Music RIOT!

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Like I said in some other thread, I've been reading The Ambient Century by Mark Pendergast. When he talks about older composers like Mahler, Debussy, and Ravel, he always talks about how there were riots at the premieres of their new pieces, presumably because they were so difficult or contrary to what was considered "music" or whatever, which just cracks me up. I think I've heard this about Stravinsky too. Why doesn't this happen anymore? People don't take music as seriously? Music hasn't had a dramatic enough change in the past century or so? We're too apathetic? I know there are riots at concerts and stuff, but it seems like it's more just because people are being dicks or violent instead of being outraged by the music.

― Nick A. (Nick A.), Friday, 11 April 2003 14:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Because these days, the pre-gig conversation goes like this:

"It's experimental and avant-garde!"

"Then I know what to expect."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 11 April 2003 14:33 (twenty-two years ago)

So what would it take to musically cause a riot?

― Nick A. (Nick A.), Friday, 11 April 2003 14:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I've seen a mostly nude member of a German performance art fuck/music team crawl over the politely seated if somewhat bemused audience at the Royal Festival Hall in London, all while asking for water. Therefore it must take more (or less) than that.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 11 April 2003 14:40 (twenty-two years ago)

The last riot I saw was at a Gallon Drunk show.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Friday, 11 April 2003 14:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Did the jesus + mary chain not cause a riot at a gig somewhere when bobby gillespie was on drums? I forget the details but seem to remember reports describing a LOT of feedback and not much else.

― neil, Friday, 11 April 2003 14:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Whole story is told in Dave Cavanagh's Creation book -- combination of hype, bad booking and planning and the usual club idiocies. Not so much the music as just the situation.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 11 April 2003 14:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I saw a fistfight break out at the Barbican Centre once during a performance of Harry Partch music

― dave q, Friday, 11 April 2003 15:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Heh. There is hope.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 11 April 2003 16:25 (twenty-two years ago)

...and before the J+MC riots, there were the great Public Image Ltd. riots of the late 70s/early 80s.

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Friday, 11 April 2003 16:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Wow. I have a new goal in life: to make music so wack that people protest it for not being music.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 11 April 2003 16:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Axl Rose to thread

― mei (mei), Friday, 11 April 2003 16:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, now that I think about it, it's more often that when I'm rapping I get criticized for it not being music than I do for doing it and being white...shockah?

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 11 April 2003 16:58 (twenty-two years ago)

I think the G'n'R riots were more like the aforementioned "people being dicks and violent" type riots, pissed off because Axl didn't show up, than anything to do with their music.

― Nick A. (Nick A.), Friday, 11 April 2003 18:22 (twenty-two years ago)

The closest thing I've seen to a riot at a rock show was the Beat Farmers playing in Providence in 85-86. Country Dick Montana got on the shoulders of some guy who obviously could not support the weight. This skinny guy fell, then Country Dick fell on top of him. He got up with fire in his eyes, climbed on top of he bar and starting banging the overhead lamps with a riding stick. "You people need some discipline," he screamed. He also cut his hand on a beer bottle and ended up in an emergency room.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Saturday, 12 April 2003 12:21 (twenty-two years ago)

thing is you have to put some of this 'stuff' with an audience that is not prepared for it. Riots happen when ppl feel that its a con.

'avant garde' shows are played in places and to an audience that likes it, usually.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 12 April 2003 12:27 (twenty-two years ago)

otm. present-day niche marketing = keeping the peace. if britney came onstage one night and did a laptop set, a riot probably wouldn't be out of the question

(i wonder to what extent it's true that the "concert-going public" used to mean one public who went to see everything)

― jones (actual), Saturday, 12 April 2003 14:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, still one of my favorite web pages ever

― donut bitch (donut), Saturday, 12 April 2003 21:52 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/police/guns&roses/Suspects/Party44/Jpg/xImage002copy.jpg

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 12 April 2003 21:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't remember seeing that many cameras at that show. How did they get seven different pictures of me?

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Saturday, 12 April 2003 22:46 (twenty-two years ago)

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