Bands from the 90s, 80s and even 70s reforming and flogging themselves around on tours

[bibbitybobbityyhat]

What do you think of this?

I am late middle aged and I hate thoughtless/everyday ageism as much as anyone, but honestly I'm quite dumbfounded at the number of old rockers who still can't quite quit the fame game.

Think of the bands who have regrouped in recent years (even though they hated each other when they split). Or the solo artists who think they can have a career without the rest of their group. I find them all a tiny bit pitiful tbh.

The Spice Girls?! Come on, have a bit of dignity. You made gazillions at the time, can't you be content with that?

You know what I mean though sackrifice. Don't you? Or are you just being petty?

I know that the Spice Girls are not rockers.

Why did you start a petty thread, and then get all 'ree ree' when others pointed out your pettiness?

Surely as adults people can do and pay for what they want with their own money? If nobody was buying the tickets it wouldn't happen?

Do you take issue with how other adults lead their lives in other aspects?

Don't like it, so don't go. The end.

Dh and I happily go to see them. Off the top of my head in the last few years we’ve seen
OMD
Simple Minds
Human League
Flock of Seagulls
Banarama
UB40
We are booked to see The Christians in a couple of weeks.

We also see Lloyd Cole every couple of years, but I don’t count him in with the above lot as he has never stopped making albums and never stopped touring.

The pension tours!

Doesn't bother me if they are still ok. I always grin at that advert with Bill Nighy as the singer in a band.

Personally I’m extremely excited to get to see the spice girls next week!

Why is it sad if they tour and people see them? It’s a win win for all parties involved.

Recently been to see Mike and the Mechanics, ABC, Joe Jackson
Great shows with great atmosphere

I saw Take That last weekend.to be honest I wasn't expecting much but I was wrong and they put on a fantastic show.
They clearly enjoy doing it and the thousands of fans in the stadium clearly enjoyed it so what's the harm.
They were backed up by Rick Astley who looked as though he would melt if he went near a naked flame 😀

Many of the bands listed have in fact always been touring and releasing new material so not quite the same category.
The reason is that their income from record sales and music publishing has massively plummeted with the advent of streaming services and therefore they need alternative ways to secure an income. Additionally, people who used to drop into HMV and spend £50 a pop now spend their money on tickets. The opportunities to olay(especially at festivals) have increased significantly, so that’s how they do it. The Rewind festival (or is it reload?!) and the nostalgia cruises have been amazing for giving artists a chance to make some money and for longer in the tooth punters to have a sanitised festival experience with decent catering and loos - that’s where the HMV cash now goes. And good for them.
Don’t underestimate how much work goes into these tours either - pulling a band together and rehearsing takes months. And people wand to hear the old stuff, not a new album, so they’re giving the audience what it wants. Look at the stadium/ arena shows of artists doing their “big” album in full for eg

(& given your name, what do you think of the Tony Visconti/ Holy Holy tours?!)

Nothing wrong with a bit of nostalgia! I dragged my DH along with me to The Big Reunion tour a few years ago to see the boy bands I loved as a teen - 5ive, Blue and 911. We had a great time.

I am in NZ and we have The Monkees touring here in June!

It's their job!! They're doing what they enjoy (or not) to make money and pay the bills. Lots of artists were screwed over with contacts in their prime, and although they were selling out stadiums they weren't making much money and never getting the chance to rest. So now they can make money, deal with the fame and touring pressure betterv and they probably enjoy more second (third or forth time aground).

Well, it’s their career and I don’t think they could get a job in Morrisons without being recognised all day long. They still need to pay the bills and unless they transformed themselves into a global brand like Vicky Beckham then their fortune from 20+ years ago will be running dry.

What a bizarre thing to complain about.

As ArchieHarrison rightly observes, some bands have never quit! And many groups were just about the hits, so to see them at a kind of "compilation" event such as an 80s festival makes sense. Others are reforming just for the money - but so what if they put on a good show or enjoy making music.

It shows a limited appreciation of music if you can only like current stuff or feel that a band - and their songs - exists only in a moment of time.

5ive who are now 3ree did a gig in our local social club last year a fb went live at the gig and oh it was bad bless them! If people want to spend money on these bands for the nostalgia then where is the harm BUT I do think some of them should just leave !

If people enjoy seeing them and hearing the music, so what? The spice girls were apparently fantastic when they performed. Not my cup of tea but there you go

Spice Girls tour smacks of old friends helping out a seriously financially f*cked pal, which I also like and is v much in line with their girl power brand (god only knows what Geri's new family make of it)

I agree I think a spice girl has gone through such a lot and her mates are helping her out which is nice .

Yeah Geri is all country lady these days

But why shouldn't they continue, or return to, doing the thing they enjoyed doing as their career? Other people don't have to stop doing the job they enjoy just because they are getting older after all.
If they can still sell tickets and there are enough people wanting to see them, of course they should still be doing it if they want to.

I'd say some, such as Take That, are far better in their return to music and tours than they were originally.
Others are more for nostalgia.

And I'd imagine some bands return to earn money. I suspect lots of bands, especially those from the 80s and 90s attached to the management labels didn't make half as much money as you'd think, or had extravagant lifestyles at the time which their money just couldn't support long term.

I agree, musicians love music till the day they die and why not?

I am very much looking forward to Take That in Cardiff:

1. I’m grown up with a job now and can actually afford a ticket this time round
2. I can also afford a hotel so don’t need to stress about being 15 and missing last train home
3. none of them are 67, therefore why should they ‘retire’. Fair play to carry on working and it gives them something to do
4. will be nice to be a teenager again, am also looking forward to watching DP experiencing screaming hysteria from an entire stadium

I have long fancied one of those 80s ones that always has tpau, looks like brilliant fun!

Recent years I have seen pixies, breeder, beck, pop will eat itself. All except pixies were properly brilliant. I've got no issue with their age. And they are more 'rockers' than spice girls lol

I didn't know Lloyd Cole still toured will look him up :)

I mean they're only a few years older than me, it's good to be in an audience a similar a age too.

Kim is still the best 😁

Oh wow will e17 regroup?

That would be genius!

I live near an outdoor concert venue and we got a letter through the door about an upcoming concert featuring Madness, Primal Scream and one other I can’t recall right now.

The letter said that we needen’t fear too much about the noise, as the concerts were aimed at “a mature audience” and will be over by 10.45pm 😂

I’m quite looking forward to Primal Scream myself. I’ll open the windows for them 😂