Tuesday 19 July 2011

Super Groups = Time Out Groups

The concept of a super-group is simple and on-paper at least, should work.

Drag talented artists/members from other groups and place them together to write and perform, whilst retaining the original integrity of the prime band.

In truth if one surveyed rock music history you’ll soon see super-groups hardly ever work.

Sure they can often sell records and have the inside running for record company promotion.

When you drag W, X, Y and Z to play in a band, you by rights drag some of their fans as well.

Curiosity however doesn’t last.

Super Groups are by and large holding-pens for bored band members, quick and easy money.

Too often of late they can devolve into some sort of ‘public jam session’ like for example Thom Yorke and RHCP’s Flea’s pretentious group Atoms for Peace.  

Even with oddles of previous talent onboard, bands such as Angels and Airwaves (members from Blink 182, Offspring, 30 Seconds to Mars) failed to ignite their old fans, produced as much electricity as the static from a pair of slippers.

Make no bones about deep down-inside-the staunch fans wants to see the ‘old’ band, try to embrace the new but invariably their expectations fall short.

This intro leads me to The Adults, probably New Zealand’s first bona fide ‘Super Group’ who are touring New Zealand as we speak.

I am certainly more of a Dimmer man than a Shihad one but I’ve probably enjoyed Shihad more live than say Dimmer. The other troops I know little to nothing about and don't plan to.   

I still won’t be going to The Adults Christchurch, more technically now Rangiora, gig next week.

Why?

Because I know I will be disappointed.

I will be looking in all the wrong places to find something that isn’t there.

Then again you might have discovered something I've missed here so far? 



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