Popular Bands -- Sad Decline

RAJ

Can we talk about bands that were once huge and are still sadly chugging along?

It's weird to see these 90s bands who were once platinum groups playing arenas -- now playing bars and small venues.

dollar_bin

I've always imagined if you sell you soul to the Devil for rock and roll fame, he'll give you one big hit and then curse you to spend the rest of your life playing out that song to decreasingly appreciative and tolerant audiences. Apparently Rupert Holmes hates Pi??a Coladas.

pickwick33

Raj, it's even weirder to see the Spin Doctors on that circuit, since they were on it seemingly before the 90s even ended.

Brian

http://www.honolulupulse.com/bars-clubs/pics-toad-the-wet-sprocket-at-the-royal-lahaina-resort

DB_Cooper

This thread reminds me of that dude a little while back who was super psyched to see Heart on tour. They were playing with, like, Winger or some shit.

pickwick33

DB_Cooper said:

This thread reminds me of that dude a little while back who was super psyched to see Heart on tour. They were playing with, like, Winger or some shit.

But Heart is different. They've been around for so long, you'd expect them to play some gig with Winger (who would be in the same boat as far as being has-beens).

But the Spin Doctors' fall was SWIFT...

DB_Cooper

pickwick33 said:

But the Spin Doctors' fall was SWIFT...

Are the Soup Dragons still touring? I always tie those two together as the face of a very specific time in pop radio/MTV.


Fun fact: I bought my current set of Techs used on eBay around maybe 2002ish(?). One arrived with a Soup Dragons slipmat on it.

Let that sink in for a moment.

meistromoco

my friend was in town in DC last 4th of July to film some Dos Equis event...the headliner?

Soul Asylum

I did not attend.

bsuwolf

In regards to The Soup Dragons, I saw them headline a multi-band concert at Ball State U. in 1992 that included James, Black Sheep, and The Tom Tom Club. The Soup Dragons actually put on a pretty entertaining show...

waxjunky

The Spin Doctors remind me of my high school ex-girlfriend. She liked a lot of bands that I just hated. That "Life Is a Highway" song also comes to mind. Hated that, too.

white_tea

That band Collective Soul seems to play this local suburban rib fest annually. I did not, nor do I plan, to attend, although I do sample the swine.

bull_ox

Spin Doctors played a (free?) outdoor gig in downtown Raleigh a few years back and afterward a bunch of those who attended ended up at the bar Soulmarcosa and I were playing old records at.

It was a weird night.

escoe

slightly off topic, but there is this mega flake festival held every year where im living called "hillside" i swear to god almost all, if not all listed so far coulda been headliners. few years back chumbawumba was headlining. to top it off they charge a arm and a leg for tickets.

luck

A summer or two ago, I once walked by a Vanilla Ice show in an alley outside the bar up the street. Coolio was also listed on the concert banner, which spanned the abutting buildings. I think that it was the "Vomit Comes In All Colors" tour.

pickwick33

bull_ox said:

Spin Doctors played a (free?) outdoor gig in downtown Raleigh a few years back and afterward a bunch of those who attended ended up at the bar Soulmarcosa and I were playing old records at.

It was a weird night.

You must expound on this, brother. What happened, a bunch of square-looking people showed up, wondering why you weren't playing any Smash Mouth?

Mr_Lee_PHD

STYX

DJ_NevilleC

If those bands are smart they'll get on the corporate/convention circuit. You might be selling your soul but at least you'd get paid better than playing the clubs.

pickwick33

DJ_NevilleC said:

If those bands are smart they'll get on the corporate/convention circuit. You might be selling your soul but at least you'd get paid better than playing the clubs.

Well, that's the thing with the nineties bands. I think the reason why you don't see bands from that decade on the convention circuit (or even ribfest circuit) is because their time hasn't come yet, if you follow my meaning.

The people booking those shows might think a 90s has-been act might be either unapproachable or disbanded. And the bands themselves might still think they have a contemporary audience, even if they have to come back in a different band altogether.

behemoth

on a sad note my friend booked the Spin Doctors in 2008. and their guarantee was depressing. don't ask why he booked em haha

edulus

better than ezra

DocMcCoy

DJ_NevilleC said:

If those bands are smart they'll get on the corporate/convention circuit. You might be selling your soul but at least you'd get paid better than playing the clubs.

One of my boys was/is in a band who had some pretty respectable success during the 80s & 90s, including one enormous US hit single. It was mainly that big hit which led to them having something of an Indian summer on the corporate/convention circuit when their career took a bit of a dip at the turn of the century. They all met up again at my boy's wedding last year, and are working on some new shit which may or may not see the light of day next year.

Jimster

The Spinnies Drummer (Aaron?) and one of the guitar players dropped into a club I was playing after one of their Manchester gigs and we jammed for a bit. He was a good dude and could certainly play.

The Spinnies always reminded me of The Black Crow(e?)s or the other way around. Another band now dwelling in the spider hole?

pcmr

i saw that the world famous MTL Jazz Fest has a feature show with none other than...

MEN WITHOUT HATTS

The_Hook_Up

all of the bands that were huge 20 years ago get booked at the Memphis In May music fest...the line up every year looks like the greatest hits of 1992.

bull_ox

pcmr said:

i saw that the world famous MTL Jazz Fest has a feature show with none other than...

MEN WITHOUT HATTS

I'm assuming they do a 25-minute version of "Safety Dance" and go home?

james

DB_Cooper said:

I bought my current set of Techs used on eBay around maybe 2002ish(?). One arrived with a Soup Dragons slipmat on it.

This is really fucking me up.

I'm imagining that the slipmat in question pictured a fractal. If I'm wrong, don't tell me.

pcmr

TRIPPING DAISY

esskay

I used to book a 1,500 capacity major concert venue here. It was sad to have such things play for me as Blue Oyster Cult, Robin Trower, Ted Nugent, etc that used to sell out 50,000 capacity stadiums in the 70's glory years-these acts for us would only sell bet. 500 to 800 tickets.

NiteKrawler45

A few years back I had to go to an event in Northern Virginia which was basically a small town local celebration that they do every summer. It was a "lots of small time groups and guys just playing part time performing for very suburban families while they eat and relax" type deal. Lotta older classic rock heads with 5 year olds and soccer moms. You get the idea. This particular time, the mostly no name roster included Naughty By Nature and Rob Base. It was terrible to see them degrade themselves like that. I don't think most of the familes there knew what was going on. And OPP is not meant for such an occasion. Bonus: they did some pretty rough tunes that made me embarassed for even being there.

pickwick33

NiteKrawler45 said:

A few years back I had to go to an event in Northern Virginia which was basically a small town local celebration that they do every summer. It was a "lots of small time groups and guys just playing part time performing for very suburban families while they eat and relax" type deal. Lotta older classic rock heads with 5 year olds and soccer moms. You get the idea. This particular time, the mostly no name roster included Naughty By Nature and Rob Base. It was terrible to see them degrade themselves like that. I don't think most of the familes there knew what was going on. And OPP is not meant for such an occasion. Bonus: they did some pretty rough tunes that made me embarassed for even being there.

Yikes.

It doesn't seem so bad when fading hitmakers are playing for their fans, even if it's at some small-town park. But situations like what you just described are a whole nother sad story.

On a related note: is there a law that states all aging African-American male soul singers on the revival circuit have to dress like THIS?:


(yes, I know there's a woman in the picture, but it seems to be mainly the men who rock this look)

NiteKrawler45

pickwick33 said:

On a related note: is there a law that states all aging African-American male soul singers on the revival circuit have to dress like THIS?:


(yes, I know there's a woman in the picture, but it seems to be mainly the men who rock this look)

Guess the oversize jackets work well for hiding personal size increases? The greater the age, the greater the fabric. Cee Lo rocked it in his FU vid on some old Soul Revue ish