Why are bands dissappearing?

**Dana5140** · 09-15-2024

OK Boomer.

You never listened to the radio, or to an album while doing your homework?

And well, now there are other things people can do for their entertainment, like videogames (which I think all have music).

Renate, I am not sure if you were rebuking me, but I will admit your opening comment caught me off guard. I am trying to make the point that for a lot of people- my kids, for example- music goes on while they do homework with their kids, or prepare dinner, or do whatever it is they need done in a family- and that is all it is. So long as they have the music, what the music is is a secondary consideration. And y'know what? That's how they consume it. Spotify. They do not purchase music by individual artists, ever. And frankly, I listen to music from the time I get up to the time I go to bed, whether I am working or- as the case is now, since I retired 2 weeks ago- or not working. It is always there, curated by me depending on what I am in the mood for. Which I suppose is not really the point of Beato's mini-tirade. It is about solo artists v. bands, and bands are losing, for sure.

Of course, people have more choices now. My grandkids watch video clips. My kids (who are 44- twins- and 39) listen while taking care of the family. But they do not follow music as I did when I was younger, when we followed the release of LPs like hawks, recorded them off the radio, etc. There isn't an artist who they would care released a new record or whatever we call it these days. Only my hipster 39yo has albums, which he plays on his fancy stereo with blue tooth.

**moecurlythanu** · 09-15-2024

Originally Posted by wilcox660

Area 51 is involved.

Italian cover band?

**Progbear** · 09-15-2024

Originally Posted by dropforge

Seventh Wave. Two guys (drums/vocals/keys and keys/vocals). They "cheated" by hiring extra personnel like Hugh Banton and Brian Gould.

They "cheated" because their first album (started when they were still called Fungus) was two long years in the making. They wanted to get a second album out the door while people still knew who they were (and the touring group was a seven piece of vocals, bass, drums, percussion and three keyboard players). After that, polyphonic synthesizers were a thing, which would have made being a duo far easier. Alas, I believe Ken Elliott and Kieran O'Connor couldn't stand one another by that point, which is a bit of a shame, as it's the main reason there was no third Seventh Wave album.

**moecurlythanu** · 09-15-2024

^ Congratulations on your retirement, Dana. Hope you love it as much as I do mine.

**dropforge** · 09-15-2024

Originally Posted by Progbear

They "cheated" because their first album (started when they were still called Fungus) was two long years in the making. They wanted to get a second album out the door while people still knew who they were (and the touring group was a seven piece of vocals, bass, drums, percussion and three keyboard players). After that, polyphonic synthesizers were a thing, which would have made being a duo far easier. Alas, I believe Ken Elliott and Kieran O'Connor couldn't stand one another by that point, which is a bit of a shame, as it's the main reason there was no third Seventh Wave album.

Yeah, they fell out. I was poking fun with the "cheated" part. It's too bad there's no live footage (or audio) on YouTube. Unless I'm just not using the right keywords.

**Rarebird** · 09-16-2024

Originally Posted by Dana5140

Renate, I am not sure if you were rebuking me, but I will admit your opening comment caught me off guard. I am trying to make the point that for a lot of people- my kids, for example- music goes on while they do homework with their kids, or prepare dinner, or do whatever it is they need done in a family- and that is all it is. So long as they have the music, what the music is is a secondary consideration. And y'know what? That's how they consume it. Spotify. They do not purchase music by individual artists, ever. And frankly, I listen to music from the time I get up to the time I go to bed, whether I am working or- as the case is now, since I retired 2 weeks ago- or not working. It is always there, curated by me depending on what I am in the mood for. Which I suppose is not really the point of Beato's mini-tirade. It is about solo artists v. bands, and bands are losing, for sure.

Of course, people have more choices now. My grandkids watch video clips. My kids (who are 44- twins- and 39) listen while taking care of the family. But they do not follow music as I did when I was younger, when we followed the release of LPs like hawks, recorded them off the radio, etc. There isn't an artist who they would care released a new record or whatever we call it these days. Only my hipster 39yo has albums, which he plays on his fancy stereo with blue tooth.

Well, I'm not sure, but I think when I was young we also often did our homework, or anything else with the radio on. Or we played a record. A schoolmate of mine sometimes tended to play along, when I wanted him to listen to a new album I bought. I think a lot of people of my age are just as well just listening to the radio, no matter what is on, or currently perhaps more often just let the television play. I used to do that as well in the 80s, when MTV still lived up to its name.
I agree that music might have been more important to us, than to current generations, but I think we are probably a weird bunch. And not everyone was an avid recordcollector when they were young. Not to mention when they were older. A friend of mine, who is 2 years my senior, just uses YouTube to play music. I don't know many people of my age, who really have a large CD collection. I know a pair of classical musicians and I think they have just 2 racks of CDs. (I don't know if you are familiar with Ikea, but those racks are something like 20 cm wide and 190 cm heigh. I have 12 of those. I think most young people just bought singles. I never did. I only have one single 'In dulci jubilo', because that song wasn't on my version of Ommadawn. My dad was a recordcollector, who understood my love for collecting CDs. My mom never was that much into music. She listened to music, when someone else put something on, but she never did put on a record, or CD, or turn on the radio.
And well, there was not much else to spend money on. Nowadays we have smartphones (I don't own one), computers, tablets and what else. If you want to listen to music, you can just turn on Spotify, or YouTube and you can just get the music you like.

And well, when I was young, making music was often a way to attract girls and forming a band was, well probably a way out, a way not to get stuck in the same kind of job your dad did, to get attention and perhaps to get rich. And those dreams might not have changed, but it's perhaps easier to get rich by becoming an influencer. So there are other ways to get to the most wanted fame and wealth.
And if it's about solo artist vs groups, I think nowadays it's easier to make music on your own, without other people. You don't need to form a band to make music. You might just need other musicians for performance, unless you work with backing-tapes or other technology. And for record-companies I suppose solo-artists are easier to handle. With a group you have 3, 4, or 5 people all wanting to have their say. And with recordsales probably going down, it's more important for recordcompany to get a quick return on investment. And well I think there may be something else at work as well. The amount of time and work to make something like for instance a car, has gone down. And to record music you probably still need the same amount of time and people, so in comparison, that becomes more expensive.

My musical examples were people like:
Mike Oldfield
Jean Michel Jarre
Bo Hansson
So basicly solo-artists, even though Mike Oldfield and Bo Hansson sometimes used other musicians to record their music.

When I wanted to form a band Grobschnitt was my model. Well try to find people who know them. Not really easy. I've never succeeded in that.

**veteranof1000psychicwars** · 09-16-2024

I love Grobschnitt! Especially Rockpommel's Land and Solar Music Live.

**Rarebird** · 09-16-2024

Originally Posted by veteranof1000psychicwars

I love Grobschnitt! Especially Rockpommel's Land and Solar Music Live.

Something we have in common.

**Garyhead** · 09-16-2024

My love for music consumption was in tandem with producing music. Was in school bands from 10 to 19yo. Started off with saxophone then Bass as a teenager. All my friends were band mates so there was quite an eclectic mix of music. My High School band teacher was also my elementary school teacher. He was a jazz drummer and introduced us to a wide array of composers in the jazz & classical world.
I hear music now is an elective that is done before or after school.....sad.

**veteranof1000psychicwars** · 09-16-2024

Originally Posted by Rarebird

Something we have in common.

One of probably many things.

In my opinion just about everyone on PE would like at least both of those albums, if nothing else by them. They are classics of German progressive rock.

**clivey** · 09-16-2024

Originally Posted by boilk

Even videogames are way down in popularity, apparently. Social media is what is in, like it or not.

Neil

Yeah. They prefer watching someone else play the game they bought on a livestream. Does lazy now = normal? . Well the other side of the coin is all the blood and tears that youngers put into their solo music production.

Couldn't resist posting gratuitous 2 piece band suggestion. Sorry meant Duo.

**Sputnik** · 09-16-2024

Originally Posted by veteranof1000psychicwars

One of probably many things.

In my opinion just about everyone on PE would like at least both of those albums, if nothing else by them. They are classics of German progressive rock.

Just about everyone be me. I absolutely hate both of these. The lyrics and vocals on Rockpommel's Land kill it for me, and I was honestly stunned how bland the playing was on Solar Music. I know many love these albums, and they are, in a sense, classics of German Prog, but they just don't appeal to me in any way... no shade to those who dig them. Just goes to show, there's one in every crowd.