Benvolio wrote: ↑Sat Aug 03, 2024 23:53
Anyone else have opinions on these concert cinematics or lack thereof?
I think your average band shouldn't/doesn't need anything more than maybe a banner with the band logo as a backdrop. The music should speak for itself. That said I also see the value in having animated backgrounds or light projection shows for psychedelic music. As long as it improves the overall experience there's nothing wrong with it. But when it's done badly, it feels like you're being made to watch a crappy movie made by someone who hardly has anything to do with the band.
Recently I went to go see Buckethead live. I got there early, and because there was a storm coming, they let us in to the venue early. I got to have a lot of cool conversations with other fans about Bucket, and I got a few compliments for my Gigan shirt (Gigan is a monster from the Godzilla series, and Buckethead has released 2 songs named after him). It was general admission, standing room only, and tickets were only about 50-60 dollars. I got right up to the stage, and it was an awesome show. I would say there was probably no more than 1500 people in attendance, with no opening act, instead Buckethead played 2 sets with his friend and collaborator Dan Monti (AKA Brewer), which included a few covers of songs like War Pigs and I Want It That Way. During shows, Buckethead does a gift exchange with the audience, where he comes out with a big sack of toys like Santa Claus and hands out toys to fans. I was one of the fans who got a toy, and I gave him some art prints of giant monsters I made. I also got to tap the killswitch on his guitar, which is something he lets people in the front do at shows.
It was so great to finally see him live. I've been waiting 5 years for this opportunity, but due to stuff going on in his personal life (and the world), he hadn't been touring for a while. When this tour was first announced, I was apprehensive about going because of the singer accompanying him. A lot of people were criticizing her lyrics, her singing (some fans even claimed they caught her lip synching), and her stage presence. Out of the blue, all mention of her was erased and Buckethead continued these shows as a solo tour. It's weird, because not only did she get removed from the tour, but all mention of her on Buckethead's website was removed, and he even deleted the music they did together. We'll probably never know the reason why, but that's the world of Buckethead for you. Anyway, I'm glad I finally got to see him, and it wasn't with that crappy singer he was working with.
"Remember to be happy, and keep smiling, and have hope, and know that there's sunshine everywhere. Just look around, and you'll find it."
That said I also see the value in having animated backgrounds or light projection shows for psychedelic music. As long as it improves the overall experience there's nothing wrong with it. But when it's done badly, it feels like you're being made to watch a crappy movie made by someone who hardly has anything to do with the band.