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June 25, 2005

So much for the burgeoning Toronto and Montreal music scenes

This being Canada and all, the bleating about Barrie's weak Live 8 line-up is not surprising. Nor are the dubious extrapolations to overall Canadian crappiness. But they're still stupid.

If you held a gun to my head and forced me to pick any of the Live 8 shows other than London's to attend (and you'd need the gun), I would choose Barrie. Seriously. It's all very well to wish that "we" had come up with some ultra-hip indie-rockstravaganza, but this is a Michael Cohl joint, after all. He can't very well book 'em if he's never heard of 'em. Surely it's more fair to compare it to the other Live 8 shows.

To wit, here are the artists (that I've heard of) at each major show that I would be at least somewhat interested in seeing, along with my (subjective) pick as to the biggest international star in attendance:

Barrie: Barenaked Ladies, Blue Rodeo, Bruce Cockburn, Gordon Lightfoot, Sam Roberts, Tegan & Sara, and The Tragically Hip. (Biggest international star: Bryan Adams.)
Berlin: Brian Wilson, Green Day, Roxy Music. (Biggest international star: Green Day.)
Paris: The Cure. (Biggest international star: same, or possibly Sheryl Crow.)
Philadelphia: Jay-Z, Stevie Wonder. (Biggest international star: tough call, but it's neither of those, so whoever it is sucks.)
Rome: None. (Biggest international star: uh, Faith Hill? Tim McGraw? This is the Rome in Italy, right?)
Tokyo: Björk. (Biggest international star: same, or possibly Good Charlotte.)

So, what's the big deal? It's one astonishing concert in London and a bunch of middling ones elsewhere. Check out Rome and Berlin's rosters and tell me that the Canadian show is unique in presenting artists who aren't known very well (if at all) outside their home countries. Go on, I dare you. When was the last time you bought a Die Toten Hosen record? Who the hell are Le Vibrazioni, I ask, in much the same way an Italian would question the existence of Blue Rodeo.

Here's the Shotgun's normally not-so-bad "Right Girl":

These are our best artists.

Therein lies the problem. Canadian content, or [insert dramatic air-quotes here –ed.] Can-con, rules have made it so that Canadian artists do not have to be the best in the world. They do not have to gain international recognition, and if they do, it is often with just one hit. An exception would be someone like Alanis Morissette, who has proven to be an international success, and who is conveniently promoting her new 10th anniversary acoustic Jagged Little Pill. Is the [sic] in the line-up for Live 8? Of course not.

Wowsers. You're sure that's it, RightGirl? You're sure Alanis isn't booked in St Louis on July 2? You're sure that popularity and merit are the exact same thing in the music business? You're sure there aren't a whole lot of Canadian artists who are young, critically acclaimed and internationally popular who just don't happen to be on the bill?

Posted by Chris Selley at June 25, 2005 10:13 PM