Kaiser Chiefs Worried About Future Of Guitar Bands

Kaiser Chiefs don't know if music is a "viable career for five guys with guitars" in 2011.

The rockers say the music industry has changed "totally" since they went on official hiatus at the end of 2008, and they don't know if today's guitar bands can get the exposure necessary to become a big hit across the country.

Speaking at the BT Digital Music awards, singer Ricky Wilson told BANG Showbiz: "Necessity is the mother of invention and there will always be music. Whether it will be a viable career for five guys with guitars I'm not sure at the moment but you know, they'll be there in a garage somewhere."

Bassist Simon Rix added: "What you need when you're a band, what it took for us was for a record company to give us a little money to get us on tour in a van, to get people to see us, to like our band, to get us on the radio and the telly."

"That's what record companies do, and how bands get somewhere, but now they don't do that because they never make it back."

Simon did, however, point out that the music business is changing all the time, and he can't predict where things will turn next.

He said: "When he started [2008 album] 'Off With Their Heads' things like twitter didn't exist, things have moved on, when we did that, singles were sort of dying, then, now, singles are massive again and albums are on their way out."

"We just want people to hear the music, so it's about making it accessible to everyone. Change is good." The BT Digital Music Awards 2011 took place at The Roundhouse, London last Thursday (29.09.11). For more information please visit www.btdma.com or watch the show on ITV2 tonight at 10pm and Friday October 7 at 7pm.

Thanks for the report to ContactMusic.com.

Comments

[Pagan_Poetry]

Guitar bands aren't becoming hits across the country anymore. They're becoming hits online, not the radio. Also you need more thought behind your music to make it now. Most bands don't get away with just being a guitar band. It isn't dead. It's just changed its lifestyle.

[jjbarnes]

Pagan_Poetry wrote:

Guitar bands aren't becoming hits across the country anymore. They're becoming hits online, not the radio. Also you need more thought behind your music to make it now. Most bands don't get away with just being a guitar band. It isn't dead. It's just changed its lifestyle.

I agree. Bands that talk like this just don't know how to get exposure. It's all about social networking- facebook, twitter, etc. The old way of touring nonstop isn't as economically viable due to gas prices and stuff. While it helps, the only way to sell places out as a new band is online exposure.

[Brownesauce]

Just sell out again, you did it once already. whats to stop you doing it again?

[Eurotrasher]

Well he's certainly right to some extent. I certainly don't hear much guitar-music on the radio. I'm not saying it in a oh all new music sucks it's all computers blah blah, it certainly has it's qualities. Nevertheless, I find it really weird that so little rock music makes it onto the radio/MTV. Kings of Leon and My Chemical Romance are a couple of examples that get some exposure, but very few rock bands gets that big... But maybe it's just a matter of time till people want music to be 'real' again.
Everyone's going mad over Adele now... Probably cos it's one of the few poppy acts that sounds like it's proper music from the soul, you know? Everything else to me seems like it's just easy listening/party music. Too few songs that really can touch you...

[DickHardwood]

Guitar bands will come back.They always do..but never in the same way.

[Red-dead93]

Check out X-elerate, they definitely prove that guitar rock isn't dead. Granted it's a littl more grungey and slowed down than one would expect.

[headbang123]

If you need a record deal go to Victory Records. They'll take ANYBODY.

[ninfan200]

headbang123 wrote:

If you need a record deal go to Victory Records. They'll take ANYBODY.

also interscope or EVERY RAP LABEL

[Hamham272]

You need more than 5 guitarists in a band... Silly Kaiser Chiefs. There's a drummer, usually a bass, on most occasions a vocalist and sometimes a keyboard/ pianist.

[dollyDagger]

At first I thought their new album was really bad. But then I thought, hmmm, it's different, they wouldn't want to repeat themselves. I like the album now.