Take Me to the Top
Can new bands like Vains of Jenna, Crashdiet or even Lynam survive?
I talk a lot about the newest Glam talent coming from Sweden. I also talk a lot about newer American hard rock bands...but the question that always remains in the back of my mind is "can they make it?"
Think about this: the summer concert season is now officially underway. Just about every tour I can think of features a legacy rock act. Think about it: Poison, Motley Crue, Cinderella, Warrant, Alice Cooper...hell, even Ringo Starr and his All-Star band are hitting the road in the next three months. In each instance, all the bands have been around for, well, decades. Moreover, fans often complain at the quality of these performances. Just read comments on the slew of music message boards on the Internet to confirm my assertion. People say Vince Neil skips every other word during Motley shows and Tom Keifer can't hit the high notes...and C.C. still can't play guitar and you get the point. Yet, each summer, these are the only tours that make money. Truly a baffling business model.
At least this summer Lynam opens for Lynch Mob, Warrant and Cinderella. It's great for Lynam to be a part of the package and I hope some more people learn to love that band as much as I do. Still...is it fair for new acts to always be relegated to playing at 6 p.m. instead of the headline spot? I don't think so.
Think about every major festival this year. It doesn't matter if you prefer really heavy metal and are therefore heading to Wacken Open Air or love Glam so you're going to Sweden Rock or Rocklahoma - in every instance, legacy acts make up most of the bill. Sure, there are two new bands - Avenged Sevenfold and Bullet for My Valentine - that are now starting to break into headlining spots at major festivals. During the recent Taste of Chaos tour, Avenged Sevenfold acted as the headliner and all the other bands were newer talent.
Still, the biggest grossing tours of each year are always legacy acts like the Rolling Stones or Madonna. Vains of Jenna toured with Poison last year and it didn't gain them any headlining arena shows for this summer. Come to think of it I haven't seen VOJ live since last summer.
I know the music business is an angry mistress. It's hard to break and even harder to break big. I'm not sure I'm looking forward to the day that Motley Crue is no longer a headliner BUT I do think some new talent needs a chance at the top. Just my two cents. Thoughts?
