8/26: THE MULTI TASKING MUSICIAN SYNDROME
I’ve often spoken about the over touring so many bands are doing these days. Playing so much their draw starts to decrease because people get tired of seeing them. It’s a by product of the fact that bands are not making money from selling music sadly. But we now have the over saturation of artists being in way too many bands. Again, same problem behind it. Artists are just casting their line out as many places as possible to see where they get a bite. All looking for something that has some traction and can be a viable source of financial and creative success. But I see it as really becoming a bit of an issue because it is flooding the market with product that has almost no chance to break through. I have been sent music featuring an artist from one label and had another label send me another release the same week featuring the same artist. How much can you do? How many interviews can you have with one person in one week? How can fans invest anything into some of these projects when you know it might already be over before it’s released or they may never do a live show? Very confusing. You have labels that will release almost anything from some bands but not ever really work it past a week. Hired gun promoters are everywhere pushing things one week to the next until the retainer they are paid runs out and then have moved on. Again I understand why it’s all happening but I also believe a less is more plan could work just as well. I miss the days an artist had one band and it was special to see them live or release and album every year or two. I know all things change and evolve but some of the multi tasking going on in today’s music world is hard to figure. It’s already hard when everyone is so over stimulated and with such short attention spans to sell music and get real traction, but when artists are hitting you with 3-4 projects or more a year you can’t blame the fan for being confused and not knowing where that person hangs their hat. Not blaming the musicians. The business has become the wild west and I don’t blame anyone for doing what they must to survive. But I have to think that it might be a better way if a band tried to just make a full commitment to one group and see what happens. Actually work and grow it and make all the focus on it. Tour, keep the priority in one spot. I have to laugh how a couple years ago my good friend Mike Portnoy was roasted for having several bands. Well guess what? Now almost everyone is doing it and it doesn’t seem so crazy.
“How can fans invest anything into some of these projects when you know it might already be over before it’s released or they may never do a live show? Very confusing.”
Not sure what you mean here, Eddie. As a huge Def Leppard fan, I’m connected to Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell on Facebook. Phil has released ManRaze CD’s and has Delta Deep coming out soon. Viv has the Last In Line CD coming soon. Joe Elliott just released the second Down N’ Outz CD. I’ve purchased all of these albums and I’m not confused that they are just side projects. Little to no chance any of these acts will embark on major tours. It’s just another creative outlet for the guys – most likely to draw interest from Leppard fans, or in Joe’s case Ian Hunter/Mott fans.
There’s nothing wrong with someone like George Lynch working on multiple projects at the same time. It’s not “confusing,” it’s just more product from a guitarist I love. KXM – bought it, love it. Sweet/Lynch – love what I’ve heard and I’ll buy that too. More Lynch Mob on the way – bring it on.
Who’s in this band, who’s in that band? Today, it makes me appreciate a band like Aerosmith even more, you know what you’re getting, and who! IMO, don’t put together anymore “supergroups”, unless/until you can keep them together! Old days, old ways, some things should NEVER change! 🙂
Good analysis, Eddie. I’m totally with you on the side-project frenzy, while I do understand why musicians have to do it. I want Chris Barnes growling about maggots in one band, not turning upto growl about maggots in three bands which are frankly hard distinguish from one another.
I remember when Lars Ulrich sat in front of a Senate committee decrying how artistic content was being stolen and disbursed with no compensation for the artist. It’s all been download/downhill from there.
I’ll channel Dana Carvey’s Old Man: “In MY day, Judas Priest came out with a record, and it sold millions of copies, and popular bands like Priest got rich, and went out in support of the record, and got richer, and we LIKED it.”
I used to be so proud of my cassette tape collection, everything from all the Sabs, all the Slayer, Scorps, Leppard, and tons of one hit metal acts like Grim Reaper.
Hilarious!! Point well taken too. God, I loved that skit.
I’m with ya Eddie. You make valid points but also don’t forget the financial perspective from the fans point of view. Not everyone can afford to drop $10 on iTunes for a record or $12.99 for the cd or $16.99 for a deluxe version of something. One of my favorite bands is Alterbridge. One of the greatest bands on earth. But they lose some of that magic because Myles is in a band with Slash, Mark has Tremonti & I believe the other two are starting their own bands now too. I don’t get it. What’s up with Jason Bonham? What band is he in now? Billy Sheehan? DuG Pinnick? George Lynch? I can’t keep up with how many bands they’re in nonetheless afford to buy multiple releases per year when a lot of the material quite honestly isn’t as good as their primary bands material!
Eddie, your comments about new albums essentially disappearing after a week rings SO true. Heck, look at how mud promotion Priest did leading up to the release of Redeeemer. Now? It’s like it never happened. “Next!” I’m even afraid to check the Billboard number for it now. It’s become a sad by-product of our society that you can’t milk an album with strong singles throughout a year or so to keep a band’s momentum going. I wish I had the solution. I think what you and the guys are doing on Sirius is really the only thing keeping metal (at least) going strong. I can’t tell you how many new bands I’ve been turned on to since I started subscribing in ’06. But we, as a society, have virtually no attention span anymore. It sucks for these great musicians, because they are busting their collective asses off for pennies in return half the time.