Local Scene Bands -> Big Stars

[badgermonkey]

I was just thinking...

Over the past few years I've seen a great many very good bands who have been on the verge of breaking out of the "local scene" or having just hit the mainstream etc. and then out of the blue announce a break up. Some recentish examples include:

Howards Alias (Now back together)
Adequate Seven (One of the best!)
Shootin Goon

etc.

Now I was wondering, is there some inbuilt fear into these sorts of guys where they don't WANT to be big famous bands? Taking Adequate Seven as an example, they played Reading last yeah, they had huge amounts of fans and so forth, had just released a fantastic second album, and then quit. I know it's nothing to do with that "musical differences" or "threatened friendships" crap, as their bassist now teaches ME bass. However I haven't bothered to ask directly as they didn't want to give a reason to the public, so it's not my business to push it.



So basically, why do so many bands split up as they hit the verge of greatness? Fear of fame? Or something else?

 

[badgermonkey]

"Hi.. HI JAMES FROM x BAND!!!!" Down the street everywhere you go.

I am suggesting that they can't handle the fame, or don't like the fame. I don't think that getting asked for autographs etc when you go somewhere is that nice.

Yeah, I guessed that anyway, hence why I have to restrain myself a lot at bass lessons. I'm sitting there with the bassist from my favouritest band in the whole wide world and able to chat to him normally, but a part of me wants to ask all those questions etc relating to Ad7. Everytime he asks me if there's any particular song I'd like to learn, the first few that flash into my head are all Ad7 songs.... it's a hard life

 

[badgermonkey]

surely though if anyone that made music bottled it and split up when theyre about to make it big, no one would have musical influences. If for instance the beatles or sex pistols had split up before they made it there would probably be hardly any of the bands that are around now.

Yeah but I'm not talking about everyone. Im just talking about how many I've seen recently.

 

[badgermonkey]

Hahaha. Shootin' Goon...I remember them...

Local scenes suck. End of conversation.

*n

Local scenes do not suck. If you ignore the emo kids

EDIT: Shootin Goon are awesome. Saw them for their "one time back together" thing at Ad7's final gig. When there are about 400 kids aged 14-21 in a room doing the YMCA, you must be doing something right