In my experience, I think music is just too middle class these days - perhaps it always has. From what I've seen, most kids from working class backgrounds can't afford to go out on a limb and give it a go. You see this in other indiustries too, with internships.
I work in the music biz so there was a few sore heads in the office this morning. Not a vintage year but good to see Bowie do well. Hull's own Callum Scott was nominated too
As someone born in the 50's and a serious listener of music I believe I'm qualified enough to say there's been brilliant, and not so brilliant, music in every decade - it's just a case of listening with an open mind; the sound of a good drummer, bass player, lead guitarist(s) is as good now as it was in the 60's ...... if you can play & sing, that's all that counts.
I disagree, again it depends on the style. I wouldn't say that Grime/Bass or UK Hip Hop is middle class and they are very popular genres. There's plenty of places for unknowns to get their music to the masses, without money coming into it.
In truth, I know absolutely nothing about Grime/Hip Hop etc so couldn’t make a judgement call on that. However, I’ve been in bands and I also promoted bands/organised gigs for years too – and most bands I came across, in my experience, were middle class. They could afford to doss around unpaid or on low pay for years. They’d start at university, graduate then just carry on the lifestyle and call it ‘art’. There’s hardly any money in that sort of music - most gigs were unpaid or paltry expenses. Even if you got a deal, you’re still on the breadline. I never succeeded financially with it (most I made was from organising gigs but that could be dicey as ****) and friends who did, took a long time to do so and I still wouldn’t call them well off (apart from they live from making music and tour Europe regularly etc – jammy bastards). I remember when I was about 20 and naïve. I was speaking to a singer from another band who was a lot older than me (he’s a fairly well known TV/music journalist these days) and I told him, thinking I was being modest in my ambition, that ‘I just wanted to make a living from music’. He laughed – ‘no chance’. It’s easy to put your music out there these days but very hard to make anything to live on from it.
I think blind nostalgia for the past when it comes to music is daft. Face it, half the Beatles are gone, Bowie's dead, The Stone Roses are gash now, Oasis aren't getting back together (they were **** anyway) etc. etc. Get over it and move on. If you want to listen to bands from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, use Spotify or YouTube but whinging about how bad music these days is such an overused cliche that it's becoming more annoying listening to music snobs than Little Mix and One Direction.
They really ****ing are. If there is ever a warning for other bands not to get back together they are it, although I'm sure they don't mind as they count their millions. "The past was yours the future is mine, you're all out of time", oh the irony. The young Brown and Squire would be appalled by what they have become.
George Michael was and always will be for me one of the finest voices to grace this planet. That particular rendition of A Different Corner is an insult to his memory. The crowds reaction said it all to me. A load of fools who seem to propel any rubbish to the highest of heights without appreciating any measure of talent, sincerity, feeling and overall presence. Truly shocking.
Are people really surprised Chris Martin's 'tribute' to George Michael was ****? He's the lead singer of Coldplay ffs, of course it was going to be ****.
Nearly saw them once. They were bottom of a four band bill, some sort of NME tour I think with Shack headlining. Thank **** I got there late.
Coldplay are huge and hardly anyone knows who Shack are. That, is the very definition of the wrong ****ing way round.
