Take it from U2, fans only want one thing
Once you’re an iconic musical act with several decades on the clock, getting the masses to listen to your new music is tough going. So why not just give the people what they want and stick to the greatest hits, asks Cameron Adams.
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U2 may still be the biggest modern rock band on the planet but even they knew they had to play a 32-year-old album in full to fill Australian stadiums in 2019.
Because once you’re a musical act with 20 or — in U2’s case — nearly 40 years on the clock, getting the masses to listen to your new music on albums and particularly in concerts is tough going.
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It’s a strange one — Robert DeNiro and Meryl Streep aren’t forced to live in the past, Stephen King still gets attention for new novels, theatre actors are still marquee draws in their 70s but the public love to freeze-frame musicians in their glory days.
U2 found that out the hard way a few years ago when they literally gave a new album away by uploading it — as a gift — to people’s iPhones. What some saw as a genius marketing move, others saw as uninvited spam — Apple had to specifically create an app for users to delete the album.
When you can’t even give away your new album without people moaning, you know it’s hard out there for a rock band who clearly think they still have new songs worth hearing.
It was fresh ammunition to the legions of U2 haters, who for all the millions they’ve raised for charity, will bring up all the millions they’ve (legally) ducked and weaved in taxes. Rock stars like Bono who are politically active are always going to automatically alienate a section of their audience who just want them to shut up and sing.
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U2 don’t see themselves as a nostalgia act but there’s no denying they’re trading on nostalgia for The Joshua tree tour.
They deliberately didn’t bring their last tour, 2018’s Experience and Innocence jaunt, here because the new to old song ratio was too risky for a stadium show.
We’ve become a world of spoiled concert goers hungry for hits who become restless when “heritage” acts dare play anything unfamiliar.
That’s partly because those “heritage” acts now charge $150 for nosebleed seats. If you’re coughing up $400 for a decent seat, you could argue you’ve got the right to be more than a little spoiled.
Very few superstar artists can get away with anything other than Greatest Hits shows once they hit 50.
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Madonna has already pre-warned fans her new tour (it’s not coming here) will be 70 per cent new material. Front row seats are around $1500 (she’s dropped from arenas to stadiums and raised the price — intimacy to a superstar doesn’t come cheap).
And you know the hits she will reluctantly play will probably be Like a Prayer performed on a kazoo.
The Rolling Stones always play the mandatory big hits, with only a few wildcards each night to keep things interesting.
Paul McCartney basically gives you three hours of Beatles, Wings and solo anthems with a handful of new songs.
Elton John’s farewell tour is wall to wall classics — he won’t have that embarrassing moment from his last few tours when he foolishly warned “here’s a few songs from my latest album” and you could literally watch people seize the opportunity to fill their drinks and empty their bladders.
Also retiring this year are Kiss, who have basically played the same show with the same songs, same wigs and same stunts for the past 20 years. The diehard fans would want more rarities but rarities don’t fill arenas and make rock stars millions.
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There are still a few anomalies. Bruce Springsteen does epic four hour shows where he goes totally off script with no setlist. If you’re a fan of The Boss, you know you’ll always get a bespoke show. It’s something Prince (RIP) used to do as well. It’s a dying art.
The Cure just played their classic album Disintegration in full in Sydney, book-ending it with b-sides, instrumental demos and rarities. Frontman Robert Smith deliberately didn’t play any hits (outside those on the album) and when you’re playing small shows (like the Opera House) to diehard fans, you can do that. In an arena or a festival, not so much.
One of the reasons Fleetwood Mac reportedly booted Lindsay Buckingham out of the band was because he’d grown tired of just playing the same set of hits and wanted to play deeper cuts and seven minute guitar solos — fans who’ve dropped $400 for tickets just want as many songs from Rumours as possible, just like they remember them, thanks.
And that’s where we’re at. Even though there are plenty of older acts still making great music (look at Jimmy Barnes and Russell Morris locally this year alone for starters), nostalgia sells. You may really want people to listen to your new material but they can do that at home for free (or next to nothing, thanks to streaming).
But if they’re coughing up big bucks, you better get your hits out.
Otherwise announce a show and clearly label you’re only showcasing recent songs and see how that works out.
Cameron Adams is a national music writer for News Corp.
Originally published as Take it from U2, fans only want one thing
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