The futile search for authentic experience (1 .. n)
Dear nice people in bands.
You were probably keeping the existence of 'road worn' guitars from me because you knew I'd go off on one and/or jabber randomly about (post)modernist theory. I'm sure your intention was good, but the Koons-style cat is out of the Fendi (probably. It would be a bad idea to try to make me care.) knockoff bag.
For Fuck's Sake. When I were a lad and had ambitions of a semi-musical noisemongering nature, the entire point of buying a new guitar from the shop was that it was shiny and new and didn't smell of beer and sweat and the inside of rusty vans yet. You played the thing lots and after a while you worked out how to get filthy noises out of it and over time you and the guitar left scars on each other that actually meant something.
There was, if you will, a long period of becoming.
Now you can buy guitars that are more-or-less identically pre-knackered at the factory. There is no becoming or experience, there's just some manner of ersatz is-ness that you buy in the same way you buy 'authentic' coffee or 'authentic' 'ring-spun' 'pre-worn' jeans.
I guess it's just another example of the commodification and marketing of alleged rebellion. I can't say I'm surprised.
(Is this what I'm going to be doing for all of 2011? )
You were probably keeping the existence of 'road worn' guitars from me because you knew I'd go off on one and/or jabber randomly about (post)modernist theory. I'm sure your intention was good, but the Koons-style cat is out of the Fendi (probably. It would be a bad idea to try to make me care.) knockoff bag.
For Fuck's Sake. When I were a lad and had ambitions of a semi-musical noisemongering nature, the entire point of buying a new guitar from the shop was that it was shiny and new and didn't smell of beer and sweat and the inside of rusty vans yet. You played the thing lots and after a while you worked out how to get filthy noises out of it and over time you and the guitar left scars on each other that actually meant something.
There was, if you will, a long period of becoming.
Now you can buy guitars that are more-or-less identically pre-knackered at the factory. There is no becoming or experience, there's just some manner of ersatz is-ness that you buy in the same way you buy 'authentic' coffee or 'authentic' 'ring-spun' 'pre-worn' jeans.
I guess it's just another example of the commodification and marketing of alleged rebellion. I can't say I'm surprised.
(Is this what I'm going to be doing for all of 2011? )