Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Symphony and Sense Redux
I've been informed by a friend of a related question asked by Carrie Brownstein. Personally, my "line in the sand" is quite similar to Carrie's. I'm interested in a musical performance, not a dramatic spectacle with a soundtrack. Other elements that bother me are an avowed apoliticism claimed by the band, reactionary politics interspersed into lyrics, and to a lesser extent, a lack of complexity and originality in the work (i.e.: three chord songs in the key of G with some 'fresh' lyrics).
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2 comments:
I’ve always been troubled by the expectations of popular music fans … as if there is one correct way for performers to act on stage. If popular music is about bending rules, why do we want performers to act in predictable ways? And if rock music is about breaking barriers and questioning standards, why do the old performance clichés persist? I’ve always argued that I would rather see a great 20 minute concert than a boring three hour gig. Who wouldn’t? Sometimes less is more. As well, frankly, I don’t have a problem with musicians who elect to not talk between songs. Better no banter than forced or banal banter. Someone suggested to me recently that Bob Dylan’s lack of on-stage chat indicated that he just didn’t care about his fans. Why doesn’t he set up his songs or explain their content? Why doesn’t he acknowledge what city he is in? It seemed to me that this person wanted Dylan to be unique, but there was also an expectation that the singer should conform to rock’n’roll norms. In some ways the acts that have had tension-filled relationships with their fans (PIL, Jesus & Mary Chain etc.) brought these questions to the fore.
As well, I’m not so sure about the whole notion of audience ‘participation.’ At times a club, or stadium, full of people doing the same thing (mimicking the gestures of performers) can be unsettling. I like the idea of building communities (even if they are a temporary coming together), but I think participation should be organic rather than part of the shtick. Perhaps I’ve never fully understood the concept of ritual. Again, I’m not sure why there are such concrete expectations in this area. Maybe I underestimate the ‘reassuring’ aspects of performances. It could be that performance (like specific genres) is a fixed form – and the idea is to see what people can do within the parameters of that outline. I’m not saying that I’ve never followed instructions to ‘put my hands in the air’ or ‘sing/clap along’ … but it always makes me wonder about the roles and intentions of both performers and audiences.
You're right - often it feels as if performers are simply pandering to regionalist or municipalist sentiments ("Helloooo Detroit!") that doesn't do anything but make the concert-goers feel good about themselves in the pettiest of ways. I especially hate the comparisons that performers make, insinuating that one city has "better" fans than another. For the most part this only breeds competition and doesn't take into consideration other factors such as demographics, time of year, etc.
But at the same time I'm weary of so-called "real" performances. As you note, its not about following a format or model, but on the specifics of the moment. Thus, sometimes cliche is genuine, and originality is cliche!
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