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Pioneer
- FB Fan -
213 Posts |
 Posted - 05/24/2003 : 12:19:33
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I remember reading how Frank said he would admire a fiction writer who locked himself away and cranked out stories, not particularly mindful of how they were received. Maybe he has fashioned himself after this ideal in some way. He keeps cranking out albums, touring to good crowds, and forsaking the charts and airwaves. What was the last FB song that you heard on the radio a few times? For me it was "The Men in Black," which was on Boston radio for a very brief time. Before that it was "Headache," which also didn't last. I haven't heard a new FB song on the radio since.
Can Frank get on the radio with his current two-track style? He certainly isn't fashionable like that doofus hard rock/rap stuff or the cutesie Blink 182 stuff. He doesn't have the figure of Christina Aguilera (or the hideous habit of oversinging). I think a song like "The Black Rider #1" cover is as catchy and fun and rawkin' as radio could ever want, but look what happened. Not a sniff of airplay that I'm aware of. Remember in olden times when Frank wrote "Here Comes Your Man." It sounded almost formulaic with a riff as catchy as that in "Daytripper" and the bridge with the "ahh-hoo's" and nice simple guitar, and presto, it was on the radio. But I don't expect to hear a Catholics' song on the radio anytime soon, and Frank seems to just want to keep on cranking them out free of big label pressure. I guess it's good that he seems to have found a niche in an otherwise hysterical American market. |
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frank_black_francis
= Cult of Ray =
Canada
895 Posts |
Posted - 05/24/2003 : 17:02:01
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the last song i heard on commercial radio was "i switched you"...however, i do think he gets airplay on college radio. i heard the entire album, beginning to end of "black letter days" on my local station....personally, i think many great bands out there that dont get commercial airplay manage to still get promoted thru college radio.
i recently rehooked my cable....havent seen MTV in maybe 7 years....it is absolutely ridiculous now.....i thought that groups that fall under the label of "alternative" or "edge" that made their bones by dumbing down many of the tones, riffs and style of Frank Black and Pixies music would have been popular for only a short time....but when you tune into MTV now or "Edge TV" you notice that there are hundreds of these moronic bands out there getting airplay....so i dont know if frank actually lets the lack of commercial airplay bother him.....I like many other fans keep ourselves posted to news about FB&Cs, suggest him to friends and acquaintences, and will continue to go see him play as long as he's doin it.....FUCK COMMERCIAL AIRPLAY!!! |
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mdisanto
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1140 Posts |
Posted - 05/24/2003 : 21:35:24
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reminds me of the writer character from Slaughterhouse Five
-miked |
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Stuart
- The Clopser -
China
2291 Posts |
Posted - 05/24/2003 : 21:44:31
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Frank doesn't need to worry about commercial airplay, he has a loyal following that will grow naturally over time.... maybe the Catholics will never be as big as bands like U2 and Metallica, but I am sure Frank loses no sleep over it.... commericial airplay is for commercial music, its better to stay that way because its all shite.
War....... Its Fantastic |
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Cult_Of_Frank
= Black Noise Maker =
Canada
11687 Posts |
Posted - 05/25/2003 : 01:47:10
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I disagree with you, Stuart. I would love to have a radio station with good music on it, and I don't think that just commercial (as in, produced to make money and not as expression) stuff should get airplay. In fact, I don't think that commercial stuff should get airplay at all, but there's going to be that element in any society in any field or art that doesn't really appreciate what's going on.
Also, most people tend to identify anything and everything that gets played on the radio or seen on Much/MTV as crap or commercial, and although it's easy to do because it is true 9.9 times out of 10, it's this kind of thinking that prevents good stuff from making radio. If we assume that the radio will always and only play garbage, then artists (not puppets/commercial) are not going to want radio play for fear of negative association, and radios won't play it anyway because there's no winning in a situation like that.
That's my two cents. Having said all that, I never listen to the radio or watch Much/MTV, but I'd still love to hear/see FB on it with all the other deserving musicians. I suppose I'd rather not see him grouped with the garbage, call me an idealist. |
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Omer
= Cult of Ray =
275 Posts |
Posted - 05/25/2003 : 07:03:46
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| OK, it is really very simple. Show biz is a business. Always has been. always will be. There is money to be made from people's wish to be entertained, and music qualify as entertainment. So what determines what plays on MTV is markey forces - it's the people's will essentially. Most people want to hear shitty music, so that's what we're gonna get on MTV and on the Radio. |
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frank_black_francis
= Cult of Ray =
Canada
895 Posts |
Posted - 05/25/2003 : 09:22:41
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sorry, it is not market forces that determine what people listen to. it is the big record companies. as you may have heard in the past, "the medium is the message"....not the quality of what is on it. if it is on, thats what the masses will consume....and yes, music is a business....and Frank Black is fine cuisine....and most of the crap on MTV is Mcdonald's...
...and evolving from the sea, would not be too much time for me, to walk beside you in the sun.... |
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Cult_Of_Frank
= Black Noise Maker =
Canada
11687 Posts |
Posted - 05/25/2003 : 10:16:29
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quote:
Originally posted by frank_black_francis
music is a business....and Frank Black is fine cuisine....and most of the crap on MTV is Mcdonald's...
Exactly. Again, there are people who, given the choice between good music and garbage, will choose garbage. There's nothing that can be done about that - it's personal preference no matter how you slice it.
But there are many people out there who live in ignorance, who are unaware of the great music that is being produced today. Some of them think that all the music produced today is garbage and are stuck listening to 'oldies' when mass music was good and still had some heart in it, or listening to genres like classical or jazz where the larger record companies haven't got their grubby hands into yet and there still is heart.
These people live unaware of the underground music scene. Worse, some are aware, but assume that the big record labels are putting out the best stuff and that the independent scene is solely about counter-culture from bands who aren't good enough to make the big labels. And, as we all know, nothing could be farther from the truth.
I was once one of these people, I listened to music from the 50's to the 70's and a bit from the 80's, as well as classical, but couldn't stand the derivative crap on the radio. Still, I assumed in my ignorance that this crap was the best stuff out there (if there was better stuff, why wouldn't it be on the radio?), and had no desire or interest in hearing what I assumed would be even worse stuff. But, a friend of mine was quite into the underground scene, and I knew him to be a person with good taste and intelligence, as well as a musician, so when he told me he was going to give me a mix CD of Pixies stuff, I said alright. And the rest is history.
Anyway, sorry for the history lesson, but not everyone is ambitious or informed enough to seek the good music being produced. People listen because that's what's on the radio. If the radio started playing Spoon and Interpol and Jim O'Rourke and GBV and ... people would like that too. Except they wouldn't grow to hate it within a week. If you build it, they will come - if you play it, they will listen.
The market is saturated with what the record labels choose, not what people choose. |
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Pioneer
- FB Fan -
213 Posts |
Posted - 05/25/2003 : 13:16:27
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Hey, you guys got savvy. I agree with a lot of what you've posted. I'm with you frank black francis regarding college radio. I like hearing stuff by Frank Black and Ella Fitzgerald and Apples in Stereo and Pavement and the Beach Boys and Woody Guthrie and a bunch of artists I never even heard of all in one day, which is what a good college radio station can give you. Eclectic. On the other hand, there tends to be lots of very bad indy stuff on some college stations, even really bad indy bands deriving their sound from their really bad indy predecessors.
What do you guys think of The Strokes, The Hives, The White Stripes, and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs? They all get some airplay. Personally, I sort of like The Strokes. A little. A lot of hipper-than-me folks think that makes me a loser. "Oh, The Strokes, they're wealthy! They rip off VU!" Whatever, I don't care 'cause like I say, I like 'em just a little. None of those bands really float my boat.
The music industry seems to suffer like the American film industry. They aim for a young audience and they want blockbusters. The big young audience seems to favor dumb, easy-to-digest stuff.
Anyway, I listen to oldies radio, college radio, and even talk radio these days. Sorry, when you hit your 30s, if you haven't yet, you might listen to some talk radio too.
Interesting that "I Switched You" got commercial airplay, though. Anyone else hear anything past Cult of Ray on commercial radio? |
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frank_black_francis
= Cult of Ray =
Canada
895 Posts |
Posted - 05/25/2003 : 14:33:35
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pioneer....i agree 100% that college radio plays a lot of crappy indy bands....actually that's what makes me tune out very often....as for the Strokes, Hives, White Stripes, etc, it is cool to listen to, and i also "like" them but thats as far as it goes for me.....i dont know if there is a lack of substance....but to tell you the truth, they seem two-dimensional....not that i seek out "heady" music, its just that these bands seem to be lacking Meat to their music.....personally, i think that the strokes do sound as if the V.U. went commercial and poppy....but its fun to listen to....and hey, if they namecheck their influences often enough the "kids will be alright" in my view.....
...and evolving from the sea, would not be too much time for me, to walk beside you in the sun.... |
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mkingicus
- FB Fan -
USA
68 Posts |
Posted - 05/25/2003 : 16:02:38
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I totaly agree with everones opinions so far, but I tend to think that the way radio is, we don't want our beloved Frank mixed in with that. If radio was different, then Frank would get played. But it is sad that the greatest musicians are very seldom heard because the markets are always calling for the "new sensation", which right now happens to be shitty little garrage bands that somehow got rercord deals and can do just enough to impress the simple minds of this generation (which cosists of most of the U.S. population). So I think Mr. Black is doing just fine, and I'm actually kind of proud to know that I am one in only a select few (thousands as opposed to millions) people that have the priveledge to know this beautiful music.
"That which is best hidden, shall be most revealed." - Pete Labonne |
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Stuart
- The Clopser -
China
2291 Posts |
Posted - 05/25/2003 : 17:57:23
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quote:
Originally posted by Cult_Of_Frank
I disagree with you, Stuart. I would love to have a radio station with good music on it, and I don't think that just commercial (as in, produced to make money and not as expression) stuff should get airplay. In fact, I don't think that commercial stuff should get airplay at all, but there's going to be that element in any society in any field or art that doesn't really appreciate what's going on.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see a radio station that played good music, and banned manaufactured commercial music. I just meant that Frank shouldn't (and doesn't) have to worry his music not being aired on the commercial radio networks. When I was in the U.S. I heard some decent radio stations that would blare out RATM b-sides etc etc.... surely there must be a radio station that caters for non commercial music and doesn't play shite written solely to make money.'
War....... Its Fantastic |
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Pioneer
- FB Fan -
213 Posts |
Posted - 05/25/2003 : 19:06:27
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Yah, frank black francis, I don't disagree about The Strokes. If they come on the radio, I listen. I used to listen to their album when I exercised. It's decent background music. But I don't have a personal connection with it. However, I think their rhythm section is somewhat integrated and engaged, and maybe they can occasionally turn a phrase lyrically, not that I can remember any examples to cite, so I don't resent them. There must be an appetite for decent rock bands, though, 'cause the press tries to anoint some of these bands as saviors, like The Strokes and now The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Or is it just the fault of over-zealous New York media? Bands like The Hives and Yeah Yeah Yeahs seem to run an inherent risk of producing disposable music with their punkish styles, not that all punkish music is disposable, but it must be handled responsibly. Maybe I shouldn't talk so much about Yeah Yeah Yeahs since I haven't heard enough of them.
mkingicus, remember "alternative" radio? In the late 80s/early 90s we had a station in the Boston area that played Smiths/Morrissey, Cure, Siouxsie, Sugar, Pop Will Eat Itself, Throwing Muses, Jane's Addiction, and, yes, the Pixies, etc. Seemed pretty decent, and the Pixies seemed to fit. A few years later, the station was playing Bush and Harvey Danger, and like you say, FB didn't mix in with that. Now I guess he's not part of a scene, unless he and Reid Paley constitute a scene. |
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frank_black_francis
= Cult of Ray =
Canada
895 Posts |
Posted - 05/25/2003 : 19:59:04
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quote:
Originally posted by Pioneer
mkingicus, remember "alternative" radio? In the late 80s/early 90s we had a station in the Boston area that played Smiths/Morrissey, Cure, Siouxsie, Sugar, Pop Will Eat Itself, Throwing Muses, Jane's Addiction, and, yes, the Pixies, etc. Seemed pretty decent, and the Pixies seemed to fit. A few years later, the station was playing Bush and Harvey Danger, and like you say, FB didn't mix in with that. Now I guess he's not part of a scene, unless he and Reid Paley constitute a scene.
....and what a time it was, very exciting and new music....i remember thinking that "smells like teen spirit" was kind of a rip off and a bit on the phony side....oh well....
a commercial station in montreal was playing all that same stuff at the time, and yes, regressed later to Bush and Harvey Danger and the like.....i guess shit happens all around more than i thought |
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Stuart
- The Clopser -
China
2291 Posts |
Posted - 05/25/2003 : 21:57:55
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I take it that nowadays American radio plays copious amounts of nu metal.... I know that in England you rarely hear Pixies (Ive neer heard the Pixies on the radio), Cure or bands like that. A guy called John Peel does an evening session each night and sometimes that can be pretty good, but most of British radio is cack.
War....... Its Fantastic |
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Omer
= Cult of Ray =
275 Posts |
Posted - 05/26/2003 : 06:01:50
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| I think most people are not interested in good music. Take Frank Black. Frankie's not very well known, but the Pixies were. Doolittle actually went Gold. 'Where is My Mind' appears on 'Fight Club'. If people who listened to the Pixies and liked them went out and bought solo Frank Black albums, that would have sent a messege to the record companys, and to MTV and everyone, and Frank would've recieved more airplay. Simple. |
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frank_black_francis
= Cult of Ray =
Canada
895 Posts |
Posted - 05/26/2003 : 07:55:56
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quote:
Originally posted by Omer
I think most people are not interested in good music. Take Frank Black. Frankie's not very well known, but the Pixies were. Doolittle actually went Gold. 'Where is My Mind' appears on 'Fight Club'. If people who listened to the Pixies and liked them went out and bought solo Frank Black albums, that would have sent a messege to the record companys, and to MTV and everyone, and Frank would've recieved more airplay. Simple.
i have a few friends (and i'm sure many of you out there have probably seen this) that were completely unaware that frank black was still making records....but when they found out thru me, went out and bought the cds....not so simple. |
Edited by - frank_black_francis on 05/26/2003 07:56:56 |
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Omer
= Cult of Ray =
275 Posts |
Posted - 05/26/2003 : 14:15:04
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| OK, but the point is - why didn't they make the effort? It's not that hard to find that Frank Black is still recording. If you WANT to hear good music, you will. |
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carsonwerner
= Cult of Ray =
USA
254 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2003 : 10:00:05
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| Bands like The Strokes etc. are fine by me. They aren't my favorite artist but the music is still pretty entertaining. And if they want to play that on the radio, I'm not going to complain. |
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Itchload
= Cult of Ray =
USA
891 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2003 : 10:16:20
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| I agree with you Omer, lots of people don't make an effort to find out things like that. I know my friends who love Frank Black, they wouldn't ever know he was touring if I didn't tell them and they would never know if he had a new album out unless I were to tell them. I've always found that there are the people who have to tell/introduce people to things and the people who have to have things introduced/told to them, and there are a lot more people in the latter category. |
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Carolynanna
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Canada
6556 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2003 : 10:28:42
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| I think that Frank's smart enough to write tunes that will get on the radio, but he doesn't. That in itself commends respect. He just never sells out, like I said in another thread, the guy takes down his own set. I saw an interview a long time ago where they said the breeder's first album (Last Splash) made more money than all of the Pixies albums combined. |
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frank_black_francis
= Cult of Ray =
Canada
895 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2003 : 16:18:24
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i also saw an interview a while back (Much, 1996) where he says that he would like to appeal to a larger audience but that what he does "just does not seem to click with whatever the hell is going on out there"...it can also be said of the pixies....i know that a lot of people who hold the pixies in high esteem nowadays seemed to only get into it after the band broke up (this does not include people who were under ten at the time, but eventually started listening to them one way or another)...
the point is, i believe, that another generation may come to embrace Frank in the future, to a higher degree than he is sadly appreciated now (Captain Beefheart is selling better now than it did when he released his albums[he also jumped from record label to record label])
....also i think we should consider the "market" for popular music we are seeing today anyways....its useless to name names, but the music industry is dominated by absolute jackasses....and there isnt any real debate about the fact that the "music industry" is filled with mostly people who are not actual "musicians"
....the Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, are really great to hear....but i listen to Frank Black
...and evolving from the sea, would not be too much time for me, to walk beside you in the sun.... |
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Pioneer
- FB Fan -
213 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2003 : 18:45:50
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quote:
Originally posted by Itchload
I agree with you Omer, lots of people don't make an effort to find out things like that. I know my friends who love Frank Black, they wouldn't ever know he was touring if I didn't tell them and they would never know if he had a new album out unless I were to tell them. I've always found that there are the people who have to tell/introduce people to things and the people who have to have things introduced/told to them, and there are a lot more people in the latter category.
Yah, this is definitely true. It takes effort to stay on top of the tour schedules of "unpromoted" bands. Mailing lists like Ubu Communex work very well, but even then the lazy fan might not bother to join the mailing list. I've missed out on a couple Frank Black shows over the years 'cause I underestimated the size and alertness of his audience, and of course I'm missing out on his little solo shows this month. I snooze, I lose. |
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Pioneer
- FB Fan -
213 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2003 : 19:17:03
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quote:
Originally posted by frank_black_francis
i also saw an interview a while back (Much, 1996) where he says that he would like to appeal to a larger audience but that what he does "just does not seem to click with whatever the hell is going on out there"...it can also be said of the pixies....i know that a lot of people who hold the pixies in high esteem nowadays seemed to only get into it after the band broke up (this does not include people who were under ten at the time, but eventually started listening to them one way or another)...
the point is, i believe, that another generation may come to embrace Frank in the future, to a higher degree than he is sadly appreciated now (Captain Beefheart is selling better now than it did when he released his albums[he also jumped from record label to record label])
....also i think we should consider the "market" for popular music we are seeing today anyways....its useless to name names, but the music industry is dominated by absolute jackasses....and there isnt any real debate about the fact that the "music industry" is filled with mostly people who are not actual "musicians"
....the Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, are really great to hear....but i listen to Frank Black
...and evolving from the sea, would not be too much time for me, to walk beside you in the sun....
Hey, I hope Frank Black isn't the only artist you listen to.
Sometimes his sound has probably been a little too raw for mass appeal, such as on Surfer Rosa and Trompe Le Monde, surely some of the newer two-track stuff, too. I think lots of people are discouraged by the--what's the word?--abstruse lyrics? Too bad. Fortunately, he and his bandmates never really draped themselves in the clothes or politics of a scene. The short hair is similar to a Bob Mould or even Depeche Mode look, I suppose, but the rest of the Pixies or Catholics don't necessarily follow suit, except when a few of the Catholics are doing Dickeys on one tour and suits the next. Anyway, I think the Frank Black solo debut was a poppy record, not that it sounded like top-40 radio at that time, but it sounded like pop in the abstract, like something that dripped out of the pores of the well-done 45s of rock history: relatively short, catchy, nicely produced songs. Of course, he was singing about John Denver, Fu Manchus, black holes, and the like. Beefheart's appeal is still more or less cultish, isn't it? But maybe you're right. Maybe the appeal of Frank's older stuff will grow over time somehow.
Hey, you're from Montreal? Any thoughts on Hainsey and Komisarek? Just testing... |
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NimrodsSon
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1938 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2003 : 19:32:49
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| I've just given up on popular radio, I can't stand any of the new shitty artists out there and all the radio plays is lame rap-metal bullshit. I've just decided to just listen to cds now and occasionally the college or classic rock radio station. Frank Black is just about the only think I listen to, besides pink floyd and the beach boys every once-in-a-while |
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Pioneer
- FB Fan -
213 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2003 : 19:54:28
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quote:
Originally posted by NimrodsSon
I've just given up on popular radio, I can't stand any of the new shitty artists out there and all the radio plays is lame rap-metal bullshit. I've just decided to just listen to cds now and occasionally the college or classic rock radio station. Frank Black is just about the only think I listen to, besides pink floyd and the beach boys every once-in-a-while
I have to admit I very rarely find new bands to sink some dollars into these days, but college radio is definitely the best place, for me, to look. Beach Boys, eh? Did you hear that Brian Wilson is doing some sort of live SMiLE shows in '04? If you're into that sort of thing, like me, hoo boy! |
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frank_black_francis
= Cult of Ray =
Canada
895 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2003 : 04:05:50
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| hooo boy indeed! |
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NimrodsSon
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1938 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2003 : 10:15:00
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| wow I just read it on the brian wilson website. I hope he comes to GA though, which is unlikely. It seems like all of his shows are in CA or NY. I am going to see Mike Love and Bruce Johnston on June 27, I got tickets at the very front and they cost me $50. |
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blackpurse
= Cult of Ray =
USA
299 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2003 : 11:13:41
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quote:
Originally posted by Omer
I think most people are not interested in good music. Take Frank Black. Frankie's not very well known, but the Pixies were. Doolittle actually went Gold. 'Where is My Mind' appears on 'Fight Club'. If people who listened to the Pixies and liked them went out and bought solo Frank Black albums, that would have sent a messege to the record companys, and to MTV and everyone, and Frank would've recieved more airplay. Simple.
I have often seperated people into two groups: those who live for music (and therefore, have discerning tastes because music is such an integral part of their lives that they begin to become picky and hunt down quality stuff) and peole for whom music is wallpaper, which sadly is a good portion of at least the American public. Or maybe they take it for granted.
It's not just the huge record companies that determine what gets shoved down the throats of the American public. The radio deregulation of the late 80s -- which resulted in fucking Clear Channel Fucking Communications being able to biy up practically any frequency in a market greater than 5,000 watts -- also resulted in the near extinction of everything I think was great about radio. Rarely do you hear true radio NEWS anymore -- few stations even have a new s driector, much less a staff. Public service and accountability to the public (who theoretically, at least under the old law, owned the airwaves, not the advertisers with the most money) demanded a certain variety, and local ownership was king. Now it's hard to go from city to city (me and husband are road trippers, and we used to enjoy searching through the dial for some local flavor), and hear a "Boston Sound" or a "Chicago sound" or a "Milwaukee sound" or even a "West Coast Sound" on the radio. Local flavor, tastes, etc., are gone. Its all the same Clear Channel Communications CRAP. In every city you have, with basically the same sounding DJ's, and playlists the: "Classic Hits" station, the "Urban Contemporary" station, the "Nu Country" station, the "Headbanger" station, the "Oldies" station and the "Pop Music" station (which is usually the 50,000 watt behemoth that is the FCC primary relay for emergencies, so you might as well listen to Phil Collins when the tornado hits). BORING. HAlf the "morning zoo" teams (oh how clever and groundbreaking) are beamed in from other cities (think Howard Stern, Don Imus, and that "Mancow" asshole that thankfully failed in the Milwaukee market.) Thank GOD for independent and college radio, but thanks to Clear Fucking Channel Communications, they'll never be more than 5,000 watts because CFCC will buy it up and homogonize (sp?!, I'm on a rant right now and can't spell for shit!)
OK, having said all this, I have absolutely no problem with "diluting our precious indie audience" if Frank were to have a hit on mainstream radio. The man deserves the royalties, and perhaps it might tell the bigwigs that there is indeed a market for a quality hit. Look at all the other great musicians that many people think are one-hit wonders (whilst we "in the know" think their "hits" were some of their lamest songs: Roxy Music's "Love is the Drug" comes to mind). I know that's less likely today, for radio programming is not based on good music, its based on "hookieness", and a well composed song that doesn't have the repeatable hook probably won't make it today. But should something as catchy as a lot of the stuff on Dog In the Sand brings Frank a bunch of $$$$, good for him. I'm not about to get caught in that indie cred bullshit trap -- and I doubt his quality would suffer either. Frankly, he's too old and too set in quality ways for that to happen. Commercial success didn't spoil Roxy Music, Lou Reed, David Bowie, and a host of others, and it won't spoil Frank, either.
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Pioneer
- FB Fan -
213 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2003 : 13:20:21
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quote:
Originally posted by NimrodsSon
wow I just read it on the brian wilson website. I hope he comes to GA though, which is unlikely. It seems like all of his shows are in CA or NY. I am going to see Mike Love and Bruce Johnston on June 27, I got tickets at the very front and they cost me $50.
Yah, NimrodsSon, all the Brianistas are waiting for dates for a summer '04 tour of the U.S., focusing on SMiLE, similar to the major Pet Sounds tour Brian did a few years ago. You might get your chance in the GA area then. Brian's band is big and immensely talented and capable of handling the symphonic music and harmonies almost perfectly. I haven't seen the Mike and Bruce show, but I've heard it's good. Of course, the criticism is that it's more of a jukebox show and lacks an artistic cohesion that only the true artist would care to give to the material, but like I say, I hear it's good in its own right. |
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Pioneer
- FB Fan -
213 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2003 : 13:34:19
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Thanks for explaining the Clear Channel deal, blackpurse. This discussion would be incomplete without your explanation. Clear Channel's going to make it very very tough for a new alternative scene to develop, like the one in the late '80s. American (commercial) radio's really in a box.
I agree that a little commercial success wouldn't hurt FB. Can anyone imagine him getting formulaic to appease a market? Especially following his recent two-track liberation? Not me. The only negative consequence I can think of... Maybe his tickets would be harder to come by. Maybe he'd play less intimate venues. But hey, if that's progress for him, so be it. As long as he doesn't get in the habit of opening for Pearl Jam or Placebo or whomever, it's OK. |
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blackpurse
= Cult of Ray =
USA
299 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2003 : 18:22:09
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quote:
Originally posted by Pioneer
The only negative consequence I can think of... Maybe his tickets would be harder to come by. Maybe he'd play less intimate venues. ...
I agree wholeheartedly. A dear friend wants to go see her childhood idol, Olivia Newton John (don't laugh -- if this brings back good musical memories for her, then good, Olivia's music has served a good purpose), and get this -- can't find a seat at Milwaukees "Potawatomi Casino Showcase" for less than, brace yourself, $225!!! That's ridiculous. And I feel really bad for my friend, because a lot of those people are paying it simply because i can, whereas my friend genuinely is a huge fan of ONJ, and she's priced out of the market.
Somehow I don't imagine this happening to Frank. I do picture having to pay, say $50 to see him, and in the grand scheme of things, he's deserving and certainly worth it. |
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Cult_Of_Frank
= Black Noise Maker =
Canada
11687 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2003 : 22:13:38
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Myself & Speedy M drove to Portland to see him last year for 2 shows plus happened to catch an almost entirely unadvertised one in Vancouver. Let's look at the cost (CDN dollars), not taking into account daily costs like food:
1) 6 concert tickets: $120
2) Hotel: $800
3) Gas: $300
4) Speeding Ticket: $200
5) Kokahola Highway: $10
6) Lots of oil: $30
7) Windshield Wipers: $15
8) Abandoned car: $3000
9) Bus tickets to Seattle from Winlock (AKA middle of nowhere): $40
10) Bus ticket to Vancouver: $90
11) Plane tickets to Saskatoon: $900
So, I don't want to bother adding this up and dividing by two (though to be fair, the speeding ticket didn't get paid (as if we're going to make a road trip to go to court in BC), and Speedy M had to foot the cost of his lost car himself), makes for very pricy tickets. And yet, I'll still tell you that it was bleeping worth it, especially since we were sure he'd never play Saskatoon in our lifetime. Would I pay more for FB concert tickets than the $20-30 right now? Definitely. Would I be able to afford to see multiple shows in one tour? Heck, no. We just finished getting the expenses from that trip paid off a few months ago. I'd just hate to see him move into those cold, impersonal arenas, though it'd be cool if he had that kind of following.
Long story short, FB was, is, and will always be worth the price of admission. Even if, at some point later in his life, say September, he releases the most poorly titled album to date after abandoning an awesome title, with what miraculously surpasses DW in awfulness of cover art, and is forced to choose by a sadistic IT manager between five of the most awful fonts of all time (three of which are wingdings) for the new cover. Even then, he'll still be worth whatever he charges, for the CD, or the concert, or the ass-kicking you're sure to get when he strikes that first chord.
And that's all there is to it. |
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Cult_Of_Frank
= Black Noise Maker =
Canada
11687 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2003 : 22:15:03
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| PS, for the record - I insisted we take my car, but I gave in to Speedy M because he was more stubborn than I. Oh well, coulda', shoulda'. We mighta' saved a few dimes. |
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blackpurse
= Cult of Ray =
USA
299 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2003 : 05:10:03
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This sounds like a Master Card Commercial
quote:
Originally posted by Cult_Of_Frank
1) 6 concert tickets: $120
2) Hotel: $800
3) Gas: $300
4) Speeding Ticket: $200
5) Kokahola Highway: $10
6) Lots of oil: $30
7) Windshield Wipers: $15
8) Abandoned car: $3000
9) Bus tickets to Seattle from Winlock (AKA middle of nowhere): $40
10) Bus ticket to Vancouver: $90
11) Plane tickets to Saskatoon: $900
.... getting to see Frank Black and the Catholics in a small club where you can see the beads of sweat on his head... Priceless!!! |
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Cult_Of_Frank
= Black Noise Maker =
Canada
11687 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2003 : 06:40:06
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Heh... I thought about ending with
"Seeing FB Live: Priceless"
... but it's been done. And I thought it'd be funnier to leave you waiting for it and not say it. :) |
Edited by - Cult_Of_Frank on 05/29/2003 06:40:38 |
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