Gene Simmons (from the band Kiss) has opened his mouth again and managed to stir the turd. One has to credit him with his amazing ability to do so.
This time round, it's less what he said or how he said it, that's the problem. The problem is with the average person's inability to read past the headline. People are banging their proverbial drums because they THINK he said Rock & Roll Is Dead. What he was talking about is the industry. The music industry in general. And guess what...he's correct.
The tone of the Esquire interview between Simmons and his son, was actually that of an old man looking back on what he tried to create and the current reality. It's actually somewhat sad. Simmons knows that he earned more than most. He's not stupid. He also knows that there are people who don't like his music...and he's OK with that too. He points out that back in the good ol' days the public voted with their money. If they liked a band, they bought the records. Not the case any more. As soon as a song is released, it's bootlegged. Good-bye money. While that may not be as much of an issue for a multimillionaire like Simmons, the exact same thing happens to every musician, all across the spectrum. The big names to the no names. And the no names can't exist on dreams for long.
Simmons makes some valid points, which I will happily share here:
"ROCK DID NOT DIE OF OLD AGE. IT WAS MURDERED."
And guess what? He's right. It was killed by it's so-called fans who feel that music should be free. Except...it costs money to record those songs. There's a big difference between something recorded at home on a computer and something recorded in a studio. I can always hear it. Sometimes I like the home-recorded stuff. Sometimes I like the studio stuff. But...I can always tell the difference. And besides...it's just one copy of one song, right? Wrong. It's the majority of copies of every song.
Simmons points out the difference between the old days when record labels could and would spend the time and money to groom an act with potential. Those days are looooooong gone.
"I am so sad that the next 15-year-old kid in a garage someplace in Saint Paul, that plugs into his Marshall and wants to turn it up to ten, will not have anywhere near the same opportunity that I did. He will most likely, no matter what he does, fail miserably. There is no industry for that anymore."
"Some brilliance, somewhere, was going to be expressed, and now it won't, because it's that much harder to earn a living playing and writing songs. No one will pay you to do it."
Like I've publicly opined about for years...where's the next big thing? It's still out there...and still rocking and rolling...but most of us will NEVER get to hear it. And that's sad. Why won't we get to hear it? Because there's only so much these kids can do. There are millions and millions of songs online...millions more added every day. If you're lucky, you might know some whacko like me who believes so much in music, that he/she has dedicated their life to it. I'm lucky to have the occasional opportunity to do PR for a few labels, majors and indies alike. These folks come to me because they know I'm honest and will do what I can to get that ol' word of mouth going. It just keeps getting harder and harder.
Seriously...where is the next big thing? Simmons made yet another excellent point:
"Here's a frightening thought: from 1958 to 1983, name 100 musical anythings that are iconic, that seem to last beyond their time...Now from '84 until today, name some. Just give me a few — artists that, even after their passing, are or will be inescapable. Artists on the same level as the ones I just mentioned. Even if you don't like them, they will be impossible to avoid, or deny, even after they've stopped making music and maybe passed on. In fact, they become bigger when they stop."
The real giants are either gone or still making music. There aren't any new ones coming along. The one hit wonder is nothing new. The industry thrives on it. But...where are the new giants? They might be out there...somewhere...but they'll never become giants. Not like we're used to. They're too busy trying to find ways to not starve, to keep their phones, electric, water, and heat on. They're too busy making sure they have transportation. They're too busing being lost in the sea of others just like them.
I stated that the fans killed the music industry. That is partly true. The other part of the problem lies with the music industry itself. Like any large industry, it's a bunch of folks with MBAs, looking at the bottom line. They're busy making sure the money comes in so the company's expenses are met, plus a tidy profit margin. As long as there has been a music industry, it has tried to act like any other business. Give the people what they want, and if at all possible, pre-guess what they want and give them that. There is no room for creativity in the corporate world. Creativity involves risk. Business doesn't like risk. Risk costs money with no guarantee of return. This lack of risk has also killed the music industry.
Does this mean that rock and roll itself is dead? Yes and no. There will always be people making music, much of which will rock (some might even roll!). But will the average person ever hear it? No. People don't go out to experience live music like they used to. You can blame that on whatever your like...the fact remains, people aren't filling the bars to see bands. They want FREE. They want NO COVER CHARGE, cheap drinks, and a good time. Bands cannot tour for free. There are just too many expenses. Venues often cannot afford to pay bands. Each venue has it's own expenses. A lot of venues have gone to the showcase format, which is to say having 3-4 (and sometimes more) bands per night, in hopes that more bands will translate to more asses in seats drinking beer. This only works on rare occasions. There is too much down time between bands, one bands crowd (usually friends and family) will leave when the band they came to see is finished. Money isn't being made. After a while, the venue can no longer support having live music...because, again, the so-called fans no longer support it.
No, rock and roll is not dead...but the industry is. The music will always be made...but YOU will probably never get the chance to hear it. There is no NEXT BIG THING on the horizon. All that's left is a rehash of yesterday's music. At my age, I already know what I like and I have a large (and ever-growing) music collection. But...I know I would like to hear something new and mind-blowing. Once in a blue moon I get to...because I actively look for it. Sadly, most of what I hear is the same old thing being played to a smaller and smaller audience.
NOTE: To those of you who don't know me, I'm a musician, a composer, a writer/reviewer/journalist, sometime PR guy, sometime door man, sometime session musician. I have been blessed in this life...but I too am starving. I get to see the side of the music industry that you don't. I get to see performers/venues/labels scrambling trying to figure out where the crowds and the money are. I'm also the guy who used to make a nice living...and now is keeping busy trying to keep the lights on. I've been doing this for so long that I don't know what else I can do. I also know how important music is...and that I'll keep on doing what I can to keep it going.
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