"Cr*p Things Bands Do"

RocknRollDave

Many moons ago, one of the weekly, inky music papers (either the NME or the Melody Maker, I forget which) had a section called "Cr*p Things Bands Do", which catalogued....well... the cr*p things that the bands of the day did.

Thought we could update the concept with some new cr*p things that bands do that maybe they didn't do back in the 90's. I'll kick off, but one rule: Please don't just list bands you don't like and say the cr*p thing they do is "make rubbish music" and/ or "play rubbish gigs".


Reissuing an album you only just released
(Yes, probably down to the record label, but either way..)
I'm thinking Lady Gaga re-releasing The Fame as The Fame Monster, Ellie Goulding re-hashing Lights as Bright Lights only to do the same trick again with Halcyon and Halcyon Days.
Release a record, write some new stuff and release a new record. Don't flog us the same dead horse.

Putting Songs From The Main Set of a Concert On The 2nd Disc of a DVD Set as "Bonus Material"
U2, 360 Live. They started every show with Breathe, but on the DVD release you have to stick Disc 2 in to watch it, totally out of context from the rest of the show. Tedeschi Trucks DVD "Bonus tracks..." How are they BONUS tracks, they are from the same concert?!

Your turn.

stickyfiddle

Splitting up rather than doing a big farewell tour, just when I'd resolved I was definitely going to see them next time. I'm looking at you, REM...

RocknRollDave

Participating in The Voice to boost your career
Ricky Whassname off the Kaiser Chiefs, Whassisname Whatsit off of The Script...I'm talking to YOU.


Performing on "Dancing With Famous People "
Or whatever it's called. Strictly Come Dancing, that's the badger.

guitarfishbay

Re-releasing an album with extra tracks doesn't have that much impact anymore when people just change which version is saved in their Spotify playlist.

Likewise anyone able to add an extra income stream via TV or whatever... fair play.  30 years ago anyone good, and broadly popular, could probably live off album sales alone.  These days the album is the advert for doing the stuff that makes the money, be that touring, merch, etc.

Ravenous

Save their best numbers for an "encore" at the end of the gig. It's so fake. We know they'll do those songs last, They know that we know, and it's just so pretentious.  Always has been...

EricTheWeary

Standard and Deluxe versions of new albums where the Deluxe has three or so additional songs. That might be crap or might be better but you've got to fork out about 30% extra to find out ( or turn to streaming). 

stickyfiddle

Ravenous said:

Save their best numbers for an "encore" at the end of the gig. It's so fake. We know they'll do those songs last, They know that we know, and it's just so pretentious.  Always has been...

I'll see you and raise "not even playing their best song because they think the new stuff is better, even though that's the only one half the crowd know all the words to"

EricTheWeary

Again probably down to record companies but not sorting a definitive best of or retrospective. Okay some do but others who seem happy to have a Mish mash of thrown together compilations out there.

Ravenous

Anybody mentioned that free U2 album sent out to every Apple customer yet? God that was funny. "We don't want your damn music Bono, even if it's free!"

BigMonka

Releasing a "best of" album which has new songs on it. We want the crowd pleasers on a best of, nothing less, nothing more.

RocknRollDave

stickyfiddle said:

Ravenous said:

Save their best numbers for an "encore" at the end of the gig. It's so fake. We know they'll do those songs last, They know that we know, and it's just so pretentious.  Always has been...

I'll see you and raise "not even playing their best song because they think the new stuff is better, even though that's the only one half the crowd know all the words to"

YES!

BigMonka said:

Releasing a "best of" album which has new songs on it. We want the crowd pleasers on a best of, nothing less, nothing more.

YES!

EricTheWeary said:

Again probably down to record companies but not sorting a definitive best of or retrospective. Okay some do but others who seem happy to have a Mish mash of thrown together compilations out there.

YES!



Agree on all of these! keep 'em coming!

Hoof

Become gradually more commercial and radio friendly by each album, alienating the fans of their earlier, more  complex and artistically challenging work that they owe their career to. 

I'm looking at you, Mastodon.

Winny_Pooh

Wear sunglasses in promo shots to hide wrinkles or the fact that you're desperately nerdy.

Never giving the bassist enough credit

Try too hard to write songs resembling their popular ones

Cirrus

Ravenous said:

Anybody mentioned that free U2 album sent out to every Apple customer yet? God that was funny. "We don't want your damn music Bono, even if it's free!"

The thing I find crazy about that is that Apple bought the album from U2 for $100 million, then Apple decided how it would be distributed. When it backfired, the backlash was exclusively aimed at U2 rather than the tech company that had pushed the album onto everyones phone. I actually think the whole exercise was a pretty interesting insight into our relationship with tech companies and the gear they invent for us, as well as how the industry's been affected by the changing way consumers want to deal with music.

RocknRollDave

10th anniversary reissue.....then a 20th anniversary reissue.....then a 30th .....etc


If there is material that is genuinely worth the customers' time of day and hard-earned cash....why was it passed over so many times until now? 

merlin

Shouting their own name really loudly and expecting the audience to join in. Think Major Lazer, Craig David etc. 

not_the_dj

Grow old
Split up
Die

proggy

Having more that one farewell gig.

Thunder have been having them for years.

mudslide73

Only doing one or two dates in the UK in the SE usually. 

Only playing tiny venues so even if you have access to pre sale you can't go. 

stimpsonslostson

Hoof said:

Become gradually more commercial and radio friendly by each album, alienating the fans of their earlier, more  complex and artistically challenging work that they owe their career to. 

I'm looking at you, Mastodon.

Cough*Biffy*Cough
Can't blame them too much though. If they don't make enough money then there's no music for anyone- Reuben... God I miss Reuben. 

stimpsonslostson

Saying the same things at gig after gig.
 
"Are you alive? How does it feel to be alive?"- Hetfield repeatedly at EVERY Metallica show I've seen/heard. 

Playing an "experimental jam" version of a song- everyone gets a solo thus taking up half the show with self indulgent twaddle. Chilis do this regularly. Foos have been guilty of it. Not to mention the obligatory 25min Dazed & Confused on every Led Zeppelin live release.