People! it's the rapture! It's the end of fucking times! Granted, there hasn't been any plagues of locusts or frogs, and the waters haven't run red as if they were blood, but there is one telltale sign. The dead have walked the earth again!
I find it a little odd when, in the past two years, I've watched Alice In Chains, Jane's Addiction, Faith No More and The Pixies, purchased the new Stone Temple Pilots album and am super psyched for the Soundgarden reunion. To give it some context, these are all bands that broke up when I was ten or younger. Bands I love, but bands that were from another place, another time... Also, there's a Suede reunion in the UK going on which is pretty fucking sweet, they rule.
Why the fucking reunion jamboree all of a sudden? It was kinda cool when AIC found a new singer, it was just like they took a 15 year break, but then The Pixies playing Doolittle cover to cover, then Jane's Addiction and Faith No More headlining Soundwave... then the rumours flying around about THIS 90's band or THAT 90's band or even THOSE guys from the 90's getting back on the wagon... I love these bands but it's getting a bit old. I'm not begrudging them the right to reform, and goddamn if we don't need Soundgarden now more than ever, but the cynic in me can't help but feel like it's all too close together, all really close to the US and Euro festival season, and then Australian festival season follows and I'm 300 bucks in the hole because all the lineups smell of fresh baked nostalgia cookies.
Am I the only person who really respects The Smiths for having a proper break up? Morrissey and Johnny Marr have pretty much said they aren't going to work together again, and they've stuck to their guns. They both went off, have had new careers all their own and got on with their lives. Like mature adults. But all these reunions now, it's like a page right out of high school. "OMG Soungarden can't get back together because Matt Cameron has been seeing Pearl Jam and Chris Cornell was all like 'no way, biatch!'". If you're going to break up the band, try not to cynically cash in 10 years down the track, OK? You're cheapening everything you stood for, back in the day when all you had was a handful of riffs and a fuck you attitude. I can see the wedding rings and grey hairs now, illusion shattered. But thanks anyway, thanks for selling cherished memories back to me at today's prices.
I'm still going to see all these bands when they come through, when am I going to get the chance to see Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart (arguably one of the best songs ever) played live? It's still great music, these legends from yesteryear, but it does leave a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth to see 40 year old ex-rockers cashing in on their name to a generation of young music fans. If I had a time machine, I'd just go back to early 90's Seattle and do it the proper way, but lamentably it's on the fritz, so big money for old guys it is.
P.S. Special mention goes out to Scott Weiland, who has never changed. He looks the same and is still as stupid, destructive and wasteful as he was in the 90's. My hat goes off to you, Scott, you never stopped rocking. Champion.
No comments:
Post a Comment