Mid 60,s to mid 70,s for me. After the mid 70,s very few people of interest came along. SRV, John Mayer, and that's all I can think of.
Before that there were countless artists / bands who were enormously creative, and masters of their craft.
The creativity died and the corporations took over, everything became bland and derivative, and eventually we ended up with an industry, which is run by people like Simon Cowell.
Don't think all the blame can be set against "corporations" ,,, when I were a "yoof" there were folk clubs, jazz clubs, R&B clubs, even things called "youth clubs" where aspiring musicians could try things out and/or learn their craft, as well as listen to a very wide range of music. All these places have no gone, so just where do the young of today learn to be creative or try things out ?? even if they wished to?? in their place we have youtube/twitter/spotify etc etc etc.... all prepackaged because thats what todays youth WANT
Your kind of proving my point Nige. In the early days of pop / rock music, to be successful you had to start in youth clubs, coffee bars, pubs, etc. cutting your teeth and learning your craft on the job.
Now, you would probably attend a stage school, where any creative talent you may have will be drummed out of you, then do an audition for X factor or similar, bypassing all those stages where craft is learned, and the wheat usually got sorted from the chaff along the way.
I don't think its like this because todays yoof want it. Todays yoof don't know what it was like previously, and if they did, I'm sure they would want that instead.
Even more serious minded musicians don't follow the old routes these days, partially because, as you say, the small venues aren't there in great numbers any more.
Instead they will learn how to produce their own albums via their computer, at home, and then release it on the internet.
Nothing wrong with that in itself I suppose, but I wonder what happens when they become a bit of an internet sensation, and then have to start performing at gigs.
Even the big stars of yesteryear disappoint me now. They usually play the O2, because it has a lot of seats to put bums on at £100+ per seat, and thousands of people sit in this soulless place watching the artist on the screens at the side of the stage, because they are so far away they are too small to see.
The audiences applaud politely at the end of each song, until its time to go home. It aint a rock concert like I remember rock concerts.
Almost every memorable gig Ive been to has been at a small (1500 max.) venue.
The only exception being Roger Waters at the O2, as he seemed to have worked out how to make the place feel small.
I'm in rant mode now, in case no-one had noticed.
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