Fradam

2006 has been a year marked with many big name celebrities visiting Sydney, touting their audio wares in large celebrations of light and sound. U2, delayed by a number of months, Kylie, delayed by a bit longer. Billy Joel and Elton John rounded out the oldies group, and Robbie Williams represented for today’s pop. That’s not even mentioning Coldplay and Live either. For an area that is often musically entrenched in a drought, we’ve done rather well… but have we enjoyed it?

One friend remarked to me that one concert they went to a few months ago had the lead singer high, and lasted a brief 40 minutes. The Sydney Morning Herald recently ran an article on Robbie Williams’ recent sojurn, describing it as “indulgent and selfish”. That seems a pretty harsh criticism, but it does raise a question — what does it take for an artist to be satisfied with their performance? Is it the money? Is it the splendour of the concert? Is it the adoration of the fans?

If my friends are considered a microcosm of society, it seems fans are beginning to respond when their favourite artists aren’t performing for them, and that difference of happiness is resulting in some unhappy people.

I think myself quite lucky. Kellie took me to the Elton John concert a few weeks back for my birthday (thankyou!), and I was amazed by the performance…. sometimes you forget just how many hits someone has. Some of his more poignant ballads were ever more powerful when listening to just him and his piano, watching his aged fingers stroll across a plateau they knew all too well. He finished with ‘Your Song’, dedicating it to Sydney, to a throng of joyous fans. Whilst I know you can’t please everyone, I think he would have come as close as he possibly could have to it. He truly demonstrated what a showman he is, with all the style and flair we expected, and none of the uglyness that the media often portrays him in.

At one point, in the middle of the concert, he stopped to sign every single thing that anyone brought to him. It was clear that some people were disappointed as they were at the stage with nothing to sign — until one clever individual handed his ticket to Elton to sign. And sign it he did. Suddenly, the mass surged forward, tickets extended out to him. He signed them all; every single one of them. This is the same person who has had much publicised scuffles with the media, often reacting quite rudely and harshly to those who take up his time. But for his fans, he had all the time in the world.

Perhaps that is the difference between the old school artists; those who made a melody with a voice and a piano, and today’s pop-driven frenzy: people who made time for their fans, and people who sell to their fans.

Out of curiousity, what have your concert experiences been like? Have they changed over the years?