Sam Smith....evidence rock and roll may finally be dead
mwplum
Posts: 1,531
in Other Music
How is this guy headlining music festivals? I'm 34, so not as old as a lot of PJ fans, but I feel like this is going to be a bit of an old man rant.
While different festivals have always catered to different demographics, I've always enjoyed the diverse genres represented at festivals like Lolla, ACL, Coachella, Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, etc. and while those festivals ebb and flow into hip hop or dance music from time to time (as may be the flavour of the day), they have always stayed the course of having a solid grounding in rock n roll.
However, this year (and last year to a certain extent with Bruno Mars), it seems that many of the festivals are starting to pander to the (evil) POP dollar. Sam Smith headlining festivals??? A guy styled after George Michael, who admittedly ripped off Tom Petty is headlining massive festivals?!!! Just because he has like a billion hits on youtube? I always felt like those festivals would never consider booking the likes of Bieber, but who knows? maybe that's fair game now. Oversaturation of festivals is part of the problem, but these are well established industry leading festivals booking the likes of Sam Smith, or Drake for that matter.
This is appalling, it makes the crowd lamer and it makes the experience lamer (cue to kids taking iPhone vids of his one song and uploading to various social media outlets). I can't imagine a festival being closed down by a dude with one song, one slow slow slow song.
Thoughts?
While different festivals have always catered to different demographics, I've always enjoyed the diverse genres represented at festivals like Lolla, ACL, Coachella, Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, etc. and while those festivals ebb and flow into hip hop or dance music from time to time (as may be the flavour of the day), they have always stayed the course of having a solid grounding in rock n roll.
However, this year (and last year to a certain extent with Bruno Mars), it seems that many of the festivals are starting to pander to the (evil) POP dollar. Sam Smith headlining festivals??? A guy styled after George Michael, who admittedly ripped off Tom Petty is headlining massive festivals?!!! Just because he has like a billion hits on youtube? I always felt like those festivals would never consider booking the likes of Bieber, but who knows? maybe that's fair game now. Oversaturation of festivals is part of the problem, but these are well established industry leading festivals booking the likes of Sam Smith, or Drake for that matter.
This is appalling, it makes the crowd lamer and it makes the experience lamer (cue to kids taking iPhone vids of his one song and uploading to various social media outlets). I can't imagine a festival being closed down by a dude with one song, one slow slow slow song.
Thoughts?
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2001-10-22 Seattle
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2011-6-16 Seattle (EV), 9-3/4 PJ20, 9-25 Vancouver
2012-6-27 Amsterdam (#2!)
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2014-AUS - 1-26 Sydney, 1-31 Adelaide, 2-11/12 EV Sydney State Theatre, 2-13 EV Opera House
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2016 - Lexington, Philly x 2, MSG x 2, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto x 2, Pemberton, Fenway x 2, Wrigley x 2
2018 - Seattle x 2, Missoula, Fenway x 2
1993-9-4 Vancouver
1996-9-16 Seattle
1998-7-19 Vancouver, 7-21 Seattle, Memorial Stadium
2000-11-6 Seattle
2001-10-22 Seattle
2002 -12-09 Seattle
2009-8-17 Manchester, 9-25 Vancouver
2011-6-16 Seattle (EV), 9-3/4 PJ20, 9-25 Vancouver
2012-6-27 Amsterdam (#2!)
2013-11-29 Portland, 12-4 Vancouver, 12-6 Seattle
2014-AUS - 1-26 Sydney, 1-31 Adelaide, 2-11/12 EV Sydney State Theatre, 2-13 EV Opera House
2014 - USA - Memphis, Detroit, MOLINE, St. Paul, MILWAUKEE, Denver, 25/26 Bridge School
2016 - Lexington, Philly x 2, MSG x 2, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto x 2, Pemberton, Fenway x 2, Wrigley x 2
2018 - Seattle x 2, Missoula, Fenway x 2
0
Comments
'10- MSG 1-2 '11- PJ20
'12- MIA; DeLuna '13- Wrigley; Pitt; Brooklyn 1-2; Philly 1-2; Baltimore; Seattle
'14- Denver '16- Philly 1-2; MSG 2
'17- Pilgrimage Music Fest (Eddie)
'18- Fenway
People have been saying rock is dead for ages. Don't see it happening.
'10- MSG 1-2 '11- PJ20
'12- MIA; DeLuna '13- Wrigley; Pitt; Brooklyn 1-2; Philly 1-2; Baltimore; Seattle
'14- Denver '16- Philly 1-2; MSG 2
'17- Pilgrimage Music Fest (Eddie)
'18- Fenway
Also if this is in reference to the V fest announcement, just go see Kasabian instead. They aren't very good, but there is your rock.
edm is killing music worse than sam smith. imo
I realize thats a little off topic, but as others have pointed out, festival organizers are trying to sell tickets first and foremost. It would be a revolving door of the same dozen or so names, most of them basically dinosaurs in this day and age, if festival organizers stuck to rock acts.
I'd like to see a resurgence of actual musicians on stage.
Rock and roll, however, is not dead. There are a lot of great smaller bands; we just have to search harder to find them. My last 3 live shows were antemasque, ty segall, and Sleater Kinney. Great shows
My reaction was more in response to the Squamish lineup but as I've heard Sam Smith rumoured for Lolla, and popping up on other major lineups like V, I just found it really surprising. Not only because his music is slow and does not have the energy level to close a festival, but because as I tried to communicate in that first email, sugar-coated pop has never been embraced by these types of festivals. You would never see Coachella booking a Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, or Keith Urban, despite how many tickets they could potentially sell. There still remains a line of integrity.
Although I don't like EDM or Hip Hip (anymore), I get their relevance. I can see why they work well for festivals and why the promoters book such acts to sell tickets. They are entertaining, and (in the case of hip hip, have substance/something to say).
However, acts like Sam Smith I see as being like Katy Perry. They sell a lot of tickets, but don't have any substance. It's really their stylists, choreographers, lighting guys, who deserve awards.
I don't buy "then don't go to festivals" argument. I love going to festivals, and have travelled a lot to go to Coachella, Lolla, ACL, Reading, Rock en Seine etc...One of my favourite things to do each year is to monitor festivals and read up on the rumours. I really look forward to trying to make at least one trip each year. I love finding out about new bands on the lower lines/afternoon slots, but I like having a big draw like Radiohead, PJ, Neil, or Paul McCartney as a big draw to warrant the travel.
This year, it's looking like we're going to the UK to do Blur/The Strokes/Beck in Hyde Park (where we'll also get to see smaller awesome bands like Temples and the Horrors)
1993-9-4 Vancouver
1996-9-16 Seattle
1998-7-19 Vancouver, 7-21 Seattle, Memorial Stadium
2000-11-6 Seattle
2001-10-22 Seattle
2002 -12-09 Seattle
2009-8-17 Manchester, 9-25 Vancouver
2011-6-16 Seattle (EV), 9-3/4 PJ20, 9-25 Vancouver
2012-6-27 Amsterdam (#2!)
2013-11-29 Portland, 12-4 Vancouver, 12-6 Seattle
2014-AUS - 1-26 Sydney, 1-31 Adelaide, 2-11/12 EV Sydney State Theatre, 2-13 EV Opera House
2014 - USA - Memphis, Detroit, MOLINE, St. Paul, MILWAUKEE, Denver, 25/26 Bridge School
2016 - Lexington, Philly x 2, MSG x 2, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto x 2, Pemberton, Fenway x 2, Wrigley x 2
2018 - Seattle x 2, Missoula, Fenway x 2
'10- MSG 1-2 '11- PJ20
'12- MIA; DeLuna '13- Wrigley; Pitt; Brooklyn 1-2; Philly 1-2; Baltimore; Seattle
'14- Denver '16- Philly 1-2; MSG 2
'17- Pilgrimage Music Fest (Eddie)
'18- Fenway
2012 Missoula (9/30) 2013 Chicago (7/19) Pittsburgh (10/11) Buffalo (10/12) Baltimore (10/27) Dallas (11/15)
2014 Austin (10/12) Memphis (10/14) St. Paul (10/19) Milwaukee (10/20) Denver (10/22)
2016 Ft. Lauderdale (4/8) Miami (4/9) Hampton (4/18) Philly (4/28,4/29) NY (5/1,5/2) 2018 Seattle (8/10) Missoula (8/13) 2022 Nashville (9/16)
E.V. - 2008 Berkeley (4/8) 2012 Austin (11/9,11/12)
Temple of the Dog - 2016 Upper Darby
1993-9-4 Vancouver
1996-9-16 Seattle
1998-7-19 Vancouver, 7-21 Seattle, Memorial Stadium
2000-11-6 Seattle
2001-10-22 Seattle
2002 -12-09 Seattle
2009-8-17 Manchester, 9-25 Vancouver
2011-6-16 Seattle (EV), 9-3/4 PJ20, 9-25 Vancouver
2012-6-27 Amsterdam (#2!)
2013-11-29 Portland, 12-4 Vancouver, 12-6 Seattle
2014-AUS - 1-26 Sydney, 1-31 Adelaide, 2-11/12 EV Sydney State Theatre, 2-13 EV Opera House
2014 - USA - Memphis, Detroit, MOLINE, St. Paul, MILWAUKEE, Denver, 25/26 Bridge School
2016 - Lexington, Philly x 2, MSG x 2, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto x 2, Pemberton, Fenway x 2, Wrigley x 2
2018 - Seattle x 2, Missoula, Fenway x 2
oh man, the irony
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