Blur accidentally prompt the death of the review

Ironically, after saying 'Sorry bub, things keep getting in the way, back soon', I stumble across something that made me want to vent a little. Of course, it being a topical story in the world of music, it could only be about one of two things: Michael Jackson's death or The Blur Reunion. It's the latter. And the NME.

Over at the NME, they've done a review of Blur's Hyde Park gig. Now, there's nothing wrong with that. Far from it. If someone had paid for us lot to go, we woulda reviewed it in a heartbeat. However, that's not how the music industry works. Or rather, how almost every PR person works. That's what people actually mean when they say 'The Music Industry' in a sniffy way. So yeah, PR people send out 'accreditation' to the usual candidates, effectively underlining their very 20th Century Way of thinking. More People Read Music Magazines Than Anything Else... despite the fact that there's a number of websites that dwarf the traffic and readership of conventional press.

As a result, the dailes, weeklies, fortnightlies and monthlies in the UK, by and large, have become so complacent that often, when you're reading their reviews, you get the impression that it's being written by interns from Chelsea, or somewhere equally vapid.

So anyway, the NME reviewed the Blur gig... and essentially, it goes like this.

THIS HAPPENED. THIS HAPPENED. THIS HAPPENED AS WELL. THEN THIS HAPPENED. THIS HAPPENED TOO. IT REMINDED ME OF THIS OTHER THING. THEN THEY DID THIS SONG. IT WAS LIKE THIS. THEN THEY DID THIS. THEY FINISHED WITH THIS. IT WAS GOOD/BAD.

For a rag that's just had a two page spread on Swells' passing, and including some of his rockin' vitriol, they failed to get sparked up by a past master... they've completely forgotten what made 'em such a fun read in the past, whether you agreed or not. The most recent issue of the NME contains a feature that points out how many number one hit singles were played at Glastonbury last weekend. Invigorating huh?

Click the link below to see how standard issue a review can be and daydream of a time when people throw tickets for big shows at The Big R and sort us out with private jets and shit. [MG]

Read the full NME article here.

Comments

[David Jackson]

Really awful. They should sack the sap that wrote that and employ you instead.

[Marcus]

...you know Mof, there are other ways to get in to these shows....

[James]

I'm not defending NME for a minute, but that's not their review - it's a news story. That's why it's in the news section.