Comment of the Moment: "It's over." ... "CONCERT TOURS are no longer fun" Says Neil Young | NYA

 "CONCERT TOURS are no longer fun":  Neil Young on March 19, 2023Photo @ Avery Fisher Hall, New York City, NY, April 24, 2011

Neil Young -- once again --  shakes the EARTH.

Earlier this week, Neil Young posted a statement saying that "It's over." ... "CONCERT TOURS are no longer fun". 

Back in 2008, there was some rather heated arguments over ticket prices for Neil Young in concert that prompted an open letter from a fan.

Last time this happened, we thought everything on the subject of for the turnstiles had been exhausted. There were passionate debates and discussion of when art and commerce worlds collide.

While many long time Neil fans had pretty much resigned themselves to this inevitably over the past few years, some younger artists were appalled and outraged by the apparent betrayal by one's rock's elder statesman. (see thread on UMO@Unknown Mortal Orchestra | Twitter).

Which brings us yet again to our Comment of the Moment on "CONCERT TOURS are no longer fun" Says Neil Young | NYA  by Dionys said...

It's quite well-documented that Neil Young always has been tormented by the fact of his superstar status and his desire to be an honest and ordinary or real life person. 

Nothing sums this up better than a David Briggs statement about the song "Ordinary People": "Neil knows nothing about ordinary people" (McDonough, Jimmy, Shakey, p. 621 footnote). Apparently it took a while for Neil Young to get over doubts and the Briggs verdict, because the song was released out of time context on CD II almost 20 years later. With the debate around ticket prices it is not a mere coincidence that this song currently is being played in the upper right hand corner of the NYA screen. 

While I understand that a musician of a band unknown to me is getting cynical about luxury problems I feel inclined to accept Neil Young's statements regarding this current round of rock'n'roll circus as genuine and sincere positions. With the pandemic hiatus some people took a step back and were looking at their routines and attitudes and some didn't. There are things much worse than every once in a while asking the question "What were we thinking?" Briggs probably was right back then and his statement maybe still holds, but as has been stated above already very few present day superstars even tried to side with the regular kind.

Originally live shows were an operation to support the sales of an album. Then album sales plunged because everybody came to download their daily soundtrack for free. Many bands took to touring to compensate for tanking CD sales. Apparently this business scheme has come to an end now, too. How much money did the the short-changed touring band's audience spend on CDs, vinyl or tapes?

UMO charge a very affordable 37,50 Euros for their concerts in Düsseldorf and Berlin (Germany) in upcoming May, this being the price for a middle class restaurant dinner for one person. Lucinda Williams shows last January in Munich did cost 55 Euros and they are a lot better known to a German audience with much more money to burn than UMO audiences. As a commercial enterprise trying their luck on the European market UMO do not even come close to be playing in Neil Young's league. 

The irate tweet somehow reminds me of Nirvana touring the Bavarian backcountry in 1989, a few months before "Nevermind" came out, the difference being UMO has been around much longer now than Nirvana had been back then.

As always, many thanks for your contributions here Dionys.  Interesting comment  -- and relevant -- quote by Briggs on "Ordinary People".

As we exchanged in our comments back and forth, this is a sad -- yet inevitable -- moment for us in the rustie grain communities.

First, this does not mean that we will never see Neil on stage again. While it sounds like no more grueling city to city tours, benefits, one offs and extended stays are still possible.  So, no, we haven't seen the last of Neil and he's not completely packing it up. Or so we think.

For The Turnstiles:

An Open Letter To Neil Young On Ticket Prices 

(130+ Comments) 

 

Way back in 2008, we started compiling our grievances with a series of  documentation on the TicketMaster monopoly and the destruction of the traditional artist and concert business.

• An Open Letter To Neil Young On Ticket Prices For The Turnstiles (130+ Comments)
• Comment of the Moment: An Open Letter To Neil Young On Ticket Prices For The Turnstiles (50+ Comments)
• For The Turnstiles Again (30+ Comments)
• For The Turnstiles Yet Again(50+ Comments)
• Free Neil Young Warmup Concerts Cancelled(30+ Comments)
• The Price of Neil: When Art and Commerce Collide (60+ Comments)
• Comment of the Moment: The High Price of Neil (20+ Comments)
• It's Only Money (20+ Comments)
• New Neil Young Video: Cough Up The Buck$ (40+ Comments)

Cough Up The Buck$ Crew
HarryO, Volume Drinkers: Brand New Guy, Paul D.
Madison Square Garden, NYC, NY - 12/15/2008

In so many ways, this is nothing new. We saw a lot of this when Neil Young expressed artistic freedom so eloquently on the much maligned and misunderstood -- but beloved -- Greendale.

Neil said...
"Just do what you want to do
Don't listen to anyone else"
(Jack Black w/ sign)
Neil Young Honored As MusiCares Person Of The Year

More on the value of artistic freedom, audience entitlement, and elite fan hypocrisy.

#BreakupTicketMasterLiveNationMonopoly

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