Grumpy and outdated comments on rock...

Palladia is showing some 2010 benefit at the Albert Hall right now. Observations:

1. The Who: knock it off. It's sad.
2. I don't get Them Crooked Vultures. I know many will hate me for it, but I really don't get much out of anything Josh Homme does. Dave Grohl only has so many years of being the greatest rocker on the planet; I hate to see him slumming. But he's a big boy. The guy I feel most sorry for is Alain Johannes; must suck to back up bands less interesting but more successful than your own. Matt Mahaffey of Self certainly must have felt that way touring as part of Beck's band.
3. Noel Gallagher is making a lot of classically trained musicians play an orchestral version of Wonderwall. What an asshole.
4. Arctic Monkeys: Yeah, I guess so. They're good, but not getting any heat off them. I like them as the best of a bad lot...
5. The Specials are the greatest band in the world.

Earlier tonight they were showing Ziggy Stardust. I always watch it when I come across it. It's not that it's so good, it's just really amazing to watch the fans. These kids aren't going crazy because he's amazing, they're going crazy because they had never seen anything like this before. They could really be protected from knowing that Bowie was a human being. The illusion of the rock star is forever ruined, entirely to our detriment...