Merck hopes for Gn'r summer tour

[Eva GnRAxlRosette]

the difference is that , some time ago, market reseacrh was made AFTER the creation
now as, merck says, the market research tells what to create ....

like the media creates its stars instead of finding them and putting them out there

"The faith, bond and trust built with the people that matter are the secret behind every career artist?s success and it is the reason why everyone in this room hopes that Iron Maiden, Neil Young, Robert Plant, Tom Petty, Black Sabbath with Ozzy, Elton John, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, Eminem, Guns N? Roses, and Morrissey will tour this summer, because you know the faithful will be there with their bums on seats to be baptized once again."

Wouldn't the Greatful Dead be another good example to demonstrate what Merck was talking about.? The Dead and their fans thrived on the live show - the touring.... not radio play and market research which told radio what to play, etc.

Great speech by Merck btw?

[leesixxrose]

Merk can hope all he wants... along with all the other people in the room... but if Axl says it isnt ready then it isnt ready...

[damien24]

who the hell is merck?   thats a stupid name to give a baby

[disease51883]

I just went back and read the Merck's entire speech, and I have to say that he seems like a wise fellow. I'm glad that GNR's doing business with him, and hopefully they'll continue to do so as much as possible in future. Sanctuary Records, maybe?...

[Scabbie]

I had a sneaky suspicion once Merck became CEO, he'd start 'leveraging' the GNR name, its easy to be cynical about this from a business perspective but at the same time the publishing deal makes me think GNR is a core part of their future strategy.

[jarmo]

If you think Iron Maiden would sell 1000 without MTV today, then you haven't been paying attention.

You didn't respond to why Culture Club isn't selling out stadiums today since they were on MTV and radio in the 80s just like Iron Maiden.


All the "old" bands, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney are doing quite well without having their latest singles being played on MTV. It's because they have fans who have been there since the days they actually were on MTV maybe 20 years ago.

GN'R sold out arenas thanks to being popular in the late 80s/early 90s in 2002. They weren't getting their new video played on MTV in 2002 for obvious reasons.



/jarmo

[madagas]

This is a recent interview with Bob Dylan-sort of ties in to Axl, what Merck is saying, the media and the state of music today..interesting. I will post my thoughts after hearing what some of you say.

Bob:In the early '90s when I escaped the organized media, they let me be.
They considered me irrelevant, which was the best thing that could have
happened to me. I was waiting for that. No artist can develop for any
length of time in the light of the media, no matter who it is. If the
media was commenting on every article you wrote, imagine what it would
do to you.
Q: Do you worry, that the latest rash of awards and acclaim will make
the media start focusing on you again?

BOB: No, that time has passed. Once they move away and lose track of
you, they'll never catch up with you again. They're off searching for
someone new to put a label on.


BOB: I know there are groups at the top of the charts that are hailed as
the saviours of rock'n'roll and all that, but they are amateurs, They
don't know where the music comes from . . . I was lucky. I came up in a
different era. There were these great blues and country folk artists
around, and the impulse to play 'those sounds' came to me at a very
early age. I wouldn't even think about playing music if I was born in
these times."

BOB: I'm not sure people understood a lot of what I was writing about. I
don't even know if I would understand them if I believed everything that
has been written about them by imbeciles who wouldn't know the first
thing about writing songs. I've always said the organized media
propagated me as something I never pretended to be . . . all this
spokesman of conscience thing. A lot of my songs were definitely
misinterpreted by people who didn't know any better, and it goes on
today.

[AxlFink]

phish didnt get much radio or mtv  airplay.  I think they did ok.  GnR can do the same.

[AxlFink]

good stuff from dylan... as much as I dont like them, pearl jam did the right thing.  they pulled them selves out of the mtv media game and just played their music.  they are kinda untouchable now.  I dont know if Axl will ever be able to do that though.  He's been an icon for too long during the mtv generation where every time he took a shit it was on mtvnews.  I also think he's gonna want to do videos and get back on top.  To sell what CD needs to sell he kinda has to.  Then maybe after that he can back away a bit with the other albums that will follow. 

[Fretzo]

It's funny that he mentions Neil Young with all of those Greatest Hits acts.  Neil Young does small venues with obscure set lists instead of the big venues that he could easily do with a greatest hits tour.

[Nytunz]

Merck hopes for Gn`r summer tour??

Well, he`s not alone on that one! 

[GNR_Green]

I think GN'R will be in the limelight when they get back.  The only thing that's likely to prevent it is Axl's age or if they don't make many radio/tv freindly songs.  We already know that Blues and Maddy are MTV playable though, so who knows?

I hope they don't do an Ozzy, the name doesn't need it and Axl doesn't need it as he already has legions (possibly) of fans who know his talent.

[Nytunz]

I think GN'R will be in the limelight when they get back.? The only thing that's likely to prevent it is Axl's age or if they don't make many radio/tv freindly songs.? We already know that Blues and Maddy are MTV playable though, so who knows?

I hope they don't do an Ozzy, the name doesn't need it and Axl doesn't need it as he already has legions (possibly) of fans who know his talent.

I dont think his Age is gonna make any different. He is ONLY 43, and that is young to be such a Rock-legend!

[ppbebe]

Madagas, you brougt in very interesting item.

BOB: I'm not sure people understood a lot of what I was writing about. I
don't even know if I would understand them if I believed everything that
has been written about them by imbeciles who wouldn't know the first
thing about writing songs. I've always said the organized media
propagated me as something I never pretended to be . . . all this
spokesman of conscience thing. A lot of my songs were definitely
misinterpreted by people who didn't know any better, and it goes on
today.

I guess The Same is the case with Axl...
Tommy says Axl is the most misinterpreted man he's ever met.

Tommy Stinson "because people kinda have this whole different thing on him - and its not really up to me to destroy the myth, but - But the one myth I can destroy is that - he is very much a collaborator"

Destroy the myth! We don't need it, do we? We are not in mythology time.

[madagas]

The thing is that the media in America and most of the world are way out of control. They have way more influence than they should and like Dylan says, it is damaging to the artist. Radio is complete shit now. That is what Merck is talking about. All these formats meant to please a "passive" music buying public. Modern Rock is an absolute atrocity to anything that is or was "rock". What you get is what Dylan was talking about-amateurs who try to come up with a sound to fit a format. That is why they will never be transcendent artists like the old Guns or Neil Young or whoever. If you truly listen to Guns with an objective mind, they don't fit ANY category on the radio today. Sometimes punk, sometimes metal, sometimes classic, sometimes even pop. As far as Bob's irrelevant comment. Axl is essentially irrelevant at this point and that should be taken as a good thing. It has given him the freedom to be a risk taker (assuming he releases the album). Nobody ever made a truly great album without taking risk.

[the dirt]

Instead of starting a new topic, I'll mention this here.

the dirt hopes for a summer tour out of GNR as well.

[ppbebe]

Me too the dirt. (Who doesn'T )

I totally agree with your point madagas, and I hope that's what Merck is talking about.

But, if Merck means "music fans" for "loyal fans of particular musician/band" and if he thinks musician/band should cater mostly for these fans' demand in place of general public's appreciation,  ?that's a bit worrying. Coz many of old school fans tend to love their fav bands for their old images and hate the changes. It's like switching the format from that of "passive" music buying public to that of specific fans. If so, it would be also damaging to the artist. I don't want GN'R forced to follow in Motley's footstep. 
Good music should be heard and musicians should be able to express themselves freely.

[February]

First thank's Jarmo for the link, great speach from Merk.
Second, i've not bought an album or ticket's for the most bands that are on MTV or Radio, and i've my radio on when i go to work and i see MTV on a regular basis how many of you do the same? One of my favorite bands now is called Siddharta, is a band from slovenia and i've heard of it from a estonien friend. Other than that most of the music i listen "on my choice" has 10 to 20 years old. Actually i recently bought Harvest in CD.
Merk's  point, from what i get, is that in the old days a band would have to get a fan base, and they would get it by playing their ass of where ever they could, detemination and good music would then site the vibe, word to mouth would do their business, and then a record deal, some radio exposure, tv and so on, of couse a bit of luck never hurt and many geat musicians never made it. Anyways they would get the recod deal because they had a fan base people would talk and the record company considered that if they promoted they a lot more people would hear and the fan base would spead.
What you have now is complete fabricated artists that sell because of the money spent on promotion and explotion of the side Kick's - they are all beautifull, very well dressed, you nkow all about their life if you want, their cars, their houses, their toilet (ijust watch cribs), girl/boyfriend it's on their lavish life that teens dream on not the music...the music comes second to all thouse rubish, are you imagining Britney going from town to town singing in small venues with poor sound conditions and still have fans just to aprreciate the music she had to share? No. In ten years time will anybody remember "hit me one more time"? No. the process is inverted they shove this "artist's" down regardless of the quality of their music. By the way GNR's first video was played on MTV at dawn, it was Welcome to the Jungle, one time only as a personal favor to geffen CEO, and they continue to play it because they received a lot of request's from viwers. Would they heard of them if it was not on MTV? No, where they publicised? No why pepole wan year them?because a lot of people like good music, they are just not the ones who decided what is played any more.
Sorry for the long post, but i hate the music industry today.
Feb