Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Billie Eilish - I don’t understand.

I saw a Billie Eilish concert myself, although I am hardly her target demographic I would imagine (and my musical interests stop at anything made after about 1960). It's not fakery though, or at least not with an intent to deceive - she is very upfront about how she and her brother like to make their music, and it is what the fans like too. She probably has more musical talent than many of her predecessors - Frankie Goes to Hollywood, the Spice Girls, and anything by SA&W comes to mind (less Rick Astley of course - everyone likes him).

Well there are a few things that come to mind on this thread.

Could it be that the primary audience for B.E. have given up on reality as they live in the metaverse. It would almost be natural to say half of them use auto-tune on their voices even when recording. So the expectation of live, raw talent at the event is lower anyway?

I love watching the various live sessions series on YouTube to see who is real and who is fake. It can be surprising.

I think the mime-to-a-recording that was Top of the Pops was mostly down to how some of the bands acted on stage and the BBC's "auntie knows best" broadcasting standards in those days. If I listen to the good lady wife expressing concern around the amount of swearing and the F words generic use, even in US programs. It would have been hilarious to watch those old standards being managed in the room, like an episode of Benny Hill.

One the of the very best live bands I have watched in recent years was Tears for Fears live in Brighton. Whilst the voices got a little horse from time to time the overall effect was as big as the production on some of the albums and the emotion on everybody wants to rule the world and shout made the audience almost explode. You can buy a ticket but that does not mean you are going to an _event_.

Your comment about going to KISS, not because they are your most followed band but for a really good time is a great example. I went to see Ian Dury and Blockheads in the early days. The audience was more than a bit riotous and he cannot sing but hell it was good.

I saw an article this week about the K-Pop having it first band where no one was Korean. I remember a few months back that they had also had their first fully virtual band where there were no humans as it was all AI and Syth. (for those with delicate Google habits K-pop is Korean pop which is a bit like an intense Take That from (40) years ago. Highly manufactured and managed plink plink)

Odd world I seem to experience now.
B.E. not being one of the things I listen to because, as you say, I don't have time for that fluffy melancholic.

I have to join in on this. Each to their own I say as long as nobody is under any illusion about what they are actually listening to or being deceived. I play in a band but I won't even use a looper and don't like hearing them at live performances, even though it is a skill. We recently played at the Upton Blues Festival (that's me with the "blond" hair); four days of totally live, fantastic music (us excepted). I'd rather hear a song stripped down to its basics than with pre-recorded backing. That's just me though and I'm getting older now!

Also a fair few songs seemed to have rude versions and radio safe versions so I expect the BBC (and ABC) wanted to make sure the radio safe version was aired.

I am currently in a band called Revibe. Just a covers band playing music from the 1950's to current with most from the 1970's and 1980's but a few new songs to try keep the singer happy. Here is a short video of the crowd at a camping ground who decided to put us on one weekend to attract a larger crowd of campers https://www.facebook.com/reel/916158349392007. I play bass and Harmonica, not very compatible instruments so have to concentrate when playing both. We don't have a keyboard player so I do things like Nutbush on the Harmonica as per the video the camp ground posted. For non Aussies this is the Nutbush dance, I thought it was something everyone did to the song but it seems to be just an Australian thing.

I started playing in bands in the mid 1980's. Back then I was on $19,142 a year as a junior computer programmer and in a 5 piece band getting about $400 so $80 each, most bands were 4 piece and getting $100 each. Mainly playing 60's and 70's doing about 100 gigs a year playing most Friday and Saturday nights with the odd Thursday night or Sunday afternoon thrown in so about $8,000 a year and I could fill up my car for $20. It covered all my living expense and I used my total salary to pay off that Mortgage I had at 18%. Now most gigs are $600 and I am still in a 5 piece band so $120 each and only playing about 20 times a year means maybe $2400 and now it costs $100 to fill up the car. Good thing it is fun.



I also play with a bunch of people playing mainly Italian Baroque music, we do the odd concert but that is free. I made the guitar which was an interesting challenge.






A band most of you are more likely to know is my cousin in the UK was/is the Lambrettas drummer. Here they are in 1980



By was/is I mean he was one of the founding members and the band is still playing as far as I know.

My recent-ish music gigs have been Status Quo, Jules Holland and his band, Elton John.
All absolutely superb. Elton finished with Rocketman and it was the best version I have heard. Jules gig was so good with the live band, Ruby Turner and Dave Edmonds as a guest solo. Quo did a great mix as usual but I miss Rick Parfitt albeit they have continued well.
Bill Bailey gig was a mix of comedy and music. A talented musician on many instruments.
An earlier Status Quo gig had Roy Wood and Wizard as guests. I also went to see them in Swansea Grand. Superb live show. They had been in a local pub before hand so nicely loosened up! Top performance.

I am in awe of your luthieran skills.

+1

There is one more aspect I would like to add. We are talking about the authenticity of a live performance. In recording studios, it is not always easy when a musician has to play "to the point". There are some famous recordings where, for example, session guitarists or drummers replace the band musicians. I don't think that's bad or dishonourable. As a live band member you are a different animal than the guys in the studio. One of my favourite "hidden heroes" is session guitarist Tim Pierce, who can among other albums be heard on Nirvana albums. In the video he talks to Rick Beato about how the demands on studio guitarists have changed during the decades.

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Here you see Tim at work at the Grammy Awards, for the technicians, engineers etc in the afternoon he has to play 75 different songs for 20 seconds each when the honourees come on stage. I think it's impressive.

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You are so right!

I'm always slightly in awe of live players - I was never any good at it.... fine in the studio, left to my own devices.

In my younger days I played a bit and wasn’t too shabby. Happy playing live or in a studio but l was a bit of a ‘neck watcher’ so I imagine I wasn’t particularly interesting to watch. Realised my limitations when I was fortunate to jam with The Jam. I remember clearly that they could play effortlessly and put their expression into their playing whereas I was concentrating just on getting the notes right!

Couldn’t imagine my bunch miming! Or The Jam !