Alive, Has anyone heard the CD?? Options

[SJN1279]

You complain about people "stealing" Ed's solo album, but you'd be perfectly fine with him marketing himself as a member of band that he is no longer a member of? You'd also be fine with the false-marketing that would lead people to the concert, expecting significant Live material, only to be fed Ed's 2010 impersonation of Kelly Clarkson.

If I didn't follow the band closely, and saw an advertisement to see "Ed of Live" and then paid money to hear him perform shit like "The Great Beyond", I'd be pissed off and certainly feel "stolen" from.

Something tells me you aren't going to understand a lick of my post.

I also can't understand why you're cool with him using the "Live" fanbase and milking it like it's his dirty cow to milk. Aren't you supposedly a fan of the band, or do you only like V, BOP and SFBM?

Ed is just allowed to promote himself as Ed Kowalczyk of Live, he just isn't allowed to form a new band and call it Live. He also plays all the Live hits in concert, so fans will not feel cheated seeing a show called Ed Kowalczyk of Live. Some of his new material has that classic Live vibe going as well.

[Pokey]

Ed is just allowed to promote himself as Ed Kowalczyk of Live, he just isn't allowed to form a new band and call it Live. He also plays all the Live hits in concert, so fans will not feel cheated seeing a show called Ed Kowalczyk of Live. Some of his new material has that classic Live vibe going as well.

Jesus christ it doesn't have "classic Live vibe", have you even heard MJ, TC or SS? It has "classic 2006 live vibe".

The fact he is just milking it dry say something. TGF at least have gone "we're a whole new band, we might play some obscure Live/Cbox stuff here and there but it's all about our music". Ed is mostly playing Live songs with a few of his solo things thrown in. Doesn't show a great deal of confidence in his new music, the music that was apparently to "set him free" as he felt stifled with Live ... but he'll keep playing the songs cos it makes him money!
If Ed had any confidence in his new music he'd play that album in it's entirety with only a few Live songs thrown in.
Even if it makes things a little slow to get off the ground I got more respect for when an artist goes solo and dives head first into their solo stuff and says "hey this is what I'm about now, forget the old stuff, that's being put away for now."

When Morrissey left The Smiths he didn't play a smiths song in concert for 8yrs after he went solo. When Bernard Fanning did a solo album away from Powderfinger he barely played a powderfinger song in concert because it was all about his new stuff.

Ed just shows a complete lack of confidence in his new material, he can talk it up all he wants but actions speak louder than words.

[SJN1279]

Jesus christ it doesn't have "classic Live vibe", have you even heard MJ, TC or SS? It has "classic 2006 live vibe".

The fact he is just milking it dry say something. TGF at least have gone "we're a whole new band, we might play some obscure Live/Cbox stuff here and there but it's all about our music". Ed is mostly playing Live songs with a few of his solo things thrown in.

TGF play Lakini's Juice and Far Behind, not exactly obscure songs from Live and Candlebox. Also TGF just was a headliner at the US's biggest festival and only drew 100 people to their stage after a ton of promotional appearances. I wouldn't be following their blueprint to success.

Ed is at least aware that people want to hear the Live material when they come to his show. I'd be shocked if TGF doesn't add more Live/Candlebox songs to their set in the very near future.

[Pokey]

TGF play Lakini's Juice and Far Behind, not exactly obscure songs from Live and Candlebox. Also TGF just was a headliner at the US's biggest festival and only drew 100 people to their stage after a ton of promotional appearances. I wouldn't be following their blueprint to success.

Ed is at least aware that people want to hear the Live material when they come to his show. I'd be shocked if TGF doesn't add more Live/Candlebox songs to their set in the very near future.

They haven't started their proper tour yet, you know there are going to be other more obscure Live songs they'll do by the fact Kevin Martin said he was looking forward to tackling these Live songS. So their blueprint to success which has lead other bands to success from starting out from scratch again and putting faith in their work rather than falling back and using their previous success.

Ah forget it, if Ed ran over a bunch of kittens in a bag I'm sure it'd be fantastic.

[SJN1279]

They haven't started their proper tour yet, you know there are going to be other more obscure Live songs they'll do by the fact Kevin Martin said he was looking forward to tackling these Live songS. So their blueprint to success which has lead other bands to success from starting out from scratch again and putting faith in their work rather than falling back and using their previous success.

You don't think having 100 fans show up to their headlining stage when 100,000 fans were at the festival that day, was a cold wake-up call to The Gracious Few? You play Summerfest for exposure, not to headline in front of less fans than can be found at your typical dive bar anywhere in the country.

Ed and TGF both have to build audiences, and it will not be easy.

[Pokey]

You don't think having 100 fans show up to their headlining stage when 100,000 fans were at the festival that day, was a cold wake-up call to The Gracious Few? You play Summerfest for exposure, not to headline in front of less fans than can be found at your typical dive bar anywhere in the country.

Ed and TGF both have to build audiences, and it will not be easy.

Dude it was their first proper gig! They played a free home town show, a special show for a motorcar company and that's all!
You just judge everything by numbers too ... I went to WOMAD a few years back which is a world music festival, it had some massive names in the world music scene playing including a few other more mainstream artists, there were thousands of people there. The main stages had the big acts and there were other smaller stages to. But the absolute best thing I saw that year was a guy called Oliver Mtukudzi who had himself set up under a damn tree and there were maybe 20-30 people around him and he just played the most fantastic little set of the whole 3 day festival.

TGF went out and did their stuff and by all accounts it was absolutely awesome, whether there were 100 people there or 10,000 it doesn't matter at this stage, just getting out and playing is what they should be doing. They're gonna build their audience based on their music, they're creating new fans from old bands and they're bringing in completely new fans. They're not forgetting the past, but they're not dwelling on it.

Ed seems to be all talk about his new solo stuff and how it's so much better and all this, but musically he's still stuck in Live mode. He needs to give that shit a break and say "Yeah I'm Ed Kowalczyk formerly of Live, but check this out instead!" and play some more solo stuff. You seem to think people are complete idiots when it comes to music, and maybe that's just your mind set I don't know. But if Ed truely believes in his solo work then he should play his entire album in concert and when whatever space is left over in the set should go to Live songs if needed.
Ok so the album hasn't been released yet everywhere, you could say maybe he will, but come on, odds are he won't.

This went for Live and a lot of other bands when they bring out of a new album too .. it baffles me why you wouldn't play the whole new thing in concert. If you're so proud of your new work and talk it up, then play it! The songs that bands don't play from their albums in concert always to me feel like they're the ones that a band treats as filler on the album. I got a lot of respect for an artist that has pride in their work and will just come out and play it, whether I personally like the work or not.

[crazy1]

I can not wait to July 6th. From the samples that I've heard, I know I will enjoy this album. I also don't think it is surprising that Ed made a pop album.

I fixed it for you!!!

[crazy1]

Some of his new material has that classic Live vibe going as well.

How so?

[Pokey]

How so?

Yeah I'd also like to know this...

[SJN1279]

I got a lot of respect for an artist that has pride in their work and will just come out and play it, whether I personally like the work or not.

Ed's new album is being released on an indie label and will not be heard by the masses. The best way for him to get his new material heard is by playing it alongside the hits of Live, cause the classic songs is what will bring the majority of fans to the concert.

[SJN1279]

How so?

The build from slow verses to a rocking chorus is classic Live. The uplifting themes of love and spirituality is classic Live. Listening to Drive, A New World, Zion, Soul Whispers, you know this music is from the guy who brought you Live.

[Aitkens]

The build from slow verses to a rocking chorus is classic Live. The uplifting themes of love and spirituality is classic Live. Listening to Drive, A New World, Zion, Soul Whispers, you know this music is from the guy who brought you Live.

Clearly, you have no clue what "Classic Live" actually sounds like. No part of that piece of shit album sounds like Live. Not even Ed sounds like the Ed we became fans of, the one that sang with such raw emotion and power on Mental Jewelry, Throwing Copper, and Secret Samadhi.

[SJN1279]

Clearly, you have no clue what "Classic Live" actually sounds like. No part of that piece of shit album sounds like Live. Not even Ed sounds like the Ed we became fans of, the one that sang with such raw emotion and power on Mental Jewelry, Throwing Copper, and Secret Samadhi.

The Distance to Here qualifies as classic Live too. To some it ranks as some of the band's best work.

[Pokey]

Ed's new album is being released on an indie label and will not be heard by the masses. The best way for him to get his new material heard is by playing it alongside the hits of Live, cause the classic songs is what will bring the majority of fans to the concert.

Is Ed's advertising saying "Come to my concert, I'll play lots of Live songs!" ... it's not. And it shouldn't. People will either go based on his name and what they know if his previous work or not. Once they are there and they have paid it's up to him to convince them whether he can carve out his own solo dynasty and by relying so heavily on old material he's not doing a good job of that.

Once people are there he has the power to do what he wants, if he stopped playing all but a couple of Live songs he'll probably still get the same amount of people coming to his shows. What he's doing is gathering a whole group of people together and saying "Hey guys it's me Ed with a new band here and I got a new solo record, now here's a song called Selling the Drama from 1994" ... Live songs should be seen as a "treat" not as a drawing power or the backbone of his set which is exactly what they are. From an artistic stand point like I said it shows a complete lack of confidence in his new material.
TGF are getting respect for going "this is our new material, listen to this!". It's no wonder there is such a split between the fanbase .. the side that is actually content with what Ed does mirrors his work .. it's shallow, it's about marketing and how to draw a bigger crowd, it's about how to sell more merchendice and about always playing the most popular songs.

The TGF side seems to care more about the music, the performance, not how many people are there, not how many albums will sell.

[OutToDry]

TGF play Lakini's Juice and Far Behind, not exactly obscure songs from Live and Candlebox. Also TGF just was a headliner at the US's biggest festival and only drew 100 people to their stage after a ton of promotional appearances. I wouldn't be following their blueprint to success.

Ed is at least aware that people want to hear the Live material when they come to his show. I'd be shocked if TGF doesn't add more Live/Candlebox songs to their set in the very near future.

Funky brought this up as competing with other acts at the 10pm time slot, they would have fared better with an 8pm and you're going to use this in your arguement yet again? You sir are a royal douche.