One presumes that being in a rock band entails performing live concerts.
The stress of traveling from show to show, whether on a bus or even your own small fan acquired with money cobbled together from record sales, is perhaps one of the most trying elements of being in a rock group.
However, other bands didn’t tour much, either for practical reasons or because they were just too well-known. Some groups made the decision to omit that element of band life.
However, other bands didn’t tour much, either for practical reasons or because they were just too well-known. Some groups made the decision to omit that element of band life.
You wonder which groups accomplished this. That’s what we’ll explore in more detail below. How about we go ahead and do that?
The Beatles
The Mop Tops used to perform live all the time. As many of the band’s followers are aware, during their formative years, they frequently performed live shows while touring Germany. This ultimately led them to America, where they went on tour and performed live on late-night shows. But the band quickly grew too well-known, made too many people dizzy, and even sparked riots at its concerts. The Beatles stopped doing live shows and instead concentrated on their recording studio work and musical self-reinvention. The group’s final tour began in August 1966. The closest we got afterwards was a rooftop concert.
Nirvana
Just like the Beatles, Nirvana became too well-known. As a result, the band found it difficult to tour. Not to mention that Kurt Cobain, the band’s main vocalist and a cultural icon, battled drug addiction on and off throughout his life. The band’s reputation therefore came primarily from record sales, MTV music videos, and word of mouth, even though they only participated in a small number of live festival concerts and occasional tours. They played everywhere in the beginning, much like the Beatles. However, their live performance schedules were shortened by fame, and it was further shortened by Cobain’s tragic passing. Given the group’s generosity, people tend to forget that they were only active for a short while.
Steely Dan
Donald Fagen and Walter Becker wrote the songs for Steely Dan, one of the most well-known rock acts of their time. They were accompanied by accomplished studio musicians. The band did limited touring in the 1970s, but their main priorities were working in the studio and composing songs. Eventually, the group disbanded but later got back together to perform. The most recent time they went on tour was in 2013. However, the band seldom ever toured for the vast majority of its fans.
The Traveling Wilburys
Being a supergroup made up of superstars might make touring challenging. And The Traveling Wilburys were precisely that. The ensemble, which included legendary musicians like Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison, struggled to find time to tour at all due to their hectic schedules. Furthermore, it was by mere chance to reunite them all after Orbison’s death. Without his presence, the gang made the decision to stop. After all, this is how a supergroup lives.
Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem
This legendary cast from Jim Henson’s mind was not meant to travel. That may be the case as puppeteers would be needed since felt-based puppets mostly mimic musical instruments with soundtracks overdubbed. But you have to admit, seeing them at Woodstock would have been awesome.