This is Pathetic Options

[LiveForNow]

Live announces their reunion in November. They play a surprise show on NYE and actually get some press out of it. They announce three festival dates in the following week. And then... nothing. It's mid-February and the band is silent. Pretty much every major festival has announced their lineups and Live is not on the bill.

I wonder if Live realizes how much they take for granted the small but dedicated fan base they have. For a band that hasn't really been relevant since 1999, we have an active message board and at least three active Facebook groups constantly talking about the band. For Christ's sake, it's 2017 we're discussing what we want to buy, an interview with Kelly Slater where Live is briefly mentioned, a YouTube comment that spread a rumor about Ed's relationship with a sound tech, and the 1998 era. We're grasping at the smallest of straws to find something to talk about. Very few other 90s bands could be this silent and still have a fanbase as dedicated as us.

Let's compare this to one of my other favorite bands, Everclear. Everclear has been active since the early 90s, and even though Craig and Greg left the band in 2003, Everclear, lineup changes and all, are still making pretty consistent music (and good music too). Yet take a look at their message board and you'll find it's pretty much dead. This is a band that's doing 5x more work to stay relevant and their board is 5x less active.

I'm not gonna pretend like I'm gonna walk away from Live because of how silent they are, but I will say I'm extremely disappointed. We should have tour dates, new releases, and constant updates from the band to continute to spread the buzz. Instead Live isn't doing anything.

If any members of the band read this, please know we're here for you. We're your free press. We change our profile pictures when you reunite and tell our friends about all your recent developments. We want to help you succeed and fill concert halls again. But day by day, fans drop off and they don't come back. Please give us something that we can get excited about and advertise for you. We're ready.

[Frasbul]

Live announces their reunion in November. They play a surprise show on NYE and actually get some press out of it. They announce three festival dates in the following week. And then... nothing. It's mid-February and the band is silent. Pretty much every major festival has announced their lineups and Live is not on the bill.

I wonder if Live realizes how much they take for granted the small but dedicated fan base they have. For a band that hasn't really been relevant since 1999, we have an active message board and at least three active Facebook groups constantly talking about the band. For Christ's sake, it's 2017 we're discussing what we want to buy, an interview with Kelly Slater where Live is briefly mentioned, a YouTube comment that spread a rumor about Ed's relationship with a sound tech, and the 1998 era. We're grasping at the smallest of straws to find something to talk about. Very few other 90s bands could be this silent and still have a fanbase as dedicated as us.

Let's compare this to one of my other favorite bands, Everclear. Everclear has been active since the early 90s, and even though Craig and Greg left the band in 2003, Everclear, lineup changes and all, are still making pretty consistent music (and good music too). Yet take a look at their message board and you'll find it's pretty much dead. This is a band that's doing 5x more work to stay relevant and their board is 5x less active.

I'm not gonna pretend like I'm gonna walk away from Live because of how silent they are, but I will say I'm extremely disappointed. We should have tour dates, new releases, and constant updates from the band to continute to spread the buzz. Instead Live isn't doing anything.

If any members of the band read this, please know we're here for you. We're your free press. We change our profile pictures when you reunite and tell our friends about all your recent developments. We want to help you succeed and fill concert halls again. But day by day, fans drop off and they don't come back. Please give us something that we can get excited about and advertise for you. We're ready.

Are you posting on Hungry & Hollow? The Everclear facebook group is really active though. It kinda drew away from the message board, as everyone is on fb anyway and even Art is posting on there.

But yeah, I also think they could do more to stay relevant.

[Bremang]

This is normal. Album release. Tour. Back to the studio. Play a couple shows. Album Release.

[LiveForNow]

Are you posting on Hungry & Hollow? The Everclear facebook group is really active though. It kinda drew away from the message board, as everyone is on fb anyway and even Art is posting on there.

But yeah, I also think they could do more to stay relevant.

I may be mistaken about Everclear then. Which Facebook group are you referring to? I lurk on Hungry and Hollow but don't post.

As far as "Album release. Tour. Back to the studio" goes, they announced plans for a worldwide 2017 tour and have been very silent on it. It doesn't make sense. Even if they're still booking and want to release everything at once, they should still be active on their social media and give everyone a reason to check it regularly.

[Bremang]

Even if they're still booking and want to release everything at once, they should still be active on their social media and give everyone a reason to check it regularly.

I really don't know the intricacies of marketing and promotion. But some artists are silent, and their fan base stays active. When the band drops news, it sends shock waves. What can they really do in the meantime?

[Voodoo Lady]

I am in total agreement with you, LiveForNow. I have written here about my frustration with LIVE and their silence also. I just don't get it. I check this message board and their Facebook pages daily for updates and it is literally painful to see nothing from them. I'm not kidding... I have such an emotional connection with this band. --Seeing them reunited and being so overjoyed for something that I wished for them to do for so many years... and then CRICKETS. It hurts my LIVE loving soul.

They should have capitalized on the buzz with the media they created with their NYE show. If they would have had just one new song at that show... just one! If they would have gone on tour at by February 1.... If they would just interact with fans and promote themselves on their Facebook pages.... Ed was posting more on FB when he was solo. What's up with that?!?

We all should have tickets in our hands now for a show by now somewhere; sometime. What kind of "world tour in 2017" is this? I just checked my email and had a Live Nation concert advertisement/message. I eagerly opened it thinking, "Maybe, just maybe it will have some LIVE dates!" Pfffft. Why do I even bother? But I saw that Deep Purple and Alice Cooper are going on tour. You're telling me that 70 year old men can go on tour for their fan base, but LIVE can't put a together a decent string of dates for us?

What is the road block? Is it the Zoe chick they are putting all their time and effort into? Chad T promotes her more than his own band.

Frustrated beyond belief.

[Voodoo Lady]

I really don't know the intricacies of marketing and promotion. But some artists are silent, and their fan base stays active. When the band drops news, it sends shock waves. What can they really do in the meantime?

They should have the dates of the World Tour 2017 (that they promised) already set in stone and tickets should be on sale. It would be nice for us to have at least one new song by now. You cannot tell me that it is not feasible for them to have put out a song by now. JUST ONE! They could have re-released MJ with a new song tacked on the end and a decent version or two of some rarities. They should have new merch in their store. They should be talking more with the fans through social media; giving us little teasers of what they are working on. They should be talking more with the press and radio. They could do a new photo shoot for a new press release or whatever they are called. Possibilities are endless. Need I go on?

[Voodoo Lady]

Also, thank you for starting a new thread, LiveforNow. I was actually here late Sunday night, pages deep, reading topics from years ago & looking for something to bump up. Yes, I was that bored. I couldn't find anything worthy or think of anything new. #"My well is dripping dry today."

[Bremang]

They should have the dates of the World Tour 2017 (that they promised) already set in stone and tickets should be on sale. It would be nice for us to have at least one new song by now. You cannot tell me that it is not feasible for them to have put out a song by now. JUST ONE! They could have re-released MJ with a new song tacked on the end and a decent version or two of some rarities. They should have new merch in their store. They should be talking more with the fans through social media; giving us little teasers of what they are working on. They should be talking more with the press and radio. They could do a new photo shoot for a new press release or whatever they are called. Possibilities are endless. Need I go on?

With about 4-5 unfinished tracks. They want their first new song to be impressive cause that song will be the most newsworthy. They'll wait to have a bunch of tracks completely written before hiring Jerry Harrison to produce them, and only then deliberate over which tracks to release. Just my guess.

Re-release MJ with an extra track? They need to convince Radioactive that anyone would buy it, right?

Teasers? I don't think that's for everyone. Artists don't have to show unfinished work.

Press and radio? They don't have a new album, just a couple shows, so they're getting plenty of attention for promoting just that.

The tour dates will be out when they're ready to be out. Why do you need a November date right now in Australia? It's all properly timed.

[Voodoo Lady]

With about 4-5 unfinished tracks. They want their first new song to be impressive cause that song will be the most newsworthy. They'll wait to have a bunch of tracks completely written before hiring Jerry Harrison to produce them, and only then deliberate over which tracks to release. Just my guess.

Re-release MJ with an extra track? They need to convince Radioactive that anyone would buy it, right?

Teasers? I don't think that's for everyone. Artists don't have to show unfinished work.

Press and radio? They don't have a new album, just a couple shows, so they're getting plenty of attention for promoting just that.

The tour dates will be out when they're ready to be out. Why do you need a November date right now in Australia? It's all properly timed.

Not buying it. I have been obsessively-compulsively following bands since I was 14 years old. So it's been over three decades of fan-girling for me. I've seen many bands do way more with less time; before internet even existed. If LIVE was not ready with some "goods" or a game plan in Nov./Dec., they should have kept a tighter lid on the reunion thing. They have been dangling the string in front of us for almost a year. You have to admit, it kinda sucks.

This post has been edited by Voodoo Lady: Feb 15 2017, 7:41 pm

[Live4Life]

You guys are forgetting...this is a band that has not played together for over 7 years.
I mean, you want shows, new music, etc..but damn...they haven't even practiced enough yet! Lol.
You will get a new song and then everyone will say it sucks and was rushed.
Hahaa...l.then when they take their time it's too "slow". Lmao. But def do Need to give them some time for Gods sake. Every band is different. Some need more time and practice than others.

Give them a break. They are also still repairing their friendships as well.
And hopefuly they are being careful at picking who does what marketing wise and all that jazz.
I'm hoping for the best and am very excited for what's to come but mehhhh...no rush means better music! Right?

This post has been edited by Live4Life: Feb 15 2017, 7:52 pm

[Bremang]

Not buying it. I have been obsessively-compulsively following bands since I was 14 years old. So it's been over three decades of fan-girling for me. I've seen many bands do way more with less time; before internet even existed. If LIVE was not ready with some "goods" or a game plan in Nov./Dec., they should have kept a tighter lid on the reunion thing. They have been dangling the string in front of us for almost a year. You have to admit, it kinda sucks.

This is the most Live has ever promoted a year prior to releasing music. They streamed a new years concert, put up a new website, revealed some festival dates, did some interviews, and there isn't even any material being promoted. That's plenty. Think back to the 90's when Live fans got almost nothing during the drought between releases.

This post has been edited by Bremang: Feb 15 2017, 8:16 pm

[Voodoo Lady]

They have been mending their friendship fence for a year and a half, I estimate.
Ed was finished touring solo last May. That gave them seven months to crank out -one- quality song. The standard Live fan might complain about a great song not being stellar. But I'm not standard.
They don't need to practice for the same old set list. Only a song they haven't played in a long time, i.e. Meltdown. They would only need to rehearse for a tour. How long would that take, really? A week from 8-5?

[Voodoo Lady]

This is the most Live has ever promoted a year prior to releasing music. They streamed a new years concert, put up a new website, revealed some festival dates, did some interviews, and there isn't even any material being promoted. That's plenty. Think back to the 90's when Live fans got almost nothing during the drought between releases.

Yes, I remember the droughts of the 90s. I do agree with that. But I can parallel them with other bands even at that time, and can tell you they were never good at promoting themselves (or good at hiring people who could). But it's not the 90's anymore and you'd think they'd have learned by now and do things differently. In the 90s they didn't have to worry about falling off into obscurity.

You have to admit, that something is "off" or peculiar with the silence. It might just be the Zoe thing, I don't know. It can't be legal issues with CS, as I considered before the Nov. reunion announcement.

[san_sao]

I think they're just taking things really slow for good measure (not a bad idea, imo). I'm not so worried about the silence. Festivals in May and interviews in Rolling Stone aren't small news.