Boo for Midge Ure! He thinks there are no good, modern bands. I might have to give him the benefit of the doubt though, and say that if Bob Geldof always got sole credit for something I had been a partner in organising, I might also get a bit crabby and start dissing the music industry.
Anyway, it's a Live 8 story, really. According to reports Mr Ure was annoyed that so many of the acts involved in the event were getting on a bit. "The sad indictment is that 90% of all the artists that performed at Live 8 had performed at Live Aid," he said. "It is the same people, the same guys to ask to come along and do it."
It wasn't their fault, though, according to Ure. He blames dance music for having a detrimental effect on live bands "Since Live Aid, bands kind of disappeared. For a long time it was all dance artists and DJs and we didn't generate the next U2 or the next Annie Lennox."
Ure continued to bash the current, thriving live scene: "I always thought that the live thing would always be there, but it is not. Nowadays I go to what was considered a rock pub or a circuit venue and you will see chalked up on the wall who is playing that month, and maybe there is only half a dozen bands. The rest of it is all filled in with soundalike bands like the Australian Pink Floyd and that is killing the route which new artists come through."
Thus implying that there are few good new bands. And that he's not familiar with any new live venues. Oh, I'm sorry to have to say this, but it sounds like an old man talking.