The recent reports from concert land, and EC's comments about people not dancing at shows, has got me thinking about the whole "dance" issue. EC is clueless if he thinks that the fact that Romans or Cardiffians who refuse to get up and boogie to his songs is an example that they are (i) being disrespectful or (ii) not having a good time.
I guarantee you that if you asked these people if their remaining seated was a sign of boredom on their part, they would look at you as if you were a madman.
Sure, some of the wives dragged by their husbands to a show they would otherwise not go to would admit to boredom, but the males in the audience (or the females who dragged their EC-neutral hubbies) would all agree that their satisfaction or lack thereof at an EC show had nothing to do with "dancing" and everything to do with quality of voice, band performance, acoustics, song selection, lenght of show, ability to see the performers (deeply compromised by those who stand up and boogie) and other factors having nothing to do with dance.
Maybe the goal of this staid demographic is more modest, and yet subtle: to enjoy the music while being able to hear it in comfortable sorroundings, safe in the knowledge that this condition is more appropriate to their current circumstances than Living La Vida Loca with the rambunctious 20 year olds.
EC's emphasis on this dance nonsense seems to me to be another example of HIS inability to figure out exactly what he and his music represent TODAY. His fans are not looking to him for "dance music". His music matters because it's artfully crafted pop music with great melodies and lyrics. Playing that kind of music in venues where you pay dearly for a seat is the last thing that would lead a 50 year old after a hard days' work to get up and boogie for two hours.
Shall we Dance?
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King Hoarse
- Posts: 1450
- Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2004 11:32 pm
- Location: Malmö, Sweden
