Page 303 - Liverpool Philharmonic 22-23 Season Coverage Book

inflatable duvet. It is no surprise that the viewing figures, although not embarrassing, are down
from last year’s Platinum Jubilee by about a million. I imagine that the public are fatigued by these
events, and in an era of fragmented entertainment, where the communal experience is much
reduced, this sort of “event television” has to be unique, not generic.

The other problem is that the music industry is changing in all sorts of ways. Many of the
performers at Sunday’s concert had an album or tour to promote – and publicity in this earnings-
crunched age of Spotify is becoming ever more crucial for recording artists – and therefore you feel
that their heart isn’t in it. Furthermore, they were only paid expenses for their appearances, rather
than a proper fee, which can’t be particularly motivating, especially on an unseasonably fresh
spring evening.

Also, pop stars are not what they were. If we go back to Live Aid in 1985, the greatest live music
spectacle in living memory, we had simulcasts featuring more than 75 acts. There were the Stones,
there was Bowie, there was Freddie, Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Madonna and The Beach Boys. Each
band or artist played around four tracks each and so was able to strike up a proper rapport with
the audience. Poor Lionel Richie reduced to a sole rendition of All Night Long doesn’t really
compare.