Re: Pete on tour

[Shane Matheson <matheso@gaul.csd.uwo.ca>]

On Sun, 14 Apr 1996, Gary Maiullo wrote:

>     I see your point about marketing, but that is a separate issue from 
> whether or not Pete should do an "Unplugged".

Not really, the way things currently are (thanks to the marketing at least
partly) if Pete were to do an Unplugged next week, it would very likely be
a disappointment (not material wise for sure) but in it's sales & ratings. 
If he were to do it in the fall, after this mini tour, and Hyde Park
(especially if some of the special guests at HP were younger britpop bands
influenced by Pete such as Blur or Oasis) it would do better.  To do
it right now would be a waste of his time, really.  Unplugged can and has
been effective to bring (or increase) attention back on artists who are
making a comeback, or just who's sales aren't what they might be, but they
generally need some lead in first.  Neil Young was already a known name
among grunge fans thanks to PJ, Kiss had their tribute album come out
before their Unplugged and Eric Clapton had the Rush soundtrack before his
Unplugged.  Right now there is nothing really to generate interest to 
justify an Unplugged (the reissues don't really count, since most people 
buying them likely already have the original albums).


> PS:  Was Clapton's Unplugged really a "comeback"?  I never thought his career 
> was ever in a position for him to have to MAKE a comeback....but that is 
> another issue altogether....

It wasn't really a comeback in the same way as Bat out of Hell 2 was for 
Meatloaf, but more along the lines of Neil Youngs resurgence in 
popularity in the last couple of years, after relative obscurity in the 80s.


Shane Matheson						MechEng/CompSci UWO

	"I smash guitars because I like them. " -- Pete Townshend