Mike Says

[Sheriff John Stone]

But would enough people (as in enough to sell out) want to go pay big ticket prices for the reunion line-up if they tour again after this year?  I'm not saying they wouldn't, but a 50th anniversary is special and it's also gotten a lot of publicty that subsequent tours would not get.  

I think this is a valid point. With this tour, you had a legitimate 50th Anniversary (rare in rock & roll), a QVC mini-concert, that Sunday Morning TV feature, Fallon and Leno appearances, the Good Morning America set, numerous TV and print interviews (including several major dealings with Rolling Stone), radio concerts/documentaries, a soon to be PBS special, live CD, DVD, and boxed set, a new hit album, and one of the better "Brian's Back" campaigns. Did I miss anything?

They did it right and the stars were aligned. I think they can do it right again, but....I hope, if they try this again, they get all that TV and print media coverage, it's essential. I hope the people who bought the new album...like it. And, I hope the "hype" - and there was definitely some - proved to be warranted; it WAS cool to see Al and David back in the fold. But, most importantly, even though the guy was touring and recording for the last 15 years, will the return of Brian Wilson to The Beach Boys as a vital member be sustained; will it continue to fascinate; will it continue to cause people to buy new albums and buy concert tickets?

I think we can all agree that the overwhelming number of audience members who attended the reunion concerts enjoyed them. And, 50th Anniversary or not, a large number of that audience will support the next(?) tour. If Brian Is Back/15 Big Ones in 1976 and "Kokomo" in 1988 have shown, the fans will continue to support the band for at least another year or two.

[LdC]

So much negativity, yet I read it and all I hear is good news.

 Im excited they may make another album, that the tour will be documented with a dvd/album, their may be another alternate version of Isn't it time released, (continuing the tradition of Help me Rhonda and Cottonfields, different from the album cuts) and they are open to continue down the line as a touring group togther once they assess where they are at. It's all good!

The merging of Brian's band with Mike's is a dream come true for some (like me), and I hope it does help to give Mike's version of the group some more respect musically. I would like a live retrospective from throughout the ENTIRE history as I find it interesting as to how the songs and sounds changed (or evolved) over the years.

[AndrewHickey]

Something else in Mike's favour to consider is that he himself is not 'the draw' of The Beach Boys. In a touring context, with promoters and the press, it's Brian. In Britain, 2011, Brian plays the RFH and a small tour, Mike plays a racecourse as a one-off - it's likely all he could get. Which must drive him f***ing insane, because he works his arse off as a frontman. I sympathise with that. And maybe Mike's smaller ensembles vs. Brian's little orchestra play into the Brian/Mike fight. And yeah, the popular consensus of Beach Boys fandom is that Mike Love is Satan.

Just to put that into context, a few points:
The gig at Epsom had around twenty thousand people attending -- nearly ten times the capacity of the Royal Festival Hall. It was a *MASSIVE* crowd.
It wasn't 'all he could get' as such -- a plan for a larger tour fell through because of tax problems.
And when Mike and Brian play actual tours of the UK, as opposed to one-off shows, they tend to play similar-sized venues.

You're quite right that as far as the press goes, Brian's the important one, and that Brian's shows definitely seem classier in terms of venues and so on, but in terms of audience attendance Mike's band can draw just as much of a crowd...

[hypehat]

Something else in Mike's favour to consider is that he himself is not 'the draw' of The Beach Boys. In a touring context, with promoters and the press, it's Brian. In Britain, 2011, Brian plays the RFH and a small tour, Mike plays a racecourse as a one-off - it's likely all he could get. Which must drive him f***ing insane, because he works his arse off as a frontman. I sympathise with that. And maybe Mike's smaller ensembles vs. Brian's little orchestra play into the Brian/Mike fight. And yeah, the popular consensus of Beach Boys fandom is that Mike Love is Satan.

Just to put that into context, a few points:
The gig at Epsom had around twenty thousand people attending -- nearly ten times the capacity of the Royal Festival Hall. It was a *MASSIVE* crowd.
It wasn't 'all he could get' as such -- a plan for a larger tour fell through because of tax problems.
And when Mike and Brian play actual tours of the UK, as opposed to one-off shows, they tend to play similar-sized venues.

You're quite right that as far as the press goes, Brian's the important one, and that Brian's shows definitely seem classier in terms of venues and so on, but in terms of audience attendance Mike's band can draw just as much of a crowd...

Ah, I wasn't aware of that! Especially the tax problem.

But would enough people (as in enough to sell out) want to go pay big ticket prices for the reunion line-up if they tour again after this year?  I'm not saying they wouldn't, but a 50th anniversary is special and it's also gotten a lot of publicty that subsequent tours would not get.  

I think this is a valid point. With this tour, you had a legitimate 50th Anniversary (rare in rock & roll), a QVC mini-concert, that Sunday Morning TV feature, Fallon and Leno appearances, the Good Morning America set, numerous TV and print interviews (including several major dealings with Rolling Stone), radio concerts/documentaries, a soon to be PBS special, live CD, DVD, and boxed set, a new hit album, and one of the better "Brian's Back" campaigns. Did I miss anything?

They did it right and the stars were aligned. I think they can do it right again, but....I hope, if they try this again, they get all that TV and print media coverage, it's essential. I hope the people who bought the new album...like it. And, I hope the "hype" - and there was definitely some - proved to be warranted; it WAS cool to see Al and David back in the fold. But, most importantly, even though the guy was touring and recording for the last 15 years, will the return of Brian Wilson to The Beach Boys as a vital member be sustained; will it continue to fascinate; will it continue to cause people to buy new albums and buy concert tickets?

I think we can all agree that the overwhelming number of audience members who attended the reunion concerts enjoyed them. And, 50th Anniversary or not, a large number of that audience will support the next(?) tour. If Brian Is Back/15 Big Ones in 1976 and "Kokomo" in 1988 have shown, the fans will continue to support the band for at least another year or two.

Sheriff, I'd posit that everyone in The Beach Boys' league - Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, anyone like that - does a variant on these things as part of their usual promotional schedule and touring life, because they are huge and that's what big artists do. Even Brian makes late night telly part of his promotional schedule, even though it looks like chinese water torture to him. There's no reason why they shouldn't act like they are the biggest American pop band ever at this point. The Beach Boys still sell millions of records. And we're talking about how the fact they are on Fallon is a shock?

[hypehat]

If the 50th anniversary shows, etc., have shown anything, it is how much value is left in this brand. You have to treat the band as something valuable and classy to have people want to spend money and time on it. This tour is, and people are.

And lo, Wirestone sums it up quietly mid-thread. Although thanks to rockandroll for fighting my corner after I'd gone to bed 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I wonder what Dennis Wilson song they are saving for the next record.. would they do some rerecordings on it, add stuff and all or leave it just like that?
could it be...WIBNTLA ? 

[Zach95]

I read this article and was very, very happy to hear what Mike said.  He talks about the expenses of the tour as the only drawback.  Think about that.  He was probably asked, "Mike, what do you think is the biggest drawback of this seemingly incredible tour?"  He responded, most likely in a few seconds, off the cuff, that the expenses were the biggest drawback. That's all that was.  One sentence that has sparked an entire conversation about Mike being cheap and what not.  I really don't think we should read into this much more. 

[drbeachboy]

I read this article and was very, very happy to hear what Mike said.  He talks about the expenses of the tour as the only drawback.  Think about that.  He was probably asked, "Mike, what do you think is the biggest drawback of this seemingly incredible tour?"  He responded, most likely in a few seconds, off the cuff, that the expenses were the biggest drawback. That's all that was.  One sentence that has sparked an entire conversation about Mike being cheap and what not.  I really don't think we should read into this much more. 

Oh my, sanity reared it's head in here. Well said!

[bgas]

I read this article and was very, very happy to hear what Mike said.  He talks about the expenses of the tour as the only drawback.  Think about that.  He was probably asked, "Mike, what do you think is the biggest drawback of this seemingly incredible tour?"  He responded, most likely in a few seconds, off the cuff, that the expenses were the biggest drawback. That's all that was.  One sentence that has sparked an entire conversation about Mike being cheap and what not.  I really don't think we should read into this much more. 

Oh my, sanity reared it's head in here. Well said!

I can't believe you're claiming there's sanity on this board

[drbeachboy]

I read this article and was very, very happy to hear what Mike said.  He talks about the expenses of the tour as the only drawback.  Think about that.  He was probably asked, "Mike, what do you think is the biggest drawback of this seemingly incredible tour?"  He responded, most likely in a few seconds, off the cuff, that the expenses were the biggest drawback. That's all that was.  One sentence that has sparked an entire conversation about Mike being cheap and what not.  I really don't think we should read into this much more. 

Oh my, sanity reared it's head in here. Well said!

I can't believe you're claiming there's sanity on this board

I know, who'da thunk it.

[oldsurferdude]

I read this article and was very, very happy to hear what Mike said.  He talks about the expenses of the tour as the only drawback.  Think about that.  He was probably asked, "Mike, what do you think is the biggest drawback of this seemingly incredible tour?"  He responded, most likely in a few seconds, off the cuff, that the expenses were the biggest drawback. That's all that was.  One sentence that has sparked an entire conversation about Mike being cheap and what not.  I really don't think we should read into this much more.  

Is Myke Luhv a cheapskate because of his heritage, his upbringing, his alimony responsibilities, his deep seated greed, his control freak attitude, his baldness or the fact that he just can't sing well?

[ontor pertawst]

It turns out you've been Mike Love all along. The Mike Love was coming from INSIDEEEE THE HOUSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

[keysarsoze001]

I'm no Mike apologist, but I think he's done a commendable job so far with this. He let Brian make the album Brian wanted to make, by all accounts. Sure, he jokes about the suite being a downer, but he's always done that. And he still sang on it, and he sang like Mike Love, which is a sound Brian has been missing for some time now. The Wondermints are great singers, but their voices don't have the personality of an Al or a Mike or even a Bruce voice. He's been supportive of his cousin throughout this whole process, and I don't think it's lip service just to see some dollars. He's a Brian fan too, after all. He's ceded enormous chunks of the show to Brian and Al's rotating wish lists. Even if those songs don't end up staying in every night, they're there, and he's learning them and performing them. I give Mike a lot of credit on this entire C50 thing. He's learned from past mistakes, and I give him kudos for that.

[HeyJude]

I'm no Mike apologist, but I think he's done a commendable job so far with this. He let Brian make the album Brian wanted to make, by all accounts. Sure, he jokes about the suite being a downer, but he's always done that. And he still sang on it, and he sang like Mike Love, which is a sound Brian has been missing for some time now. The Wondermints are great singers, but their voices don't have the personality of an Al or a Mike or even a Bruce voice. He's been supportive of his cousin throughout this whole process, and I don't think it's lip service just to see some dollars. He's a Brian fan too, after all. He's ceded enormous chunks of the show to Brian and Al's rotating wish lists. Even if those songs don't end up staying in every night, they're there, and he's learning them and performing them. I give Mike a lot of credit on this entire C50 thing. He's learned from past mistakes, and I give him kudos for that.

Going back to a conversation a little back on another thread, is there any evidence of how much Al has personally added to the setlist? Anything besides "California Saga"? The bits we've heard about soundchecks and setlist discussions suggest Mike is still, for whatever reason, the gatekeeper of the setlist and has been thankfully convinced to add various songs. But I don't think Al has come in with a list of suggestions and Mike had signed off on all of them. Al apparently suggested "Our Prayer" at some point, although it could have been Brian or his band that suggested that as well.

I think the thing with Mike is that he is being much more diplomatic and open to "change" for this reunion than we all would have probably guessed. But he's still Mike, and that still means he brings some sensibilities to the reunion that will never be undone, because that's the way he is. I'm amazed at how varied the setlist has been. But it sounds like Mike is still defensive about it, as if they would lose all their fans if they skipped "Little Deuce Coupe" one night or something.