The Next U2???

Tim Fox ([email protected])
Sun, 23 Aug 1998 14:24:18 +0100

1. The Verve certainly will never reach the same level of success, for the
simple reason that they're pretty much finished. (Their guitarist left the
band recently). America has just about rejected Oasis - their tour was a bad
joke, and they are so volatile that I doubt the next album will ever arrive.
(Liam would self-destruct if they ever became a supergroup).

2. It is highly unlikely that a band as big as U2 is going to emerge within
the next ten years or so, because it requires a specific set of
circumstances for a supergroup to develop - the 80's was a stadium rock
era - very few bands today have the ambition to ever play large venues. It
is almost considered too corporate and outdated to be a supergroup. Most
bands today, including Radiohead, lack a charismatic frontman, one of the
essential attributes a band needs to achieve global success.

3. The current global musical climate would not encourage the development of
such a band. America has become more insular, rejecting outside influences
(such as British contemporary dance music), and sits compacently on its
mixture of country rock, 'alternative' post-grunge rock (eg Pearl Jam,
Smashing Pumpkins), and commercial hip-hop.

4. The British music industry has stagnated, seemingly unable to recover
from its post-Britpop hangover. (See excellent Irish Times article posted
the other day about the problems it faces). British bands with great
potential, eg Catatonia from Wales, have given up on ever successfully
exporting their material to America. The daunting prospect of conquering
that vast country has affected many British bands, who are not that
interested in becoming global acts anyway. (See 2.)

5. Bands like U2 and REM grew out of the exciting ethos of the punk
movement, when enthusiasm was valued more than early guitar or vocal skills,
and record companies were more inclined to nurture bands gradually
throughout their careers, rather than sign them for short-term financial
expediency. Now, the reverse is the case, and quality has suffered as a
result.

6. It's all fucked!!!!

7. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8. I will be in the next supergroup anyway, so watch out!!!!!!!

ITS VERY SIMPLE

Tim.

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