The Curse Of Fame

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I read a (rather poorly-written) comment piece about Amy Winehouse's Mercury Awards appearance yesterday. Apparently her performance was 'electric' and it was generally agreed that somehow over the last year, Amy had transformed from a talented soul singer from Camden into an International Megastar Icon!!1!1.

"Every generation needs its Kurt Cobain!" wailed the writer, gnashing his teeth and already writing the poor lass off for lost.

Well, does it? Do we need self-destructive pop icons like Cobain/Hendrix/Sid Vicious? If Amy is the latest victim of rock'n'roll, then who will be next?

Comments

[andthatisthat.livejournal.com]

I remember listening to an irreverent late night radio panel-type show a few years back, which I think had something to do with stating an opinion that was against the commonly-held belief, and one of said statements was a panellist saying that Pete Doherty was an untalented idiot who was only famous because he was the Kurt Cobain of this generation's 17-year-old boys who want to die in a toilet somewhere (not quite sure what commonly-held belief that's supposed to fly in the face of because it sounds utterly accurate to me, but there you go). Anyway, in a move that may or may not have been staged, an audience member stood up to protest about how Pete Doherty is a poet of pain and beauty etc etc, and when asked how old he was, said audience member turned out to be 17.

How is this relevant? Buggered if I know. But I've never seen this need for junkie heroes as having anything to do with music. There will always be people who want a poster boy for their own neuroses, and who better than a celebrity with a severe addiction problem, but said sleb's actual profession always seems to be deeply secondary in the equation. Would Pete Doherty's songs still be poetry of pain and beauty if he and, say, James Morrison swapped places but kept their own songs? I'll have to ask a seventeen-year-old next time I see one, perhaps.

From a personal point of view, I was always rather turned off by musicians who couldn't keep their prodigious gak habits or whatever under control, because I thought it made them self-indulgent and inconsistent, but that's just me.

Rant appraching!

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Everyone does seem to be on the wrong sort of druqks these days. Myself and boyofbadgers have bemoaned on many occasions the fact that nu-rave will always be rubbish is all the kids are on ketamine! What is the point of going out dancing on a TRANQUILISER? HELLO? (Kids today, grumble, etc). Anyway: even if drugs aren't inspirational & creative, the music producers are going to want to make music that sounds awesome to the audience - who just happen to be on acid/E/weed/whatever. If your audience is full of coked up wankers they are almost certainly not paying attention to the music in the first place.