Silent Sigh...

I have come to the conclusion that I am somewhat of a music snob. Or at the very least someone who thinks they know better than anyone else. I am always willing to listen to anyone's opinion on music and will go off and listen to recommendations, but here's the thing. I get very frustrated when I know something is really good and no-one else is on the same page as me. It's basically all about opinion at the end of the day, so why does it make me feel sad that some really great artists get no exposure whilst other dross is everywhere?

Sound familiar?

I went to gig last night. The artist was very good and the show was a sellout. Although the venue wasn't that big in comparison to the big arenas, it was still a lot of people jammed into a room. Now, this artist isn't really a household name, but fair play, he is very popular in the right circles and has a solid fanbase. I like to see smaller artists doing well, it's what it's all about. My quandary is this. How can someone not relatively known to many sell out a venue, whilst someone else who was say, a massive star in the 90s now not fill a room? It pains me, it really does. I'm not going to name names on this, but regular readers will know who I'm talking about.

I have to think that's it's about what's popular now. Just because that person was big nearly 20 years ago doesn't mean they will have the same appeal now. Good point. But what if the older artists have got better with age and are now doing something really good, but they still don't get the crowds in? What happens then? Is it all about marketing or is it as simple as 'you had your time and now you don't matter anymore'? This is what makes me sigh...

I have been revisiting my musical youth (no, not the band) a lot lately and have come to some interesting conclusions. I was discussing it last night before the gig as I do have a tendency to steer any conversation I have onto music as I love the debate. Anyway. My friend was asking my about musical influences and I said this. I like all genres of music. No doubt about that. But I have always been of the opinion that my roots sit firmly in rock as my overall favourite. However, I am now of the opinion that this may not be the case and my roots actually sit in 90s indie music. There, I've said it. Why do I think this? Well, as I have rambled on in the last few posts, my ongoing love affair with the Bluetones is still in full swing with no sign of slowing down and this made me think about other bands of that time. And you know what, I liked a lot of those too.

There has been a spate of 90s bands reuniting of late with one of the most recent being Ride. I was never really a fan of theirs and in fact I preferred the offshoot band Hurricane #1. Again, just my opinion. Interestingly Hurricane #1 have also reformed are going to be gigging again next year, but without Andy Bell who has now gone back to the reformed Ride. Confused? You will be!

Touring in 2015 apparently

My conversation last night continued with my friend asking me to explain why this music means something to me. I guess to a certain extent it's due to my age and the fact that this is what I was listening to at a particular time. Britpop and/or Indie was massive in the UK in the 90s, but I have to say that I wasn't in awe of all of the bands who come under this banner. There were a lot of one hit wonders and bands that never went anywhere. I remember bands like 'My Life Story', 'Tiger' and 'Babybird' who never really did much past the one song that brought them to our attention. 'Your Woman' by White Town went to number 1 in 1997 and I was one of those people who bought the CD single (remember those?). Yep, it was back when chart position mattered and I think the fact that Mark Radcliffe played the song on his radio show may have helped just a tiny bit. We never heard of White Town again though. Case in point.

Here is an article from NME on 50 forgotten bands of the 90s. See how many you can remember.

Whilst I was digging around for CD's lately I found my rather well worn copy of 'Everything Must Go' by the Manic Street Preachers. Released in 1996 after the disappearance of Richey Edwards, it was an album I listened to over and over again at that time. I was never a big fan of the Manics, but this album means quite a lot to me. I've loved listening to it again and shouting the lyrics out loud whilst I'm doing the washing up (not the ironing)! Below is possibly my favourite track from the album.

I was also reading an article recently on the songs that made the 90s. Basically the ones you should know. As I was going through the list and agreeing with a lot of them, it made me think about when I was at college as this was that era. I vividly remember being in the pub near to college celebrating finishing exams and singing 'Yes' by McAlmont and Butler very loudly. What a track. And when I hear it now it always reminds me of this night and the people I was friends with at that time. One of my oldest friends tried to resurrect this music by organising an Indie night at the local pub. My brother was the DJ (cos that's kind of what he does) and I helped in providing the set list. Great fun for us, but it didn't go down that well and our hopes of a regular night were dashed. Perhaps people want to forget this period of music or maybe it just didn't mean as much as some of the others. Bearing in mind that Ride fans are really excited about this upcoming tour, I think that maybe it's all about the bands and not so much the actual music. For me, I know a Bluetones reunion isn't going to happen and I'd have to put my thinking cap on to think of who else I'd actually like to see again. A lot of my favourites are still together so I guess on that level I can't really complain.

So, am I a music snob? Quite possibly. And what's the silent sigh all about? Well, it's just that really. A feeling of deflation that musicians I love from that period of time are still lurking under the radar, but never getting the recognition they deserve. The latest plastic pop creation can fill the big arenas, whereas an artist of long standing or someone who has a hell of a lot of talent can't even fill a room in a pub now. It makes me sad, but on the plus side I guess it means I'll always get a ticket to the show and a good view! Little victories...

Hey! I'm on the front row!

You can tweet me at @call_me_cynical if you have any comments. Or even follow me if you like. I don't bite and can sometimes even be mildly amusing :0)