Probably not. There was a time when a new Peter Gabriel album was an event, a great leap forward, remember when he opened the Grammys with "Steam"? I think it was the opening, maybe just during the show, I don't remember, but I do remember the performance.
But now I don't even bother to watch the Grammys. There's no longer a Grammy bounce. But acts still lobby to get on the telethon. Then again, there are acts that refuse to do so, because they know it doesn't move the needle, because they're bigger than the show. And that's your goal, to be bigger than the platform promoting you.
So Gabriel is doing it positively old school. Oh, he released some singles in advance. And he committed the cardinal sin of going on tour before the album was released, playing new material live, which absolutely no audience member likes. But Gabriel is stuck in the last century.
As are the Stones.
Yes, we know there's a new Stones album, they did a good job of making us aware, but that's not enough anymore, today you promote on your identity, constantly.
Mick Jagger could have taken a stand on political issues. Keith Richard could have talked about drugs. Mick could have revealed details about his fantabulous life, with pictures and gossip. But instead we got all the old school hype and that doesn't work anymore.
Contrast this with Bono. Bono has an identity. He's talking to leaders, saving the world. Do you agree with him, do you like him? Not important. Bono is three-dimensional, just like Edge is quiet. However, their last manager convinced them to go on the road and do "The Joshua Tree" from start to finish and that was a big mistake for a band that needs to be relevant, overnight it became an oldies act.
But Bono needs to be on the bleeding edge, so he insisted on opening the Sphere. Sure, by playing "Achtung Baby" from start to finish. But that's different from doing "The Joshua Tree" all over the world, this is an event, and the rules do not apply to an event.
You need to be in the news constantly. And news does not mean the newspaper. Yes, they reviewed Gabriel's new album in today's "New York Times," but that's not going to generate any new fans, any new listeners. Hard core Gabriel fans will check out the album, but there will be no ripples from this thrown stone, the rest of the public shrugs and moves on.
Just like with "Hackney Diamonds."
Mick Jagger could show up announced in clubs all over the world, singing "Brown Sugar" (which he won't perform anymore, being politically correct, not realizing it was 50 years ago and times were different and those complaining are not coming to the show anyway, and to sing it is a poke in the eye, rock star behavior, not a capitulation, which is just the opposite) with a bar band. Maybe show up at a Zach Bryan show and sing a tune. Who knows where he'd show up next. Now that would be a story. And going to the home of one of the attendees to drink beer. Discussing economics with a town leader. We would all be intrigued. But instead we get a one time shot with the no edge Jimmy Fallon and the crusted over SNL. Yeah, you've got a new album, enough already.
Not that I want to laud today's new artists. Their goal is brand extension. What has that got to do with identity, other than I'm trying to get rich? You're selling yourself, your thoughts, beliefs and behavior. Just getting the word out is not enough, you must be three-dimensional, people need to be able to argue with you.
The techies do this best.
I've got no time for Elon Musk, not only is he destroying Twitter/X, he's putting an irreparable dent in Tesla. But man, this guy know how to maintain the focus. We only care because of Tesla, SpaceX, Starlink and Twitter/X, but that's like your classic albums. But what blows my mind about Musk is he just doesn't give a f*ck, he believes the laws don't apply to him, that he's invulnerable, and he's got enough money not to care. This is classic rock star behavior. I find it offensive that Musk told advertisers FY over and over again the other day, but man, you had to wonder about the motivation. Sure, he seemed unduly oppressed, didn't know the definition of "blackmail," but he also demonstrated an immaturity that used to be de rigueur for rock stars. Destroying hotel rooms... Believe me, every hotel room you destroyed burnished your image, furthered your career. Because no one else would behave this way, you were not part of the system. Today's musicians? THEY ARE THE SYSTEM! When they're not complaining about Spotify payouts, which is ugly when it comes from stars who are making more money than ever before as a result of touring, and online advantages. Rock stars don't complain, unless it's about the catering, or the bus, or some other nonsense.
This is all very important. Because a rock star depends on notice, attention. Some acts are so big, so legendary, that their name is enough, they can sell out buildings just like that. Kudos. But most won't put out new music because they're afraid of being Peter Gabriel or the Stones, spending all that time to ultimately get crickets. If it's about the music, you want it to be heard, and if it's not going to be...
You've got to exist outside the system. And today, you have all the tools to do this. Social media is free. You can promote yourself, where the potential audience is. And you forge bonds online, with direct communication, when you go through an intermediary, get a puff piece in a newspaper, it does nothing, makes you look like you're working the system, an antiquated one.
If you want to get your new music heard, you must have an identity, 24/7 communication with your fans, who will spread that which you do that deserves attention. Where is your 24/7 camera crew? You've got that damn iPhone in your pocket, why aren't you using it, the camera, for stills and video. Why are you afraid of offending someone? That gets traction like nothing else. We want to know who you are.
Look at David Crosby. The list of his penned hits is very thin. Why was he so famous? Because he took a stand, had an identity, didn't care what others thought. We were always interested in what he had to say. Not only about music, but the war, politics, even Trump. He told the Trumpers that if they were offended not to come to his shows. How do I know this? I read it online. This guy couldn't help but make news. The uber-talented Stephen Stills? More than crickets, he's performed "For What It's Worth" a few times live recently, but not much more. Man, with that anthem you could be a hero to the youth, but Stills is not making the effort, to make a connection.
I'm not saying you have to have an identity evidenced constantly online, but if you're an oldster and you want people to listen to your new music you do.
This is part of being a musician, a celebrity today, you live your life in public, it goes with the territory.
Peter Gabriel has a lot of opinions. How come we don't see them evidenced online? He's a thinker on technology, he must have takes on all the issues, from TikTok to Meta and children and...there are tons of them, but he's playing it positively old school, and it's not working.
Furthermore, great music is all about an identity. Give Taylor Swift credit on this, we all know who she is, about her outlook and behavior, and this was true even before the Eras tour and its attendant publicity.
And Swift grew up in public, and adjusted. How come everybody else is calcified, set in stone, afraid to make a mistake? We all make mistakes, apologize and then move on.
It's nearly impossible to get attention these days. Don't fear offending someone, fear no one even knowing what you're doing!
Peter Gabriel has to make us listen to the music, not the media. I hear this again and again from oldsters releasing albums on indie labels, when you ask them about promotion and publicity they say it's the label's job. No, IT'S YOUR JOB! The days of the label doing the heavy lifting are done, there are not enough people there, and usually they have less power and insight into what is happening online than the act. And sure, they can get you on terrestrial radio and television, but that is not where active listeners are. That's old school. You've got to go where the people are, and that is online. If you're decrying TikTok, et al, the joke is on you.
And if you don't listen to the new Peter Gabriel album, you will miss nothing. You won't wake up months down the line and find out it was a hit. Instead, now is when all the hype is happening, hard core fans will pay attention, and then that will be it. Look at "Hackney Diamonds," only one song has double digit million streams on Spotify, and that's "Angry," the initial single. And as a matter of fact, only two other songs have in excess of five million streams. This is absolutely piss-poor. And this has got little to do with the music, it's got to do with the Stones themselves. They promoted the music for a couple of weeks and then they were done. There's no reason, no incentive to listen to the music. That's the act's responsibility, to get people to listen, to create a buzz. And today, when hit records can take years to surface, you continue to work the music yourself, blowing on the kindling, waiting for a possible conflagration. But the flame on "Hackney Diamonds" is already out. As it soon will be on "i/o," Peter Gabriel's album. Once upon a time these people were leaders, now they're Luddites. And they're the ones who are losing out, they're the ones responsible, they can't place the blame on anyone but themselves.
Let this be a warning.
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