So do the charges of cultural appropriation and not being original also apply to orchestras around the world who play Austrian, German and French classical music, but are not Austria, German or French?
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The last time I seen Clapton it was a great show…about 3-4 years ago. But…I have seen phone-in performances more than I care for the last 10 years or so. Could be the age factor or just a money grab…or both!
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I am glad to hear you had a good experience. It would be frustrating to pay the money, show up, and see a bad performance.
Age can be a factor with singing, but rarely basic performing chops. Classical piano virtuosos, violinists, etc. often perform superbly well after retirement age.
I think some performers simply lose interest and stop caring.
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Or maybe they just aren’t good “showmen” anymore?
I never liked shows… or performances… I want to hear playing. Hearing the crowd scream as some explosion goes off… well get me the H outta there!
Those of us who love music, as we all are here, can hear straight through a performance. I stopped being impressed with shredding when I was about 19 year old.
Peace
Bruce in Philly
I am not in any way referring to “showmanship.”
I was at this show, second row center. Muddy’s opening set was absolutely crazy, he was loud, distorted, just great and his band was really together. This was in a 20,000 seat venue, and most people were just waiting for Clapton, who turned in a snoozer of a show.
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Sarcasm noted. There is always that marketing effort, radio airplay and such. I don’t call Eric out as a failure, with time he sold-out and it shows. It is a good thing that listeners enjoy his music, then and now. Just stripping away the market driven hyperbole, be it guitar god, face melt or what have you. Let the music stand on its own two legs.
His decline has been bantered about previously, and he’s gone on record as to his choices, selling out and all. Sure NBC is swinging for hits and advertising dollars, does not change how I feel about it. If you can’t argue the merits then argue the source.
Regarding music and access to various types of music the Chicago market was very divided. Example WLS and WCFL targeted younger white middle class listeners with money in their pockets. Very little Soul, R&B or Blues made it on those airwaves, and was not readily available at local record stores. There was a burgeoning market for it, and available on radio stations, television (Soul Train on UHF Channel 26), print media and record shops in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. This was all circa 1956-1978 more or less. Similar with jazz in Chicago, which is another topic entirely. Things began to change with the advent of independent/college FM radio in the Chicago area from 1972 going forward. MTV, and cable TV (including local access) opened things up further. With the internet and music streaming access has exploded. While in college my eyes were opened significantly by students who introduced me to Bootsy Collins, George Clinton, P-Funk, Parliament, etc. My introduction to the blues was by attending Chicago blues clubs.
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JJ Cale > Eric Clapton
EC = Elvis Costello
Going with foe.
So many people like to point to “commercial success” when these types of conversations happen. The thing is, I played in touring bands for years and I am sure not a single one of you has ever heard of them. But I will tell you that I was “successful” even though you’d be hard-pressed to find our music even in the $1 bin. Still, I got to make music, tour the states, and make a living that I was comfortable with at the time. On top of that, I have heard (and even opened for) some amazingly uninspired and untalented musicians who have gone on to be household names. All this to say that I’ve found commercial success to be overrated.
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Hopefully you enjoyed your run, and I’d probably have enjoyed hearing you and your band perform. Was it a regional band. Care to share any additional details?
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You are so right…Some of the greatest success stories are of those who get up every day and do what has to be done for the good of all involved within the confines of our everyday lives.
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It was some of the best years of my life, without a doubt. We were national - signed to a smallish label but played all over the states & canada - certainly more success regionally though. One of my band mates went on to much bigger heights - and partly for that I will leave it there.
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So how exactly can a particular musician become a foe…AKA, hostile enemy?
If I don’t like a certain musician, for whatever reason, I simply don’t listen to him or her, but I certainly wouldn’t consider them a hostile enemy, unless somehow they’ve caused me harm.
So do tell, how has Eric Clapton caused anyone here harm?
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I’ll reply to that. EC and others who are anti vaxers and promote that behaviour put me, a recipient of a Bone Marrow Transplant and Cancer survivor with a compromised immune system, and those like me, at risk by doing so. So harm is being done by promoting an antisocial behaviour and as such society is harmed. While I don’t raise him to the level of foe on a personal level I can see how the case can be made on a broader level.
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Well said…
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I am so glad you made it through that ordeal. Wow.
Stay healthy!
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A quick note: We are not going to debate whether vaccines work, whether COVID is real, whether there is a vast conspiracy, etc. Personal comments such as @aiki14 shared are fine.
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I appreciate your honest and foreright reply.
Also, Eric Clapton was not an anti-vaxxer, he was vaccinated, and as a result, suffered serious side effects that threatened his ability to play guitar.
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