should probably call it quits. I’m not sure how to have that conversation with him…
If Donovan and Don Maclean were in a pub together I wonder if either would get a word in edgeways. Full of their self importance both.
Lloyd Cole is a massively engaging live figure, but seems caught in a situation where he can’t afford to tour with a band. I’ve seen him acoustic several times and would love to see him tour again with a band, but feel the law of diminishing returns is setting in with just Lloyd (and son).
Does the son get to sing ‘Lloyd Cole is my father, father is Lloyd Cole…’?
@moselymoles interesting that you describe Lloyd Cole as engaging. I saw him with his son about 4 years ago and to be honest I found his stage manner quite offhand. I love his songs but doubt I would see him again.
I last saw the Tull about 5 years ago and Ian’s voice had long departed. I thought the band were great and Ian’s flute too but the vocals were just terrible.
Yes. I last saw Jethro Tull on the TAAB2 tour and Ian’s voice was sadly shot to pieces. He had another vocalist doing the heavy lifting for him.
I wonder what the new album will sound like ?
I went to The Hairy Dog in Derby last weekend to see The Men They Couldn’t Hang. They are in a strange situation at the moment: founded in 1984, they have 10 studio albums behind them on which to draw but have to decide whether to continue after the sudden death of co vocalist Stefan Cush in February. These gigs were booked before that so they decided to honour them and see how it goes. As expected, Tom Spencer has stepped in, Swill is doing all the lead vocals and Bobby Valentino is still providing fiddle. As Kid Dynamite commented at the time, they could continue but Cush was such a big part of the band’s live show, would it be the same? It pretty much is really. Obviously, it’s not quite the same: Cush provided most of the between songs banter as well as crowd surfing when he should have known better. The songs he sang lead on had much more of an edge to them compared to Swill’s softer voice but the band’s enthusiasm is still apparent, as is the audience’s. Also, during lockdown, Swill live streamed regularly and revisited quite a lot of material that hadn’t really been played live much before, if at all and it was well received so it may even have reinvigorated the live show. A couple of seldom heard numbers were included in the set list at Derby.
Time to quit? Not yet. They may be a niche, heritage act but they don’t disappoint the audience and they don’t ever seem to phone it in so I hope they’ll keep going for a while.
Although I’ve not seen him for years, I’ve heard that Gerry Rafferty’s been phoning it in for a fair while now. Perhaps he too should think of taking things easier.
@attackdog
You’ve obviously not heard his version of Ashton, Gardener and Dyke’s
Resurrection Shuffle
No. I’ve not heard much at all from Ashton or Gardner lately.
And Dyke’s gone quiet since he had to leave the BBC.
Apparently Dyke, following his tenure at the BBC, is now shacked up with Stacia. Yes, Stacia of Hawkwind fame (infamy?). I hope she has now given up performing.
I don’t see why anyone should stop performing if they don’t want to. It’s up to us whether we go, surely?
I agree with Kid above, I’d never campaign for anyone to retire from the stage if they’re happy to go on treading the boards – we can all vote with our feet and there are YouTube clips if you want to check their current form. It’s not always a cash grab – for many it’s either a necessity with streaming revenue not paying the bills, or like Elton – they don’t need the cash at all – but there’s an itch they still have to scratch – as often as they can….otherwise they feel terribly twitchy, usually around 8.30pm. Showtime!
I think Mick, Keef and Ronnie should keep going not least because I suspect there are artists from their generation placing bets to see how long they can keep rocking – they’re a living experiment. Certainly last time I saw them a few years ago they had a raggedy charm and seemed to be enjoying themselves. Good on ’em.
I saw Brian Wilson in the early 00s when he first came back to do Pet Sounds and SMiLE and while he had a lot of help on the heavy lifting he had a good go at the vocals (occasionally stopping the band mid -song so he could get another run up at a particularly high note) – and every so often he nailed it. He’s still rumbling on, retreating behind the piano and only chipping in to growl the odd line but otherwise motionless and dead-eyed – I don’t need to see that (and I can’t figure his motiviation – it looks awkward and unforcomfortable). But others clearly want to see him so that’s fine too- you also get Al Jardine on lead vox who by all accounts can still hold a tune.
I think the oldest musicians I’ve seen relatively recently were Soft Machine (no original members but a solid mid-70s era line-up) and they absolutely tore it up – mostly instrumental of course so no worries on the vocal front. I’m also an avid follower of Wire, who are an excellent example of how to age gracefully but continually moving forward and get better, darker and more uncompromising every time I see them – so like them there may be 80s and 90s ‘heritage’ acts who may have not peaked yet either.
We’ve yet to hear the best of Northside.
I’m glad to see that I’m not alone in finding this thread uncomfortable. God forbid that any of them comes to your place of work and tells you to pack it in.
I’m off to see Andy Powell and Wishbone Ash tonight, Clannad tomorrow night and Average White Band next week. Can’t wait.
Get over yourselves.
Recently I probably have been wishing for someone to come by and tell me that!
@niallb
Are gig goers who shell out for tickets not allowed to complain when performers either can’t cut it or are simply going through the motions then?
If I was charging either of Ian Anderson or Don McLean for a service that they felt wasn’t up to scratch, they’d be perfectly justified in complaining about my below par performance.
Some friends of ours keep giving work to a roofer who is crap, and ought to have packed it in years ago. He arguably must have been good once to have stayed in the game this long. But they stick with him out of loyalty, year in year out (the fact that he has to keep coming back tells you something).
“We like him”
“But your roof’s leaking… Again!”
Then say it wasn’t very good and avoid their tickets next time, but why should they pack it in?
I saw Macca a few years back, after the Mauling on the Mall, and calls for him to hang up his boots. He was magnificent! Jeez, I was so glad he ignored everyone’s advice.
@niallb
Sorry, but given that the majority of acts followed by AWers are – like AWers themselves – getting a bit long in the tooth, I think the point raised in the OP is perfectly valid.
Take Ian Anderson. Leaving aside the fact that he knows he can no longer sing, do you not think that his embarking on a 50th anniversary of JT with not one member of the band from their 60s/70s/80s peak doesn’t smack just a teensy bit of naked greed?
If you feel that anyone posting/posting to a thread that calls acts out for being well past their sell by date or just doing it for the money, should “get over themselves”, why not take your own advice and simply ignore it?
I agree with almost everything you say but, on the subject of people telling an artist to retire, I can never agree. That is down to the artist and no one else.
See @Pencilsqueezer below.
Any band or performer can go on for as long they like. My comment about Phil Collins upthread was prompted by the fact that his current performances seem so reduced in comparison to those when the band were in their pomp that I was shocked; whether you like the band or not, PC was a very vital performer, on drums and vocals. Mike Rutherford in particular looks very protective of him on stage.
Just because we think that, in our heart of hearts, our favourite act should retire, doesn’t mean they will, as long as there are bums on seats. I have voted with my feet by not going to see the Stones since 1990, Macca since 2005, Aerosmith since 1999 etc. because they almost certainly won’t be any better than when I saw them and tickets cost five times as much or more. Do the likes of me not turning up bother them? Not one jot.
I would say that working at a desk and singing/playing at high volume for two and a half hours are markedly different, especially for a someone in their late seventies.
You’ve missed some great gigs! Stones particularly in 2003 were the best I have seen them with an occasional off night.
You will love Andy Powell and Wishbone Ash. They haven’t gone off the boil at all.
I saw them play a private party about 5 years ago. I’ve never knowingly heard any WA before but they were very good.
I saw them in Holmfirth. The sound – band and PA – was just incredible. The best I’ve heard them.
Absolutely agree, Colin. The setlist was terrific and, even with stand-in drummer, Mike Sturgis, there were lots of grins between the four of them – always a good sign. The sound was tremendous (mind you, The Stables is one of my favourite venues,) and, 49 years since I first saw them, and 30+ gigs in, this was one of my favourites.
Artists of every ilk including musicians don’t retire they die.
Jimmy Nail has retired. That may prove your point, I couldn’t possibly say.
Don’t underestimate the Crocodile Shoes album. Number of songs written by Paddy McAloon.
Actually he gets a free pass from me for covering Family’s My Friend the Sun.
And he was reet about the Erics…
Oooh, that means me and my big bro get a free pass from you too. Fabulous song.
I suppose artists are as varied and difficult to explain as anyone else, and I’m not sure that this shows anything, but off the top of my head, some who have retired from their particular art: Sibelius at 61, apart from some very minor works, lived on to 91; Rimbaud at 21, lived on to 37; Len Deighton at 67, still with us at 92; Leonard Cohen at 70, until luckily for us, but perhaps not for him, embezzlement forced him back on the road. The odd thing is that with the few artists I have known of any kind, it has struck me that their work in often means less to them than their admirers, and so for some it is easier to give up than you might think.
Dorothy L. Sayers is another writer who, in a way, retired early – at least from writing the crime fiction that she was widely regarded for by peers and public. She wrote crime from 1920-40, and lived to 1957 – writing wholly religious works after 1940, though I think she kept reviewing detective fiction for national newspapers. I guess she felt she was ‘written out’ in that field. Of course, Conan Doyle actually killed off Sherlock Holmes in an attempt to stop writing crime fiction… but gave in to his readers after several years and found a way out of that supposedly final problem.
Thomas Hardy stopped writing novels decades before his death, albeit he then devoted all his time to poetry.
She moved to Witham – that would kill off the muse for anyone, I would imagine.
I suppose it depends on your reason for seeing an act.
I went to see a then 85 year old Mickey Rooney as it was a chance to see someone from the Golden age. I didn’t expect much, but it was as I recall a very pleasant experience
Piano, singing, film clips and a little (very little) soft shoe. Oh and a lot of talking about his past.
@hubert-rawlinson
I assume he didn’t start talking about his myriad marriages or you’d still be there
@Jaygee
Reading a review of it from the time
“The only wife to whom he referred was his first love, Ava Gardner. “Boy, could she… cook,” he said.”
It looks like we got off lightly.
Mickey shares a birthday with Bruce Springsteen, Cherie Blair, Floella Benjamin, Julio Iglesias, Nicholas Witchell and me.
Such auspicious company. You should have seen us jamming on the Jersey Shore.
Madonna made her position clear (that she wasn’t going to stop) over 20 years ago, when she was in her early forties.
If there is anyone on earth that has nothing else to prove – then it’s probably Madonna. But I bet she doesn’t think like that.
I have a lot of time for Madonna. When she first appeared on TOTP singing Holiday and there was a small piece in Smash Hits, I was convinced at that point that she was about to become a massive, massive star. I don’t think Holiday is a particularly great song but there was something about her. Obviously she was on TOTP because her label was promoting her, but at that time pop singles like Holiday were ten-a-penny.
The nature of the pop music business in the 21st century has gone a long way into informing how we all listen to music (see the thread above) but one bonus is that our little song-thrush (with emphasis on the thrush) has been about as prominent as a Hansom Cab.
I think it’s about the only thing the century has so far had got going for it.
Ffs, if she needs another cute black baby to adopt which will stop her impinging on our consciousness or, even better, entering a recording studio, give it to her… NOW!
@deramdaze
To paraphrase the late, great George Formby, she only needs a white one for a snooker set
That’s really rather unpleasant.
@Leffe-GIn
You’re right.
By the time I’d had second thoughts about the comment was too late to remove it. If the mods can help, please feel free to delete.
The one above yours too.
‘Fraid can’t help you with that one, LG
True that 👍
Just needs an email to the mods
Certain posters (well at least one) have been banned
If we start banning people here on the ground that one other poster can be bothered to post that they found their words offensive, AW would be cease to exist before the weekend.
True
I didn’t say that
Not sure how this moved on to bans.
My point was just that if you really want a comment you’ve made taken down, just email a friendly mod.
I think my concern here is: if you wonder why this place has almost no women and is predominantly white men, think before you post. Even in jest, some things should be challenged. Not banned. Just challenged.
Even for white men, it’s the kind of thing you read and think christ, what am I doing posting here.
I’m sure there’s no malicious intent behind it, which means you hesitate before calling it out, but I was glad when you did, and I’m sure there are others who felt likewise.
It’s not that it’s offensive – offensive is too strong a word. It’s just a bit boys club. “Unpleasant” is about right.
I got all excited there.
Just a note of appreciation for @jaygee ‘s approach.
So much time and energy could be saved if this was the way we all behaved when we get something wrong.
Yes! Exactly. Shows class.
Many opinions among the AWers about ABBA’s new gear, but I think Pete Paphides’ recent piece resonates with the OP. It seemed to me that Bjorn was very mindful that any reunion would be embarrassing and cruelly expose the ravishes of time and a band well past their peak. Say what you like about the virtual hologram idea (I say good on ’em) but it seems to me that this was the only way to achieve the ‘time travel’ required to maintain the memory and the dignity of all concerned.
Meanwhile, poor old Phil Collins has been quite open (on previous Genesis reunion tours anyway) of doing it for the dosh and under some kind of existential (as well as obvious physical) sufferance. Each to their own, but I’d imagine attending one of their gigs as really quite uncomfortable. Similarly, recent video of Queen in Sydney showed the ‘percussionist’ (Roger’s son?) doing more and more of the heavy lifting as the set went on, which was sad. Inevitable, but sad.
All that said, all power to any musician still in the game, and the audience can, and will, vote with their feet.
I suppose all these issues are the inevitable result of an ageing cultural movement where dementia and osteoporosis are the new choking on vomit. 🙂
“…..dementia and osteoporosis are the new choking on vomit” – and sex and horror are the new gods.
“Yeeaaaaayeah, yeah. Ow!Ow!Ow!”
The hologram thing doesn’t really interest me in the slightest, but if it is the main reason we got an excellent new album after an unprecedented 40 years then it is a good thing
The hologram thing being in London will be great for tourism.
Yeah, London really struggles in that regard!
Just wait til the pesky foreigners start asking the chirpy cockernee locals for directions!
Stroik a loight, Meery Poppins!
@Moose-the-Mooche
Turn right at the lights and it’s just past the Embankment, guv.
Chim chim chereeeeeeeee
Rawwwkkk acts have a major problem… and that is rawwwkkk audiences.
I suspect a Queen gig (didn’t know they were still going) could pass muster if it was played in a kinda MTV Unplugged way, but the rawwwkkk fans want rawwwkkk, so what are you to do?
Play to the masses and deliver as best you can, or play well in an intimate venue?
The first one you’re increasingly not going to be very good at – the second one you’re seen to being playing to those of your fans who have the most money to be there.
Catch-22. It’s a bit like being Arsenal.
It would be interesting to know if the phoned in performances were as a consequence of playing to the same (but ever diminishing) group of people as they have for 30/40 years and being bored.
At the other end of the spectrum lies Sparks. They pick up new fans all the time which is evident at any live gig. They never seem to be going through the motions but is it because, although there’s always a core of oldies like me in the audience, there’s a decent proportion of the crowd that need a history book to find about about the 20th century?
Simple question of demand isn’t it? Plus the will of the performers. Then it comes down to personal choice of the paying audience. In ABBA’S case for example the first two questions are ticked off. My personal choice though is “not at those prices thank you”
I partly went to see Wishbone Ash last weekend, travelling from Belfast to Yorkshire (by ferry) to do so and building a short holiday around it, because the odds on the band continuing are heavily stacked against them (financially, logistically, bureaucratically, plus Andy Powell’s age) post-Covid, post-Brexit, with two members living in the US, two in GB. Any tour (in my glass half empty world) might be their last, and they make a sound that’s unique, in my view – it appeals to me, and nobody else makes that sound. Andy is an extraordinarily positive, resilient man. He loves to play live music and he loves the family feel of the Wishbone audience around the world. If I were him, I would have retired with lockdown et al. But he’s much more of a fighter than I am!
The fact that Ian Anderson’s voice is shot doesn’t matter to me. Haven’t listened to or been interested in anything he’s done since “A Passion Play” and I haven’t felt any sense of loss about it either.
Sad about Phil Collins’ health woes as he was a magnificent drummer and a fine singer too, even if I often didn’t like what he was singing.
It’s not my business to suggest someone should knock it on the head when they continue to perform past their best days. Unless they are a personal friend in danger of embarrassing themself, I express my preference by not going to see them / not listening to their new records and leave it at that.
Can’t fault the drumming but ‘fine singer’???!!! It’s always felt like fingernails down a blackboard to these cloth ears.
I would say excellent singer for what he wants to achieve. almost as good as his Genesis predecessor, pretty soulful.
Or was
Why “was”?
Has he kicked the bucket or something?
He’s not well. The last live footage I saw, he was looking very frail and unable to move much. I have been lent his book to read. Lots of rain going on today so I might dive in.
I wouldn’t say I’m Phil’s biggest fan (Ripples and I missed Again are great, though), but I got his book for a quid in a charity shop – really enjoyed it.
One of the reasons he was recruited for Genesis was that his voice and Gabriel’s harmonised well.
The last time I saw Tull with Ian Anderson was (I think) in 2016 at the first “A new day” festival. I have seen the band many times and the last time I had seen them was on the “TAAB2” tour when Anderson had had the sense to employ a singer who was quite close to Anderson’s original voice and that was a pretty good gig. The time before was at Fairfield Halls in Croydon at which time I had vowed never to waste my money on them again. The “New Day” gig really wasn’t all that – I know exactly what I’m going to get now and won’t bother again.
To Ian Anderson one can, and should, now add the names of Elton John and Rod Stewart – recent tv appearances have not been kind – and for exactly the same reason. Their voices are shot to shit and they should retire from live performing.
About 20 years ago when The Office was big I saw Rod on a chat show sing Handbags and Gladrags. The first line was great. After that Karaoke at best. That was when I thought he should give it up and spend more time with his money.
Once upon a time…
Oh that’s excellent, never seen that. Some voice, that kid.
The voice obviously changes when we get older, but I think Rod had some sort of throat operation; it’s left his voice as a thin reed of a once-wonderful bark.
Lou Reed, in his later years, did that annoying thing of talking the words instead of singing – the last time I saw Mick Jagger performing on tv with the Stones, he was doing the same.
Lou always did that, more or less. Mick can still sing pretty well.
I’ll respectfully disagree with that one…
Keef rocking the Garden Gnome look to perfection. Looks a bit like that character in Labyrinth, Hoggle!
I think he’s also got a touch of Quark from Deep Space Nine about him these days.
Ronnie Wood’s barnet looks a bit deflated too, come to think of it.
There’s an occasional bit of good music there, and it’s coming from Ronnie Wood! Keef + drummer are completely failing to find the groove.
There are a few times in that clip when I’m not at all sure Keef is even plugged in.
First time I’ve spotted this post – thought it was going to be about The Queen
I saw an ad recently plugging Big Country’s forthcoming tour. If the untimely death of your combined singer/songwriter/guitarist/frontman doesn’t convince a band to pack it in, then nothing will.
Dr Feelgod still touring with no original members.
A couple of current line have been in the band for nearly 30 years, and the others have got 20+
Still a great night out, but should they rename themselves Triggers Broom