Where have all the flowers gone...

[Juho L]

Or not flowers. More like "Where have all the Hendrix's, Emersons and Gabriels of modern day gone". I was just watching one old French TV clip of Genesis live from Selling England tour and while spontaneusly laughing at Gabriels brilliant show, I started to ponder is there any new bands that would be as fun to watch. I could think up none. Nowadays "a good stage act" is a group of average rockers with huge camera display on the background. Whopee... It's a ton-o-fun...

Where are the flower costumes? Where are the players flying around on cables? When Mr.Emerson passes away from this mortal world, will it be the end to true rock'n'roll Hammond bashing? Why nobody doesn't break their instrumetns anymore? Are the modern bands too busy in trying to be cool and serious that they don't have time for a jolly good stage show? Or do they lack selfirony so they could over shoot the live acts just for the fun of it?

[Merlot]

Originally Posted by Juho L

they don't have time for a jolly good stage show? Or do they lack selfirony so they could over shoot the live acts just for the fun of it?

Have you seen the polyphonic spree play live. 28 members on stage, looks like a cult of some sort. They are flying around on cbles and such. No axe smashing though.

[jasedee]

And what about "The Flaming Lips"???????????

Their stage show is a whimsical affair, with punters asked to dress in animal costumes and dance on stage during the performance.

Perhaps you are looking in the wrong places Sir Juho???

[Wandering Kid]

Why nobody doesn't break their instrumetns anymore?

the royal society for the protection of guitars was formed and it became socially abhorrant to hurt or kill guitars for the amusement of the crowd. it would be tantamount to cock fighting, which may have been acceptable once but which has now fallen into the realm of taboo! our new society is moral! we will not stand for this wanton murder of instruments! your instrument is your companion. you cant kill your companion?!

on a more serious note, i dont know where this nostalgia has come from. but music changes. times change. things move on and grow outwards in different directions. and people grow too. you just cant away with hammond bashing anymore. but there are some things you can get away that you couldnt before. you can now see crazy fire poi at mash up psy events, wall to wall with light and colour. the main floor is dark with fire dancing with the music and your brain, amped up to the point where you are about to take off.

theres plenty of great things to appreciate in music and its performance. but you have to look harder than top of the pops to find it.

[Juho L]

As you mentioned there are few more or less unknown bands that invest in stage acts, but if you look at the mainstream popular rock acts it's quite hopeless... And speaking of breaking instrumetns I think NIN is the only act to break instruments and they do world a favour by destroying DX7's (Sorry DS, but 80's has to go. A machine that created the worst sound on earth, FM 'rhodes', deserves to be destroyed). I'd really like to see mainstream rock bands to create personal stage acts. A gig should be an audiovisual experience!

By the way has anyone of you wondered lack of keyboardists on modern rock bands? It's kind a weird that nowadays keyboards have wider array of sounds than ever and still they are less and less used. Nowadays if there's a keyboardist on a band, he/she just plays barely audible pads and sometimes a piano intro. Blah! I blame it all on guitarists, those bastards do everything they can to prevent any other solo instruments to enter the band. All guitars should be burned in a big bonfire.

[mas]

Some years ago I saw Green Day live playing at an openair festival. Actually, I don't like punk music but at the end of the concert, they lighted their drums up. That was a very special show!!!!

[Gopal]

Perhaps you should stop whining and go to some concerts Juho.

Ever seen Marilyn Manson live?

I don't even like his music but that was a stage show!

[Juho L]

Originally Posted by mas

Some years ago I saw Green Day live playing at an openair festival. Actually, I don't like punk music but at the end of the concert, they lighted their drums up. That was a very special show!!!!

If Green Day would light up their instruments before the show, it would be a service to mankind. Hoho.

Originally Posted by Gopal

Perhaps you should stop whining and go to some concerts Juho.

I go to concerts whenever possible.

Ever seen Marilyn Manson live?

Ahh. I totally forgot MM. And I think Rammstein also has good shows. Speaking of which I'm probably going to see MM and Rammstein next summer. Although the festival they play on is only a day before I'll have to go to army...

[udenjoe]

I recently saw a video by Mars Volta that seemed interesting live. But after listening I only liked two of their songs. It's like a mixture of Led Zepplin and some punk band. They had a keyboardist who had nice gear. From the video I also noticed one member's job was to manipulate some pedals. The song name is "______ Esp" I forgot the first word. It was made up.

I have also done some researrch on GG Allin. He has some good songs. "Expose Yourself to Kids", "Bite It You Scum", "I Wanna Fuck Myself". Brilliant punk. I mean it. He threw his shit at the crowd, literally.

[jasedee]

Mars Volta are Fekkin awesome........Ex-members of "At The Drive In" who also rocked!