This week, I saw a number of friends of mine discussing Motley Crue and their big announcement that they were going to do one final tour leading to the band’s retirement. Now, initially, I just blew past those posts, tweets, comments, etc. as it didn’t affect me in the least since I was never a fan. I knew that I wouldn’t attend whether it was their last tour, their first tour or their biggest tour. Nope, it wasn’t for me. Then, I put Duran Duran in their place. Now, I know that there are a lot of fans out there who don’t want to think about the end of Duran Duran. I know that for some people the mere mentioning that there will be an end someday upsets them. In fact, it upsets some SO much that I’m sure that there will be angry comments in response to this blog. I’m asking you, then, if this describes you to simply stop reading. I won’t be hurt or upset. I get it. I know talking or thinking about the end can be extremely upsetting and that denial is much preferred. I understand that. I would love to live in that utopia in which the band will always be around, but reality asks me to think about it some, in order to prepare myself. Anyway, seeing this about Motley Crue made me wonder. Is it good to announce the final tour? Is it good for the band? Is it good for the fans? Will it change how the fans respond? Would the results be the same if it was Duran Duran instead (again…not that I’m saying Duran is quitting or that their next tour will be their last.)
Is it good for a band to announce a final tour? Well, I would expect that this kind of announcement might create greater ticket sales. Since this would be people’s last chance, they might be willing to go out of their way to spend money or more money than they would normally. They might be willing to free up some time in their schedules than they would for just a normal show. I can only speak for myself, but if it was Duran’s final tour, I know that I would truly want to do as many shows as I possibly could. I won’t lie. I would stretch my budget. I would find the time, miss work, etc. I would do all that I could to go to as much as I could. I would have to think long and hard about ways to make it happen in order to go to as many as I could. What part of my savings would be tapped? Would I opt to do less or no VIPs, if it meant more shows? What would I do in terms of work? Perhaps, Motley Crue’s diehard fans have been responding in the same way. Thus, announcing the final might be good for the band, in terms of sales. It might also be good for them, emotionally. They would approach the tour differently and would know that there is closure when it is done. They might decide to deal with the fans while on tour, differently, too, knowing it is the last. Of course, it could be hard on them, too. The emotional intensity of it and the high expectations could either make the tour less fun or could make it harder at the end to quit, especially if the tour ends up being bigger/better than the previous one(s).
What about the fans? Would it be good for us to know if a tour was Duran’s last? On one hand, it would be good to know in order to do as much as one can, in terms of attending a show or shows. There would be no more, “Well, there is always next tour. Next tour, I’ll do a show. It just didn’t work out.” People couldn’t do that, if it was the last. In this sense, knowing might cause people to change how they approach shows, traveling, etc. Perhaps, then, people will do what they need to do to make it work or won’t have any regrets afterwards. I would want that. I would hate finding out later that I could have made things work if I had pushed but didn’t, when it was the last opportunity. Right now, there are shows and experiences that I could have made possible in the past, if I had just pushed a little bit here or there, that I regret now. Luckily though, those shows weren’t their last. I had opportunities after those shows missed. If missing those random shows bum me out some, I can’t imagine what it would feel like to have missed shows, when I didn’t need to during the last tour. Heartbreaking, beyond belief, I suspect.
On the same token, what if your desire to get to this final tour doesn’t match your reality? What if there is no way to get to a show–no matter how much you try, no matter how much sacrifices you make. That has to be a terrible feeling! I know that there are still Duranies out there who have yet to see them. While I’m sure that knowing it was the final tour might push some to do something crazy to get to a show, which might be a great thing on multiple levels, it might be heartbreaking to those who truly can’t. Likewise, I can’t imagine the level of stress and anxiety Rhonda and I would experience trying to figure out what we can truly do. I don’t know that I would survive those presales, either. Just thinking about it is causing me have knots in my stomach, feel a little shaky and have my head start to hurt. Maybe, it wouldn’t be good to know, after all. Then, again, I think it would be really, really special to be there for their final song of their final show.
What do you guys think? Better to know or not to know? If you are a Crue fan, are you glad to know? Will this affect your plans to go see them?
-A
I was sad for the fans of my “rock friends”, who told me about this.
They are planning to go to as many shows as they can.
If it was Duran? Wow… any time the line up changed a bit of Duran died and ended,
I wasn’t a great gigs attender, but their last tour is absolutely a chance to say “Thank you for all it was!” that I would do my best to not miss.
PS. I think DD are too young to say goodbye to us…
As Amanda said – it’s a hypothetical. We’re not spreading thoughts of doom and gloom here. 🙂 -R
A thing I’d worry about is if I did splurge on a ‘final’ tour, but then they decided there would be a reunion/money-making comeback. Would I feel horribly let down? (I suspect so.) But equally, not to know would be bad as well in case of missing out. It’s a tricky question. I guess the best answer is to live each tour as though it were the last, and do what you can to see them. That way you’ll always have had the best experience no matter what happens in the long run.
You are right. The best answer is to live each tour as if it would be the last. I did that for AYNIN, for the most part, and am glad that I did. 🙂
-A
This is a tough one that we’ve talked about between the two of us before. I really am not sure if I’d even WANT to know. I think I like the idea of just enjoying each tour for what it is, doing what I can, knowing that any time can be the last time. You just never really know. It’s like this: when my dad knew he was dying, his comments to me were always that the doctors could never really put an expiration date on him – because even though yes, he had a deadly disease, he could be in an accident at any point and have his life end that way too. So, even if the band decided that this was the last album and tour, AND I AM NOT SAYING THEY *ARE* SAYING THAT AT ALL, we don’t always get to plan how things go. Think about Nick and the last tour. He became ill just before it ended. Buzzkill all around for that one, no? We just don’t get to plan it all, no matter how much we want that control.
So I guess for me, I just want to enjoy things as they come, knowing that life is incredibly short, and that if I really want to do something, I’d better not wait. You never know what’s around that corner. That doesn’t mean though that I’m going to mortgage my home or decide to not put my kids through college so that I can live out some ridiculous dream to follow the band around the world. It means going to the things I can and having a great time while I’m there – no regrets – no holding back. I’ve walked away from certain trips/tours/etc regretting that I didn’t take some opportunities and throw more caution to the wind, and I’ve learned my lessons, should those open doors present themselves again. That holds enough potential to be dangerous enough for everyone as is without knowing for sure it’s the very last time I would see any of them. 😀
-R
i’ve seen Crue 3 or 4 times and we’ll probably see them on this tour, too, since it’s the last one. i don’t know that i’d buy a ticket if i didn’t know it was the farewell tour because they’re not the best live but they are entertaining.
I’ve often wondered if Duran would announce when it’s their final tour. I thought about it a lot at the end of the 90’s and early 2000’s when their sales were low and there wasn’t a Taylor in the line up. you can put my name on the list of those who would want to know. like you, i’d want to hit as many shows as possible and hopefully go out on a high note with the band (note: our current status is not awesome as they have cancelled the last few gigs i’ve tried to attend).
INXS didn’t give us warning and i wish they had. i wouldn’t have gone home after 2 shows; i’d have gone on the road.
Yeah, I would definitely hate having regret and I know that I would push differently, if it was the last.
-A
Nobody wants to think about it, ha ha. I would want to know; I might go see a show somewhere completely different than usual. I know I’d make a point to see more than one show for the tour, which I don’t necessarily do all the time because of expense. But if shows sold out it would make me extra upset. And I’d likely make myself crazy trying to get to go to a meet and greet – I’d feel sad if I never got to meet any of them.
You definitely point out that there are positives and negatives to knowing, for sure.
-A