Clutch’s Neil Fallon: I ‘Treat Concerts the Way I Do A Dinner – Turn Your Phone Off’ [Video]
There's just no denying it. At every concert of every genre, many people are filming part or all of the show with their phones. In a new interview with Pop Culture Madness featured above, Clutch's Neil Fallon offered an interesting perspective on how technology has invaded the concert-going world.
"Music recorded is a static thing," Fallon says. "Every time you listen to 'Four Sticks' by Led Zeppelin, it’s gonna sound the same, but if you have the opportunity to see a band, that live experience -- unless they use a lot of pre-recorded tracks -- is gonna be a one-time event. And if you’re spending your time [holding a phone], you’re not participating in it."
The vocalist continues, "At least that’s the way I feel. I kind of treat concerts the way I do a dinner -- turn your phone off, you know. I don’t get so irritated from the perspective of the stage. I mean, if someone wants to do that, fine, but just me, personally, I remember concerts much better from the '80s and '90s than I do a lot of these with the phone."
The impact of technology was also discussed, and Fallon speculated that piracy may have actually helped Clutch increase the attendance at shows.
“In the '90s we had the backing of every major label on planet earth; we got signed and dropped and signed and dropped," Fallon says. "Nothing ever really happened for Clutch, we had very small shows -- even if we got played on the radio."
"It was only when people started pirating music that our shows got bigger," he reveals. "I mean I can’t say that for a fact, but I hazard a guess that … if someone liked the band that they heard for free, even though it was ‘illegal,' then they came to our show and bought a t-shirt and has become a lifelong fan. I’m alright with that.”
Clutch will be hitting the road with Torche and Lionize in December. They plan on going into the studio early next year to record a new album to be released at the end of 2015.