Author Topic: DT popularity  (Read 18820 times)

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Offline noxon

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #35 on: November 24, 2019, 06:22:47 AM »
I think people are wildly overstating the impact static setlists would have on the general public. The hardcore fan base is NOT a majority of concert attendees. Heck, I'd wager they're not even in the 25% of the audience at a concert. My experience is that most people who are attending ANY rock / metal concert do it because they're a fan of music, and like the band, not because they're hardcore fans of the band they're seeing. And -that- audience do not care whether the band played the same songs in a different city they went to the night before, because -that- audience didn't see -that- show.

Of course Setlist Scotty has some issues with static setlists, as it's made his "job" redundant and boring ;)

DT has been touring a lot more intensely in certain areas the past 5 years. I've seen them 12 times the past 5 years without even having to travel outside for Scandinavia, and before that I saw them every other year, which amounts to 8 times since 1998.

I'd say it's a combination of high activity in a increasingly saturated marked, not only from DT itself, but every other active band on the planet. I know for myself that I've had to weed out the interesting bands to a much higher degree than before, and simply not attend concerts I previously would've not hesitated going to, just because there's just too much! There's also many more bands out there now than there ever was before, and that doesn't help with the saturation.

And, of course, DT never reached the level of "legendary" that bands like Metallica and Iron Maiden are, who can sell out stadiums to people just due to their name. And DT isn't old enough to fully reach that nostalgia level of impact where people will turn up "just to catch a glimpse of the artist before they are gone", like you get with Yes or other 70s prog/rock acts that are still touring.

But has DT's popularity decreased? Of course, that has also been a factor. DT used to have a big portion of uptake of younger generations entering the fanbase, but this kinda stopped around 2007 or so. It's the same "problem" that the guitar makers are seeing - younger generations are simply not as interested in rock music, so the guitar is actually quite struggling with dwindling sales. So when young people no longer get turned on to DT, and the older people get increasingly disinterested, we end up with decreasing popularity. But at the same time, we (Dream Theater World) has seen more activity for the fan club than I ever saw with the old style fan clubs...

Offline KevShmev

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #36 on: November 24, 2019, 07:39:27 AM »
I don’t think static setlist have any effect on ticket sales.


I think people are wildly overstating the impact static setlists would have on the general public. 

I agree with both of you. 

Offline Trav86

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #37 on: November 24, 2019, 08:08:39 AM »
I don’t think static setlist have any effect on ticket sales.


I think people are wildly overstating the impact static setlists would have on the general public. 

I agree with both of you.

I agree with all three of you.
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Offline SwedishGoose

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #38 on: November 24, 2019, 08:14:07 AM »
I don’t think static setlist have any effect on ticket sales.


I think people are wildly overstating the impact static setlists would have on the general public. 

I agree with both of you.

I agree with all three of you.

Yeah, I totally agree with this. I think it's just a very vocal minority.  Even 1 % is too high a number I think.

There is just not hundreds of people at every DT show who have been to multiple shows.

Offline Stadler

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #39 on: November 24, 2019, 08:48:17 AM »
While I don't disagree that the number of people that have stopped going solely because of static setlists is likely low, I think it's a mistake to isolate one variable like that.  Does the average person really think that compartmentalized?  I know I don't.  It's a combination of things, of which one MIGHT be static setlists, and of which several might have common roots.

Offline Thoughtspart3

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #40 on: November 25, 2019, 08:19:42 PM »
I guess the question is, how are they doing financially on these tours? It must be worth it to a certain degree if they are doing second legs and returning to the same cities.

Offline SwedishGoose

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #41 on: November 25, 2019, 10:27:09 PM »
I guess the question is, how are they doing financially on these tours? It must be worth it to a certain degree if they are doing second legs and returning to the same cities.

This is my understanding of how this works.
Dream Theater get paid a fixed price by the promotors (they say how much they want). It's the promotors who will incur losses if attendance is too low.
Of course if attendance is low merch sales will  be lower so the band will hurt a bit financially.
Promotors will be less likely too book them on subsequent tours if sales are low.

Offline cramx3

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #42 on: November 26, 2019, 10:08:42 AM »
I guess the question is, how are they doing financially on these tours? It must be worth it to a certain degree if they are doing second legs and returning to the same cities.

This is my understanding of how this works.
Dream Theater get paid a fixed price by the promotors (they say how much they want). It's the promotors who will incur losses if attendance is too low.
Of course if attendance is low merch sales will  be lower so the band will hurt a bit financially.
Promotors will be less likely too book them on subsequent tours if sales are low.

Higher prices could be a reflection on this from promoters worried about taking a hit.  Not sure, I wouldn't know, but seems plausible.  I'm sure DT is not struggling to make money but if they promoters are, that could be an issue in the future.  It looked like DT recovered very well from the poor second TA leg (followed up with well selling I&W&B and the first leg of this tour) but a second poorly attended leg might have more impact.  Like I said, I wouldn't know, just speculating here.  We'll see what happens when they come around again.

Online Anguyen92

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #43 on: November 26, 2019, 10:14:41 AM »
Promotors will be less likely too book them on subsequent tours if sales are low.

Well, if the sales are too low, maybe promoters should consider lower the prices of tickets.  Then again, they probably have the resource tools to think that selling 1,500 tickets at $60.00 a pop on average is better than selling 2,000 tickets at around $40.00 a pop.  I'm always about wanting to see bands play in front of packed crowds night after night and ticket prices being what they are for DT is hurting that, especially when these shows nowadays are assigned seats (which means the front row seats are just going to ridiculous prices few people want to pay on the regular).

Offline gborland

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #44 on: November 26, 2019, 10:50:56 AM »
There is just not hundreds of people at every DT show who have been to multiple shows.

But in the old days, there actually were.

I remember on one of the UK tours I was on a train travelling from one show to the next, and the train was full of people wearing DT shirts who were doing the same as me...
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Offline El Barto

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #45 on: November 26, 2019, 03:07:42 PM »
Everyone knows my stance on the static setlists that we've been seeing, and I do think that it is a part of the reason why the turn outs have been lower. But based on a lot of the comments in this thread, it's clear that the ticket prices are also playing a roll. They must be commanding a fairly high guarantee for each show, and I would imagine that's a big part of why ticket prices have been higher. But I also imagine that it's part of the reason why some parts of the world - for instance the northwest and southeast parts of the US - are neglected on the tour. It's interesting that the southeast has gotten much better representation on this tour, but that hasn't been the case in the past.
It's interesting that they're writing off the PNW as they're now playing Texas quite regularly. It used to be that we always got skipped unless there was a package deal or something. Honestly, I don't know what to make of their business model. They're definitely charging an arm and a leg down here (relative to normal Texas prices), but they are coming (or already came) back through Texas on their second leg. We used to be out of range. Whereas they presumably can't afford to play Seattle anymore.

Also, a big part of their ticket prices is the large show they're touring with. Personally, I'd prefer they ditch it and worry about the music. Frankly, the whole thing's become a little too TSO for my taste. A gig where they didn't have their Blinding Light Show and just came out and jammed would be a nice thing to see. At this point I think it's a necessary crutch, though.


I don’t think static setlist have any effect on ticket sales.
My friends and I are proof that you're wrong. If you want to argue that it doesn't have a huge effect then that's fine. I probably agree. There are definitely plenty of people that would travel to hit 3 shows in Texas, though, and at this point there's just no reason to bother. Same would apply all over PA, NJ, NY, MA, as well. And it goes beyond just the setlist. There's really no variation between shows at all. I've seen plenty of bands on consecutive nights and there's normally a different vibe from one to the next. Not with DT, though. If you see DT once you've seen the tour.
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Offline geeeemo

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #46 on: November 27, 2019, 08:14:09 AM »
And then there are the new-ish fans like me (since 2016), that just want to see them as much as possible. I will have seen this tour 4 times. Just when I start thinking to myself "I wonder if I will enjoy seeing this Again", I go and love every minute! The pricing doesn't seem like an issue from my perspective. The other concerts I go to are just as pricey if not more. I shelled out hundreds of dollars for Metallica, and Iron Maiden. Even older bands Bush, Live, Megadeth and the Scorpions were more $$. I paid about the same for Kamelot and Queensryche. Of course I would love different set-lists, but just like I listen to a favorite song or album over and over, I enjoy repeating DT concerts.

Offline Lonk

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #47 on: November 27, 2019, 08:35:12 AM »
I don’t think static setlist have any effect on ticket sales.
My friends and I are proof that you're wrong. If you want to argue that it doesn't have a huge effect then that's fine. I probably agree. There are definitely plenty of people that would travel to hit 3 shows in Texas, though, and at this point there's just no reason to bother. Same would apply all over PA, NJ, NY, MA, as well. And it goes beyond just the setlist. There's really no variation between shows at all. I've seen plenty of bands on consecutive nights and there's normally a different vibe from one to the next. Not with DT, though. If you see DT once you've seen the tour.

I think that relates to what was said on the "Playing to a click" thread. I think part of it is that they have not really gained new fans in the past 7-8 years because they haven't shared the stage with other bands. I know this might be overlooked but I think having only "Evening with" shows for the past 3 albums, while also doing anniversary tours is drawing in the same fan base, while losing some and gaining practically none.

Besides the European festivals, the last time DT shared a stage with other bands was for ADTOE tour (if im not mistaken), which limits their exposure for new fans.
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Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #48 on: November 27, 2019, 08:37:20 AM »
Pricing can't be that big of a deal, at least here in the USA.  I have been consistently able to get good seats over the last 4 years in the $45 dollar range (before TM fees, of course).  There are a lot of shittier bands that charge a lot more than that.

If you're normally paying less than that for concerts, it would have to be for smaller acts, smaller/different venues, or both.  Right?
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Offline Architeuthis

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #49 on: November 27, 2019, 08:48:35 AM »
I dunno, I just saw The Who and got in for $40 at the venue box office.
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Offline hunnus2000

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #50 on: November 27, 2019, 09:46:27 AM »
The Who are a shell of themselves that are nothing more than a Who cover band, kind of like Van Halen. I know that sounds harsh but I would rather spend 200.00 to see DT than 40.00 to see the Who or VH.

That said, the venues DT chooses to perform at is probably a little pricey to book. I mean, what do you think the Chicago Theater costs? I would love to know those logistics...

Offline El Barto

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #51 on: November 27, 2019, 10:47:40 AM »
Pricing can't be that big of a deal, at least here in the USA.  I have been consistently able to get good seats over the last 4 years in the $45 dollar range (before TM fees, of course).  There are a lot of shittier bands that charge a lot more than that.

If you're normally paying less than that for concerts, it would have to be for smaller acts, smaller/different venues, or both.  Right?
Nah, down here I think we shelled out just over a hundred bucks for good DT seats. That's not Roger Waters money, but it's still way out of range for a band selling 1200 tickets. I definitely consider them one of the pricier bands I tend to see, and it seems every year it's a little more. And something else to consider is that larger bands will play venues with more tiers to choose from. You could pay anywhere from 25-150 to see Maiden at the local shed. DT will generally only have one or two tiers in the 50-100 range.


I don’t think static setlist have any effect on ticket sales.
My friends and I are proof that you're wrong. If you want to argue that it doesn't have a huge effect then that's fine. I probably agree. There are definitely plenty of people that would travel to hit 3 shows in Texas, though, and at this point there's just no reason to bother. Same would apply all over PA, NJ, NY, MA, as well. And it goes beyond just the setlist. There's really no variation between shows at all. I've seen plenty of bands on consecutive nights and there's normally a different vibe from one to the next. Not with DT, though. If you see DT once you've seen the tour.

I think that relates to what was said on the "Playing to a click" thread. I think part of it is that they have not really gained new fans in the past 7-8 years because they haven't shared the stage with other bands. I know this might be overlooked but I think having only "Evening with" shows for the past 3 albums, while also doing anniversary tours is drawing in the same fan base, while losing some and gaining practically none.

Besides the European festivals, the last time DT shared a stage with other bands was for ADTOE tour (if im not mistaken), which limits their exposure for new fans.
I didn't know there was a "click" thread, I don't bother with the DT threads all that often, but I've been railing bout it since they started with that nonsense. Not that they care, but it's cost them several tickets that I didn't buy. Like I said, you see one show and you've seen the entire tour.

I disagree about them playing with other bands, though. I doubt opening for Maiden gained them that many fans. To be honest, I've always thought of seeing a band live as a poor way to get into their music, and with DT it'd likely turn me off of them. They're not exciting if you don't know every scale they're supposed to play, and of course there's the whole "but the singer" thing. I doubt people who aren't familiar with them are going to see them play TDEN and then rush out to buy their catalog. It might help with ticket sales, but not by much. Touring with Megadeth sold more tickets, but they were still playing the same venue, and they still didn't sell it out. Before that I saw them with both Queensryche and Satriani and neither sold anymore tickets than an evening with show. Whereas I think the fans prefer the extended format. I certainly do. Given a choice between 90 minutes playing with Satriani, or 3 hours by themselves, the latter is a no-brainer for me. So I doubt the evening with format is hurting them much, but it is making the fans more inclined to see them.
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Offline Architeuthis

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #52 on: November 27, 2019, 11:25:17 AM »
The Who are a shell of themselves that are nothing more than a Who cover band, kind of like Van Halen. I know that sounds harsh but I would rather spend 200.00 to see DT than 40.00 to see the Who or VH.

That said, the venues DT chooses to perform at is probably a little pricey to book. I mean, what do you think the Chicago Theater costs? I would love to know those logistics...
I completely disagree with that statement.  The Who are still a world class band selling out arenas and even playing stadiums. They got Pete Townshend and Rodger Daltry still in top form,  Zach Starzky (Ringo Stars son) on the drums, who by the way is a fantastic drummer!   They also have top notch musicians in their band and they had a full stringed and brass orchestra on this current tour.  The Who has a wayyy bigger draw than Dream Theater and could still charge a lot of money for their shows if they want to, but they don't want to gouge their fans.
 I myself am more of a DT fan,  but The Who is still very relevant and playing kick-ass concerts!  Cover band?  Whatever!   :lol
« Last Edit: November 27, 2019, 11:30:41 AM by Architeuthis »
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Offline Lonk

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #53 on: November 27, 2019, 12:12:02 PM »
@El Barto. I understand what you are saying, but I will give you an example. Coheed and Cambria toured with Mastodon over the summer. These are two bands I love and would go see any chance I have. My partner went with me because she is also a huge Coheed fan but knew nothing about Mastodon. After the show, she's been listening to mastodon more frequently than I do (and same for her friend that came with us as well). That's at least 2 new fans from 1 show, I'm sure they were more from that show and even more from the entire tour. Also, I am sure it went the other way around as well for people that went to the show for Mastodon, but enjoyed Coheed's music as well.

I know DT is a special case because you have to digest their music a lot more than Coheed or Mastodon, but having a co-headlining show with another band is not going to hurt their fan-base IMO.

I love the Evening with shows because it means more DT for us the fans, and I remember the last time I saw them sharing the stage with someone else I was disappointed at how short the show was (2009 with Zappa plays Zappa and Bigelf), but they are not exposing themselves.
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Offline Peter Mc

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #54 on: November 27, 2019, 01:42:04 PM »
I think with TOT and the early Roadrunner albums, Dream Theater shifted their demographic a bit (by design I think) and I started to see younger metal fans at shows in addition to the prog types. Since MP’s departure, DT have moved away from the overtly metal stuff and back towards their prog side so they’ve lost some of those fans picked up in the mid to late 2000’s. They’re back to their more core audience but still much bigger venues than in the pre SFAM days. The new album is their most metal album for a while but they have toured a lot recently and they are also playing a big prog concept album in full so it will be difficult to get the metal kids back, if they even want to. I think they’ve reached a comfortable level where they make a good living doing music they enjoy and the drop in numbers is probably offset by the higher prices.

As for Steven Wilson, can only speak for the U.K. but he is massively more popular and more respected as a solo artist than PT ever were. That’s why he’s never been tempted to go back plus his live band is on a different level to the PT guys.

Offline El Barto

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #55 on: November 27, 2019, 03:02:26 PM »
@El Barto. I understand what you are saying, but I will give you an example. Coheed and Cambria toured with Mastodon over the summer. These are two bands I love and would go see any chance I have. My partner went with me because she is also a huge Coheed fan but knew nothing about Mastodon. After the show, she's been listening to mastodon more frequently than I do (and same for her friend that came with us as well). That's at least 2 new fans from 1 show, I'm sure they were more from that show and even more from the entire tour. Also, I am sure it went the other way around as well for people that went to the show for Mastodon, but enjoyed Coheed's music as well.

I know DT is a special case because you have to digest their music a lot more than Coheed or Mastodon, but having a co-headlining show with another band is not going to hurt their fan-base IMO.


I love the Evening with shows because it means more DT for us the fans, and I remember the last time I saw them sharing the stage with someone else I was disappointed at how short the show was (2009 with Zappa plays Zappa and Bigelf), but they are not exposing themselves.
I think you've kind of hit on the point there. There are bands that I became a fan of after seeing them live. That tends to happen because they're great live bands, and their music is well suited for the live format. I don't think either really applies to DT (from the perspective of a non-fanboy). Like you said, there's a lot to digest, as well as a, let's say, 'polarizing' singer. I'd actually be real curious to know how man Yes and Maiden fans ever bothered to go see DT on their own after being exposed to them as openers. I'd guess more Yes fans, but it's probably not a whole lot either way.

Ironically, I started listening to Fate's Warning after seeing them open for DT. Based largely on discovering that Ray Alder was a great singer. The reverse would definitely not have happened in my case.
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Offline noxon

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #56 on: November 28, 2019, 05:37:25 AM »
Even in the days of "rotating setlists", realistically you'd have two base setlists with approx 14 songs in each, and maybe a couple of them were wildcards  (such as cover songs and whatnot). It's not like it was completely random what you'd get. Some songs would be played every night (typically the latest single), and some would be adjusted based on whether it'd been overplayed in that city...
And one way to "solve" this was to do shitty medleys...

Offline TAC

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #57 on: November 28, 2019, 05:45:23 AM »
@El Barto. I understand what you are saying, but I will give you an example. Coheed and Cambria toured with Mastodon over the summer. These are two bands I love and would go see any chance I have. My partner went with me because she is also a huge Coheed fan but knew nothing about Mastodon. After the show, she's been listening to mastodon more frequently than I do (and same for her friend that came with us as well). That's at least 2 new fans from 1 show, I'm sure they were more from that show and even more from the entire tour. Also, I am sure it went the other way around as well for people that went to the show for Mastodon, but enjoyed Coheed's music as well.

I know DT is a special case because you have to digest their music a lot more than Coheed or Mastodon, but having a co-headlining show with another band is not going to hurt their fan-base IMO.


I love the Evening with shows because it means more DT for us the fans, and I remember the last time I saw them sharing the stage with someone else I was disappointed at how short the show was (2009 with Zappa plays Zappa and Bigelf), but they are not exposing themselves.
I think you've kind of hit on the point there. There are bands that I became a fan of after seeing them live. That tends to happen because they're great live bands, and their music is well suited for the live format. I don't think either really applies to DT (from the perspective of a non-fanboy). Like you said, there's a lot to digest, as well as a, let's say, 'polarizing' singer. I'd actually be real curious to know how man Yes and Maiden fans ever bothered to go see DT on their own after being exposed to them as openers. I'd guess more Yes fans, but it's probably not a whole lot either way.

I became a fan of Dream Theater after seeing them live...also opening for Iron Maiden.


There's a great boot of DT opening for Maiden at MSG. That tour's setlist, while on the surface to DT fans looked pretty ordinary, was brilliantly constructed to have the intensity from each song build upon the previous one. In said boot, you can hear a coupe of fans, who were clearly not DT fans, progressively getting more and more into it.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
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Offline The Curious Orange

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #58 on: November 28, 2019, 07:55:12 AM »
The last few DT shows I've been to, I enjoyed 'em, sure. But I bought tickets more on some sort of Pavlovian response to the fact they were touring than because I really needed to see the band again. I haven't got the same rush of excitement I used to get. In fact, if they weren't playing SFAM this time round, I'd probably give 'em a miss. And once I've skipped one tour, well, I guess I'm done all together.

Actually, come to think of it, the best shows I've seen in the MM era were Leeds in 2011 and Paris in 2017, both were great shows with a ton of atmosphere and energy. Both were also the only 2 standing shows I've seen since MM joined - everything else has been seated, soulless and with less atmosphere than the moon.
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #59 on: November 28, 2019, 09:18:55 AM »
As for Steven Wilson, can only speak for the U.K. but he is massively more popular and more respected as a solo artist than PT ever were. That’s why he’s never been tempted to go back plus his live band is on a different level to the PT guys.

Maybe, but I don't think Steven Wilson's artistic decisions are driven by money above all else.  For example, he didn't disband Porcupine Tree to make more money; he disbanded Porcupine Tree because he wanted the freedom to make the kind of music he wanted to without worrying that fellow bandmates might not like the direction.  Even though he was still the main creative force in PT, it had become a band where the input and feedback of the other members mattered, and Wilson wants to be in total control of his creative direction, so he disbanded the band and is now a solo artist who can do whatever he wants on his records.  To have that kind of freedom, and to be able to make a good living off it which he presumably does, it someone most musicians strive for, but only a small percentage achieve.   

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #60 on: November 28, 2019, 10:22:52 AM »
and with less atmosphere than the moon.

Holy shit, that's an awesome statement. 10/10 I will use it repeatedly.
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Offline Peter Mc

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #61 on: November 28, 2019, 12:29:42 PM »
As for Steven Wilson, can only speak for the U.K. but he is massively more popular and more respected as a solo artist than PT ever were. That’s why he’s never been tempted to go back plus his live band is on a different level to the PT guys.

Maybe, but I don't think Steven Wilson's artistic decisions are driven by money above all else.  For example, he didn't disband Porcupine Tree to make more money; he disbanded Porcupine Tree because he wanted the freedom to make the kind of music he wanted to without worrying that fellow bandmates might not like the direction.  Even though he was still the main creative force in PT, it had become a band where the input and feedback of the other members mattered, and Wilson wants to be in total control of his creative direction, so he disbanded the band and is now a solo artist who can do whatever he wants on his records.  To have that kind of freedom, and to be able to make a good living off it which he presumably does, it someone most musicians strive for, but only a small percentage achieve.

Oh absolutely, I’m not suggesting his decision to go alone was motivated by money, not at all. Just saying that, had his solo career struggled, he may have been more tempted to go back to his established band. As it is, he now has sole creative control, is more successful than ever and is playing with the cream of the crop musicians so he has zero reason to go back to Porcupine Tree.

Offline ?

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #62 on: November 30, 2019, 09:01:18 AM »
But has DT's popularity decreased? Of course, that has also been a factor. DT used to have a big portion of uptake of younger generations entering the fanbase, but this kinda stopped around 2007 or so. It's the same "problem" that the guitar makers are seeing - younger generations are simply not as interested in rock music, so the guitar is actually quite struggling with dwindling sales.
Yup, I think this is true and applies to a lot of rock and metal at the moment.

Offline TAC

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #63 on: November 30, 2019, 09:32:41 AM »
Really? There seems to be more bands than ever now.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline gzarruk

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #64 on: November 30, 2019, 10:24:20 AM »
Really? There seems to be more bands than ever now.

And none of them are making a living with it :-X
It sounds like, "ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk." Instead of the more pleasing kick drum sound of, "gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk."

Offline TAC

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #65 on: November 30, 2019, 11:06:43 AM »
Well, my comment was after reading this..

- younger generations are simply not as interested in rock music,

…it wasn't so much about being succesful.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline gzarruk

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #66 on: November 30, 2019, 11:35:12 AM »
Well, my comment was after reading this..

- younger generations are simply not as interested in rock music,

…it wasn't so much about being succesful.

They aren't as succesful because younger generations aren't not as interested in rock music. There's not enough demand.
It sounds like, "ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk." Instead of the more pleasing kick drum sound of, "gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk."

Offline TAC

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #67 on: November 30, 2019, 11:40:04 AM »
I got that. But my point was to me, there are many bands as ever before, successful or not. Bandcamp, Spotify, etc...
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline El Barto

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #68 on: November 30, 2019, 01:16:47 PM »
Even in the days of "rotating setlists", realistically you'd have two base setlists with approx 14 songs in each, and maybe a couple of them were wildcards  (such as cover songs and whatnot). It's not like it was completely random what you'd get. Some songs would be played every night (typically the latest single), and some would be adjusted based on whether it'd been overplayed in that city...
And one way to "solve" this was to do shitty medleys...
It would be far more variable than that. Dallas/Houston/Austin-San Antonio would be three unique shows and it'd be worth catching all three. In 2002 Dallas got seven songs plus 6DoIT while Austin got a full non-6D setlist with 10 different songs. They'd pull the same thing in other close markets. This would also allow them to make sure you could hear stuff you didn't get to hear on the last tour each time they came through, which was just as cool.

Now, not only are the setlists the same but the songs are the same. Home will be 12:52 long in Dallas, in Houston, and in Austin. Running two seconds longer would require some some of catastrophe. The only hope for seeing any sort of variation would be for LaBrie's voice to croak, or see him fall of the stage or something. That ain't worth the drive.
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: DT popularity
« Reply #69 on: November 30, 2019, 01:20:57 PM »


Now, not only are the setlists the same but the songs are the same. Home will be 12:52 long in Dallas, in Houston, and in Austin. Running two seconds longer would require some some of catastrophe. The only hope for seeing any sort of variation would be for LaBrie's voice to croak, or see him fall of the stage or something. That ain't worth the drive.

That is the drawback to playing with a click.  I am fine with them going with static (or mostly static) set lists, but playing to a click really does made it nearly impossible to be able to tell one show from the other musically speaking, JLB's vocals notwithstanding of course.