In 1949 I went to the cinema
about three times a week, a compulsion which had little to do with the merits
of the films I saw; Rank cinemas at that time, showed a healthy profit. In the
late fifties, as my attendance at the cinema declined, I became aware that my
thoughtless change of habit had created a crisis in the film industry, not only
Rank losing money but I had even caused severe cuts in production at major
Hollywood studios. (Richard Hamilton)
Richard Hamilton is right to point this out: we’re not only
slaves to consumer trends; the market follows us. I should know. Just as
Hamilton triggered economic shifts in the film industry mid-20th
century, I bear a responsibility for music consumption today.
There has
been a turn away from bands towards solo artists. Adele and Ed Sheeran are
prospering (they are numbers one and two in the latest Sunday Times list of the UK’s richest musicians under 30), while
the group-oriented genres of rock and indie music are in decline (the Arctic
Monkeys have recently been described as being ‘virtually the last indie band standing’). This change has, of course, been driven by record companies, as
well as by artists themselves. It simply makes more sense to be a solo act.
From the record companies’ perspective, solo artists are easier to market. Today’s
industry is focused on social media and brands; it requires global stars. This situation
does not favour locale-based groups who are cultivating underground notions of ‘cool’.
From the artists’ perspective, it is obviously more prosperous to go it alone.
In today’s climate there are fewer royalties to spread around. So why spread
them around at all.
This policy
would not be effective, however, unless there was public demand for solo
performers. And this is where I come in. I hardly ever buy music by groups any
more. I don’t consume music by Ed Sheeran either (I’m one of the multitude who
remain mystified by his appeal), but I do relate to the questing music of St
Vincent, John Grant and James Blake, and I enjoy the big personalities of Beyoncé
and Taylor Swift. It is solo acts that suit me now.
I think I know why. To become a
fan of a band is to take on the ethos of their gang. You buy into the group’s
notions of comradeship. The older I get, the more unsuitable this feels. I don’t
hang around with gangs any more. Consequently, I can’t imagine what would
prompt me to have any interest in the latest guitar group. And I’m not alone in
being more alone. The popular music audience is ageing. There are large swathes
of us who are no longer out on the streets, running with the pack. We haven’t
given up on our music, though. We’re isolated in our homes, listening to solo performers.
