When should legends retire?

[Doctor J]

If you want to protect your memories of the good times, simply don't go. I wouldn't begrudge anyone doing something they enjoy, even if it is dirt to my ears. I haven't seen Metallica since 1992 so I don't erase the memory of the AJFA tour with some 'Tallicrap and that's how it will stay 😂

[ambient]

27 minutes ago, velvetkevorkian said:

I'm pretty hard-line on this - if punters are only coming to hear your greatest hits set, it's probably time to pack it in, imo. Too many acts trading on nostalgia. Exceptions apply, YMMV, see T&C's, etc.

 

Surely if that’s what the audience wants, that’s what you give them?

 

it’s often the case that an audience will want to hear that they know, rather than new stuff, even when artists are in their heyday.

 

 

[PaulWarning]

depends how much you like the artist I suppose, our old guitarist used to say "Punters don't hear what you're playing, they hear what's in there head" not always true but I knew what he meant, I think Elton John was right to retire (if he has), but then I don't like him very much, I did think Macca should have retired but his Glastonbury set changed my mind, his voice is not the same as it was and he got a lot of help from the backing singers but it was very enjoyable all the same. The Stones are a funny one, Jagger's voice still seems to be on the money but I don't think Keef can play guitar very much any more, not surprising when you look at the state of his finger joints but I don't think many of their fans think they should pack it in.

 

The bottom line is, if people still want to go and see them why not carry on? if people don't, don't go, simple really

[Guest]

41 minutes ago, velvetkevorkian said:

if punters are only coming to hear your greatest hits set, it's probably time to pack it in

 

Musicians shouldn't be allowed to play their hits, and the public shouldn't be allowed to listen to them .... if the public wants to listen to them playing their greatest hits ....

 

[Grimalkin]

 

[Bluewine]

1 hour ago, ambient said:

I thought McCartney’s recent Glastonbury show was fantastic. He did get criticism for it from some people. Those people I think missed the point that his performance there gave a great many people across the world a huge amount of pleasure. That’s surely what entertainment is all about?

 

He's my "main man". Never knew what an electric bass was until I got my first Beatle record in 1963.

 

Blue

[velvetkevorkian]

24 minutes ago, Ricky Rioli said:

 

Musicians shouldn't be allowed to play their hits, and the public shouldn't be allowed to listen to them .... if the public wants to listen to them playing their greatest hits ....

 

All jazz odysseys, all the time.

[velvetkevorkian]

39 minutes ago, ambient said:

Surely if that’s what the audience wants, that’s what you give them?

 

it’s often the case that an audience will want to hear that they know, rather than new stuff, even when artists are in their heyday.

 

 

Hey I didn't say it would be popular!

[gjones]

I went to see The Waterboys, at Barrowlands Glasgow, in October last year.

 

Mike Scott and Steve Wickham, the only surviving members of the original band, aren't exactly coffin dodgers (at 63 and 62) but they looked like they'd come to the end of the road, they'd  had enough and wanted to go home.

 

After that tour Steve Wickham actually did leave The Waterboys, he definitely was giving out the signals the enthusiasm wasn't there any more and neither of them had the energy.

 

 

[Delberthot]

One of the best concerts I have ever been to was about 5 or 6 years ago. it was when Jerry Lee Lewis was touring as part of his 80th birthday celebrations.

 

I wasn't expecting the young Jerry Lee that I'd seen on many black and white videos standing on top of the piano and so on but I was surprised at how good he was - and yes, he did kick the piano stool away at the end. Jerry Lovelace was still playing the guitar with him.

 

Plus I got to see another two of my guitar heroes - Albert Lee and James Burton

 

 

There are bands and acts that I have had the chance to see but have decided not to as I want to remember them for how they were, not what they are now - Deep Purple & Whitesnake to name a couple.

 

I saw a little bit of the last Genesis shows and it was actually depressing to see Phil collins like that. he hasn't been able to sing with the force and roughness that he was known for for some time and the drum battles with Chester Thomson are a distant memory but it was sad to see

 

 

The Chili peppers are a funny one - they tend to be either right on the money or terrible, depending on when you see them

 

[jimmyb625]

Roger Waters is still touring his Pink Floyd shows. His voice (which I don't think was ever his biggest asset) seems to have gone south, but he uses backing singers to support what he does. Should he stop? Possibly, depending on your political leanings, but are the shows an experience, most definitely I'd say.

[ubit]

We saw Rory Gallagher once years ago at a festival. He was fluffing his guitar work and disappearing for long spells and letting his bass and drums fill in. It became apparent that he was absolutely out of his face drunk. It was a shame to see such a legend in that state and he died not long after. I realise this is different to an ageing rock star but it was still horrible to see an idol drop so low.

[Mykesbass]

14 hours ago, TheGreek said:

UB40? 

A long time ago. 

OP said Legends 😏

[Mykesbass]

Saw 81 year old Tom Jones last year in a 300 capacity club in Brighton. He was incredible. Great voice and totally part of the band.

 

Reason for the gig was so he could play some new material in amongst the classics, a promotion with his label and the local record shop.

[mikel]

For me, when they get fat. The Stones can, or could, rip Charlie, pull it off cos they still look like rock stars. A big fat legend just doesn't work for me. 

[casapete]

2 hours ago, Mykesbass said:

Saw 81 year old Tom Jones last year in a 300 capacity club in Brighton. He was incredible. Great voice and totally part of the band.

 

Reason for the gig was so he could play some new material in amongst the classics, a promotion with his label and the local record shop.

Beat me to it. 

Saw Sir Tom just before the pandemic hit in, and he was absolutely incredible. His voice was 

bang in tune throughout the two hour gig, never faltering once and so strong. One of the best

gigs I’ve been to in years. Saw him sing live on ‘The Voice’ recently and still amazing too.

 

[thebrig]

20 hours ago, Mickeyboro said:

Yesterday I saw Wilko Johnson, an idol of mine for many years, at Poole Lighthouse. 
 

It’s hard not to flash back 50 years to the Dr Feelgood footage we have all seen and enjoyed, but he is now so far away from the musician he was I feel saddened. He really didn’t look like he wanted to be there, and his vocals in particular - never his strong point, I agree - were painfully off. I admit the disappointment was magnified by really poor sound - the first song was 80 per cent delivered to a dead microphone - but I have seen Wilko often enough to wish this was not my last memory of him live.

 

Diversion: I saw Brian Wilson in the early 2000s. The lights were on but no-one was home, and the joy of seeing him was tempered by the fact he really shouldn’t have been there. Winch him out of the huge band he was in and you’d have had the best Beach Boys tribute ever… but then they couldn’t have charged the ticket price!

Back to Wilko: Were the people who gave him a standing ovation applauding the fact he beat the odds and is still with us? Or am I the one out of step? 
 

Summary: When should legends hang it up, and who will be the person to tell them? Opinions, please… 

 

And here’s a pic of Wilko, bless him. Not forgetting Norman.

 

I am a massive Dr Feelgood fan, and I used to play in a Dr Feelgood tribute band not so long ago, but I stopped going to see Wilko around ten years ago because it was painful to see and hear him play and sing, obviously Norman was great, but Wilko's voice was excruciatingly bad, and his playing wasn't much better.

I prefer to remember Wilko and Dr Feelgood from when I used to see them in mid 70's.

 

[thebrig]

20 hours ago, Mickeyboro said:

Yesterday I saw Wilko Johnson, an idol of mine for many years, at Poole Lighthouse. 
 

It’s hard not to flash back 50 years to the Dr Feelgood footage we have all seen and enjoyed, but he is now so far away from the musician he was I feel saddened. He really didn’t look like he wanted to be there, and his vocals in particular - never his strong point, I agree - were painfully off. I admit the disappointment was magnified by really poor sound - the first song was 80 per cent delivered to a dead microphone - but I have seen Wilko often enough to wish this was not my last memory of him live.

 

Diversion: I saw Brian Wilson in the early 2000s. The lights were on but no-one was home, and the joy of seeing him was tempered by the fact he really shouldn’t have been there. Winch him out of the huge band he was in and you’d have had the best Beach Boys tribute ever… but then they couldn’t have charged the ticket price!

Back to Wilko: Were the people who gave him a standing ovation applauding the fact he beat the odds and is still with us? Or am I the one out of step? 
 

Summary: When should legends hang it up, and who will be the person to tell them? Opinions, please… 

 

And here’s a pic of Wilko, bless him. Not forgetting Norman.

 

Edited September 18, 2022 by thebrig

[Hobbayne]

Fleetwood Mac are a parody of themselves these days. After sacking their talented guitarist/frontman and filling his shoes with the Crowded Heartbreakers I lost all respect for them.

[BigRedX]

It's a difficult one. I know I'll be playing in bands until it becomes absolutely physically impossible, so why should I begrudge others the same?

 

As a punter I'm reasonably lucky in that very few of the bands that I liked when I was first getting into music still exist in any gigging form so I'm unlikely to be disappointed, and there are plenty of new young bands coming up playing music I like, that I can go and see.

 

Because of the genre both my current bands move in, I get to see a lot of bands that were reasonably famous back in the 80s and 90s because we are supporting them. Whilst all of them can still cut it from a performance PoV, the depressing thing for me is that most of them are completely happy to trade on songs that are at best 25 years old. I know that on the whole audiences want to hear what they know and like, but there's not even a token song from the "new album" mostly because there is no new album. It's never been easier to record and release music without needing record label backing, so why aren't they doing it? It's as though their creative abilities got switched off sometime in the late 90s.

 

Notable exceptions to the above are Toyah and Mark Burgess.

Edited September 18, 2022 by BigRedX

[ambient]

4 minutes ago, Hobbayne said:

Fleetwood Mac are a parody of themselves these days. After sacking their talented guitarist/frontman and filling his shoes with the Crowded Heartbreakers I lost all respect for them.

This is something I was just about to say. 
 

I don’t mind how long bands or solo artists go on for, as long as people are enjoying what they see. 
 

However, when there’s virtually no one from the original band left, then that’s a different matter. I heard on the radio this last week that Big Country are currently touring. I don’t see them as being Big Country without Stuart Adamson. It’s like having Phil Gould and Mike Lindup without Mark King.

[ubit]

1 minute ago, ambient said:

This is something I was just about to say. 
 

I don’t mind how long bands or solo artists go on for, as long as people are enjoying what they see. 
 

However, when there’s virtually no one from the original band left, then that’s a different matter. I heard on the radio this last week that Big Country are currently touring. I don’t see them as being Big Country without Stuart Adamson. It’s like having Phil Gould and Mike Lindup without Mark King.

 

 

This is something that has annoyed me for ages. To me a band is the singer. That's who you identify a sound from. Yes, the guitarists may have a particular sound and obviously some bass players are famous but when you have bands that have one original member and it's the drummer, you have to think, wait a minute?

[Mickeyboro]

3 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Because of the genre both my current bands move in, I get to see a lot of bands that were reasonably famous back in the 80s and 90s because we are supporting them. Whilst all of them can still cut it from a performance PoV, the depressing thing for me is that most of them are completely happy to trade on songs that are at best 25 years old,

That’s an interesting point in itself. Wilko has based much of his career around nine or  ten songs which he has played everywhere from boozers to the Albert Hall.  The size of venue and audience has varied with his profile - the near death experience (not to mention Game of Thrones) giving him global fame.

His show isn’t suited to theatres, since all he ever says between songs is ‘thanks very much’. He only plays an hour plus a crowd-sung encore, but were he to introduce the songs it would be a much longer show. Also notable that the Feelgood numbers - now nearly 50 years old - elicited by far the biggest response.

Support John Otway got an hour and, to my amazement, stole the show. He seems to add layers as his career continues. Be happy to see him again. 

Sorry, this is a diversion from my main point. 

 

[ubit]

11 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Because of the genre both my current bands move in, I get to see a lot of bands that were reasonably famous back in the 80s and 90s because we are supporting them. Whilst all of them can still cut it from a performance PoV, the depressing thing for me is that most of them are completely happy to trade on songs that are at best 25 years old. I know that on the whole audiences want to hear what they know and like, but there's not even a token song from the "new album" mostly because there is no new album. It's never been easier to record and release music without needing record label backing, so why aren't they doing it? It's as though their creative abilities got switched off sometime in the late 90s.

 

 

 

Yup, why no new music from people who used to churn out hits every month? I am always amazed when you hear about old bands and you find out they are still going but their last album was in 1994 or something. I think what are they playing then? Just their old stuff over and over.

[Grimalkin]

Sick Boy: It's certainly a phenomenon in all walks of life.

Mark "Rent-boy" Renton: What do you mean?

Sick Boy: Well, at one time, you've got it, and then you lose it, and it's gone forever. All walks of life: George Best, for example. Had it, lost it. Or David Bowie, or Lou Reed...

Mark "Rent-boy" Renton: Some of his solo stuff's not bad.

Sick Boy: No, it's not bad, but it's not great either. And in your heart you kind of know that although it sounds alright, it's actually just s**t.

Mark "Rent-boy" Renton: So who else?

Sick Boy: Charlie Nicholas, David Niven, Malcolm McLaren, Elvis Presley...

 

Irvine Welsh - Trainspotting.