The music industry has been lousy at creating new legendary acts over the last dozen years.
Outside of Jack White and Coldplay, try to name more rock acts that emerged from the 2000′s that have turned into old-school global rock ‘n’ roll superstars with long careers still ahead of them.
This has contributed to two things: Megatours by legacy artists (U2, Madonna, Rush, the Rolling Stones) and the explosion in reunions.
Ever since Michael Cohn and Arthur Fogel – the two Canadians who invented the megatour when they convinced the Rolling Stones to get back together for the Steel Wheels roadtrip in 1989 – there’s been an ever-increasing amount of money to be made in getting the band back together.
Unlike newer acts, these productions can fill arenas and stadiums. And when all the receipts are counted, everybody makes a LOT of money.
No wonder promoters are willing to drop their pants to put together insanely huge offers for reunion tours.
But this well is starting to run dry as age takes its toll on the older and most profitable legacy acts. Black Sabbath (collective age: 252) had to cancel its 2012 reunion tour over Tony Iommi’s health issues, leaving a potential gross of $170 million on the table.
The Rolling Stones (collective age: 270) probably have one last tour in them. The Beach Boys – or what’s left of them (collective age: 340) – will do this 50th anniversary tour and then perhaps pack it in.
This means there’s more pressure for younger defunct acts to get it together again. Soundgarden, Jane’s Addiction, Stone Roses and the Happy Mondays caved. The Van Halen brothers finally agreed to tolerate David Lee Roth for a little while.
Even cult-y acts like At the Drive-In, Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine have jumped aboard this train.
How much money would someone be willing to pay The Smiths for them to get back together? Or better yet, how much money is there in a reunion of Appetite for Destruction-era Guns ‘N Roses? If the Police grossed $350 million, what are the Gunners worth? $500 million? More?
Bottom line: I can see a GnR reunion in the near future. If not in 2012, then in 2013. There’s just too much money on the line for everyone involved.
– Alan is the host of the radio show The Secret History of Rock. Reach him at alan@alancross.ca
