Reading 2019...observation.

[NancyJohnson]

Last night, over a late evening Indian takeaway, my wife asks whether I want to watch anything on TV.  'Nah, not really.'  I reply.  'Reading Festival is on iPlayer,' she replies.  I shrug and plough into my chicken tikka dhansak.  TV goes on.  Caught the end of the Royal Blood set.  I'm familiar with the whole set up, it's well delivered, but man alive that drummer irritates the hell out of me.  Drummers!  Know your place and stay behind your kit, eh?

Anyhow, moving along, The 1975.  I couldn't do more than three songs before heading upstairs to peruse Basschat and Reverb until my wife came up to bed.  Look, I listen to a lot of music across many genres (even more so now with a 3 hour roundtrip commute), experiencing a lot of both good and bad in my time, but how a band, with a combination of such limited musicianship and poorly written, arranged and executed material, could ascend to be the festival headliner at not one, but two nights, is beyond me.  Surely the expression fooling some of the people, all of the time seems to apply here, or maybe The 1975 are just the best of a bad bunch.  I honestly don't know.

Maybe the musical landscape has shifted as well; yes, I have been known to bemoan the lack of investment these darn kids commit to compared to what we did pre-Spotify (other digital platforms are available), when music was delivered on tangible formats and choice was really an issue unless you worked in a record shop.  Perhaps it's simply just too easy to just dial up The 1975 and put their highest played tracks into a playlist, put them on repeat and hope they play some of them at Reading.  All I know is I found them distinctly unlistenable and a bit of me died.

Ack, or maybe I'm just an old fart.  Probably.

 

[BreadBin]

I just sampled some of their output on Spotify - the only remarkable thing for me was quite how unremarkable they sound.

Possibly the most anodyne music I've ever heard, but maybe that's what the young folks want these days?

[Wolverinebass]

The 1975 are awful. I try to not listen to bands like that as it makes me feel sad that they've got a deal and someone, somewhere with better music didn't. 

[hooky_lowdown]

Couldn't agree with everyone more. There seems to be a weird "soft" alt rock thing going on (for the past few years), where bands all pretty much sound the same and boring. For me, it's totally uninspiring.

[Al Krow]

But the Pale Waves were keeping up a tradition of quality bands hailing from Manchester, right? 

Need to stop being such a positive old git, I know... 😄 

[spongebob]

It is bad. I agree 100%.

Bands like The 1975 represent everything that's gone wrong. Blandness on record, repeated onstage to the letter. It's like audiences can't handle any rough edges. 

Takes away the point of live music. Where's the rawness, spontaneity.....and the decent acts? 

[miles'tone]

Other festivals are available too. 

You have ascended to a higher level of musical consciousness and awareness that is beyond the popular. 

You are not an old fart, it's just the youngs will always need to feel relevant and now. 

Yes they have the Spotifys with everything on it, but they know not of which to search for. Yet. 

 

[Cato]

I saw the 1975 live when they were touring their first album.

Me and a mate decided on a whim to go in to Birmingham to see a band one evening and they happened to be playing at the Institute.

I thought they were pretty good, but that first album was pretty upbeat, the 80s influence was there, but they had a lot of other stuff going on as well.

From what I've heard of of their later material at some point they went full on 80s and not the good 80s stuff either, a lot of it seems to be soft and slow angsty teenage ballads with generic 80s synths and drum machines.

I doubt their current live set is anywhere near as energetic as the one I saw a few years ago.

They do seem to be doing quite well for themselves though, so maybe I'm just too old to get it, or maybe because I lived through the 80s I've just heard it all before and I didn't like it that much the first time round.

Edited August 24, 2019 by Cato

[mikel]

Agreed. Music, for me at least, is about emotion, and if you cant even put some into a live performance then whats the point. Shouting the name of the venue now and again does not count as a live performance, or generate excitement.

[4000]

When you start complaining about “today’s music” you have officially become your dad. ‘Nuff said. 😉

[uk_lefty]

Firstly, the dhansak is the daddy of all curries, I salute your choice there. 

Royal Blood. I think one song is OK, but they don't grab me. 1975... I tried listening to them once. Loads of young'uns love em, I read some really positive news about them... But they are just dreadfully forgettable. And annoying. They're like a crappy fashion phase that shouldn't last more than a summer. But somehow they're still here. Puzzling isn't it?! I mean, it's not Paul Young. 

Edited August 24, 2019 by uk_lefty

[NancyJohnson]

Just skimmed through the Foo Fighters set on iPlayer.  While I find Dave Grohl both charismatic and eminently likeable, I've never really connected with the band so much, just the singles and a few odd tracks.

So.  Even a minute or two in and it's pretty apparent that the chasm between The 1975 (sorry to keep picking on them) and the Foo Fighters is vast; we're not talking the top four versus Macclesfield vast, we're talking the top four versus Great Wakering Rovers (nope, me neither until a minute ago) vast.  Yes, yes, I know Grohl & Co have been at it for decades, but would Healy & Co ever attain the level of the Foo Fighters in ten years?  Twenty?  No.  Do they have a clutch of tunes that they could put up against Monkey Wrench, Everlong or Times Like These?  Nah. 

Watching a band that I don't really like just knock it out of the park makes me wonder why I still bother; watching a band like The 1975 makes me just want to try harder.

 

[super al]

On 24/08/2019 at 18:42, 4000 said:

When you start complaining about “today’s music” you have officially become your dad. ‘Nuff said. 😉

I've just looked at the line up and I've heard of just 10 of the bands/artists and the Foo Fighters are the only ones I can claim are in my music collection...😯

... but I reckon my dad wouldn't have known any of the line up from my 1st Reading in 1990!

I'm not a big Foos fan, the early stuff is good, but I quite enjoyed their set (ok,ok Rick Astley was a bit cringey!).

[Lozz196]

I watched a bit of the Foos, as always a polished energetic performance, with Pat Smear still looking like a kid in a sweet shop. Good sound too, unlike most BBC shows a good bass presence. 

[joeystrange]

I watched a bit of Foo Fighters too. One song to be precise.

I used to love them but I find their 20 minute jams in the middle of every song to be VERY boring.

IMO they’ve become very self-indulgent and are more concerned with entertaining themselves than entertaining their fans. I don’t have a problem with that. They’ve got to the point in their career where they can do literally anything they want and people will all it up, so why not? It’s just of no interest to me.

[walshy]

16 minutes ago, joeystrange said:

I watched a bit of Foo Fighters too. One song to be precise.

I used to love them but I find their 20 minute jams in the middle of every song to be VERY boring.

IMO they’ve become very self-indulgent and are more concerned with entertaining themselves than entertaining their fans. I don’t have a problem with that. They’ve got to the point in their career where they can do literally anything they want and people will all it up, so why not? It’s just of no interest to me.

They did hardly any ‘jamming’ at Belfast when we went over to watch them a few weeks ago ( we are Fu Fighters so a tribute ). They were excellent, well polished played, super chilled and did lots more Foos songs than usual, as they tend to do a lot of covers in their set. Totally enjoyed it and they looked cool as, you just can’t help but love Pat Smear! Next morning having a coffee we spotted Chris Shiflett wandering past so nipped out for a chat and a pic. Had loads of time for us, right good chat and what a lovely bloke. Not watched Reading yet as we were gigging yesterday too so I’ll catch up now 🤘

[skankdelvar]

Why Festivals (Especially Reading) Are Perceived To Be A Wasteland Of Musical Ghastliness

* Festivals used to be about the music rather than 'the festival experience' because 'the festival experience' was usually very unpleasant

* Shrewd business tactics on the part of festival organisers led to an improvement of 'the festival experience' to the point where 'the festival experience' became the main draw rather than the music

* In consequence, most people who go to mainstream festivals do so for 'the festival experience' rather than the music

* People who prioritise 'the festival experience' are often people who like music made for people who don't like music 

* Festival promoters therefore book bands who make music for people who don't like music

* People who don't like music made for people who don't like music don't like the bands who make music for people who don't like music

* People who don't like bands who make music for people who don't like music won't go to festivals because the bands at festivals are mostly those who make music for people who don't like music but who prioritise going to festivals because of 'the festival experience'

* People who inhabit bass forums tend to be people who don't like bands who make music for people who don't like music

* Festival line-ups comprised of bands who make music for people who don't like music will attract criticism on bass forums

Ergo: Most festival threads on bass forums will be critical of festival line-ups. See also: festival selfies, banners, performative display, DJ sets.

 

Edited August 26, 2019 by skankdelvar

[T-Bay]

8 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

Just skimmed through the Foo Fighters set on iPlayer.  While I find Dave Grohl both charismatic and eminently likeable, I've never really connected with the band so much, just the singles and a few odd tracks.

So.  Even a minute or two in and it's pretty apparent that the chasm between The 1975 (sorry to keep picking on them) and the Foo Fighters is vast; we're not talking the top four versus Macclesfield vast, we're talking the top four versus Great Wakering Rovers (nope, me neither until a minute ago) vast.  Yes, yes, I know Grohl & Co have been at it for decades, but would Healy & Co ever attain the level of the Foo Fighters in ten years?  Twenty?  No.  Do they have a clutch of tunes that they could put up against Monkey Wrench, Everlong or Times Like These?  Nah. 

Watching a band that I don't really like just knock it out of the park makes me wonder why I still bother; watching a band like The 1975 makes me just want to try harder.

 

Dave Grohl is a master at working a crowd by any standards. I watched last night wondering if he had been more to the forefront in Nirvana would Kurt Cobain still be with us (probably not I decided). Much as I loved Nirvana’s first two albums and some other early stuff released later on I never once saw Kurt Cobain look like he was really enjoying himself. Dave Grohl looked like a man who had won the lottery and knew he would win it again and again, night after night for years to come. I am not a super fan and only have a few of their offerings but they are the top pinnacle of the superband at the moment. If you want cutting edge there are loads of bands to look at, rough edges? Again loads including one of my favourites The Idols. I saw Royal Blood in Nottingham last year and was slightly disappointed, they were technically excellent but somehow the gig lacked atmosphere - not helped by the fashion to film a gig instead of bloody watching it. As is increasing the case the BBC sit firmly in the middle of the road.

[NancyJohnson]

1 hour ago, skankdelvar said:

Why Festivals (Especially Reading) Are Perceived To Be A Wasteland Of Musical Ghastliness

Well, this ^^^

Mods, you can close the thread now.

[taunton-hobbit]

John Power (Mean Fiddler) has a lot to anwer for...............

😎

[NancyJohnson]

14 minutes ago, taunton-hobbit said:

John Power (Mean Fiddler) has a lot to anwer for...............

😎

Vince Power...I used to have to deal with him about festival business years ago.  Company I worked for did the wristtickets.  He's actually a really nice bloke.

 

[spongebob]

I think John Power was in The La's/Cast! 🤣

[taunton-hobbit]

Yeahy, my bad - Vince Power it was - the man who re-invented Glasto &

then got royally shafted (don't ya just love ageing hippies?) ............

😎

[joeystrange]

2 hours ago, T-Bay said:

Much as I loved Nirvana’s first two albums and some other early stuff released later on I never once saw Kurt Cobain look like he was really enjoying himself. 

Well... He was a heroin addict.

Also, their third album is incredible IMO.

[T-Bay]

7 minutes ago, joeystrange said:

Well... He was a heroin addict.

Also, their third album is incredible IMO.

I remember waiting for it to come out, driving home with it and putting it straight on. I have never ever been so disappointed in my entire life. I have tried to listen to it a few times over the years but it’s just drivel. Then I listen to Bleach and it all makes sense again. My guess is you are under 35-38 years old, for some reason the 3rd album seems to have a following for those who don’t remember its release much more than those who do, but I digress. And he was no performer before he was a heroin addict, thankfully I have no personal experience of heroin so don’t know whether it would make him more or less introspective. Such a waste 😞