Woodstock, Live Aid...Where Have The Monster Concerts Gone?
So, a little while ago I was feeling nostalgic. Maybe it was just after the Grammy nominations were announced and I realized I didn't know a Lil' Wayne from a Ne-Yo. And I thought back to when MTV was really a music channel and the concert known around the world as Live Aid. I was in my mid-20's then (and I still am, by the way) and listening to music and following the bands of the time consumed me. I couldn't wait for Live Aid. Of course the hype leading up to it didn't hurt. I thought Bob Geldof's idea of bringing together the biggest musicians of the day for a day long concert was brilliant. And with the added bonus (and the reason for the whole thing) of being able to help contribute to famine relief in Ethiopia, it just made the whole day a chance for the world to come together to do something good and see a once in a lifetime concert you'd never forget. So there's the question. Was it a once in a lifetime concert? Could it happen again? If so, who would the performers be? I realize there were several other attempts...Farm Aid, Live 8 and even a second Woodstock. But none had the impact as the original. I reached out to you for your thoughts and I got responses from around the world. Very interesting thoughts weighing in on both sides. Here is a sampling of the emails I received.
From Richard:
Yes. We just had it, I thought. It was called Kids Inaugural!
I have written for many music publications, including Billboard where I had David Bowie's stage debut in Elephant Man. But it goes deeper with Bowie. This gets complicated - he rented the home of my friend's girlfriend's parents when he was filming "Man Who Fell to Earth." I went to work on the Belen paper, covering Los Lunas, where he filmed "Man Who Fell to Earth." He started the movie in my vacation spot, Madrid, N.M. - the shacks and shanty at the beginning.
Live Aid, as I said, was just held. Today tweens rule music. Look at the charts, Taylor Swift, HSM3 soundtrack, Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus (both have movies coming out that will propel them higher), Vanessa Hudgens, etc. I saw Aly & AJ at their first concert for 2007. The Phoenix show was so good, I had to travel to Las Vegas to see them again. They are much better than Eric Clapton. Check out the tabla solo on YouTube.
Now here's a bigger challenge. What would happen if someone tried to do Hands Across America today?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hands_Across_America
I was writing for music publications at that time. This was organized by Kenny Rogers' manager Ken Kragen. He was on the phone constantly planning this event. Isn't that about the time Rogers career dived?
Rick wrote:
I was on a cruise this weekend and in the piano lounge there were a bunch of people, traveling together on a company outing. They ranged in age from mid-twenties up to the senior management in their sixties. They knew the words and enthusiastically sang along to EVERY song the guy played from the sixties, seventies and eighties. Beatles, Neil Diamond, Billy Joel etc... Some pretty horrible pop stuff, in my opinion, but the point is, those are today's "standards".
I think that thanks to technology, file sharing and narrow casting satellite radio, not many people get to even hear new music.
Phil wrote:
I'm a music and comedy artist from California. I think the fact that I've mostly moved into comedy venues and away from music ones will give you an idea of my opinion on the matter.
No, I don't think the music industry has the power today that they did in the 80's. The traditional major record labels couldn't pull off another event like Live Aid. Though I totally expect to see them try at
some point. The biggest problem being that they haven't developed any artists that can pull together a worldwide audience like that. With the increased niche-ing of artists now, we're going to hard-pressed to find worldwide superstars being made. In order to do so, you have to have music that will appeal to the lowest common denominator. And fortunately, a great many people are no longer interested in that kind of music. There will always be some sort of fan base for that stuff, but it's shrinking.
And if the industry did try an event like that, you know who they'd have to book? Pretty much the same ones from the original. People like Elton John and the Who can still draw that worldwide audience. And I think the only group that could really make it work would be a reformed Led Zeppelin. They've proven that the world will still pay attention to them. And I think a very few select metal and hip-hop stars could make it work. Metallica and Jay Z come to mind.
I think it's a shame that the industry can do an event to bring that much attention to a charity anymore. But there's still plenty of charity work being done on a smaller level by artists all over the world. 411Gina's Squeaky Wheel Tour for instance. Every year hundreds of artists dedicate shows to finding missing persons. And many have been found that the police had given up on.
So while, the music industry doesn't have the power anymore, the indie artist nation does have the power to do good. And they probably get more done on a piecemeal level than the majors ever did with huge events.
Phyllis wrote:
Since you invited the general public to weigh in on this topic, I figured I could add my two cents worth. I don't think that the music industry is as strong politically today as it was during the era of Live Aid, but besides the organizers, who would have thought it would work then! After all, the 80s brought us Gordon Gecko's "Greed is Good" and bunnies in stewpots; Dallas and Falconcrest with their conspicuous consumption; Black Monday, the sharpest fall in the stock market in a single day; Sun City and apartheid in Africa; the Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran and the rise of terrorism and hijackings and bombings (remember Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie); and the Iron Maiden Margaret Thatcher in 10 Downing Street and Ronald Reagan in the White House.
Considering that George W. Bush and company are no longer occupying the White House, that Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in today as the first African-American President of the United States, that Tony Blair (he of "Trust me, I know this is the right thing to do" when defying public outcry in Britain against invading Iraq) has stepped aside as Prime Minister of England, and that South Africa is today a beacon of democracy and hope (if not stability and security), I think Live Aid would work today.
Some of the bands that I would like to see perform include: U2 (of course), Van Morrison, The Waterboys, and a reunited Pogues; Angelique Kidjo, Salif Keita, Joli Roll, and Ismael Lo; Caesaria Evora; Tragically Hip, Celine Dion, K.D. Lang, Neil Young, Michael Buble; Seal, Jools Holland, Jamie Collum, Joss Stone; Tracy Chapman, John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, Lyle Lovett and Los Lobos. I am, unfortunately, not that familiar with bands in other parts of the world, but I'm sure there are any number of big names that would draw a crowd.
I say, bring it on!
Jeff wrote:
I don't think something like Live Aid could be reproduced today. The music world is too fractured, peoples' tastes are too diverse. There seems to be fewer and fewer legendary bands that the whole world knows, artists the caliber of Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Who or Mick Jagger, whom all played at Live Aid.
Heck, there aren't even many bands today that can play stadiums, much less fill them. I mean, the Arcade Fire might be the flavor of the month, but are they really going to be talked about decades from now? Not likely.
In summation, Chris Martin is no Freddie Mercury. Live Aid was special, and it can't be replicated today in our fractured iPod world.
Brent wrote:
Did Live Aid really work then?
I contend the artists got more publicity than African's got aid. U2 was created from Live Aid. They were an Irish indie band before that.
Bono still knows how to milk the Africa train, doing photo ops around the world just before the release of each record, pressuring governments to relieve debt. Bono's foundation isn't funded at all by his own earnings. In fact he dodged taxes in Ireland.
I am in the music biz. Artists that have cred with me roll up their sleeves and get dirty for what they believe in - and not in front of millions of TV fans.
Brent wrote:
As a general public (but former industry promoter and great music fan):
If the bands/artists who you listed that participated in 1985 participated again, it would be successful.
If it was all “contemporary” artists, it would have a music lesser shot at success. This is due to the fact that the music industry has not done a good job cultivating stars, by and large. Yes, there are a few, but nothing compared to the list you mentioned. Now, it’s all about the “single” and this has bread many short lived and one-hit wonder acts. Musicians used to be an entire brand, now only a few are.
I am a writer/producer (and wrote for Billboard for nine years).
Given the renewed hope that is in the air at the moment, and the ongoing popularity of several of the original Live Aid acts (U2, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton etc.), as well as the option of including other successful and socially conscious acts such as Sarah McLachlan, Wyclef Jean, Rob Thomas, Damian Marley, etc., a strong case could be made for a new Live Aid effort.
Singles vs albums really has nothing to do with anything - we are talking live performances here and the pulling power of certain acts doesn't deteriorate regardless of what the current trend in music industry marketing is.
Joe wrote:
Joe wrote:
Did Live Aid really work then?
I contend the artists got more publicity than African's got aid. U2 was created from Live Aid. They were an Irish indie band before that.
Bono still knows how to milk the Africa train, doing photo ops around the world just before the release of each record, pressuring governments to relieve debt. Bono's foundation isn't funded at all by his own earnings. In fact he dodged taxes in Ireland.
I am in the music biz. Artists that have cred with me roll up their sleeves and get dirty for what they believe in - and not in front of millions of TV fans.
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