Hey, I’ve been dealing with a lot this week. Forgive me if I’m watching American Idol and Bands Reunited.
Actually, given my slightly perverse interest in band histories, the Reunited interest isn’t a surprise. I find something inspiring about seeing the creative process survive every sort of obstacle — fragmenting relationships and drug-induced haze in music, natural and manmade disaster in History of Britain, and oppressive bureaucracy in journalism.
Bands Reunited has had all sorts of nice surprises. Who would have guessed that the members of Romeo Void would be so likable? Or that the bassist for A Flock of Seagulls would be such a bon viveur, capable of melting the ice between two estranged brothers? Or that Frankie Goes To Hollywood wouldn’t go through with it … OK, I could guess that one. They were a studio creation, plain and simple. Doesn’t anyone get suspicious when a band has two singers, a guitarist, a bassist and a drummer, but the music is all synthesizers, all the time?
My American Idol phase will be brief. I’ve found that I like the audition phase. It’s fascinating to see 19-year-olds with severe attitude problems brought crashing to earth. (A bit like the NBA draft, isn’t it?) And I can’t help rooting for some of these people, especially the borderline people who win over Randy and Paula.
I’ll skip the rest, though. I don’t listen to any of that stuff when the pros are doing it, so why would I listen to the Idol contestants?