Journalists' take on live shows

Joshua Smith5 said:I can't tell you how many times my buddies have told me they spotted Dragash at some show, hanging out by the bar with a few heavy-set friends, completely wasted, so what am I supposed to expect from his review?

Well, you know how it goes, you just expect an Alexander Dragash review. I’ve never actually seen him hammered, but I did see him acting all happy and drunk at a concert once and honestly, it was pretty charming. That feeling was definitely helped along by the fact that the show itself was absolutely killer.

hollowseal33 said:wherever you're getting that from, man...

Just speaking from experience, I guess. ☕

I don't think that's actually true. It sounds like you might be mixing up your terminology here. It’s hard to stay constructive sometimes, but we should try regardless of whether we're praising or bashing something. 🤔

Alright, look, pick a song you actually like. Then grab one you absolutely can't stand.

Try doing this just for yourself—you know, like a little exercise—and try to argue for or against both in a few sentences. Just... maybe try to stay away from those super dramatic, overly subjective lines, like "this song makes my soul weep" or "his voice makes me want to rip my hair out" or "I'd rather have my fingernails pulled than listen to this while having coffee."

Just see which side comes easier to you. 😉

Just being real here, trying to be funny or actually entertaining when you're praising something is way harder than just tearing it all to pieces.

Honestly, just try to think back to any album reviews or concert write-ups that actually stuck with you. In this day and age, it feels like most people just remember the absolute train wrecks, right?

Man, what a mess. Honestly, it feels like people back home used to be totally desensitized to this kind of chaos. We grew up with legendary shows—stuff you’d only dream about or actually have to fly across the country to see. Now? It feels like everyone's moral compass is spinning, and there's just way too many people soaking up all that energy.

Megan Torres said:Look, forgive me, but if my actual job is to cover concerts, why on earth should I be paying for my own ticket?! That’s like a clerk at the Post Office having to pay out of their own pocket for office supplies and envelopes. 🤷

This isn't about selling out; it's just how the industry works. What are you even talking about?
The promoter gives you access, and in exchange, you promote the show and write a review.

I haven't seen it done that way before... mostly because I buy these newspapers myself and end up reading total garbage written by some journalist who was basically paid to hype the event and the promoter rather than actually writing a critique. That's why. When you pay for it yourself, the review is actually constructive.

Oh, please, you clearly have no idea what you’re talking about. I’d love to see how you’d handle it if you had to shower every single client you land for your firm with expensive gifts, only to have your boss tell you—hey, pay for that out of your own pocket! 🤣
For journalists, this is just part of the job. It’s a different story when everyone nowadays thinks they can call themselves a reporter or a music critic just because they have an internet connection.

If you don't like it, stop buying newspapers and just read stuff online... 😁 🙂

By the way, calling this "advertising" is a stretch; it belongs in the news section. Sure, it functions as an ad, but it’s also information and an announcement for an event... and isn't that exactly what the media is supposed to do? 😉

A few years back, Zlatko Gall actually wrote a review for a Gibonnier concert before the show even happened...

😁

rustyranger24 said:A few years back, Zlatko Gall actually wrote a review for a Gibonnier concert before the show even happened...

isn't the first time either. stuff like this keeps happening 😁

driftingeagle27 said:Just to be specific, it’s way harder to be funny or engaging when you're actually praising something instead of just tearing it apart.

Honestly, just try to think of any album reviews or concert write-ups that actually stuck with you. These days, it feels like most people just remember the scathing takedowns, right?

I'm with you. Totally.

And if you really sit back and think about those shows you went to where you had a blast, half the time it’s just purely subjective stuff. You love the band, the drinks were good, the vibes were right, you were hanging with solid friends...

But when a show sucks? Man, you can find a mountain of "objective" reasons. Maybe they couldn't play their instruments, the sound system was garbage, the crowd was a mess, the guitarist was an arrogant jerk, or even just the beer tasted like piss...

It’s just way easier to weave those kinds of complaints into a fun, readable piece.

Alex Ramirez12 said:that whole thing about the takedowns... sometimes I feel like people in America used to be more obsessed with live music. There were all these incredible shows you could only dream about or had to travel abroad for. Values have shifted a bit, and I guess the sheer number of people consuming this stuff has changed too.

That makes sense too.

Look, I write about this stuff too—and I’ve always prided myself on being objective. Honestly, I don't mind being blunt; sometimes you just have to be negative or critical to get the truth out there, so nothing has ever really bothered me. But what absolutely grinds my gears is having to hunt for basic information every single time. Take the recent Simple Minds show in Chicago, for example—I spent an entire hour wandering around trying to track down the guy in charge of press credentials, and nobody had a clue who he was or where he’d even gone.

LOL