The Biggest Challenge For Live's Future Success Is... Options

[thefunkyredcaboose]

True, but a good rock song can also be a good pop. Considering pop is mainly just popular if it's great in any format and can cross over it really is pop. Gotye is at the top of the rock and alternative formats right now. It broke here on Alternative radio which I consider it more alternative than pure pop. But by now it's a pop song all the way due to it's huge popularity. Anyway, we're in total agreement that comparing Live to any of those is pointless. Bush is a good example. Soundgarden too. They've already created quite a buzz and when they make their full comeback I expect it to be huge. Maybe Live can tour with them.

Good point, I just have a hard time envisioning the loud raucious rock that I want Live to make hitting across all those different markets. The Gotye song can do that because it is a good song and because it is mellow, there are even a lot of hipster types who have been tricked into liking that one!

I guess the big point in all this is we need to draw a line between Live being popular as a rock band or popular across multiple formats. Comparing Live to these artists just isn't fair to them, but typically the popular rock songs are so compressed, contained, and computer generated that it makes me want to cry. I don't want Live to do that.

[FishOutaWater]

I am a goal followed by stategy followed by action kind of guy. That is how I have lived my life and I have accomplished pretty much every goal I have ever set my mind to. I think it is helpful to identify the challenges and then come up with an action plan to overcome the challenges and then take massive action to implement the strategies.

So I think the biggest challenge will be the depressed market for rock music and the lack of a proper outlet like great rock radio to promote

I think the second biggest challenge for them will be the change of the lead singer and those who have heard of Live not accepting them without Ed.

I think the third biggest challenge will be their age.

I think the fourth biggest challenge will be the lack of a major record label.

I think the fifth biggest challenge (if this actually truns out to be true) will be the lack of funding for promotion and a tour.

As I mentioned in another post a few weeks ago, I believe that one of the keys to overcome all of these challenges is (1) an ingenious, innovative, multi-staged, well-thought-out promotional strategy that positions their brand among the right demographic, including an effective viral social media strategy, and (2) leveraging and cashing in on every single connection they have and every favor they are owed in the industry. In additon, I think they should get on every major festival and maybe open a few dates for a huge rock act like U2 or Foo Fighters. With a fresh new start with a new lead singer, it gives them a fresh opportunity to pivot away from where Live was in 2001 through 2009 and start with new energy. If they want to bring the Spirit of Live back to rock relevance and get the band "from York, Pennsylvania" mentioned by name on David Letterman again, it will be a huge summit that they will need to climb. I think it is worth doing for the sake of Live and what it stands for. I just think that they need to approach it with a well-thought-out strategy and not take it for granted that good music will eventually find its place and get its deserved appreciation.

[PillarOfDavidson]

I think the problem with "success" is that it's a relative term and it's always been dependent on a person's point of view. Right now everything seems like it's in some kind of transition to... something else. All of that stale shit you hear on the radio is probably just the result of the old dynamic trying to hang on, same as always. But it seems like maybe the old definition of success is approaching an obsolete state, if it's not there already. I mean, back in the 90's if you allowed a company to use 30 seconds of your song to make some cash you were considered a corporate sellout whereas now it seems that you almost have to take it in order to really make any money or stay afloat.

I'm thinking that it's more than just the economy, though. For example, you see vinyl making a pretty big come back with people who want listening to music to be more than just a background event while everything else is going on around it. Before MP3's, we had CD's. Before that cassettes. Before that 8-track tapes. Before that vinyl. Before that I don't even fucking know. What I do know is that once upon a time we didn't even have a way to listen to music on any kind of listening device. Once upon a time we had to actually be in the presence of musicians to hear their music. Maybe, in some round about way, we're circling back to some modernized version of that reality. Who knows? Maybe we're getting back to intimate gatherings at someone's house and listening to someone bang shit out of an acoustic, like Brian Vander Ark and others are doing. Maybe that's just where life is headed, at least for a little while. Maybe that's a good thing... after all, in a lot of ways excess has been our (society's) problem for far too long.

Just rambling thoughts on my part... something to make you think.

Alter Bridge gathered 11 thousand people for their DVD gig in Manchester.

I actually do not think rock is THAT dead. I have been hearing people about its death since... I dunno... since I was born. And that is about 30 years already.

Yeah... I get tired of hearing that shit, honestly. I've always thought that rock was about more than just the sounds you hear anyway.

This post has been edited by MrSheptical: May 17 2012, 5:40 pm

[Pokey]

The thing is that this is all relevant by what you define success to be and more importantly what they define success to be now days. The current scene of rock in the mainstream is pretty dire I admit, but walk into a bar in your local city and you'll see a good rock band plying their trade. it's still there bubbling beneath the surface and we know the quality of Live's music will be there but they dont have to force their way into a world that doesn't work for them anymore. Their task surely is to find what will work for them, and maybe that's really low key. Throwing up names like U2, Foo Fighters etc are not really in Live's stratosphere. I just bought tickets to see Band of Skulls soon, they're a great new rock band, not on the same level of popularity and prestige as Foo Fighters, but if Live got half of what Band of Skulls is getting at the moment I'd call it a success.

[Pokey]

I think the problem with "success" is that it's a relative term .

You just had to press "submit post" seconds before me didn't you?

[PillarOfDavidson]

Something else... more rambling thoughts... I think that when you've been in one place for too long you get numbed to how much better or worse it could be for you.

Things could be so much better for Live right now... but on the other hand things could be so much worse. You just have to be thankful for where you are. I think we as fans just need to be thankful there is a Live at all.

You just had to press "submit post" seconds before me didn't you?

Dude... I've been working on that post on and off for the last couple of hours. I guess timing is everything.

But hey it's just confirmation that we're the right ones in the thread.

This post has been edited by MrSheptical: May 17 2012, 5:50 pm

[themaestro]

I am a goal followed by stategy followed by action kind of guy. That is how I have lived my life and I have accomplished pretty much every goal I have ever set my mind to. I think it is helpful to identify the challenges and then come up with an action plan to overcome the challenges and then take massive action to implement the strategies.

So I think the biggest challenge will be the depressed market for rock music and the lack of a proper outlet like great rock radio to promote

I think the second biggest challenge for them will be the change of the lead singer and those who have heard of Live not accepting them without Ed.

I think the third biggest challenge will be their age.

I think the fourth biggest challenge will be the lack of a major record label.

I think the fifth biggest challenge (if this actually truns out to be true) will be the lack of funding for promotion and a tour.

As I mentioned in another post a few weeks ago, I believe that one of the keys to overcome all of these challenges is (1) an ingenious, innovative, multi-staged, well-thought-out promotional strategy that positions their brand among the right demographic, including an effective viral social media strategy, and (2) leveraging and cashing in on every single connection they have and every favor they are owed in the industry. In additon, I think they should get on every major festival and maybe open a few dates for a huge rock act like U2 or Foo Fighters. With a fresh new start with a new lead singer, it gives them a fresh opportunity to pivot away from where Live was in 2001 through 2009 and start with new energy. If they want to bring the Spirit of Live back to rock relevance and get the band "from York, Pennsylvania" mentioned by name on David Letterman again, it will be a huge summit that they will need to climb. I think it is worth doing for the sake of Live and what it stands for. I just think that they need to approach it with a well-thought-out strategy and not take it for granted that good music will eventually find its place and get its deserved appreciation.

This is why major labels, as many down sides as they have, serve a function that many bands are not equipped to handle on their own or on indie labels. It's very hard to be 100% creative when your mind is also on the business aspects of your band. As savvy as these guys are, I hope they focus solely on the music without letting anything else creep into their process. You can bet they weren't thinking about those things when they created Throwing Copper. They had the luxury of focusing 100% on the music. It was a time when they were probably their most free from any other influence. They had established themselves enough that they had money coming in, the label was happy and allowing them to do what they want, and everyone in their camp seemed to be on the same page. Not that they can recreate that atmosphere, but I think ideally they would just create and surround themselves with smart, savvy people who they entrust to handle the challenges you mentioned. There's no doubt the money will be a challenge but hopefully they can get that worked out well enough to not have it impact their plans too much. It did seem to have an impact on TGF with the difficulties they had with their sponsors.

[OutToDry]

The target demographic for people to actually by music are the younger folks. They aren't going to want to see a bunch of forty year old guys playing '90s rock music. In order for Live to "climb the summit" they would need to get a little plastic surgery done and make awful music.

That's just the way it is. TGF had some damn fine promotional opportunities but they were mishandled. If Live can get those same opportunities and handle them better we could see them playing to some nice mid-level size crowds again. I doubt you see them busting the charts though.

Need to get them on Austin City Limits or HDnet music channel!!!

[Good_Pain]

I think we have all come to the realization that LIVE will not be at the level of what bands where in the mid to late 90's. For those of us who were lucky to be a part of all of that it was an amazing time, but times have certainly changed. The music industry is so saturated with pop and country music. With Clear Channel Communication owning the vast majority of radio stations in major markets in the US they strategically made a decision to change the formats of many of their Rocks stations to Country and Pop formats. I was involved in the radio industry for several years and saw all of this taking place first hand and saw at least 10 stations in my market change in a matter of weeks. LIVE rode the wave of Alternative Rock in the 90's, but it was/is a band that had more substance behind the songs than most of the bands.

I believe that LIVE can be successful in making music that matters to its core of fans and I truly believe with Chris Shinn coming aboard there are many fans that left following the band will be coming back. I have had more than 20 friends contact me since March about LIVE and every one of them said they were happy to see CCP playing with passion and the music had drive again that they had not heard really since TDTH. I also believe the influx of having Memphis Hennesy and Shinn aboard will have the potential of bringing in new fans as well. For those who want LIVE to rule the airwaves again and play sold out arenas, I don't think that will happen in this market, but that doesn't mean that they aren't going to be successful. Chad T, Chad G, and Pat D are 3 of the most passionate guys I can think of and I know that they are driven to make great music for themselves and the fans. I really believe that is what really matters and we are all in for a new and amazing experience with the music that will be on its way.

[SJN1279]

Gotye has the biggest song going right now and he's nothing to look at. I think the looks are important in the absence of great songs.
Bush is a great example that they could follow. They were gone longer than Live, and made a very good comeback by sticking to the sound that made them popular and doing a great job of promoting.

For many women, Goyte has sex appeal.

Bush has Gavin Rossdale, and a major label backing them. Gavin is also Mrs. Gwen Stefani and a part-time actor. He has sex appeal and is a well known celebrity. Would a Bush reunion have worked without him?

[Aitkens]

For many women, Goyte has sex appeal.

Bush has Gavin Rossdale, and a major label backing them. Gavin is also Mrs. Gwen Stefani and a part-time actor. He has sex appeal and is a well known celebrity. Would a Bush reunion have worked without him?

very creepy that you went with the sex appeal idea in all of this. are you coming out to everyone that you believe EK is a sex symbol.

[OutToDry]

maybe he's coming out.............

[SJN1279]

maybe he's coming out.............

Putting down gay people, nice.

[OutToDry]

where did I say I was putting that social group down. I only made an guess

[Pokey]

Putting down gay people, nice.

Isn't that what you as a good Christian lad should be doing?