A year ago seems a long time away – a lot has happened I dont need to go over it but as we finally start to claw our way back to some form of normailty I’m left with more questions then answers.
Where do we go from here? Musically speaking I guess!
I have spent the last 30 years listening to basically indie music or certainly non popular chart music. I have seen my favourites become big, burn out and fade away – I have seen my favourites crash and burn with no success, but some of them are still here – putting out music, entertaining us and keeping on doing what they have always done.
But is that a good thing? As a short synopsis of whose around we have the likes of The Charlatans, The Manics, Weller, Ian Brown, Liam, Noel, bloody U2, New Order, Iggy Pop, The Chemical Brothers, Happy Mondays, Shed 7 etc then there’s the bands I don’t even like that are huge – Muse, Coldplay, RHCP etc – add into that artists from the turn of the millenium that I don’t follow as much Artics, KIllers, Libertines, Strokes the list goes on and on and on and on.
Is it a good thing these lot are still there for us? Or is it blocking the way for the new heroes to make their way? Are these established bands doing enough for new acts? Or are they clinging to their careers like their lives depended on it – creating a protection layer of friends and acquanitances that make sure they remain at least in a position to do what they want to do – make records, tour etc. But is it stiffling creativity?
If you old enough to know much about Punk or like me read a lot about it (I was 4 in 76) then you’ll know why it was the great full stop on what came before, a huge delete on how to do things and how a scene rose from the scummy squats of London and Manchester and every other boring city and town that was fed up with prog and pub rock and glam and Abba and changed the music landscape forever. It did, it really did. It burnt fast and imploded especially once record execs cottoned on to it and watered it down and sold it as family friendly punk or new wave. But what it did was allowed creativity on its own terms, since then we have had Acid House which was a peoples movement initially with music acts following after, Britpop which was a last hurrah in many ways of british guitar music but since then not a lot. Why?
I’ve been questioning a lot my small role in this upsurge of new music – what have I got to offer, what changes can I bring, what have I influenced? I think the answer is not a lot – its too hard, too time consuming – I never got into it for my own glory I did it coz I thought I could help, I thought I could use my years of experience to help others get somewhere – encourage and support creativity ultimately. 1 year in and I’m struggling to see much of an impact, Why?
The answers maybe are clear to see – to make inroads you need the support of people that are already “in the business” that know people, that can get things done. So who are these people? How do we get them to take notice?
Well the majors don’t care, they are happy with their Swifts, Sheerans, Beyonces etc etc as do the major radio stations – we don’t have a John Peel anymore we have a Radio 6 and an Introducing (whatever it does) site. But even those are like tring to crack a walnut with a feather. How’d you get playlisted? Well you need a good plugger who knows people – who can make sure a record gets into the right hand, scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. But is that right? Is that how business has always been done? Probably so – and thats where Punk didnt abide by those rules (but maybe they did).
People always say that the cream will always rise to the top and the best will always make it. There is some truth in that of course and I would expect for the 500 songs I listen to next 1 or 2 will go on to be big artists but is that enough – shouldnt we have more? Why can’t we have 20 new artists or 50 etc – but then what is success? Am I expecting a top 40 like it was in the 90’s? Yeah probably to a certain extent – some musicians do not care about charts or sales or getting anywhere – its an Art and like all art its in the eye of the beholder.
But for all those artists that do want to be the next Charalatans or Weller or Coldplay – how can they be if these bands are monopolising their little area of the music world.
I’m not trying to suggest that these established should jack it in – I know for a fact that many of them have hardly made any money over the years and with Spotify as a bad example doing nothing to change revenue to artists I can understand why they are hanging around. But again are they doing enough?
Its amazing to think that the only known voice with any influence on new artists is a Scottish Actor – not a musician or a radio DJ or even a decent sized record label owner – Robert Carlyle has done more for new music in the last 6 months then any so called AnR employees? And he’s got a job – he’s doing it due to the love of it – like the rest of us – but where are those AnR people why are they not talking to the likes of him about whats new and where to find it?
I guess I am just a frustrated music fan that has spent too long wondering about what I could do rather then doing something positive before now and now faced with my own advancing years I havent the patience to wait 2 or 5 or 10 years for things to change, I want it to change NOW. But shouldn’t the youth be saying that? – are they the ones that can force the matter? But maybe they arn’t really bothered and maybe this is just an old git having a winge because he doesnt like the rules and won’t play the game.
So what would I want? – well in a perfect world this “community” that has been created pulls together further and tries to make more of a difference as a collective – strength in numbers I guess, its fair to say that even doing that is a mammoth task – we all want to do what we want to do – we may share a common outlook and interest in the same music but our desicion making and how to make it work better varies and changes like the weather – I’m not even sure it can even be done – so we all end up as solo voices singing similar songs but some are on the verse and some are on the chorus.
Perhaps then it really doesnt matter – just enjoy the music thats there and what will be will be.
As a character in The League Of Gentlemen once said “Its a Shit Business” – and you know what he is probably right.
Keep up the good fight my fellow readers and friends – I just wish I had more answers then questions.
Peace n Love
Michael
The Rebirth Of Cool 