Are rock festivals predominantly for the middle classes?

[the_idiotb_stardson]

I have just walked through Sheffield. Unfortunately I didn't know it was the Tram Lines festival so I had to walk the gauntlet, snatches of awful rock dirges booming out of pubs and cafe doorways.

Unpleasant as this was...what struck me most was the audience. The train station was full of middle class, 50 plus, parents who had shed their office clothes and put on their denims, ill footing hoodies and other sloppy clothes for the weekend ( a pathetic sight really watching adults who just can't quite grow up) They were also joined by their kids who had tighter clothing and facial expressions but were also going to the festival quite willingly.

Now I have often commented on this website that Rock 'n' Roll is one of the great con tricks of our time. It became glaringly obvious years ago that rock culture which, as Jack Black claims, is all about "sticking it to the man" is actually one of the most conservative, capitalist friendly and blatantly establishment reinforcing phenomena there

[obeh2233]

Why does everything have to be about class,polotics,race,? Surely music is all about taste! dose it matter what your class political beliefes are?

[cheeeks]

I can sum this thread up perfectly by stating that the ''middle class'' section are none other than a bunch of ten bob millionairre, wealthy by credit, to55ers. Regardless, of tastes or anything else.

UTM

[John2]

a pathetic sight really watching adults who just can't quite grow up

The most pathetic thing I find is adults who obsess themselves worrying about/judging what other people enjoy/wear. If they're enjoying themselves and not hurting anybody then who the hell cares?

Rock is dead at the moment, that's why the audience will have been older. The most popular music among young people are the many genres of electronic dance music. I was at Lovebox festival in London last weekend, and there weren't that many in there older than me (30).

At the festivals I've been to I've never noticed any particular class biases.

[cheeeks]

a pathetic sight really watching adults who just can't quite grow up

The most pathetic thing I find is adults who obsess themselves worrying about/judging what other people enjoy/wear. If they're enjoying themselves and not hurting anybody then who the hell cares?

Rock is dead at the moment, that's why the audience will have been older. The most popular music among young people are the many genres of electronic dance music. I was at Lovebox festival in London last weekend, and there weren't that many in there older than me (30).

At the festivals I've been to I've never noticed any particular class biases.[/quote]

Wrong.

You can't generalize that the most popular music amongst the younger generation. Due to the fact of music is all about the individual. It's not a following, nore a movement. It's primarily based upon the person in questions taste.

Also, rock is not dead what

[Ellis_D]

Why does everything have to be about class,polotics,race,? Surely music is all about taste! dose it matter what your class political beliefes are?

Agreed. I couldn't give a toss about the politics of the singer/group, or their class, skin colour or race.

I love a few Smiths songs, and my political views are about as far away as you could get that from twohat Morrissey.

[John2]

You can't generalize that the most popular music amongst the younger generation. Due to the fact of music is all about the individual. It's not a following, nore a movement. It's primarily based upon the person in questions taste.

Yes you can, that's literally what generalisations are for. Of course music is individual, but that doesn't mean that in the last decade rock has fallen out of favour among young people in favour of EDM.

Also, rock is not dead whatsoever. That comment is completely ludicrous in the extreme.

Its a FAR smaller market than it was a decade ago. I'm sure at some point it will make a come back as the dominant force, but now it definitely isn't.

[cheeeks]

You can't generalize that the most popular music amongst the younger generation. Due to the fact of music is all about the individual. It's not a following, nore a movement. It's primarily based upon the person in questions taste.

Yes you can, that's literally what generalisations are for. Of course music is individual, but that doesn't mean that in the last decade rock has fallen out of favour among young people in favour of EDM.

Also, rock is not dead whatsoever. That comment is completely ludicrous in the extreme.

Its a FAR smaller market than it was a decade ago. I'm sure at some point it will make a come back as the dominant force, but now it definitely isn't.[/quote]

That's total bollox John, How the hell has rock fallen?

EDM, haha That was 25 years ago. Not as popular as in the late 80s and entire 90s.

The downward spiral in t

[mikemiller]

IBS - you didn't know it was on!?!? Like it (or not) it has been one of the main items in the local media for the last few days...I'd have thought that a hip young groover like you would keep abreast of these type of events...ok, I don't think that it acutally featured any morris dancing, so that's why it might not have got flagged up on your computer...

[John2]

That's total bollox John, How the hell has rock fallen?

EDM, haha That was 25 years ago. Not as popular as in the late 80s and entire 90s.

I don't know how it has fallen, but I'm sure in sales its been taken over by pop.

Of course EDM was popular back then... and its popular again now, just like rock will be again in the future.

I'm sure rock music sales are strong, older people still like and buy it, but young people don't listen to as much of it, I don't listen to it but I'd wager radio 1 playlist is a mix of pop and EDM with rock being more occasional.