I was sorely disillusioned...

Ghostman

Ghostman

Ambassador of the SuperNatural
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Seems like a lot of the "big" bands I always thought were huge and successful, weren't exactly sitting pretty. I remember hearing about Anthrax after their Worship Music album release and reading Scott Ian's book. He basically said that Anthrax really struggled through the 80's, 90's and deep into the 2000's. I was completely under the illusion that they were a huge band and had the money behind that.

Yesterday, I decided to visit the Black Sabbath catalog as I'm not very familiar with all their albums. I have a few but never sat down to listen to over 25 albums. As I'm looking through Wikipedia about BS, I find out that Iommi basically struggled to keep the band alive for decades. They had dozens of cancelled tours based on bad ticket sales.

This is probably second hand knowledge to a lot of rockers here, but I'm floored that Black Sabbath wasn't as successful as big shows like Metallica, etc.
 
Ghostman said:
Seems like a lot of the "big" bands I always thought were huge and successful, weren't exactly sitting pretty. I remember hearing about Anthrax after their Worship Music album release and reading Scott Ian's book. He basically said that Anthrax really struggled through the 80's, 90's and deep into the 2000's. I was completely under the illusion that they were a huge band and had the money behind that.

Yesterday, I decided to visit the Black Sabbath catalog as I'm not very familiar with all their albums. I have a few but never sat down to listen to over 25 albums. As I'm looking through Wikipedia about BS, I find out that Iommi basically struggled to keep the band alive for decades. They had dozens of cancelled tours based on bad ticket sales.

This is probably second hand knowledge to a lot of rockers here, but I'm floored that Black Sabbath wasn't as successful as big shows like Metallica, etc.
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.....

Tell me about it.....
 
Every pencil, doughnut, water on tour comes out of the band's take. I think many bands simply got hosed on shitty record deals. Weren't aware how the expenses worked.
Then many way overspent as they went.
Hey, even Dee Snider Twisted Sister after the success of 2 HUGE albums found himself eventually doing janitorial work. One poor album after that and a scaled down tour....
 
Ghostman said:
Seems like a lot of the "big" bands I always thought were huge and successful, weren't exactly sitting pretty. I remember hearing about Anthrax after their Worship Music album release and reading Scott Ian's book. He basically said that Anthrax really struggled through the 80's, 90's and deep into the 2000's. I was completely under the illusion that they were a huge band and had the money behind that.

Yesterday, I decided to visit the Black Sabbath catalog as I'm not very familiar with all their albums. I have a few but never sat down to listen to over 25 albums. As I'm looking through Wikipedia about BS, I find out that Iommi basically struggled to keep the band alive for decades. They had dozens of cancelled tours based on bad ticket sales.

This is probably second hand knowledge to a lot of rockers here, but I'm floored that Black Sabbath wasn't as successful as big shows like Metallica, etc.
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I read Iommi’s book “Iron Man.” Sabbath had a rough go of it.
 
I can understand some of the iconic bands that paved the way. Exodus should be revered to be at the pinnacle of Thrash, but it's the commercial success that didn't catch on these guys.

I remember doing a roady for a day and Exodus was setting up a the end of the sound check, and the guys I was working with had zero clue who they were, and showed no respect, like they were some opening cover band. I was in awe of these guys and had a few words with the day crew about it.

Black Sabbath I figured rose above the genre and were known by a lot of people around me regardless of their musical taste. I think that gave me the impression that Sabbath was super successful.

I'll have to check out Priest's story. It just boggles my mind how these bands aren't living out the dream of World massive tours.
 
ELP filled stadiums in their day. I was privileged to see them more at the end of their time in the 90s. Little intimate theater in Davenport IA. Me and about 2600 of my best friends. It was an awesome concert. Emerson lost his battle with his demons. Lake lost to cancer. Last I knew, Palmer is still with us.
 
Mitch Pearrow SJMP said:
I also purchased that book.
Amazing that any of the bigger bands got around to putting any music out at all.

Cheers
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I’ve read several of Neil Peart’s books. One written by Steve Lake. Some Neil Young. And Iommi. Peart and Lake’s are well written. Not a surprise since they both wrote a lot of the lyrics for their bands. Iommi’s was a bit less well written…. But I did enjoy it. Was kinda an eye opener to the trials and tribulations of Sabbath.
 
iblive said:
I’ve read several of Neil Peart’s books. One written by Steve Lake. Some Neil Young. And Iommi. Peart and Lake’s are well written. Not a surprise since they both wrote a lot of the lyrics for their bands. Iommi’s was a bit less well written…. But I did enjoy it. Was kinda an eye opener to the trials and tribulations of Sabbath.
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I have not read those , but I have read a number of the different books by some of the big bands that helped change rock as we all know it. And eye opener’s they were.

Mitch
 
Mitch Pearrow SJMP said:
I have not read those , but I have read a number of the different books by some of the big bands that helped change rock as we all know it. And eye opener’s they were.

Mitch
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Don’t know if you’re a Rush fan…. But you ought to check out Peart’s books. Very little is written about the band. They’re mostly about him motorcycling from venue to venue and about scenery, the ride, and the interesting people he meets along the way…… etc. Plus, in my mind…. Some of the better written books I’ve read lately.
 
iblive said:
Don’t know if you’re a Rush fan…. But you ought to check out Peart’s books. Very little is written about the band. They’re mostly about him motorcycling from venue to venue and about scenery, the ride, and the interesting people he meets along the way…… etc. Plus, in my mind…. Some of the better written books I’ve read lately.
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Been a Rush fan since the 70’s when I first heard of them, fell off and didn’t follow them as hard in the years after moving pictures.
But I did see them a couple of times into the 80’s .. the All The Worlds a stage tour was just bad ass in my opinion, plus I caught UFO with them back then.
I will be sure to look up Neil’s book.
I also want to read KK Downings book as well.

Mitch
 
I guess the more I think about it, the less surprised I should be. I remember back in '98 I was stoked to win tickets to see Blue Oyster Cult. I had been into classic rock in a big way and I couldn't be more excited.

I went with my 8month pregnant wife to see them at..... "the cowboy bar"

It was a 40 person venue and the band didn't even fit on the stage. The drummer was set up behind the riser. It was so pathetic to see a band that I had recently watched on old video clips playing huge stadiums.
 
Ghostman said:
I guess the more I think about it, the less surprised I should be. I remember back in '98 I was stoked to win tickets to see Blue Oyster Cult. I had been into classic rock in a big way and I couldn't be more excited.

I went with my 8month pregnant wife to see them at..... "the cowboy bar"

It was a 40 person venue and the band didn't even fit on the stage. The drummer was set up behind the riser. It was so pathetic to see a band that I had recently watched on old video clips playing huge stadiums.
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I can only imagine that.. I seen them in the mid 70’s with their massive laser show,, Black Oak Arkansas opened for them.

Mitch
 
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