At a Ringo Starr concert a coupla years ago the Beatle drummer tells the audience “I’m not gonna leave the stage just to come back on for an encore. Pretend we did.” Well, exactly. What a pointless pathetic exercise in self-aggrandisation the encore has become.
When did theis happen? Did I miss another meeting? We all know how it goes by now. The band plays three quarters of the set, wander off stage, fans cheer if the lights don’t come on because it means they are coming back. Band comes back.
Is that what an encore is? really? I though the band played their set and went to the dressing room and if the audience won’t leave under any circumstances, after the lights are on, after security have threatened em, after an hour has gone by. If the band has played so well nobody can go on without more, then and only then does the audience and the band deserve to play more.
How can you express your highest praise for a performance since the encore has been removed from the equation? It is pointless, it is irritating, everybody except for the opening act does it, it is both valueless and degrading for all concerned.
I’ve seen concerts where the punters CLEARLY HAVE HAD ENOUGH and still the artist clamber back on stage like a herd of elephants grazing (you know what I mean). Everybody is being first class hypocrites. It doesn’t pump up the audience, not any more. There is no doubt as to what is gonna happen next. We’re going through the motions, we’re putting on a show for those who are putting on a show for us and if those who are putting on a show for us are as hypocritical as we are we’re all in trouble.
Kill the encore now. Finito la musica. It’s a waste of everybodies time that manages to humilaite all concerned. What a way to end a great night out: let’s play act.I recommend every audience in the world get up and leave when a band says a concert is over. That’ll show em. People have the power, you know…