Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that Taylor Swift has just swept through Australia, selling out venues with her three-hour live shows. Even older Australians would have been hard-pressed to escape the hype, if not through mainstream media, then via kids and/or grandkids.
For many of us oldies, Taylor Swift might not be our cup of tea. But that doesn’t mean we need to miss out on live music. In fact a quick look at gig guides reveals that many of the musical acts of our youth are still ‘plying their trade’.
Simple Minds have just passed through, with concerts across our eastern seaboard and Adelaide, including to shows at the Sydney Opera House. The Human League are here right now, playing gigs across Australia. And later this year, another ’80s favourite, Matt Johnson’s ‘The The’ will be touring.
Even Aussie bands from our youth are still playing live shows. Boom Crash Opera and 1927 are just two examples.
The question is, should these acts still be going around, or should they have hung up their guitars, drumsticks and keyboards by now?
I suspect the answer to that question will vary depending on the act and the fans. In my case, I can cite one band that I’m very happy will be returning to our shores this year: the alt-rock New York band They Might Be Giants (TMBG).
TMBG were never really a mainstream act, but some Aussies will remember their 1990 hit Birdhouse In Your Soul from their seminal album, ‘Flood’. When TMBG tour, they will always please fans with a selection of their old hits.
But what makes the band different from of the others is that they are still churning out new songs, and have been non-stop for an incredible four decades. In fact one of the band’s mottos is the brilliant, “Installing and delivering melody since 1982”.
I find TMBG’s new stuff every bit as a good and refreshing than their early music. But is it the same for fans of other acts? If you saw Simple Minds recently, how did you feel about their show? Was it as good as you hoped, or did you come away feeling you should have stayed home and simply savoured the fond memories of long ago?
What other ‘vintage’ acts have you seen recently? Are you glad you went?
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