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Music and politics

A post yesterday about U2 prompted me to listen to them today. And one comment from yesterday got me to thinking. The author wrote dismissively that they should "keep their politics to themselves." (Those may or may not have been the exact words, but that gets to the point.) As I've been listening this afternoon, I've thought: I'm neither a born-again Christian nor a political leftie, but I do love this band. And then I thought further: If I listened only to bands or singer-songwriters whose politics were like mine, I surely wouldn't spin a whole lot of recordings. (For the record, I consider myself a radically pragmatic centrist with occasional libertarian leanings. Got any bands who'd fill that bill?) I care about the music, and not about what the people making that music happen to believe. Am I alone in this? Do others dismiss certain artists because of their politics -- or religion or the kind of car they drive or whatever else?
hodu

Showing 6 responses by entrope

entrope
482 posts
 
I attended a Roger Waters show which was excellent until he took 10 minutes mid-show to bash Bush, Blair, & Iraq to lead into "Bring the Boys Back Home". It was really off putting and took much of the savor from the show. Many artists do this kind of thing.

You pay your money to hear the music and see the performance of an artist. If politics are included in the music you know going in what to expect. But to have artists use the crowd assembled for a performance to espouse a political bent or speak from a political agenda on the stage is to me unprofessional regardless of whether the crowd agrees or not.

If I paid money to hear James Carvell or Karl Rove speak at an event then I expect a political agenda and it what I want to hear. I would be disappointed if they sang and did not talk politics.
entrope
482 posts
 
Bongo-

Did you drop $100 on the concert ticket to hear an artist perform or speak to their politics?
entrope
482 posts
 
How does an artist that does only instrumental music challenge his audience to political thought with his music?Does that make them just a minstrel?

What classical artists stop during a symphony to launch a political diatribe?

What if any movie you went to had a 10 minute segment of the director's polictics in the middle of the movie?

Artists are asking us to pay to see them perform - musicians, actors and athletes alike, but only musicians it seems get to stop in the middle of a paid performance to espouse their political views.
entrope
482 posts
 
Marty-

Point taken. I was referring to actions within the confines of a paid performance that have nothing to do with the performance itself.

Political viewpoints in lyrics, outrageous performances (Alice Cooper to Marilyn Manson) or instrumental music that challenges the conventional is part of the art and something that I accept.
entrope
482 posts
 
Bongo-

The key as you stated "as long as its in the music". A separate political rant does not have to be part of the performance I paid to see.

If you freely express your views on a street corner I can walk away or argue on even terms but in a concert venue where I paid for a seat and entertainment I have very limited recourse. Leave and lose my money or shout my opinion without a PA system. Where is my equal freedom of expression?

If they will perform for free I will listen to their political viewpoints because I lose nothing walking away.
entrope
482 posts
 
Money is in right wing politics. Listen to your AM radio.
Artists have less political impact than Right leaning radio hosts.

Artist seem to be less astute politically and cause driven looking through a microscope rather than a fisheye lens. I also believe Fox News is the #1 new network which translates into $$$.
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