Roger Waters to tour The Wall

[jff]

i think you are missing my point. i'm not saying there won't be any. I'm saying there won't be enough keep the same rate of scheduled dates for these sorts of venues, as it has been.

 

Time will tell.

 

You'll see Creed and Nickelback selling arenas well into the future, and I predict HORDE reunion package shows, and that type of thing will take the place of REO/STYX type of package shows once they call it quits. Jack Johnson will be the new Jimmy Buffett. John Mayer will be the new Capton/sappy fake blues guitar slinger...if he isn't already. Then there are dozens of package shows with newer acts each year (Vans Warped tour being one). I think there'll be plenty of shows to fill schedules.

[Orkie]

So who is filling the arenas? R&B, rap, pop and country artists-with the occasional-latin or reggaeton star-unfortunately, these are what is popular in our country right now.

 

The only ones filling arenas right now are Waters, U2 and Lady Gaga. Dozens of acts have cancelled tours this year for lack of interest.

[Orkie]

Most of the stadium acts, such as the Stones, Floyd, etc. played fairly small venues in their heyday. Almost none of the classic acts played stadiums when they were producing their best work.

 

Eh...this is blatantly incorrect. Floyd set records for single event attendance and scale with something like 100,000 in Montreal and Chicago during the Animals tour in 1977. Waters built the Wall exactly because of the massive, freakish crowds of stadiums.

 

 

 

Maybe I don't know what you mean by "major rock act." Can an "indie band", such as Arcade Fire, not be a "major rock act"? If not, why not?

 

 

"major rock act" = band with a string of masterpieces. This would include Zep, Stones, Floyd, U2, etc.

[jff]

The only ones filling arenas right now are Waters, U2 and Lady Gaga. Dozens of acts have cancelled tours this year for lack of interest.

 

There are plenty more than just those three. Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, Rush, Widespread Panic, Justin Beiber, Tom Petty, etc. are all doing well this summer.

[Dmada]

The only ones filling arenas right now are Waters, U2 and Lady Gaga. Dozens of acts have cancelled tours this year for lack of interest.

yes there have been cancellations and no question it has slowed down big time

but is that due to the price or the lack of interest?

[Orkie]

There are plenty more than just those three. Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, Rush, Widespread Panic, Justin Beiber, Tom Petty, etc. are all doing well this summer.

 

 

Not nearly as well as Waters and Gaga. So many acts have outright cancelled tours due to lack of interest. It's a tough draw this year if you're not bringing something extra to the table. You mentioned "filling arenas". Big difference between playing them and filling them.

[jff]

Not nearly as well as Waters and Gaga. So many acts have outright cancelled tours due to lack of interest. It's a tough draw this year if you're not bringing something extra to the table. You mentioned "filling arenas". Big difference between playing them and filling them.

I don't believe I ever used the words "filling arenas." Please find a quote.

[jff]

 

 

"major rock act" = band with a string of masterpieces. This would include Zep, Stones, Floyd, U2, etc.

 

I stand corrected on Floyd. I shouldn't have used them as an example and I should have said "many" rather than "most", but I stand by the general statement. Many of the classic rock groups who now play stadiums or arenas were not playing large venues during the time their best material was being released.

 

Tinnitus, since I was asking you, and not Okie, is this how you would define "major rock act"?

[Mr. Heartbreak]

I'm probably the guilty party who used the terms "major rock act" and "filling arenas."

 

I would define a major rock act as an artist or band who not only released multiple artistic triumphs which also sold well, but is/are well-known throughout the world, that is, household names. You can argue all day about whether or not they were filling arenas during the time they released their best work...

 

This would include the so-called "dinosaur" acts like Led Zep, Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, the Stones and U2. It would not include John Mayer, Lady Gaga, Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, Coldplay, or even Radiohead (go out and talk to people who aren't into music, and ask them if they have ever heard of Radiohead...).

 

In other words, Pink Floyd is a major rock act; Roger Waters by himself is not (although he is putting on a major rock act show).

 

Hope that clears it up.

[Guest Speed Racer]

Not nearly as well as Waters and Gaga. So many acts have outright cancelled tours due to lack of interest. It's a tough draw this year if you're not bringing something extra to the table. You mentioned "filling arenas". Big difference between playing them and filling them.

 

But you're not addressing why acts *need* to fill arenas. The 70s were ruled by major labels, and if I understand correctly, ticket prices were a LOT more affordable and available in the days before you had to purchase tickets online. With scalpers scooping up so many tickets to arena shows and gouging prices, and "convenience fees" eating up half the price of a ticket, it's no wonder venues aren't filling up.

 

And we have so many more choices now - we don't *have* to see Springsteen, Aerosmith, Zep, Floyd or KISS. On any given week in Minneapolis, I can choose between a dozen acts I'd be interested in seeing.

 

ETA: So many of these dinosaur acts were also popular because of scarcity of alternatives. And now the children of the, uh, dinosaurs, have gotten in to dinosaur acts as much because of nostalgia and exposure from their parents as anything else. Rock is still pretty new, in terms of how many generations it has been around.

 

And the "string of hit records" litmus test isn't viable anymore either. "Hits" according to whom? Critical acclaim? Which critics? Record sales? Yeah, because record sales have been so awesome the past few years.

 

It has nothing to do with showmanship and it has nothing to do with a lack of amazing music; you're simply applying outdated industry parameters to a sample population that doesn't match.

[tinnitus photography]

 

 

As far as filling arenas, I dont see how it relates to napster at all. Napster promoted piracy. If anything, you would think that would increase concert attendance due to it becoming a primary source of revenue. I beleive that is why you are seeing all the nostalgia acts-much fewer folks are buying their records these days.

 

yeah, my point wasn't that Napster was solely responsible for what's happened, but i couldn't let the use of a good metaphor get in the way

 

Its the internet in general. The increased exposure of so many types of music and artists being available through so many different sources. And its the emergence independent labels and artists breaking away from the record companies' traditional method of selling music. Somewhere in there live nation/TM and the increase in prices along with the economy has affected bands' ability to fill arenas. Its the sum of all these parts IMHO.

 

Napster and the subsequent P2P sharing might have increased concert attendance overall but perhaps the base is much broader now...maybe in the past a band like Reigning Sound would have drawn 30 people to their show; now that it's easier to sample their music, they sell out a 200 ppl room.

 

but the mega-stars, the U2s and Pearl Jams and Metallicas...they are a thing of the past, in my opinion. Or least a rarity, like a blue lobster (maybe Taylor Swift can continue her pace, or Lady Gaga). there are too many entertainment options available to people, and the marketing clout of radio/publications has been diluted substantially. the market has been splintered, with a lot more slivers of pie being handed out.

[tinnitus photography]

I stand corrected on Floyd. I shouldn't have used them as an example and I should have said "many" rather than "most", but I stand by the general statement. Many of the classic rock groups who now play stadiums or arenas were not playing large venues during the time their best material was being released.

 

well i wasn't around to see them, but certainly Springsteen played big halls during the Born To Run tour, Pearl Jam started playing big shows almost out of the gate w/ the success of their debut LP, and I saw U2 on the War tour (3rd LP) when they played a large indoor arena. I realize 'many' is a hard term to quantify, and we could back and forth all day cherry-picking names so i can't imagine this point will be settled one way or the other.

 

Tinnitus, since I was asking you, and not Okie, is this how you would define "major rock act"?

 

no, a major rock act has nothing to do w/ the quality of their work, or purported 'masterpieces.' it's down to popularity (cf. Budweiser; it's the best selling US beer, not the best beer, at least imo).

[jff]

well i wasn't around to see them, but certainly Springsteen played big halls during the Born To Run tour, Pearl Jam started playing big shows almost out of the gate w/ the success of their debut LP, and I saw U2 on the War tour (3rd LP) when they played a large indoor arena. I realize 'many' is a hard term to quantify, and we could back and forth all day cherry-picking names so i can't imagine this point will be settled one way or the other.

 

 

Pearl Jam's early post-Ten tours were in clubs and then 4000-5000 seat theaters. It was only after MTV got ahold of them that the big shows came along. Still, for a first album, that's pretty impressive.

 

I'm thinking more along the lines of The Who Live at Leeds, following the release of Tommy - 2100 people (assuming it was sold out). Any concert at Winterland - 5400 people when sold out.

 

It wasn't until the mid '70s that it was the norm for bands to start playing stadiums and basketball arenas.

 

At this point, I can't even remember why we're talking about this.

[Degenerex]

To get back on the subject... I just got back from night 3 and that was an absolutely unbelievable show. Last night I went to see Tallest Man on Earth, which is a guy and a guitar, and tonight was THIS.

 

I must say at this point in my life I like the guy and the guitar more, but I definitely enjoy a huge production every now and then.

[ViaBuffalo]

To get back on the subject... I just got back from night 3 and that was an absolutely unbelievable show. Last night I went to see Tallest Man on Earth, which is a guy and a guitar, and tonight was THIS.

 

I must say at this point in my life I like the guy and the guitar more, but I definitely enjoy a huge production every now and then.

I'm going tonight. I'm so excited.

[Cam Jones]

I saw this show at his first night in Boston. I was blown away. Just like the 2 other times i've seen him.

 

My only gripes with the show were the fact that it just wasnt loud enough. I was sort of strained to hear a lot of the music over the sound effects.

 

also, his drummer. From drummer to drummer... he is wayyyyyyy too busy with his playing.

[ViaBuffalo]

I saw this show at his first night in Boston. I was blown away. Just like the 2 other times i've seen him.

 

My only gripes with the show were the fact that it just wasnt loud enough. I was sort of strained to hear a lot of the music over the sound effects.

 

also, his drummer. From drummer to drummer... he is wayyyyyyy too busy with his playing.

The Buffalo show was pretty loud. It was the best concert I've ever seen in a land slide. What an epic night. Roger sounded pretty good and the other guy he had singing Gilmour's parts sounded great. The whole band sounded AWESOME. What a spectacle.

[theashtraysays]

I am going this Friday in Columbus with my daughter (good father-daughter bonding time).

I am really, really excited about this! !

[jimthedrummer]

I am going this Friday in Columbus with my daughter (good father-daughter bonding time).

I am really, really excited about this! !

 

 

You have EVERY reason to be excited. Ellen (Wilco Worshipper) and I saw the show last Friday in Hartford and it was beyond words incredible... A show for the ages. I can't wait for the DVD!!!

[Vacant Horizon]

i'm gonna try for a cheap ticket to the atlanta show.

 

anyway, a quick question on floyd. were the songs on Final Cut leftovers from the Wall?

[suites]

i'm gonna try for a cheap ticket to the atlanta show.

 

anyway, a quick question on floyd. were the songs on Final Cut leftovers from the Wall?

 

 

Sort of?

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Final_Cut_(album)

[jff]

Wow, never realized Richard Wright is not on that album.

[Vacant Horizon]

Wow, never realized Richard Wright is not on that album.

 

right. he wasn't on the wall either, from what i gather.

 

jff-i'm going downtown to phillips and try for a cheap ticket. you going to this show?

[Orkie]

Wright drifted after Wish You Were Here for various reasons. He does play on the Wall though, but there are no writing credits for him with the band after Wish You Were Here until The Division Bell.

 

It's also important to understand that Roger and David also played keyboards, and Wright was not always behind them. Waters loved the EMS VCS3 synthesizer.

 

This list of who played keys/synth on the Wall is interesting. The link also gives lots more detail on other albums:

 

http://www.canadianpinkfloyd.com/blog/2009/11/who-played-what-episode-1-keyboards-on.html

[theashtraysays]

there was some buzz earlier that Gilmour was going to show up at a show at some point on this tour. Has that happened yet? Any word on when that will possibly be?