So now we know who to blame?
We’ll probably never know the real reason why Mostly Autumn’s set got cut short at the Cambridge Rock Festival. But I’m wondering if we can blame Guardian hack scribbler Caroline Sullivan, who genuinely seems to believe that all bands should be limited to 45 minute sets.
No band – not Razorlight, not anyone – needs to be onstage for longer than 45 minutes. In most cases, half an hour would suffice. An exception might be made for Madonna and others who stage big, theatrical spectaculars - they’d be allowed an hour, but not a minute longer.
…
I know what you’re thinking. I’m a rock critic who receives free tickets, so getting my money’s worth isn’t an issue. Well, before I did this job I paid for gigs, and even then, I felt exactly the same. I wanted to hear the best bits an artist had to offer, period. Anything more was extraneous, and once past a certain point – say 90 minutes – I’d be bored, because by then we’d be deep into the grim territory of unloved tracks and new material.
So, did anyone see Ms Sullivan lurking around backstage at Cambridge? Enquiring minds want to know…
September 21st, 2008 at 12:20 am
Well, there are/were bands who CAN whip through everything of consequence in 45 minutes. Like the Ramones….
September 21st, 2008 at 10:22 am
I’m not sure I’d want to listen to more that 45 minutes of The Ramones. But as not far short of 200 commenters say, her one-size-fits-all proposal is profoundly silly. A lot of bands are only just getting into their stride at that point. Just because she goes to see too many flavour-of-the-month bands with one-dimensional sounds.
September 21st, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Anyone who says bands should be limited to 45 minutes, and then makes an exception for Madonna, ain’t right in the head.
She sounds pretty jaded.
September 21st, 2008 at 3:04 pm
“and the grim territory of unloved tracks and new material”.
How dare a band dare to play a song she doesn’t know! I’ve often found myself listening most intently when a band plays a new song that’s not yet released.
Anyway, Madonna is all about showbiz spectacle, for which the actual music is entirely secondary - her entire career is about the triumph of style over substance. Doesn’t she just mime half the time anyway?