A little more epilogue
I find it hard to believe that we live in an age like this. How did we get here? Nick was only partly right: it’s like punk, the sixties, blues and reggae never happened. Once music used to mean something! It was the centre of our culture. It was a living, mind-expanding rebellion. Now it is a piece of Muzac to be shunted from iPod to iPod and played as background. Now the mindless zombies are screaming en masse, with their American whoops, for bland pop crap. Now festivals are things to be consumed like circus jamborees.
What happened to the gathering of the tribes? The endless hours of wonder, lowering the stylus into the groove and sharing the experience, the intense discussion? What happened to the vital importance of it all? When did it cease to be a motivator of young minds and become a product to be consumed?
Real music – it’s still there. It has been pushed to the periphery but it still exists. There are the numerous acts that still create and produce music with integrity, passion and purpose. But for me Nick is leading the way.