hawkquo
New Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 34
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Post by hawkquo on Feb 12, 2017 1:22:32 GMT
The problem is it all boils down to money, hate to shatter the illusion of anyone but at the end of the day they are essentially like the rest of us, they need to make a crust and the only way you do that these days as a musician is by touring.
The record industry is finished unless you someone like Adele or Ed Sheeran who still sell albums in large quantities, but they are the exception, as far as Quo goes, yes the re-issues appeal to the hardcore fanbase so they can probably calculate pretty accurately how many they need to press up and probably do quite well as far as royalties per copy sold, but they don't sell in the quantity required to make serious money, aside from that i wouldn't imagine the back catalogue sells much these days, allegedly AC/DC still do approximately a million copies a year of the old albums combines, i bet Quo is nowhere near 10% of that.
So your left with playing live, touring year after year the promoters have all the spread sheets of attendances, as long as they remain stable or grow slightly then they'll keep offering them tours and ones to assume they can afford a bit of "production" lugg this gear round europe, pay the crew and still walk away with a healthy pay cheque once everythings divvied up, tbh it's probably quite a sought after gig, yes other bands can make you more money but with SQ it's regular and consistant.
Add to that merchandise, no disrespect to any Quo fans but a lot will be the kind of people who like to do business face to face rather than having to go via the internet, no other way of putting it but it's an age thing, from a little bit of knowledge /experience i have (not connected with Quo i hasten to add) i'd estimate they are more than capable of taking between 8 - 10k a night in "swag" obviously a lot of that is cost and overheads but even if you end up clearing 15% profit that will soon add up over a long tour.
Things have gone 180 degrees, it used to be that record company and the sales associated with them that propped the band and tours up, ie the tours lost money and were basically underwritten by huge record sales, now all the money is on the touring front, just take look at how ticket prices in general have increased over the years, it way outstrips inflation.
sorry to rattle on, but that's a brief resume as to why Quo were and are still touring, don't profess to being spot on with all the facts but at the same time it's not far off the mark either!
thanks for reading
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Post by Railroad17 on Feb 12, 2017 1:34:07 GMT
The FF tours where done when the band would have been on a break. But if it's true that Rick didn't have the wealth that maybe a more sensible man would have..they might be touring because they had to.
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Post by Railroad17 on Feb 12, 2017 1:35:59 GMT
The problem is it all boils down to money, hate to shatter the illusion of anyone but at the end of the day they are essentially like the rest of us, they need to make a crust and the only way you do that these days as a musician is by touring. The record industry is finished unless you someone like Adele or Ed Sheeran who still sell albums in large quantities, but they are the exception, as far as Quo goes, yes the re-issues appeal to the hardcore fanbase so they can probably calculate pretty accurately how many they need to press up and probably do quite well as far as royalties per copy sold, but they don't sell in the quantity required to make serious money, aside from that i wouldn't imagine the back catalogue sells much these days, allegedly AC/DC still do approximately a million copies a year of the old albums combines, i bet Quo is nowhere near 10% of that. So your left with playing live, touring year after year the promoters have all the spread sheets of attendances, as long as they remain stable or grow slightly then they'll keep offering them tours and ones to assume they can afford a bit of "production" lugg this gear round europe, pay the crew and still walk away with a healthy pay cheque once everythings divvied up, tbh it's probably quite a sought after gig, yes other bands can make you more money but with SQ it's regular and consistant. Add to that merchandise, no disrespect to any Quo fans but a lot will be the kind of people who like to do business face to face rather than having to go via the internet, no other way of putting it but it's an age thing, from a little bit of knowledge /experience i have (not connected with Quo i hasten to add) i'd estimate they are more than capable of taking between 8 - 10k a night in "swag" obviously a lot of that is cost and overheads but even if you end up clearing 15% profit that will soon add up over a long tour. Things have gone 180 degrees, it used to be that record company and the sales associated with them that propped the band and tours up, ie the tours lost money and were basically underwritten by huge record sales, now all the money is on the touring front, just take look at how ticket prices in general have increased over the years, it way outstrips inflation. sorry to rattle on, but that's a brief resume as to why Quo were and are still touring, don't profess to being spot on with all the facts but at the same time it's not far off the mark either! thanks for reading I read recently that all bands get cash from every gig from t shirts etc.
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Post by freewilly on Feb 12, 2017 2:40:38 GMT
You disagree then? ;-) FWIW, I think Rick wanted to keep going. It's all he wanted, the roar of the crowd and a LOUD electric guitar. I understand Viking55's viewpoint, bottom line, they were pushing 70, but I wish they'd stopped playing so many gigs and looked at quality over quantity. I don't hate Frame. I just wish the stubborn ass had looked at the bigger picture years ago. Less gigs but mix it up a bit, look at the quality of the gigs and aim for bigger crowds. Too late now. You can use the word Fuck or Fucking as much as you want FW I ain't impressed with it to be honest. Some might be but not me ! And yes I think I'm not far off the mark ! Ermmm OK... Wasn't trying to impress anyone with it. Don't care if you or anyone else is impressed with it or not tbh. Part of my vocabulary as I grew up in an environment that constantly used language such as that and it's what I'm used to.... I don't need or want anyone's approval over it. You're not part of the culture I'm from so you've no understanding whatsoever. You and others might be shocked that I use the word "****" on a daily basis, sometimes not even in an offensive way, but it's who I am. It's not a way of "impressing" people for God's sake You're so far off the mark, that the mark can only be seen on the map tbh. Rick had a heart operation 5 or 6 years ago... Three days later, he was doing a gig. A gig in which many fans on the forum at the time thought he wasn't his usual self... How come Francis didn't protect him then? Sorry, I'm not trying to be offensive here but, I'm an honest person and I say what I think... I think you're utterly delusional on this. Quo fans have been labelled with all sorts of condescending and sneering remarks over the years. It's this sort of thing that gives credit to it. Either that or you're a definite wind up merchant... Which I find myself hoping you are If you reply with that "always having a go at Francis" craic, I'll know for a fact you're a WUM.
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Post by viking55 on Feb 12, 2017 11:50:04 GMT
The problem is it all boils down to money, hate to shatter the illusion of anyone but at the end of the day they are essentially like the rest of us, they need to make a crust and the only way you do that these days as a musician is by touring. The record industry is finished unless you someone like Adele or Ed Sheeran who still sell albums in large quantities, but they are the exception, as far as Quo goes, yes the re-issues appeal to the hardcore fanbase so they can probably calculate pretty accurately how many they need to press up and probably do quite well as far as royalties per copy sold, but they don't sell in the quantity required to make serious money, aside from that i wouldn't imagine the back catalogue sells much these days, allegedly AC/DC still do approximately a million copies a year of the old albums combines, i bet Quo is nowhere near 10% of that. So your left with playing live, touring year after year the promoters have all the spread sheets of attendances, as long as they remain stable or grow slightly then they'll keep offering them tours and ones to assume they can afford a bit of "production" lugg this gear round europe, pay the crew and still walk away with a healthy pay cheque once everythings divvied up, tbh it's probably quite a sought after gig, yes other bands can make you more money but with SQ it's regular and consistant. Add to that merchandise, no disrespect to any Quo fans but a lot will be the kind of people who like to do business face to face rather than having to go via the internet, no other way of putting it but it's an age thing, from a little bit of knowledge /experience i have (not connected with Quo i hasten to add) i'd estimate they are more than capable of taking between 8 - 10k a night in "swag" obviously a lot of that is cost and overheads but even if you end up clearing 15% profit that will soon add up over a long tour. Things have gone 180 degrees, it used to be that record company and the sales associated with them that propped the band and tours up, ie the tours lost money and were basically underwritten by huge record sales, now all the money is on the touring front, just take look at how ticket prices in general have increased over the years, it way outstrips inflation. sorry to rattle on, but that's a brief resume as to why Quo were and are still touring, don't profess to being spot on with all the facts but at the same time it's not far off the mark either! thanks for reading Brilliant post and absolutely spot on. Rick needed to tour as much as the rest of them to keep the income flowing. Units just don't sell enough these days to form a comfortable income and bands need the tours. If Francis going forward with the QUO name can still put bums on seats then it WILL continue. To exist you have to fight for your place in life. It's the survival of the fittest unfortunately !
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Post by clonesydney on Feb 12, 2017 12:36:06 GMT
No I don't think so, if they wanted to protect Rick they would have come off the road after his 2014 heart attack. And certainly there's no way they would have been playing completely pointless shows like the one in Turkey which ultimately sealed Rick's fate. Pointless why, query? Not arguing, just seeking clarification. For me Status Quo one of the greatest names in British rock music history playing to a disinterested audience at a Turkish horticultural exposition at the fag end of their career served absolutely no purpose other than to earn a few quid, which was pretty much the only purpose the band had left for existing.
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Post by viking55 on Feb 12, 2017 13:30:05 GMT
Pointless why, query? Not arguing, just seeking clarification. For me Status Quo one of the greatest names in British rock music history playing to a disinterested audience at a Turkish horticultural exposition at the fag end of their career served absolutely no purpose other than to earn a few quid, which was pretty much the only purpose the band had left for existing. MONEY exactly. Stuff Legacies. Money is what makes the world go round. If a tour promoter offers them the gig and they need the cash they will do it ! And have regularly. Like next year if a promoter says ok Francis do you want another 500k in your bank account for a U.K. Tour but only under the QUO name what's the answer going to be. I know what mine would be !! It's called topping up your income ! That's why FW is wasting his energy arguing about legacies and the right thing to do and all that loyalty crap ! They are 4th league now in record sales. It doesn't sustain them. Example in our local HMV the exact same new deluxe issues are still there months later. No one is s interested in them apart from a few rows of old moshpit fanatics still around and pretending the FF are still 1st division. Even bloody Fleetwood Macs rumours sells more copies than all Quo FF stuff put together ! It's all over with my friends. But I'll still look forward to having a couple of beers and going to watch STATUS QUO as long as Francis is around and a promoter is still willing. Truth hurts sometimes!
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Post by freewilly on Feb 12, 2017 13:56:45 GMT
For me Status Quo one of the greatest names in British rock music history playing to a disinterested audience at a Turkish horticultural exposition at the fag end of their career served absolutely no purpose other than to earn a few quid, which was pretty much the only purpose the band had left for existing. MONEY exactly. Stuff Legacies. Money is what makes the world go round. If a tour promoter offers them the gig and they need the cash they will do it ! And have regularly. Like next year if a promoter says ok Francis do you want another 500k in your bank account for a U.K. Tour but only under the QUO name what's the answer going to be. I know what mine would be !! It's called topping up your income ! That's why FW is wasting his energy arguing about legacies and the right thing to do and all that loyalty crap ! They are 4th league now in record sales. It doesn't sustain them. Example in our local HMV the exact same new deluxe issues are still there months later. No one is s interested in them apart from a few rows of old moshpit fanatics still around and pretending the FF are still 1st division. Even bloody Fleetwood Macs rumours sells more copies than all Quo FF stuff put together ! It's all over with my friends. But I'll still look forward to having a couple of beers and going to watch STATUS QUO as long as Francis is around and a promoter is still willing. Truth hurts sometimes! You know something.... You're 100% right and that's what makes it even more depressing... Bands I love like U2 for example, put everything on the line when they made Achtung Baby and risked bankruptcy every night on the following tour.. All because they cared about their art... All Francis cares about these days is the money and I'd be sure he'd be on stage again with Alan if he earned enough.. So yeah, you're right. I am wasting my energy. The legacy has been tainted. It's all about money for Francis these days.... The fact you defend it and accept it gleefully makes me sigh though. Why there are fans around these days who accept it is a question I'll never be able to answer. When it gets to this stage, it needs to stop. A band should never rest on their creative ambitions just for money. It's not what music is about
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2017 14:02:30 GMT
For me Status Quo one of the greatest names in British rock music history playing to a disinterested audience at a Turkish horticultural exposition at the fag end of their career served absolutely no purpose other than to earn a few quid, which was pretty much the only purpose the band had left for existing. MONEY exactly. Stuff Legacies. Money is what makes the world go round. If a tour promoter offers them the gig and they need the cash they will do it ! And have regularly. Like next year if a promoter says ok Francis do you want another 500k in your bank account for a U.K. Tour but only under the QUO name what's the answer going to be. I know what mine would be !! It's called topping up your income ! That's why FW is wasting his energy arguing about legacies and the right thing to do and all that loyalty crap ! They are 4th league now in record sales. It doesn't sustain them. Example in our local HMV the exact same new deluxe issues are still there months later. No one is s interested in them apart from a few rows of old moshpit fanatics still around and pretending the FF are still 1st division. Even bloody Fleetwood Macs rumours sells more copies than all Quo FF stuff put together ! It's all over with my friends. But I'll still look forward to having a couple of beers and going to watch STATUS QUO as long as Francis is around and a promoter is still willing. Truth hurts sometimes! But wanting the lucre as part of some soulless business project objective is a country mile away from the lean and keen young FF who scraped a crust but loved the ripped jeans and word of mouth anti establishment image they set themselves.
So the legacy is everything that made Quo the success they were in the glorious transition from the late 60's to early 70's. Its clear that Alan and John, especially, still get a back tingling glow in full awareness of just how good those days were. Rick senses were attuned this way also.
Francis can still go through the motions at interviews with well trodden anecdotes about the nightclub in Bielefeld etc. But he is fully desensitised to the original glory of it and the buzz that made Quo the amazing rock machine they were.
That is not living in the past - surely everyone appreciates their career for the amazing buzz that puts them on the road. Otherwise why continue to do it. Money might be a necessity, but alone it is a soulless and mechanical pursuit.
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Post by viking55 on Feb 12, 2017 14:22:06 GMT
But it isn't souless or mechanical pursuit if you need money though. That's why 90% of people get up to souless mechanical jobs to put food on the table ! Your right it WAS glorious as in past tense. As in a period in time past. I watched 27 glorious minutes of the German Live 1970 TV session. As you said ripped jeans basic and with the angst of youth. I don't believe for one second that Francis doesn't look back on those times with fondness for what it was. It's just he handles nostalgia differently and is driven by the here and now and his right to earn a crust and secure his future !
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Post by freewilly on Feb 12, 2017 14:28:04 GMT
But it isn't souless or mechanical pursuit if you need money though. That's why 90% of people get up to souless mechanical jobs to put food on the table ! That makes absolute no sense
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2017 14:34:20 GMT
But it isn't souless or mechanical pursuit if you need money though. That's why 90% of people get up to souless mechanical jobs to put food on the table ! Your right it WAS glorious as in past tense. As in a period in time past. I watched 27 glorious minutes of the German Live 1970 TV session. As you said ripped jeans basic and with the angst of youth. I don't believe for one second that Francis doesn't look back on those times with fondness for what it was. It's just he handles nostalgia differently and is driven by the here and now and his right to earn a crust and secure his future ! Excess coke (and complex contrary personality for camouflage) has also helped the dimming of both memory and appreciation of it.
Earning a crust and securing the future is understandably one thing, but being desensitised to what created the successes to put him where he is, is another. Based on such desensitivity, and the consequent ambivalence that comes with that, its evidentially no surprise he was the one of the four who was puzzled and aloof over the 'fuss' made during the reunions.
His wiser persona with age, and practical approach to retirement rather hides all this.
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Post by clonesydney on Feb 12, 2017 14:38:25 GMT
But it isn't souless or mechanical pursuit if you need money though. That's why 90% of people get up to souless mechanical jobs to put food on the table ! That makes absolute no sense Rossi doesn't need the money, he wants it, but that's a different thing.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2017 14:44:23 GMT
But it isn't souless or mechanical pursuit if you need money though. That's why 90% of people get up to souless mechanical jobs to put food on the table ! He didn't have a soulless mechanical job though, but he has been ok about letting it turn into one
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Post by viking55 on Feb 12, 2017 14:48:52 GMT
MONEY exactly. Stuff Legacies. Money is what makes the world go round. If a tour promoter offers them the gig and they need the cash they will do it ! And have regularly. Like next year if a promoter says ok Francis do you want another 500k in your bank account for a U.K. Tour but only under the QUO name what's the answer going to be. I know what mine would be !! It's called topping up your income ! That's why FW is wasting his energy arguing about legacies and the right thing to do and all that loyalty crap ! They are 4th league now in record sales. It doesn't sustain them. Example in our local HMV the exact same new deluxe issues are still there months later. No one is s interested in them apart from a few rows of old moshpit fanatics still around and pretending the FF are still 1st division. Even bloody Fleetwood Macs rumours sells more copies than all Quo FF stuff put together ! It's all over with my friends. But I'll still look forward to having a couple of beers and going to watch STATUS QUO as long as Francis is around and a promoter is still willing. Truth hurts sometimes! You know something.... You're 100% right and that's what makes it even more depressing... Bands I love like U2 for example, put everything on the line when they made Achtung Baby and risked bankruptcy every night on the following tour.. All because they cared about their art... All Francis cares about these days is the money and I'd be sure he'd be on stage again with Alan if he earned enough.. So yeah, you're right. I am wasting my energy. The legacy has been tainted. It's all about money for Francis these days.... The fact you defend it and accept it gleefully makes me sigh though. Why there are fans around these days who accept it is a question I'll never be able to answer. When it gets to this stage, it needs to stop. A band should never rest on their creative ambitions just for money. It's not what music is about I don't accept it gleefully ! I was devastated in 82 when the 4 became 3. It lost its identity then. And that album just finished me off at the time. Until somewhere around heavy traffic ! But this time around I have been more of a casual than a fanatic.
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