Whilst I was in Memphis I became a reporter for The Daily Helmsman newspaper for one semester. The University print newspaper had daily editions in both digital and print formats distributed across the city.
The Daily Helmsman
The Daily Helmsman
Old is back, let the decades rejoice
By Luke Chapman
For those who were around listening to these artists in their prime, its amazing they get the opportunity to see them again in the modern climate of music, and get to witness the development of their idols. Although, there does seem to be one key difference when comparing back then to today. The extortionate prices. It’s no secret that ticket prices for concerts all around the UK have spiked, and rarely do you find a ticket for under £10. Can charging £50 for a gig at the roundhouse really be justified?
Dido, David Gray, Robyn, Cher, and so many others are prime examples of the type of artist I’m talking about. All of the above have announced tour dates, and come back with new music to further their live prospects, as well as trying to perpetuate their careers further.
A brief overview into the shifting of the industry towards live music, starts with streaming. Due to lower incomes, thanks to the small number of music purchasing, artists and the industry have turned to live revenue to make the bulk of their incomes. This is partly why you see artists such as The Vamps touring more than once a year in arenas across the UK, its the only way to make a sustainable income to keep the artists surging to the next record. Years ago, a band would play a live tour in support of an album, but now the main purpose of releasing a record is for the related tour.
This shifting of the industry is one of the main reasons as to why you will more commonly see heritage artists making a return, its also why bands are more likely to aim for a smaller venue with higher ticket prices. Those who are the bigger fans will pay the premium, and leave no seats unsold.
As one example, Dido’s most successful album originated from 2003, and has now announced a gig next year at London’s Roundhouse, at extortionate prices, but being a fan, I would pay it. I believe the most epitomic example of the comeback is Craig David. Hailed as the “comeback King”, David released his comeback single “when the bassline drops” back in 2016. His most prominent body of work was “Born to do it” back in 2001, leaving a 15 year gap in time (He has released sub-successful work in-between). This song was an instant smash, single after single pumped out, along with the album. UK tours were quick to follow, along with Ibiza residencies, and TS5 sets all across the world. Craig seemed to have proved the epic comeback can be successful after years in the dirt, and possibly paved the way for artists such as David Gray and Robyn.
Although Craig David may make it seem a simple process to make the big comeback, its not that simple, money isn’t the industries strong point in this current climate, and the comeback can often can lead to a loss of money. If people aren’t flocking out to see you, money will be lost. This is a huge risk when your biggest song was from 15 years ago. One way to combat this is to create a new fan base to coincide with the fans from years ago. The culmination of these two bases generally will create enough to sell out a venue if the music is good enough. All Saints had their biggest hits in 1998 and 2001 with “Never Ever” and “Pure Shores”, but since 2016 have released two new albums. They’ve played the Hammersmith Apollo as well as Brixton in London and gained support from various radio stations. They’ve rejuvenated the process of recording and releasing, and have not just set out to sell tickets to old fans, but to develop as a group and gain a brand new following.
Cher is another queen coming back, following suit of those like Craig David and All Saints. If you havent seen it plastered all over your Facebook (where have you been), then Cher has just announced her comeback world tour following her Vegas residency. This is off the back of her Abba cover album. PERSONALLY, I think its a bit of a stretch for her to announce the tour from a cover album, and a 30 second cameo in a Mamma Mia, but who am I? Girl get your ass in gear and release new music like everyone else is. HOWEVER, with a status like Cher, she’s got enough fans that’ll pay to see her perform regardless of new music, or updated publicity.
I think its an amazing thing to see these older artists rejuvenating their careers. It does no harm to the current state of the industry, and can create new opportunities for current artists. Not only that, but you get to go and jam out to “Believe” when your’e screaming to Cher at the o2 next year, and thats no bad thing.
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The recent changes of the record industry, and the shifting dynamic towards live music has created a rejuvenation of the good ol’ days. Just like how Michael Bublé somehow makes a re-appearance around November EVERY SINGLE YEAR. Now, the old-school artists are pulling a Bublé, but on a larger time scale with decades under their wing. Have you ever seen a tour announcement and said “I thought we left them in the 90’s”? Well that’s an ever-increasing occurrence, and it’s really not a bad thing! Don’t get me wrong, Celine Dione probably should’ve given up years ago. But credit where its due, she’s still trying to flog tickets all around the world, and that takes effort.