It feels glamorous for the first few times you are doing it.
“Touring has never been particularly easy, at whatever level people do it,” says Hugo Burnham, original drummer for the English post-punk band Gang of Four, “but if you want to be a working musician, you actually have to work. Ron Wood, Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones perform at the Rose Bowl on Aug. Of course, biology takes over at some point.” “What I hear from artists I speak with is they want to play live for as long as they feel like they sound good and fans still want to see them. “The Stones look at the old blues musicians, who perform well into their 90s or until they keel over on stage,” says Waddell. “The Who, Elton John and, especially, The Rolling Stones have reset the clock in terms of rock ‘n’ roll retirement. The term often used to describe these groups is “legacy bands.” What they do is tour. So, there may be a burst of excitement about a new release, but it rarely sustains. It’s also true that for rockers, most of their best music is made when they’re in their 20s and 30s. These veteran bands sometimes make new albums - it does send a signal they're still vital and not coasting on old hits (if the album's good) - but they don't need to make new albums to stoke interest.
The new reality - especially for Baby Boomer rockers who made a name for themselves in their youth - is that making a new album is hardly crucial. The old paradigm was: You make an album and tour to support that album’s sales. We’re optimistic it will continue to flourish for years to come, barring unforeseen circumstances. “ “Virtually every segment of the business is thriving, from clubs and theaters to amphitheaters and arenas, to stadiums and festivals. Ray Waddell, who both writes for Pollstar and is president of Oak View Group, which owns the magazine, considers this a “golden era for live entertainment,” citing rising ticket sales across the board. Streaming revenue may be negligible for most artists - and rock ‘n’ roll may be second (or third?) fiddle on the streaming charts these days - but it’s far from dead. “In recent years we’ve gone from downloads, where people pay a buck a song, to streaming and you literally get paid a fraction of a penny per play.” “It’s been a long time that bands haven’t made money on their recordings and it’s gotten worse,” DePace adds. And we’ve always had a great time out on the road.” “But in terms of necessity, bands are figuring out they have to make their money on touring and merchandise. In October, they played Cambridge’s Middle East Downstairs. “We’re pretty low on the totem pole in terms of bands that are earning money out on the road,” says Steve DePace, drummer for the 40-year-old punk band. Just look at the rock acts, both large and small, that have played Boston area gigs this fall, or will play this winter: The Cult, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Cher, KISS, Steely Dan, Bob Seger, Eagles, Stiff Little Fingers, The Avengers, B-52s, Flipper, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Los Lobos, the Undertones, Bob Mould, Cracker, Marc Cohn, Swervedriver, Herman’s Hermits, Midge Ure, Bow Wow Bow, the Motels, and the Rascals.Ĭonsider Flipper. For rockers of a certain age - let’s say over 50 - if they’re going to make a living, it’s through road work.įor rockers of a certain age - let’s say over 50 - if they’re going to make a living, it’s through road work.
Not many, of course, are at Billy Joel's level, but he’s far from alone. I play these phenomenal venues, and I make a ton of money. … Yeah, well, who am I to stop in my 70s if they're still doing it in their 80s? The concept of retiring is getting more and more obsolete… The audiences are better than they’ve ever been. “You start out as a teenager, playing in rock 'n' roll bands, and you continue to do this, into your 70s and 80s? I’m seeing these geriatric rockers, they're still going. It’s a Peter Pan career, you know?” Joel told Pollstar, the music industry touring magazine, in May. He has a monthly residency at Madison Square Garden and plays another Fenway Park show this coming August. Joel’s fans will get to hear his hits when he plays live. When Billboard asked the 70-year-old troubadour last year how the music industry had changed since his recording heyday, he replied with a curt “The fact that it’s gone.”īut he’s not done, not even close. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) This article is more than 2 years old.īilly Joel is not writing new songs or making new albums.
Billy Joel performs during his 100th lifetime performance at Madison Square Garden on July 18, 2018, in New York.
0 kommentar(er)
