I don't blog about music very often, but anyone who knows me over at Myspace knows that I love music!
Since joining Myspace I've found it much easier to keep in touch with whats happening in the local music scene, just as I have strangely not found it to help me to keep up to date with my favourite artists from abroad. As I've been going out more regularly to small venues, listening to local bands I realise that there's something environmentally friendly about this. The local band is likely to travel a relatively short distance in a minibus rather than halfway across the world in a private jet or even in a regular plane. Small venues can't afford energy intensive lighting and special effects. Many small venues in Edinburgh serve a selection of local brewed real ales rather than just imported alcoholic drinks.
Going out to see music means you can switch off your heating and music centre at home and share the venue's heating and sound system. It's even better if you walk to the venue or get the bus.
I then got to thinking about other aspects of the music business, these thoughts come straight from the top of my music collection, I'm sure there will be many more artists out there doing similar things:
Some bands (such as Sigur Ros and Indigo Girls) have packaged CDs entirely without plastic or have greatly reduced the amount of plastic in their packaging
Some bands (such as Indigo Girls and Bruce Coburn) sing environmentally themes songs
Some bands (such as Sigur Ros and Green Day) are involved in environmental campaigning.
for Think Green Thursdays
19 comments:
I have a real problem with the big names in music who claim to be working to save our world and then put on these massive tours that require copious amounts of energy and natural resources. U2 and the Police come to mind, but there are many more.
I like your idea about supporting local bands. I don't get out much in the evenings, but I may start to drag my husband out to hear some local artists. Good post!
My son got me onto Green Day. Tehy're very good!
I should listen to these bands.
Every time I try something "new" I find it a bit boring, maybe I don't want to look for something new really, but this time it can be interesting to listen to environmental issues.
You know I am so stuck on the "classic" rock-blues. I have recently found an album of Eric Clapton and Stevie Winwood together after so many years ( 2008) at the Madison Square Garden, live. The solos there simply take my breath away.
I am glad you enjoyed "October".
I think the greenest option is downloading. There's spotify for streaming, Magnatune and itunes to buy downloads, and I download for free on principle if the artist is dead.
I've got to get myself out to see some local music. I don't do it nearly often enough.
Poetikat - I agree entirely, the Indogo Girls for example seem to tour relatively rarely (they're only in Europe once every five years or less0 and do so on a modest basis, so remaining more true to their claims to be environmentally friendly.
Billy, glad your son got you onto Green Day....
Tommaso - I like classic rock blues too, but always like new music too, apart from hip hop and hardcore dance....
Nia - hmm, possibly, but live performance is more fun and as I said in the post you then save on power by sharing in the venue's sound system, lighting and heating while switching off your own at home.
I always have felt so lucky that there are lots of free local concerts in our parks during the summer. The rest of the year I try to go see a local performer at a local venue somewhere at least once a month. It's not just green but community building too. I've only been to a small amount of "big name" concerts. Luckily one of them was the Indigo Girls. I saw them at an outdoor concert at one of the piers on Seattle's waterfront. It was awesome!
Love love love Indigo Girls. I prefer to go wildly green and buy via the computer . . . no packaging at all. :)
Often local groups have more pieces about the local "place" to help build community.
I am with you on the principle (I love live music!); agree with Kat on U2's and other stadium band's profligacy; and as Nia says, downloading saves loads on manufacture and transport of materials.
But I do have one problem with Sigur Ros. The music.
(And we do have every CD in this house).
This is wonderful advice. There is too much "big" music that really just sounds manufactured. Smaller, local bands can be such a treasure. And a well-crafted local brew is always lovely, too!
The more I hear about Edinburgh and Scotland, the more I love it!
love that song too, happy green thursday.
It is something that niggles at me...I love to go and see bands/singers but how many of them (even quite low down the tree) sing about the terrible state of the world and yet fly all over the place at every chance they get? It's a tricky one.
How many of us, for example, would turn down the chance to travel (as far as possible) and read our poetry (or whatever)? Dilemma time...
x
really interesting connections made in your ponderings. i like the ideas.
haven't thought of the Indigo girls in so long.
i should listen to them again.
Rachel I'm genuinely reluctant to travel far to read my poetry. Outside of Scotland and the north of England (down to Manchester where my parents are) I'd possibly read in London (because my sister's there) and in my previous job where i sometimes travelled to Bristol, I would have read there. Otherwise probably not. I could be tempted to perform in Italy though.
Largely i just don't feel I perform well enough to justify the travel and partly I just am such a homebird these days.
But yes i know of one singer, very low profile, who has toured Scotland and ..... Japan. It must be a difficult balance though for a career musician with any level of environmental consciousness, because live music is so much of the part of the whole music experience.....
I've never thought about listening to live music as a green activity -interesting.
I do think it is important to support live entertainment though. You don't don't get the same atmosphere when watching it on YTV etc.
I should think the huge musical events and gigs use massive amounts of resources. Your idea to stay local sounds just about right and much nicer, plus you get a much better view of the artists.
I am a concert Fanatic! This past sunday I saw Stone Temple Pilots in a huge circus tent. It was awesome and strange and the weekend before it was U2. Bono was right up there with seeing the Rolling Stones for me.
This is something I hadn't even considered in going more green. But you are so right about it. This is a great post for Thinking Green. Thank you!! --Michelle--
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