Where I'm living the economic downturn isn't as bad as in Ireland - though that could be any country, even North Korea... I reckon the real effect is that US/Canadian acts may not come here so often to play, and that people will be less willing to shell out for high-priced tickets. Maybe someone working on the live scene can tell us if venues are taking a hit these days...

It seems that Road Records' closure is due more (but not solely) to the fact that most young, hip Dublin-dwelling indie kids consume music via the Internet rather than on disc. But perhaps it's because guitar indie is going to hit a slump too. In Paris there are a couple of indie record shops (last time I looked) that seem to survive on a healthy local scene - indie music has really become popular and almost fashionable here, ever since local bands got into the whole Libertines look/sound a few years back. Maybe UK and Irish people have been saturated with guitar music since Britpop, and the accompanying culture of CDs and rock clubs will suffer. (Pop and electronic music is more conducive to the Internet, perhaps.)

The economic downturn is only a catalyst that sped up a trend, not the cause of things. As the owners had said, things had been going that way for a long time. Another point they made is that "kids just don't buy music anymore" and I think there is more to that than them simply being P2P piracy "freetards"*, from speaking to the teenage kids of some of my older friends I'm not getting the vibe that music is as important to kids anymore. I mean when I was young, who was number one on Top of the Pops actually mattered. Does anyone care now? In the iPod era, music seems less social, less something argued about in the playground and more something you keep to yourself, and therefore not as important to kids establishing their identity amongst their peers as what phone you play it on. There used to be distinct "tribes", you were a headbanger, indie kid, goth, raver, whatever. Apart from emo, which is decaf goth, I don't see much in the way of music/fashion subcultures now, but maybe that's because I'm old. I sort of get the feeling that the people who get most excited about new emerging young pop act these days isn't the "kids", but sad old gits like me, but I could be wrong. Feel free to give that theory a kicking.


*see ,http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Freetard

I make as much money now from my music as I did back in the boom-time.

Which is fuck all, if I'm honest!

Posted By starbelgrade on 21 Jan 2009 07:27 PM
I make as much money now from my music as I did back in the boom-time.

Which is fuck all, if I'm honest!

50% of zero is.... ;)

Posted By Binokular on 21 Jan 2009 03:59 AM
The economic downturn is only a catalyst that sped up a trend, not the cause of things. As the owners had said, things had been going that way for a long time. Another point they made is that "kids just don't buy music anymore" and I think there is more to that than them simply being P2P piracy "freetards"*, from speaking to the teenage kids of some of my older friends I'm not getting the vibe that music is as important to kids anymore. I mean when I was young, who was number one on Top of the Pops actually mattered. Does anyone care now? In the iPod era, music seems less social, less something argued about in the playground and more something you keep to yourself, and therefore not as important to kids establishing their identity amongst their peers as what phone you play it on. There used to be distinct "tribes", you were a headbanger, indie kid, goth, raver, whatever. Apart from emo, which is decaf goth, I don't see much in the way of music/fashion subcultures now, but maybe that's because I'm old. I sort of get the feeling that the people who get most excited about new emerging young pop act these days isn't the "kids", but sad old gits like me, but I could be wrong. Feel free to give that theory a kicking.


*see ,http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Freetard

I think there's definitely an element of truth to what you're saying. bar punk/heavy metal gigs (where Emo kids go), the audiences at gigs seems to be getting older. i went to see the enemy in the ambassador last year. I'm 27 and was easily the youngest person there. i was pretty shocked considering how new the band are.

Music seems to be less precious of a commodity nowadays. Years ago, I used to buy one or two albums a month because that's all i could afford. Whereas now, I've got 45 days worth of music that a friend put on to a hard drive for me. Most of which I'll probably never listen to.
Divides between teenagers nowadays seem to be based more around fashion. Band tshirts generally come from top shop and are only worn because kate moss has worn the same one not because they really like they band

back to the recession, it's going to be harder for bands to sell out gigs. i've also noticed that a lot of gigs are on in the academy these days as opposed to the ambassador, probably reflecting the more limited the appeal of live music is becoming

Posted By starbelgrade on 21 Jan 2009 07:27 PM
I make as much money now from my music as I did back in the boom-time.

Which is fuck all, if I'm honest!

have to give ya that one. good one!