David Guetta has a weekly dance party called "Fuck Me, I'm A Rock Star". fair enough, and he is probably the closest dance has gotten to a rock star. But he isn't one. I went to see Swedish House Mafia at MSG a couple of weeks ago and trust me, as much as the ravers dug em, they were still invisible. Meanwhile, I haven't even seen hard rock up and comers KiLR, and they have a distinct identity that these huge stars don't have. Now what?
This is a huge problem for dance music as it attempts to move into the mainstream. It has no personality and therefore functions as a useful tool for dancing or as an adjunction to pop songs. The most perfect example is Rihanna and Calvin Harris's "We Found Love" which moves effortlessly between two genres and where even a cipheric rock star like Rihanna has much more presence then Harris.
The biggest names in dance, Tiesto, Oakenfold, Guetta, REDONE, Dr Luje -are completely invisible, they have nothing that says who they are. A-Trak (who opened for Swedish House Mafia is much more distinctive than SHM but even he disappears into his own mies. SHM are as good as their bass: among the fans, they are an interchangeable part respected for wizardry made to be used.
At MSG's rave there was NOTHING TO HOLD ON TO. At a rave, the audience consuming the music, they are using it for their own distinct ends. Dance, drugs, sex. They are not watching James Brown, they are listening for beats and feeling their heart beats race and their movements, the expression freedom of letting go but controlled. They are the stars.
But dance fans are a minority. Rock fances stand still and jog in place, they pogo. And they are watching the band, and the band are putting on a show. A light show. Pop singers, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears -all the players, are embracing STAGE PRODUCTION VALUES. Both Perry and Nicki Minaj actually tell entire stories in their live shows. They can use back up tapes, pcs, manufacture instead of perform music, including the vocals, but they MUST present themselves as rock stars.When both Mark and his sister Samantha Ronson decided to crossover, they had to form a band.
So, how can dance complete the crossover. If Guetta couldn't really do it, who can?