feroshispete wrote:
PJ Harvey's concert appearance schedule continues to be at Big Name, Big Corporate, Big Money festivals in the USA and Europe only. Year after year, after year, after year.
In response to this particular comment, I was reflecting on the performances I've seen - I don't think any could be classed as Big name, big corporate, big money: Somerset House, Festival Hall, Troxy and Royal Albert Hall in London, and the Beacon Theatre New York (whilst part of the New Yorker festival that year, it was a 400 ticket event from what I remember - not 'big').
The festival circuit must have some real positives for performers: they are not responsible for so much of the trappings of performance there - staging, PR, ticketing, security, lighting, sound, etc etc - and can be seen by relatively large numbers of people. It also had reflected, in some ways, the way in which people wanted to hear their music - lots of artists in a short space of time. Not for everyone I know (I've done festivals in my time, but now the downsides outweigh the positives - at least until some dream festival list appears that is truly unmissable!)
Maybe the recent downturn in festivals (certainly in the UK we've seen a number of scheduled festivals get cancelled this year due to poor ticket sales) will mean artists return to more personalised tours - certainly some bands who had been planning a one-off festival slot here have since set up individual gigs.
So, feroshispete, I get your frustration at Polly's approach to touring, but I don't think you can lump her into the Big name, big corporate, big money category just yet.