Rock Star: 'The Whole Joke of Live Earth Was How Wasteful It Was'

Newsbusters ^ | 5/23/08 | Tim Graham

[paltz]

The May 29 edition of Rolling Stone looks ahead to the summer concert season, and the rock-music mag is praising the Dave Matthews Band for their use of biodiesel for buses and "biodegradable goods for catering." But this exchange was interesting, about Al Gore's "Live Earth" concerts.

ROLLING STONE: Some people argue that the live experience is sort of inherently "un-green."

DAVE MATTHEWS: There’s no doubt that it is. The whole joke of Live Earth was how wasteful it was. But the idea that touring will end is sad. I’d like to think that the traveling minstrel is not a thing of the past, but the methods of travel have to be improved.

Elsewhere in this edition, Rolling Stone’s "Hot List" of editor’s favorites includes "Violet Hill," a new single from Coldplay:

For a few bars, the first single from CP’s fourth album seems like it might be yet another piano balad about space and stars and stuff. But it’s actually a (relatively) hard-rocking attack on Fox News’ America. Take that, Cavuto!

Coldplay attacks Fox in song? No. A quick Google search for lyrics reveals no mention of Fox or Neil Cavuto, but a more metaphorical attack on (unnamed) war-mongering idiots in charge who exploit Christianity to embark on wars for oil:

When the future's architectured
By a carnival of idiots on show
You'd better lie low

If you love me
Won't you let me know?

Was a long and dark December
When the banks became cathedrals
And the fog
Became God

Priests clutched onto bibles
Hollowed out to fit their rifles
And the cross was held aloft

As lyrics go, it’s at least as poetic as didactic, even if it would seem more poetic than journalistic in describing today’s scene. (I've never heard my priest sermonize in favor of war or banks. I also doubt he packs heat.) But a hard-headed politico would still be tempted to frown and wonder how some rock-star dilettante like Coldplay’s Chris Martin would name a daughter Apple thinks he’s much deeper and wiser about responding to 9/11 than Bush or Blair.

I'm sure Cavuto would enjoy a rock song attacking him, especially if the singer would later come on his show and pick stocks.

Also in Rolling Stone, Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard says he’s an Obama man. "I’ll be crazy-heartbroken if Obama wins the delegates and then the Clintons finagle the nomination away from him."

—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center

[tips up]

If these do-gooders really wanted to make a statement, they could have a virtual concert. They could stay home do a small local concert. The video could be streamed over the internet and seen by anyone. Ten groups could do this and it could be packed into concert available over the internet or on TV.

I'd at least have an ounce of respect for these people if they actually lived the way they are telling us to live.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Dave Matthews Band was the one that accidentally dumped the contents of their travel-trailer’s toilet holding tank into the Chicago River, if I’m remembering correctly.

He does have some Karma to make up for. Dork.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0825042_dave_matthews_1.html

[Lancey Howard]

My daughter gets this garbage - - I think somebody gave her a subscription to Rolling Stone as a joke. I pick it up and look at it in the bathroom from time to time. It’s one thing for magazine writers to be moronic and uninformed, but it’s another thing to be moronic, uninformed, AND babyish. All you can do as a human being is grimace with embarrassment.

[VOA]

bump

[steelyourfaith]

Al Gore, the journey from divinity school flunk-out to High Priest of the Warming Globe, garnering filthy riches and accolades of the left.

 

Beam me to Planet Gore !

[library user]

Dave Matthews is soooooooo 1994.

[I see my hands]

To: Dill Weed Dave

"I'd like to think that the traveling minstrel is not a thing of the past"

Oh, you have a reason to consume energy and leave waste behind. That's different than everyone else, right?

[faithinchaos]

I feel your pain. A friend of my mother bought me a year subscription to Rolling Stone for Christmas and I really wish she hadn’t.

It is by the far the most leftist rag I have ever read. They are also so far up Obama’s a$$ that it’s almost X-rated.

Combine that with the fact that they absolutely HATE Bush and any Republican/conservative and trash them at every opportunity.

[Crimson Elephant]

Aside from their insane politics, Coldplay is terrible music suitable only to commit suicide by. Monotonous drivel.

[stockpirate]

And the movie industry. Look how much these idiots waste on making movies.

[jonrick46]

The economics of transporting all of the stage equipment and set from city to city may get higher with the increase in fuel prices. For example, here is what it took for Bon Jovi to tour 36 cities:

60 Total North American Lost Highway concerts
36 Total North American cities

966,022 Total projected North American audience during Lost Highway Tour

32 Number, in millions, of fans who have seen a Bon Jovi concert

2,500 Number of worldwide concerts that Bon Jovi has performed

5 Number of Fender & Takamine guitars Jon Bon Jovi uses on tour

24 Number of guitars Richie Sambora currently is traveling with including Gibson, Fender, ESP (Sambora model), Floyd Rose (original Sambora model), Martin (Sambora model) PRS, Taylor (electric and acoustic), Yamaha (acoustic), and Zemaitis

21 Number of tuned guitars in Richie's private guitar vault room located just below the right side of the stage. The remaining 3 are used in his dressing room and hotel room. They all get played.

4 Average number of drumsticks Tico Torres breaks per show

14 Number of drumheads on Tico’s kit

4 Number of keyboards that David Bryan uses throughout each concert including 2 Yamaha Motif XS-8 keyboards, and Oberheim OB5 organ and a Yamaha P-500 Clavinova Piano

9 Number of buses used to transport artist, band and crew

100 Number of touring crew members

100 Number of additional local crew members recruited in each city

8 Hours it takes to set up the production/staging

3.5 - 4 Hours it takes to break down stage and load trucks

13 Number of trucks used to transport stage and tour materials

9 miles Length of cabling required to set-up the tour's audio and video, including 2 miles of High Definition Video cable

295,000 Watts of power generated by the tour's 155 speakers

93 Number of microphones used to amplify the band and 80+ music instruments/inputs on the tour

$7,250,000 Cost of video gear on tour

[retrokitten]

Well, it sorta went into the river. The rest of it landed on some people taking a Wendella Boat Tour of the city.

[Mr_Moonlight]

Yeah, but all those numbers are bantied around with huge egotistical pride as if to say "We're a BIG ACT, we NEED all this excessive stuff!"

Crank the Amps to 11, and all that, because 11 is *one* louder than 10 !!!

The hyperbole of the entertainment industry has no bounds .. everything is "super" and then "super duper" and after that it becomes "mega super duper" and after that "giga mega super duper" ... and well, you get the point .....

Gimme my little ol' Beatles with their two (and only) roadies, relatively tiny amps, Ringo having to set up his own drums ... just playing good, great music ... and I'm a happy man :)

[Clock King]

Uuhhhm,...no. Making a movie is pure capitalism. It’s a project whereby investors expect to see a massive return on their investment.

[jonrick46]

It tells you that the days of the rock extravaganzas are numbered with the costs of transportation. The only way these “super duper” rock concerts are going to continue is if they hike ticket prices. And with gas prices going through the roof, there will be fewer rock fans willing to fill up their cars to drive to the concerts in the first place.

[stockpirate]

“Making a movie is pure capitalism. ItÂ’s a project whereby investors expect to see a massive return on their investment.”

I know that, the topic was not being green.

Read slowly next time :-)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I know. Ick!