What has happened to British music?

I blame Simon Cowell. He has created a monster - namely a widespread dumbing-down of musical taste. Couple this with the celebrity gossip/lifestyle phenomenon championed by gossip rags, tabloid rags and the finest institutions of tackiness such as ITV, et voila, you have a significant part of 21st Century British culture.

Depressing, isn't it?

Surely Muse are a decent British rock band of the times. have you seen them live. I have (well on telly) and they blew me away. But yeah I get your point, there is a decline of decent bands out there. They are few and far between. Rock isn't dead, it's just not flavour of the times.

Dave I thought I was the only person in the universe that was fed up with endless, dreary, heard it all before, pumped out, manafactured sounds like the first album, what imagination, told to play that crap by some jumped up young radio or tv exec ........please wait im getting my breath back!!! This is why all real british music is still underground. have been playing in bands for years,ive seen the greats some as support.I agree with you totally.

a rock band has to:
-learn instruments
-write a demo song
-tour around the whole country to gain fans/get record companies looking at them
-send their demo to record companies
-once got record deal, use a small amount of money to make a full length LP
-sell their record with virtually no promotion other than touring and themselves putting up posters
-wait until they have a big enough fanbase, use all their made money to make a video and then hope that either scuzz or kerrang (yes there is only 2 and they are both on satillite tv only) will show it on tv.
A pop artist has to
-look good or have rich friends
-get reccomended by rich friends or talk to a record company because they look good
-get given a song thats made by a computer which they sing and release as a single
-make the video (which they dont actually fund or make)
-the record company puts it on the 18 pop/R&B channels
-fans go onto itunes and download it and hey presto the artist is rich,famous and has a huge record deal.
it is physically and financially harder to become a rock band, especially in the UK because we dont have huge 'day vans' that you can buy cheap, run cheap and sleep in while touring the country unlike the US and we also have a smaller population and therefore a smaller possible fanbase

a rock band has to:
-learn instruments
-write a demo song
-tour around the whole country to gain fans/get record companies looking at them
-send their demo to record companies
-once got record deal, use a small amount of money to make a full length LP
-sell their record with virtually no promotion other than touring and themselves putting up posters
-wait until they have a big enough fanbase, use all their made money to make a video and then hope that either scuzz or kerrang (yes there is only 2 and they are both on satillite tv only) will show it on tv.
A pop artist has to
-look good or have rich friends
-get reccomended by rich friends or talk to a record company because they look good
-get given a song thats made by a computer which they sing and release as a single
-make the video (which they dont actually fund or make)
-the record company puts it on the 18 pop/R&B channels
-fans go onto itunes and download it and hey presto the artist is rich,famous and has a huge record deal.
it is physically and financially harder to become a rock band, especially in the UK because we dont have huge 'day vans' that you can buy cheap, run cheap and sleep in while touring the country unlike the US and we also have a smaller population and therefore a smaller possible fanbase

Probably the most ill thought out gripe I have seen, I can tell you are not British because you have no clue about the British post war music heritage. What is British music? Folk? Freddie Mercury was influenced by those including Aretha Franklin and Hendrix, he also liked Zepplin which was blues influenced rock (Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson). You call R&B and rap 'primitive' the same charges that were laid at the door of the African American blues decades ago, and the same music that the Yardbirds, the Stones, Beatles and countless others. Presley too was mocked for performing 'primitive' black downs swivels. Did'nt the blues come out of American ghettos and cotton fields? So why did McCartney and Lennon listen to this music

Yes, I agree. You want to see talent, go and see some local unsigned band in a pub. You might see talent but you also might hear out of time and out of pitch playing. The funny thing is, that people in pubs don´t seem to notice out of time rhythms or bump notes.

I do wish Radio 2 would stop playing that cr*ppy hip hop type dross by Keane!

Aleedsfella-I agree and more northeners than doutherners would be with us too.
'You want talent in modern music? OK - go listen to some local or unsigned bands.' Ye, most people want to watch a dot at a massive venue and shun what is often better musician ship at a local pub where the musus will even chat to you.
*****LISTEN UP***** Regardless of style, genre, fads, the business or whatever, there is one yardstick that deserves recognition. That is musical ability. Malmsteen can play what any pop 'muso' can, but they don't have a chance in hell of playing one bar of what he can offer!! Who is Malmsteen you ask? That's what's wrong with the UK. You don't get to even hear a virtuoso neoclassical genius 'cept maybe on D.AB Planet Rock. Rock musos have pushed the boundaries ever further to astounding levels. My Space is full of fabulous instrumentalists that will never get a recognised or a deal!. UK bands.Try Voodoo 6(Slash nicked the guitarist's song Slither & had to pay ). Thunder too & others. Sadly, all new genuine talent in ANY medium is always supressed and stifled in favour of the status quo and corporate profit.
UK, champion of the underdog, but not the lazy & lame please.
In what other competitive arenas do you watch the stragglers & runners up and not the best? Okay, jazz, classical & operatic pinnacles of ability have always been around, but these guys are as good (I think, often better) and connect in a totally more accessible and contemporary way.
Oh dear, it hurts -perhaps it's because I am a player too.

British music was ki11ed off by outright greed, from the Likes of “Simon Cowell” and his retarded TV show for retarded People. The greedy corporate giants and government over taxing and over regulating the music scene, small venues are being bankrupted by Licence and health and safety. Most new acts have family already in the business and nepotism is becoming a factor.
It’s just going down that same self destructive road that all things go down once corporate greed gets its teeth into it.

wooff, it's wonderful to hear from someone your age who loves great british rock music.

Rock on!!

I have to agree with you dave i'm 17 so I was not born in the era of great british rock, but I love def leppard, led zepplin, queen to name but a few, and yes when the darkness came along we all though here comes the return of great bristish rock, but sadly no. don't fear most of my mates love old bristish rock. so these great rock bands with never be forgoten.