Originally posted by reggie o.:
I know lots of casual music fans who dig both of these bands, and Panic! are huge right now, why not take the chance play sold out arenas.
I thought Bloc Party put out the best release of 05, and they make smart music with genuine emotion, and PATD just strike me as lame on all fronts, so I'm biased - but basically, I feel like this kind of environment can be poisonous to a quality band. If Bloc Party's second album sucks, than this is a smart move. If the second album is good, it doesn't make any sense. They are capable of creating huge buzz on their own terms. In art like in life, you don't want to get caught up with the wrong crowd, and "sell-out" moves can suck the life out of you.
The new fans they pick up are the exact fans that will cause the fans they've earned on their merits to be alienated, especially when they're paying $60 to see the band at Constitution Hall at a social event, rather than a show.
I think it can cause a young band to become very cynical (thinking if the people like this crap, do we really want to please people?) or self-doubting (if people like pseudo-high school drama club geeks in make-up playing lame fourth generation watered down shit, why should we bother trying to make something meaningful). Stay in your element.
[Pretentious spoiler alert] Artistic Quality can be very fragile and needs to be protected - particularly with young bands, and you've got to be careful and make good decisions. Yes, its just a short tour, but these kinds of moves are dangerous. If you're a smart band capable of actual artistic quality, you shouldn't be hanging out with hookers doing blow and wasting youre talents and you shouldn't be hanging out with PATD. Both (may) have soul reducing effects.
