Regarding Fleetwood Mac cancelling as replacements at Jazz Fest for headliners, The Rolling Stones due to illness of singers on both accounts. I said, “This is what happens when the industry doesn’t invest in a younger generation. All the giants are dead and dying. There is a big hole where great big bands from the 2000s should be.”
…you remember when labels stopped signing bands? And now we are going roll out old White musicians that creatively peaked in 70s, to their graves, singing greatest hits, covered in money they don’t need.
Paul Simon and Elton just said “enough, I have enough money, I’m gonna be 80.”
Tom Petty died on the heels of a tour he never should have been cleared for. Prince worked himself to death and never even bought into long tours. Fame turned Michael Jackson into a clown and he died preparing for a tour he never should have been cleared for.
All the bands that would have mattered my age gave up and got “real jobs”.
Shawn Smith would lament to me on several occasions about the meltdown of the music industry, where only true Captains of Industry like Pearl Jam would survive,
“We used to have help. There used to be all these people that helped us. Labels, publicists, managers. Now they’re all gone.”
Shawn was one of those floating on the dingy. He could hook onto the big ships, like The Mother Love Bone, but even with shrinking royalty checks savaged by streaming, he was out there floating with no where to go, with the most amazing songs. Some of the best songs.
I thought about him and what he said to me that first time Steven Mack took us out for beers. I believe that was when B Anthony Nelson joined us to talk about trying to slide Shawn on an episode of the one season of Up Late.
There is a hole where bands should be and there will be more cancellations. Because we are pushing great grand dads into the battlefield with empty rifles and fresh meds.
Soundcloud is not the answer. The internet was never even the answer. A system of developing talent always was and always could be.
Some towns have it. Seattle? I am not so sure anymore.
Conrad Denke and Band in Seattle represent what that could actually be. But it takes a village, not just a sweet old man, bleeding his heart and his pocketbook to give still no name bands with a gentle a buzz a chance on local TV.
I was one of the artists that recognized what Conrad was trying to do, and I ran with it, and I helped him. Because sometimes you have to develop the talent that wants to develop the talent, and hope there will be more Conrads. But even he’s a product of that Major Label generation, and another Captain of a ship called The Last One Standing.
I salute ya that are still swimming and rowing for some unseen shore as waters rise and swallow every beach head.
– Musician and writer Davin Michael Stedman has many ventures, such as the AMAZING blog, 100milesofmusic.com. Davin’s new song has become a global earworm and Caribbean dancehall hit. Listen here on Reggaeville: DAVIN MICHAEL STEDMAN & ANTHONY RED ROSE – FREE YOUR MIND FEAT. SLY & ROBBIE WITH LENKY MARSDEN. The video is now available on Youtube: Tuff Gong Television. His single with British band Sherlock Soul is available here.
