Part 1 of this entry focused in on the non-evolution of concert fans. The ones who go to concerts with trademark dress of the bands they are seeing and only cheering to hear the trademark songs they sing, even if that band has way more than a few trademark songs.
Now we turn the tables and focus on the bands. You know, those bands that are the mothers of failed re-invention. The ones that get sick of their own image and feel they have to change for no reason and then realize that their fan base isn’t happy, that making critically acclaimed music doesn’t sell records, and then must finally return to their roots because the bank account reads negative 5 million dollars.
But even when they try that, it’s quite a pathetic site to see bands either get back together or finally go back to their roots after many years removed because these people aren’t 25 years old anymore. How Jagger, Tyler, Turner, and Springsteen do it I will never know.
CASE #1: KISS
Before I begin this one, even though I'm not a big fan of KISS, they are one of the greatest metal/glam rock bands to ever exist. They set standards in music and showmanship and deserve every bit of their credit and success.
The Culprit: Unmasking themselves in the 80's and then masking back up in the mid 90's at the age of 50+.
Why is it pathetic?Back in the 70's when these guys ruled the scene, the glitter and pyrotechnics went with KISS concerts like bread and butter. But for some reason they decided to get on the hair band wagon of the mid 80's and take off the makeup and shed the glitter outfits for run of the mill leather clad outfits and garbage songs that sounded like everybody else at the time. To a KISS fan, to put these guys in the same sentence as Slaughter or Warrant is a tragedy.
In the mid 90's when they appeared on the MTV music awards, they were back, with glitter and their trademark anthem "Rock n' Roll All Day and Party Every Night." But not only did it seemed forced, it made me want to vomit seeing a much heavier Gene Simmons and an incredibly hairy chested Paul Stanley try and fit into those quasi futuristic clothes. Plus their voices had gone, and so had the energy. They should have kept their dignity and either stayed masked always or stayed unmasked once it was done. They were a tough act to follow and couldn't even follow themselves.
CASE #2: STEPPENWOLF
The Culprit: Keeping with the burnout 1960's cut off t-shirt all the way into their early 60's.
Why is it pathetic?Somebody should have told these guys that Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces have been outdated movies for almost 40 years. I was watching "CBS Morning Show with Charles Osgood" and they did a "Where are They Now" piece on Steppenwolf. It made me laugh to the point of hysteria.
They mention that Steppenwolf is touring again, working the trailer park circuit. Hear that? The TRAILER PARK CIRCUIT! The brains behind Born to Be Wild and Magic Carpet Ride are at it again wowing unemployed rednecks lounging out on their couches with multiple cigarette burns. The set of "Good Morning Meth" takes 5 minutes to listen in.
The image of a wrinkled lead singer pumping his fist in the air singing the lines "Booorn to be Wiiiiiiiiild" barely sounding like he can talk much less sing, to a less than tepid reception from the townies, kinda makes me cringe inside and never want to hear either of those songs again.
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