THE CIRCLE IS GETTING TIGHTER

Will you ever be able to make music and live off it circa Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr ?

With the onslaught of the download generation I think not!
Not that I'm cynical about downloading I just think its become a lot harder for independent bands to make an actual living out of their music. I've played some shows with bands who purely live on the road and you would think after touring non-stop for 3 years they would build some sort of following but in my experience this is not true. It could be argued that U2 was playing down the road,the final of X-Factor was on or some other crap the promoter will sling at you while he pats his pocket to reveal lack of funds.

I think that before downloads the only way you could hear these bands was when they came through your town. These mythical bands that where whispered about in the main stream fanatically written about in fanzines.

You had no choice but to go check it out.

These days bands are discussed, downloaded and scrutinised before even starting on there first tour.

Is this a bad thing ?

I don't think so. It just pushes those who really wanna make music and tour a little bit harder. Juggling day jobs time off work in order to go on those 2 weeks of bliss where people don't show up, cars break down but hell does it ever beat working.

This in effect tightens the circle within which we roam - people promoting bands, starting bands doing labels etc. have less chance of makin' money than they did before so pure enthusiasm reigns supreme.

Conversely those that are still "aiming for that big ice cream cone in the sky"
Record companies now have to make there revenue through advertising

This is my own little observation I have made over the last couple of days.Loads of adverts these days seem to feature up and coming indie bands selling everything from phones to sunglasses even Iggy and Alice are selling insurance. The days of Guns'n'Rose's decadence are well and truly over.

In conclusion I think the state of the music we make ,what we do is secret ,is becoming a tighter unit people are working harder for there art and harder for there beer whilst the other plebs are nothing more than musical organ monkey peddling there woes for da man.