This has been a frequent argument in the world of alternative music since the beginning of time. A good example from back in the day is artists like Oasis playing up their working-class background and scoffing at bands like blur, who come from middle-class lifestyles.
And so the rivalries are born.
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| NME cover depicting the blur vs. Oasis clash |
Writer Mike Williams of NME explored this problem in his post about new band the Vaccines, who grew up in a "posh" environment. Apparently this background is becoming a problem for the band because some people have decided that they are fake.
But while it's fun to have artists to have a little spice, coming from a hard life doesn't necessarily mean that the music you make is better.
Oasis was able to talk the talk with their first two albums, but eventually their spark fizzled out. Blur, however, continues to make quality music.
Radiohead met at an upscale school in Oxfordshire after all, and Arcade Fire grew up in the safe suburbs, which they ended up making a Grammy-winning album about.
While it certainly makes an adventual "Behind the Music" episode more interesting, having a bad childhood isn't the only thing that a band can use to write good songs about. Coming from a difficult background can help an artist for material to draw on but it isn't everything.
It's always the easy thing to do: Hate on a band because they had it easy growing up. But if people think that way they're going to miss out on some great music.
So cut the Vaccines and bands like them some slack. They could be the next "blur" (okay maybe that's a stretch but it could happen).
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| Upcoming, apparently "posh" band The Vaccines |
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