Why Are NMA So Out Of The Public Eye?

[Intothewind]

If I'm honest I don't care why they're out of the public eye - it just doesn't interest me. (I know, I know I shouldn't be commenting then) 

I do know that it is a lot easier to be out of the public eye than in it. So it should come as no surprise that any band (at any point n their career) is not in it.   

All I care about is the fact that they keep making great music for me to listen to. 

[Ava Enturin]

I guess being in the public eye and, maybe more importantly, keep being in the public eye comes with compromises and expectations to fulfill which are not necessarily in line with what you might want. One would have to decide which way to go at some point, I guess. Not everybodies dream is fame and fortune.

Seeing the band live since 25 years now - and I kinda get the feeling that they are quite happy with what they are doing. And for me, that´s part of the magic

[Space]

Being in the public eye doesn't necessarily mean you are our for fame and fortune. Why does everyone here assume that?

How about making an appearance on "Saturday Night Live" simply because you want people to hear your music? Wow, that's a strange thing, huh? Wanting people to hear the music you make. How dare a musician want that.

[Intothewind]

I don't think it's the 'selling out' that's the point here, It's just the media/music industry shit you have to do to get that kind of exposure. I guess it just looks like NMA never cared about that stuff enough to put it ahead of everything else - or ever had the money for someone else to for them.

I might be going out on a limb here but listening to their music I do get a sense of wanting to be apart from all this mainstream media stuff too?

Maybe I'm wrong and they've been trying for years with little success. I kinda hate Julie Holland and his over elaborate showyoffy piano playing anyways. 

[Ava Enturin]

Of course it would be nice to see NMA in TV sometimes, listen to them on the radio and so forth. I don´t think that anybody here would argue against that.

It´s only the question: what takes you there? And what are you doing when you´re there?

It seems to me that NMA had this kind of moment back in the 80s, and possibly the early 90s, when what they did and what the public eye wanted aligned for a time - and they decided to walk away and follow their own path, evolve, renew, change. Maybe there will be another alignment, maybe there won´t be.

But maybe I also got it completely wrong, just like Intothewind thought he might

[Intothewind]

Saying that, they have just recently had their own magazine and now a film! Quite mainstream media both.

Perhaps enough people don't like em, perhaps they're really just crap and we haven't noticed. aw who knows    

[Shush]

Being in the public eye doesn't necessarily mean you are our for fame and fortune. Why does everyone here assume that?

How about making an appearance on "Saturday Night Live" simply because you want people to hear your music? Wow, that's a strange thing, huh? Wanting people to hear the music you make. How dare a musician want that.

How easy is it to get on "Saturday night live" ? is wanting to go on the only requirement. As I hope the link to the "Jools Holland" thread illustrated, the band would like to do that show, but have never been invited. A good show, but it tends to call back known regular artists of the show, famous artists with new releases, new up-and-coming bands. All of which NMA are not.

[Ron B]

Watching the Grammy Music Awards last night and the entire music biz was there. From Paul McCartney to Kanye West to Taylor Swift to Beck to Beyonce to Miranda Lambert to Tony Bennet to Madonna to Prince to Annie Lennox to AC/DC to Sia....

My question is why does NMA not participate in the world of music? I know from youtube clips that they appeared on the old TV show "The Tube," but why do they not do other TV appearances. I realize the Super Bowl and the Grammys is out of their reach, but why not make an effort to appear on "The David Letterman Show"? "Saturday Night Live"? Or the iconic American TV music show "Austin City Limits"?

And don't cry "sell out." Even the most notoriously sincere bands appear on TV now and then. My God, even the Godfather of f-you to the establishment, Lou Reed, always would pop on on TV and that guy sure is no sell out. Why doesn't NMA make that effort to be heard by more people?

Well My answer would be What would NMA gain out of going to award shows like this. Really Nothing if you think they would gain new fans from that group of people most of those in the audience were not born when NMA made their 1st record. Plus the fact that the crowd is mostly Poppers or those that listen to Pop music and we can go down the list Katy Perry, Iggy Azalea, Ariana Grande, Rita Ora their pop singers . That is not the music NMA makes.

Let me say a little about the acts that you did mentioned

I did not watch the grammy's ( walking Dead was on and I ain't missing that) better action there anyway
One person who I know did watch the grammys said Paul looked like he did not want to be there he could be a grandpa to some of those acts and  I can't blame him he has nothing in common with these acts. AC/DC had to use a teleprompter to sing the lines of the new song they played. Madonna well to me she never had talent and her gimmick is to dress like she is still in her 20's so showing skin is her thing and really the only older act that some people told me was the highlight of the evening was Annie Lennox singing and she still has the pipes to blow all the other female singers off the stage so I give her credit. But their is no catagory that New Model Army's music would be listed under Rock  Beck won that and I have not listened to him in over 10 years I did not know he even had an album out and he won in the Rock catagory  you got to be kidding

After all this is the same group that years ago gave Jethro Tull the best in the Metal column  where Metallica got left out and you want to have NMA go to this charade. I could not blame them and plenty of great  bands have never got their due from the Grammy's so NMA is not the only one. They are doing just fine touring and making great music for their Fans not for the music industry.

[Space]

I'm not suggesting the band should perform on the Grammys. Merely saying that the band makes no effort to be a part of the music scene at all. No desire to participate in the world that they are a part of. That's both odd and self-destructive.

[Intothewind]

Magazine (here in the UK), film, lots of gigs all over the world.....?

[Ava Enturin]

Can't see why it should be odd or self-destructive?

They are celebrating their 35th year, having gathered a dedicated fan base who is following them around, partly since the beginning. And younger to very young people that they picked up on the way.

What exactly is your measure for "success" anyway, Space?

[Red]

Can't see why it should be odd or self-destructive?

They are celebrating their 35th year, having gathered a dedicated fan base who is following them around, partly since the beginning. And younger to very young people that they picked up on the way.

What exactly is your measure for "success" anyway, Space?

I wonder if it's having a Space remix at the top of the charts

[Space]

They are celebrating their 35th year...

Yeah, 35 years of playing the local pub down the road somewhere is Leipzig.

Beatles were playing Shea Stadium, Paul sings at the Opening Ceremonies of the Summer Olympics...when you look at that it would be foolish to suggest that playing a half hour set in Leipzig is something to celebrate.

[Space]

What exactly is your measure for "success" anyway, Space?

The best measure of success is what filmmaker Woody Allen was doing with his films in the '70s. They were strong personal artistic statements ("Annie Hall," "Manhattan"...) that were number one at the box office. The artist himself, the critics, and the public were all extremely pleased with the work. That's the ultimate level of success.

Critical and public and personal success all in one. Very hard trick to pull off. Beatles did it. Woody Allen. Early Stones. Hard to do.

[Red]

How do you gauge success?

Selling thousand and thousands of records and millions in the bank,top of the charts with every release, performing in front of sell out crowds in massive arena tours, etc etc ?

Success is a personal thing, I expect Justin would say he's been successful in what he does but always striving for change and maybe improve his guitar playing?

He told me in the weeks before the 30th Anniversary dates that he's an average guitarist but a bloody great songwriter

Successful or not at least Justin is happy doing what he does and that's all that matters