Oh dear...

...witness Whitney Houston's recent "comeback" and the furore over the Britney Spears mime tour last year. It seems the artists are convinced any old mediocre rubbish will do - that the audience is more interested in the experience of seeing them rather than the merits of the show itself. I have in the last 12 months seen two of my all-time fave bands in concert - The Pixies (indie darlings from the eighties and early nineties) and The Buzzcocks (pop-punk band from the seventies). Both delivered in my estimation. The Buzzcocks had everyone jumping and despite the fact they were all clearly heading toward pension status gave an energy-filled performance at a volume that made my ears bleed. The Pixies were perhaps a little more "professional" in that they didn't engage with the crowd as much but the performance was there and they appeared to be enjoying the experience as were we. Vote with your feet I guess - if they're rubbish, walk out, slam the show, and write to the promoters telling them how ordinary you thought it was. There is no excuse for mediocrity where money is paid.