A magnificent on point piece of writing from Simon Price in the Graun on Oasis 2 days ago I thought. A brutal, funny and wholly accurate takedown of the Oasis reunion. Appalling that people are willing to gamble £150 on such a pair plus some session musicians. Even more amusing if in Heaton Park. One of the very worst sites for music in the UK.
Saw The Smiths a couple of times. Very good, but R.E.M. overtook them very rapidly live and, on record, I always thought Meat Is Murder was the definition of turgid. Hard to fault the first album, that compilation and The Queen Is Dead though. Latter has a lightness of touch which I consider the very best quality of the very best bands.
I get why people who’ve never seen their fave bands love reunions. Sadly there is no way you’re ever seeing anything other than a facsimile of the real thing. I’ve zero tolerance for Morrissey these days pretty much since the demise of the band given the turgid and pointy finger nature of his solo output, not dissimilar to the Gallaghers, was there from the off. Marr is a lovely bloke but absolutely not the brilliant guitarist people claim. He’s very good and networks superbly but his output is strictly second division in a slightly different way to Oasis.
Funnily enough what always gets missed is that Mike Joyce has a voice too. His views are actually sounder than Marr or Morrissey and it’s been a pleasure to enjoy his many appearances at Radical Readings over the years. His perspective as I understand it is simply that he would never participate in a reunion and would not allow the name to be used. Johnny has been aware of that for years so it does rather suggest that Stephen Patrick might, heaven forbid, be correct in repeatedly suggesting Marr uses the story for publicity.
Your comment about Pat Metheney trying new things is what sets jazz apart. I love Scott Hamilton, who has been around for ever. When you meet him he’s happy to chat and his love of the music is so obvious. It’s totally different from seeing rock musicians still playing the stuff that made them popular many years previously. I’ve always liked Theatre of Hate but didn’t see them the first time round in the early ‘80s, though I did see the successor band Spear of Destiny. I later saw ToH and while they were good the youthful energy and anger was gone. Folk musicians seem to age well too; Fairport are still great live and to hear them play Meet on the Ledge for the umpteenth time still hits the spot. Maybe it’s because a lot of folk songs are traditional and have been around for decades if not centuries.
Jazz has become a big roof under which a lot of experimental , way out music shelters. Ruth Goller’s Skyllumina, is on a jazz label but has nothing much to do with what most people call Jazz. Jazz is a perfect type of music for those who like to experiment.
Back in the nineties I photographed the Jazz season in our provincial theatre. I got to meet a lot of my heroes’ like Wayne Shorter, John McLaughlin and Jan Garbarek. I found artists at the top of the game pleasant and interesting to chat to. It is the “has beens”, who are difficult.
My daughters and many of our family are currently trying for Oasis tickets. My nephew got 4 in presale on Friday. They’re all really excited. Seen Morrissey a couple of times post Smiths. He was excellent. Some of his post Smiths material is the equal of the music he produced with The Smiths. Can’t say the same for Marr. Saw an old Stones live once. They were brilliant. Saw an old Iggy doing Stooges material. Awesome. Caught the Gang of Four with only one original member. Outstanding. There’s no harm in reunions. That’s why covers bands do so well, folk want to hear the songs they love, live. The idea that jazz musicians keep trying something new but pop musicians don’t strikes me as odd given most of what they introduce as new is from the world of young people’s (modern) music. Sadly the bands I’d love to see have another go can’t, because key members have died. I can’t stand Morrissey the bloke by the way, think Oasis made 1 decent, derivative album but, exactly like Queen and their faux operatic vocals, they write terrace chants which the crowd can sing along to & which they will do in their thousands.
As I write my daughter’s just confirmed she’s got 4 Oasis tickets - £596.75 Two for her and 2 for her sister. We’re all chuffed.
I tracked this piece down, expecting a takedown of the music. I found it to ba a vicious attack on the two brothers, who it seems do not share the same cultural opinions and outlook, as those we readers of the Guardian presumably expect. BTW, I am not saying it is wrong to denounce the loutish outlook described in the article.
Pretty surprising though, as I always thought this group summed up the Cool Britannia, ethos of the Blair years.
I wouldn’t pay it myself but then I’m ancient and don’t need to be part of the zeitgeist which I might have done when I was young. Weren’t Springsteen and others charging variable pricing - the more who wanted tickets and the closer to the gig the more you paid?
I have just read that Ticketmaster are charging €350 for €150 tickets.
I am of a certain age too, and I did not get price gouged like this when I went to see Yes at QPR and Reading, Steeleye Span and Queen at the Hammersmith Odeon and loads of others in London, back in the day. Going to see bands, even stadium gigs, was quite cheap until a few years ago.
Ticket prices since Covid have got ridiculous and actually getting tickets to any show is a game of getting online early. I even had to book ahead to get tickets for Pat Metheny ( hardly a household name) six months in advance, to ensure getting a ticket.
I have never been much of a fan of theirs, sorry Mr H! But I do fully agree with your sentiments on the subject. Leave it as it was, that’s what makes it special.
Another, perhaps more important consideration is the HAIR.
At least being a cure fan you had lots of options. Dying black. Crimper. Lots of backcombing and hairspray.
Such a Quiff is in its nature a very rare thing as such a hair density is only shared with a small minority.
Only the very elite fans could pull it off.
Unsurprisingly morrissey looks like he can still keep his Quiff aloof.
And marr looks like he can still put the Gallagers and Paul Weller to shame with his Manchester spikey mod flop.
The last two paras were a great takedown of the lyrics and music. I didn’t see anything especially vicious in suggesting they are not working class but are both sexist and homophobic.
The Led Zeppelin 2007 concert was excellent imho. The concert tickets, from memory, were in a ballot from millions of applications. ( including mine). However, the audience seemed to be full of the “great and the good”.
Two for her and 2 for her sister. We’re all chuffed.
