Yeah, remember, he found religion.Originally Posted by BarryLI
Yeah, remember, he found religion.
Kind of sucks that if you want Blu-Ray you have to skip the audio CDs.
He does a few shows on both coasts, maybe one or two in the middle of the country but that's it. It's a big country, I'm sure there are fans who have no alternative but to go to Morsefest. Hey, I don't begrudge him his $, and living in New York I get to see him with regularity, just feel the terms of Morsefest aren't very fan friendly, and considering what a fan has to do to get there they should be.
He should feel ReMorseFull.
I give him permission to use that as an album or song title.
Would it be fan friendly if Morsefest was held in NYC?
<sig out of order>
It would for me.Would it be fan friendly if Morsefest was held in NYC?
To me, it's no different than a prog festival, Yestival, Cruise to the Edge, Marillion weekends, etc. it's a longer term event and yes, there is a cost involved. There is also am ample amount of entertainment that hopefully justifies the cost for those who want to pay. It just seems that you are trying to vilify Neal's actions a bit or perhaps insinuate that it about him pulling as much $$ as he can out of people's pockets. In other words, you are saying that it is self serving on his part.
I don't disagree that the guy wants to make a living but as much as Neal is popular in a the prog community, I am sure he isn't pulling in even close to the dollars that a mainstream commercially successful musician is. I am guessing that most would likely be surprised at just how much (or better yet, how little) a successful prog musician makes. Plus, I think if the demand and the feasibility to play more shows in the U.S. was there, he would do many more shows. I am like you in the sense that I live in CA where he always plays. That said, I believe that the middle part of the U.S. doesn't see him much because of sheer economics. Simple as that. Not for some want by Neal to drain his fan's pocketbooks by making them go to TN. Neal has had a 20 year prog career at this point and he has hosted one Morsefest. It seems that it was successful and people had a good time, so there is another. It doesn't have to be a selfish cash grab.
Neal plays more shows in Europe because the demand is there and the economics make sense. When I saw him in LA in March, it was in a modest sized theater that was about 65% full. If that's what's happening in LA, it certainly makes one wonder how a Neal Morse show would drawl in many of the states between here and NYC. If it was a perfect world, the places would be full, but we are talking prog here and it's certainly not a perfect world in that respect. You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but I think you are off the mark to a certain extent. Plus, he isn't forcing anyone to do anything. Neal may be doing OK financially and not doing things that will lose money is smart on his end. For the other end of the spectrum, read up on Fish's touring financials.
Last edited by Patelena396; 07-20-2015 at 06:37 PM.
Less is not Morse...
"Corn Flakes pissed in. You ranted. Mission accomplished. Thread closed."
-Cozy 3:16-
Me too!It would for me.
Neal before me!!
I actually have no problem with Morsefest, and would attend if it was convenient.
On Your Feet Or On Your Neals.
Same thing happened with Yes- Like It Is-@ The Mesa Arts Centre. The blu-ray is one item but the cds/dvds are sold as one item also. I just think it's because a blu-ray costs more than dvd and if they added in 2 cds it may make the price too high.
You're probably right. It's pretty annoying.
If I had started watching this when this thread first appeared, I'd be almost finished by now....
"Corn Flakes pissed in. You ranted. Mission accomplished. Thread closed."
-Cozy 3:16-
Had my first listen to the Inner Circle Acoustic set last night and if the rest of sets are as good as this, should be a great release. (You infidels and heathens who are not part of Neal's Inner Circle will have to take my word for it.)
Oh.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
This is a must buy for anyone who is even slightly a fan of Neal. Having been at the shows, I can attest that both nights were incredible,
but I must admit that The One album was the better of the two nights. There is no denying the talent level of Neal and his regular band.
Then, add in Eric and Nathan Brinton on strings, a brass section, a percussionist, and a choir, and this music becomes an event!
In Neal's defense, Morsefest was a result of his pastor urging him to do something at their church. It was designed to be a one time event.
But the response was so great, as was the performances, I think it has warranted itself in Neal's eyes to become an annual event, playing
two cds (in recorded order) in their entirety at each fest.
I am looking forward to seeing "?" and Sola Scriptura performed this year. If its anything like last year, it will be money well spent!
A Comfort Zone is not a Life Sentence
I'm sure the response being "so great" to make it an annual event also came about by the dollar signs that could roll in. Nothing wrong with that, of course.
You know, the thing with Neal Morse? Every time I see an announcement like this, I think: "Here we go again, with yet another live release. Who needs such a thing?" Until I actually hear the first couple of notes. Then I'm sold. Yes, it's formulaic, but it's a brilliant formula. Yes, it sometimes drags on a bit too long, but it's wonderfully executed. The man can't do much wrong, in my ears...
SymfoZone progressive rock radio show: www.symfozone.com
Agreed.
I was at My first neal morse show a couple of days ago.incredible performance from the whole band.
I am mighty impressed, it was pure magic .
That would be my comment.
I'd probably never go to one of these, but I'll be first in line to buy the recordings.
The financial speculation posts are truly just speculation, and I think they're pretty off the mark. My own speculation is very different...I was at Morsefest last year and many of us were wondering if they even broke even. The church seating is not large, and it wasn't even sold out (also, many seats were sold to his church members at a big discount, which I think is fair). The core band is there all week for rehearsals, so there's a lot of their time involved, not to mention all the preparations to pull off complex music for a one-off performance. There are tons of guest musicians. The lighting/sound/video production is top notch, you would think it was a professional theater not a church. And I think a 2-night package was only around $99 (without the meet & greet, etc...). If they paid Portnoy, Rich Mouser (mixer) and the core band what they deserve for all of that time and dedication, not to mention all those other expenses, I find it hard to imagine much riches were to be had at the end of the day.
Rather, I would think that it is *only* because of the more expensive meet & greet packages, and ultimately the forthcoming live audio/video that gets this project into the black at all. Without those extra income sources, I doubt they'd break even. And likely getting free rental from the church instead of expensive theaters. No, I do not at all believe this is a profit-making money grab, I think it's the exact opposite: a LOT of work and effort for an amazing fan-based celebration. Neal said afterwards it was one of the most exhausting things he's ever done, but one of the most satisfying. I don't think his satisfaction is from an enlarged bank account, it's from a milestone in his output as a creative artist.
And doing it again was pretty much inevitable...Portnoy was all over him about repeating it next year, and encouraging everyone to demand it be an annual event, so of course the fans quickly jumped on it. I think Spock's Beard should do a very similar weekend, and many other prog bands, too. This is a great format which is very rewarding for fans and artists alike. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how little money the whole weekend cost me, considering the payoff.
Finally, I'd just say that in my opinion it's poor judgment to slight ANY prog artist for their efforts to make a living from their output, aside from the top-tier artists of the 70's (e.g. Floyd members, etc...). At the end of the day, most of the artists on these pages can't come close to making their brilliant output be their "day job" and they have to find other sources of income. For those few - like Neal - who are able to get by being a full-time musician, we should give them our full support. Find your favorite prog artist and support them fully. I'm proud to support Neal through his well-planned "Inner Circle": the special releases are nice, but I'm happy just knowing I support one of my favorite musicians in doing what he loves full time so that I can enjoy more of his output in the future. I would hope we all would do the same for whoever we most appreciate in this wonderful prog world.
Awesome post!
If these kinds of things lose money year after year, common sense says they don't happen. (Unless the revenue comes from somewhere else.) Just a general comment.
There's nothing wrong with a musician trying to make a living. I wasn't implying that there was a windfall of money to be made here. It's just another piece to the puzzle.
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