Jack White and Jimmy Page Don't Like Guitar Hero

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Jack White and Jimmy Page Don't Like Guitar Hero


Jack White of Led Zeppelin [http://www.whitestripes.com/] guitarist Jimmy Page.

At a press conference for the rock-and-roll documentary It Might Get Loud [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1229360/], set for release in the U.S. later this year, White expressed disdain for music games, saying that while he doesn't particularly care about "which format people should get their music in... if you have to be in a video game to get in front of them, that's a little sad."

"It's depressing to have a label come and tell you that [Guitar Hero [http://www.guitarhero.com/]] is how kids are learning about music and experiencing music," he added.

Jimmy Page, one of music's most renowned guitarists, shared that sentiment, saying that he "can't imagine" how people learn anything about music by playing videogames. "You think of the drum part that John Bonham did on Led Zeppelin's first track on the first album, 'Good Times Bad Times' [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Times_Bad_Times]," he said. "How many drummers in the world can play that part, let alone on Christmas morning?"

White and Page aren't the only musicians who are less-than-enthusiastic about games like Guitar Hero and Chad Kroeger [http://www.rockband.com] have recently made similar comments of their own, suggesting that videogames are somehow distracting kids from becoming real musicians.

And doesn't it all seem just a wee bit silly? I don't recall ever hearing Michael Schumacher exhorting gamers to strap themselves into real race cars or seeing a press release from Patrick Roy telling kids to put down the controllers and learn how to make a kick save. Yet many musicians behave as if they have to defend themselves and their craft from gamers who are treading on their turf.

I really don't understand that kind of mentality. We know that playing videogames and playing actual musical instruments are completely different things. So what? Sometimes people just want to have a little fun with their friends. You remember "fun," right? It's what rock and roll used to be before everyone got so damned sanctimonious about it.

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.nme.com/news/the-white-stripes/45521]


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Neosage

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Nov 8, 2008
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Malygris said:
I really don't understand that kind of mentality. We know that playing videogames and playing actual musical instruments are completely different things. So what? Sometimes people just want to have a little fun with their friends. You remember "fun," right? It's what rock and roll used to be before everyone got so damned sanctimonious about it.
Its true, its all for fun but when people spend their lives perfecting it and posting videos of it on youtube as if it is some sort of achievement, I completely see what the musicians are talking about. Alot of guitar hero gamers seem to think that playing guitar hero and playing guitar are similar.
 

Cpt_Oblivious

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Jan 7, 2009
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It is a little sad that people are discovering music and these great bands via Guitar Hero. But it's also incredibly fun and not supposed to be some perfect simulation of playing instruments.
 

squid5580

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Feb 20, 2008
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OMG they are taking your music and making it more entertaining than sitting there is a dark room with the headphones on. You evil bastards.

I thought the point was all about the music? Since when does it have to be only about the music?
 

RRilef

Dangerfield Newby
Jan 5, 2009
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I have to agree with Jack White and Jimmy Page up to a point. But it is their opinion. Right in the beginning of guitar hero, there should be a little disclaimer, have fun, but you still can't play an instrument.
 

Branes

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Mar 31, 2009
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I'm a former studio musician. I've been playing real guitar for 45 years and I love Guitar Hero and Rock Band.
If you don't, that's cool. There's a lot of stuff I don't like that you probably do.
Why does "I don't like something" have to become "I don't like something so they should stop making it or doing it because it irritates me, no matter how many millions of people do enjoy it.?"
Newsflash: Your opinion carries no more weight than mine or the 7 billion other people on this rock.
 

fenrizz

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Feb 7, 2009
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Cpt_Oblivious said:
It is a little sad that people are discovering music and these great bands via Guitar Hero. But it's also incredibly fun and not supposed to be some perfect simulation of playing instruments.
But is it not better than not discovering them at all?
 

hopeneverdies

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Oct 1, 2008
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MaxTheReaper said:
Mr.Tea said:
Agreed with the message there.
Though as always with CTRL+ALT+DEL, there was no fucking punchline.
What the hell, Buckley?

Anyway, I don't care.
I don't even play those games.
And if I did, I still wouldn't care.
I think it was blowing off the guy's head, but I don't see that as funny, just... random.
And even though I don't play GH or Rock Band, I can understand why people like it.
 

Mr.Pandah

Pandah Extremist
Jul 20, 2008
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The thing is, is that Rock N' Roll has become a little club of sorts. In the early years, like you said, it was all about having fun, and making great songs. Now, God knows what its about. If they want to go have their little circle jerk about how things like this are depressing to musicians, and how its sad that nobody finds out about music through other means, then let them.

I personally used to like Led Zeppelin a whole lot. Now their music depresses me, and most of the time bores me. This isn't really helping their cause either. If they can't embrace the future, then too bad for them.
 
Mar 17, 2009
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Shut up Jimmy! Maybe if you and Robert Plant had actually created any of your music instead of ripping off African-American soul and blues artists from the 50s I might actually value your opinion.

Give me Sabbath any day of the week.
 

Cpt_Oblivious

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Jan 7, 2009
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fenrizz said:
Cpt_Oblivious said:
It is a little sad that people are discovering music and these great bands via Guitar Hero. But it's also incredibly fun and not supposed to be some perfect simulation of playing instruments.
But is it not better than not discovering them at all?
Aye t'is.
 
Mar 17, 2009
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MaxTheReaper said:
hopeneverdies said:
I think it was blowing off the guy's head, but I don't see that as funny, just... random.
And even though I don't play GH or Rock Band, I can understand why people like it.
Yeah, Buckley thinks "LOL RANDOM MONKEY ORANGE" is fucking hilarious.
I actually read the entire archive once.
Didn't laugh.
Didn't even smile.

That's how unfunny he is.
Chef Brian will now stab you with a carrot for making such a comment!

Hurhur, the randomness of it all!
 

Cousin_IT

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Feb 6, 2008
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I think part of the defensiveness musicians have about Guitar Hero & Rockband is that when you spend years refining your musical talents & become a genuinely brilliant musician, watching your art turned into a colour matching rhythm game kinda degrades all that effort u put into it.