FEATURE:
Stage Bite
PHOTO CREDIT: @josephtpearson/Unsplash
The Struggles of Touring Life for Older Artists
___________
THIS matches a feature…
PHOTO CREDIT: @roccocaruso/Unsplash
that was published in The Guardian last week. Whilst any artist is capable of suffering injury or getting ill, one has to look at the touring demands that most major artists face, and it is amazing that there is not more absence and suffering! It is always sad when an established, iconic artist has to retreat from the stage because of ill health or they cannot carry on. The legendary Tom Petty died only a few days after finishing a tour. He was sixty-six. He was taking medication for pain associated with touring, and it is heart-breaking realising that Petty would still be here if the rigors of touring had not have taken its toll. Artists like Tom Petty do not want to let their fans down, and they love live performance. I think touring schedules have become more punishing, and people expect bigger and bigger shows. The article from The Guardian raised some interesting points about artists who has quit the road and how profitable older acts are:
“All this comes hot on the heels of an escalating wave of older stars who’ve either quit the road entirely or begun their last hurrahs, including Paul Simon at 78, Bob Seger at 74, Kiss aged between 68 to 70, Neil Diamond at 79, and Eric Clapton at 74.
“The fact is, it’s really hard to tour,” says Dave Brooks, who covers the concert industry for Billboard. “It’s terribly hard on your body, and mentally difficult too.”
IN THIS PHOTO: Paul Simon/PHOTO CREDIT: Myrna Suarez
Jem Aswad, senior music editor of the trade publication Variety, says: “People think it’s easy to be a rock star. But try to hold the attention of 18,000 people, and perform really well, for two and a half hours every night. It’s an incredibly tough thing to sustain.”
If all that wear-and-tear takes a toll on older performers, their increasing absence from the road threatens to weaken the concert industry’s bottom line. According to the industry’s most authoritative source, Pollstar, five out of the top 10 worldwide tours of the last year featured band members over the age of 50. Three of those were peopled with players aged 60 to nearly 80. In Pollstar’s list of top 200 North American tours, the top three earners were over 70, including Elton, Bob Seger and the Stones.
When it comes to the highest grossing single shows worldwide, four of the top five positions were occupied by a group with players over age 70, while 16 of the top 20 shows featured the same band. That would be the Rolling Stones, who are about to embark on yet another American jaunt this spring and summer, despite the fact that Mick Jagger had to have heart valve replacement surgery last April”.
There is this struggle between the profitability and popularity of older musicians and the natural results of touring extensively. Although artists like Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones seem immortal and are performing lively in their seventies, the reality for most older artists is different.
PHOTO CREDIT: @kdarmody/Unsplash
One cannot blame fans and demand for the retirement of great artists and the health problems of others. I do wonder whether labels and promoters need to be a bit more vigilant and ensure that artists of a certain age – I am not sure what the best term to use is! -, are not pushed too far. Cases like that of Tom Petty’s are rare, but I worry so many artists in general are taking medication to cope with pain, and then are taking more than prescribed so they do not have to cancel gigs. Whilst the stage is not only for the young, it does seem like a very daunting place for artists from past generations. Now that the Internet allows fans and artists to connect, I feel tour schedules in general are more demanding, and artists have to travel further. It is inspiring that there are so many of the old guard on tour, and that is because they love their fans and the thrill of live performance. Musicians across the board are experiencing mental-health issues because of touring, and this also impacts older artists. At a time when Spotify is replacing physical sales to an extent, are artists touring much more so they can make the money they used to with album sales? Maybe the modern age and all its convenience will negatively impact various sides of the music industry. I was reading that Guardian article, and I did not realise just how popular – compared to younger artists – older acts were.
IN THIS PHOTO: Elton John/PHOTO CREDIT: Greg Gorman
Maybe it is that need to go on the road and fulfill demand that means, invariably, there will be consequences. Look at artists like Elton John who, at the moment, is working his way through an epic, months-long farewell tour. He has not been free from illness recently, and I can imagine how affected he is when he has to pull dates because of this. It is tricky finding a balance and remedy, though it is clear that, for many older artists, the stage today is quite intimidating. In a wider sense, I wonder whether touring has become more taxing with digital music. It would be nice to think that all of the legends still touring will be able to do so for many more years, but I think there will be a time when the physical and emotional cost will become too much. I was aware that a few classic artists have had to retire for various reasons, but reading more about this, and it is clear that many older artists are finding it hard to remain on the stage – despite the fact they are among the most popular and profitable in all of music. It is easier for younger artists to break through and perform, because of platforms like Spotify. Just look at festival line-ups, and there are so many artists there who have only been performing for a few years. Radio stations, largely, feature music from younger acts – meaning it is harder, even for the icons, to get the same sort of attention and demand without slogging it out in the live arena. I do hope things improve regarding touring and our more experienced artists because they are people who…
PHOTO CREDIT: @horizonchurch/Unsplash
MEAN so much to us all