Old Music Acts: When It Is Time To Stop

gorfias

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Much as we may love old music acts there's a time when it has to stop. Not sure when that is. No idea when we should know better and not attend. People age at incredibly different rates.

Tonight, I went to see the Monkees final tour. Mickey and Mike are the last 2 of the 4 left alive. Mickey, 76, carried the show. Signing at the top of his lungs, playing percussion instruments, dancing around. Mike, at 78 is only 2 years older than Mickey, sat throughout. He played nothing. He would leave the stage for extended periods. He would mumble a few lines now and again. He really seemed border line senile. I feel bad for him. I feel bad for the audience: this guy has no business touring anymore.

But you can't have a clear cut off date either. Again, only 2 years younger, Mickey was whirling around the stage entertaining us.

I just know, going forward, I'll be a lot more careful seeing a nostalgia act.
 
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Jarrito3002

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That is wild. Like most old acts have plenty of new blood cycling through to make up for missing members whether they left or passed on. Hell Queen with Adam Lambert was perfection incarnate so it can be done.

I think the Monkees would of had some new talent minor at least to fill in the void especially if one member is literally sleeping on stage.
 
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Worgen

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Whatever, just wash your hands.
The fun of being a musical artist is that you might have made a ton of money for someone else, but unless you had someone who was able to negotiate a good contract for you, you will only really be making money from concerts and merch.
 
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Gordon_4

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Most of Iron Maiden seem to going strong so there's still a chance I'll catch a concert in my lifetime when Dickinson still has the pipes. Mind you, its a hard sell for the really iconic bands; to try and groom or find successors to take on the band when they all get too old. Hell line up changes in the heyday were seen as risky and often resisted by fans. Bruce Dickinson basically had 'The Number of the Beast' album as his audition to the fans after Paul Di'Anno was fired for his titanic drug usage.
 
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gorfias

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Were there no reviews of this you could've checked beforehand? I mean, I've got to believe that someone covered the tour, if for no other reason than novelty.
I did not as I went to offer commraderie to some buddies that wanted to attend this final go around. We did have a nice dinner beforehand. I think one buddy greased someone to get us a table. I did the D.D. thing for 2 attendees who might have had some trouble getting there without my help.

But even if I had? A lot of them out there that have a lot of positivity and affection for this duo and what they are doing.
Example:

This link includes Mickey singing "Different Drum". Mike, seated and without an instrument, appears to have his mike turned off. I don't hear him at all.

I paid for my sister who had previously turned down seeing Crosby, Nash and Young as she just doesn't want to see people she has so much affection for doing this so past their prime. But even she did enjoy this more than I. She said she could hear Mike. I could not.
 

SilentPony

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I saw Elton John in Chicago a few years back, and it just wasn't a good concert. He was tired, he didn't seem energized or like his heart was in it, his voice was very rough and it was clear he was struggling with some of the songs, his backup singers carried a lot of the show. Maybe he was sick or it was an off night, but to me I just left feeling like the dude was done touring.
 
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Xprimentyl

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I think it's time to stop when you're coasting on nostalgia, like when you become known for "they're still not dead!", it's time to hang it up. Unless you have some really interesting ideas and not just more of what people have come to expect.

One of my favorite groups is Autechre (I'm sure you've all heard of them. /s) Their musical evolution has been one of the most evident of any artists I've followed. The first studio album, Incunabula, is very organic, lush and fluid; fast-forward only a few years to Tri Repetae++, and you're greeted by something very mechanical and methodic. Several years later (their last several albums,) and you've got something almost completely inhuman. It's been a brilliant journey following two guys who're just as fascinated by the sounds they make as we are listening to said sounds. I entirely believe when they're done, they will just walk away having exhausted the potential of the aural world, but at their rate... it'll never happen. They don't look at their work as a career so much as it is a calling, an adventure that only the most cowardly would qualify by cultural relevance, popularity or accessibility.

 

gorfias

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I think it's time to stop when you're coasting on nostalgia, like when you become known for "they're still not dead!", it's time to hang it up.

LOL! And that is some terrific sounding stuff! I've gotta see if it is on Spotify. Be fun to test my sound systems with it!

I'd think they can swap out people and just keep it going. It doesn't seem to be personality driven but instrumental so, as long as people want to hear them.
 
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Xprimentyl

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LOL! And that is some terrific sounding stuff! I've gotta see if it is on Spotify. Be fun to test my sound systems with it!

I'd think they can swap out people and just keep it going. It doesn't seem to be personality driven but instrumental so, as long as people want to hear them.
Autechre is definitely on Spotify, and if I've found them a new fan, I couldn't be happier.

On the other note, I never understood the swapping out of band members. I mean, music is a big enough a part of my life that if I were ever afforded the opportunity to make a career of it with others on the same wavelength, I don't think I could so easily just replace a collaborator (and ostensible friend) with someone else who plays the same instrument. Like, if you and I wrote several songs together, and called ourselves "The Escapists," I'd be hard pressed, upon your unfortunate demise at the hands of a rabid polar bear, to replace you and still call our new group "The Escapists." If a group of people makes their mark on the industry, honor should dictate that when the original group is longer together, they're done. Not saying the remaining band members can't continue on, but make a new legacy under a different name. The Beatles wouldn't be The Beatles if Paul McCartney is the only one left and John, Ringo and George were replaced with equally capable individuals; they'd not be the Beatles, am I right? If you want to keep the names; fine, but qualify it as "V2.0" or something.
 
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Worgen

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Whatever, just wash your hands.
Comedians have similar issues with going on past their prime. I saw Ron White recently and he kinda sucked, way more poop humor then I ever remember seeing from him and his best stuff was when he told a few of his old jokes. He also did an ad for his tequila. The comic that was the warm up act did a better job then he did. Just kinda sad.
 

Xprimentyl

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Comedians have similar issues with going on past their prime. I saw Ron White recently and he kinda sucked, way more poop humor then I ever remember seeing from him and his best stuff was when he told a few of his old jokes. He also did an ad for his tequila. The comic that was the warm up act did a better job then he did. Just kinda sad.
I find that comedians who gain any notoriety find themselves chasing the dragon of their own success. There's only so many jokes you can tell before you start repeating yourself or reaching for material, and often, that reach find them in territory the status quo feels they don't belong. Topical example, Dave Chappelle. He started in stand-up and found tremendous success with The Chappelle Show, and learned after season 2 that people weren't laughing with him, but AT him, and his career since has been a slap back at the hypocrisy of what's allowed to be funny and what's not. His career has always been on the edge of decency, and the second he pushed that edge to [ironically] include non-black stereotypes, everyone wanted to get upset.
 
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gorfias

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Autechre is definitely on Spotify, and if I've found them a new fan, I couldn't be happier.

On the other note, I never understood the swapping out of band members. I mean, music is a big enough a part of my life that if I were ever afforded the opportunity to make a career of it with others on the same wavelength, I don't think I could so easily just replace a collaborator (and ostensible friend) with someone else who plays the same instrument. Like, if you and I wrote several songs together, and called ourselves "The Escapists," I'd be hard pressed, upon your unfortunate demise at the hands of a rabid polar bear, to replace you and still call our new group "The Escapists." If a group of people makes their mark on the industry, honor should dictate that when the original group is longer together, they're done. Not saying the remaining band members can't continue on, but make a new legacy under a different name. The Beatles wouldn't be The Beatles if Paul McCartney is the only one left and John, Ringo and George were replaced with equally capable individuals; they'd not be the Beatles, am I right? If you want to keep the names; fine, but qualify it as "V2.0" or something.
I wouldn't see "The Monkees" if only Micky were left. And while I think him pretty terrific, I would not see him as a solo act. The Monkees (and the Beatles) are very personality driven and I miss the others. Mike in his prime particularly.
But you can swap out a member with varying success. I think Nirvana is still out there, minus Kurt. Queen toured with an American Idol contestant, Adam Lambert. Not that successful. On the other hand, I'd not even heard of ACDC until after the passing of Bon Scott. And people can assume new responsibilities within the group. I'd only heard of Genesis after drummer Phil Collins became their lead singer.
 

Old_Hunter_77

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My instinct is to agree but because of a podcast I been listening to, I was thinking about Motown and vocal groups, like the Drifter and Four Tops and such. They still tour! Thing is, they have replaced members the whole time. So you can go see The Temptations at a casino and see none of the actual Temptations. That seems kind of pathetic.
On the other hand... people go to them and have a good time. I think most are aware or are ok with the fact that it's not the same people. They just like the songs and it's a night out, and it's work for the singers. Harmless, so whatever.