by acolytes 9 Replies latest jw friends
Hi
From Sweden.
I took a beer in a Swedish pub with Mike Estes.
So who is Mike Estes?
A former guitarist with my favourite band LYNYRD SKYNYRD.
He was touring with his new band. I was amazed an ex-skynyrd guitarist could play to an empty house.
Am I living in the past or DO Skynyrd still ROCK.
Their music is still a big part of American Culture. Musicians like Kid Rock and Bands like Shinedown have very popular cover renditions of LS music. LS music is also in a number of recent movies.
In my opinion, LS will always rock :)
Skynard were popular(ish) when i was in my teens, I`m now 48 (nearly). I`m afraid they are viewed as old Hippies.
Honest hearted music ......I can go right back to the 70s with this band when (Ronnie on lead vocals) blew the Rolling Stones away.This was at Knebsworth.... Skynyrd were the supporting act.(Those Skynyrd boys were yelled to come back and back, it was darkness before the stones got on stage)
I just got Got and Guns with (Jonny on vocals) still rocking despite so many departed.
Acolytes
I`m afraid they are viewed as old Hippies.
Their music is still played on 'classic rock' stations. "Freebird" is a rock anthem. They are, for better or worse, the definition of Southern Rock...
But, old hippies? No, they're old rednecks. Big, big difference...
Undercover
What does rednecks mean?
Are Blackfoot rednecks? What about "The Outlaws"......These are great bands who had members join Skynyrd.
Wnen I spoke with Mike Estes he mentiond that Ricky Medlocke (The Skynyrd guitarist was a "Redneck"... ) didnt understand what he meant .
Acolytes
The definition of redneck has evolved overtime...
It's hard to explain to someone not from the States...
I'll try to explain in the sense that I was referring...
In it's most endearing definition, it's people, mostly country or rural, who are behind the times yet fiercly proud of their refusal to mesh with what is considered the norm. At its worst, it's ignorant, backwards people.
Some bands make their music to appeal to that audience. The original Skynyrd was an anomoly in that regard, however. While they may have been rednecks in a sense, they were intelligent and highly talented. Their music wasn't just "Southern Rock". It had country, soul and old black blues influence. It appealed to a broad audience. Over the years though it has been associated with rednecks in general and the new Skynyrd is just a shadow of it's former self.
Ricky Medlocke is of native American ancestry...Indian. That's a whole 'nuther classification in itself...
The Outlaws were a great Southern/Country rock band. I don't know if they're still around or not though. Haven't heard anything out of em in years.
That's the problem with a lot of these classic rock bands, be it Southern, hard or progressive. It's just a rehash of the same shit they did 20 and 30 years ago...
Thanks for that undercover.
ACOLYTES
Skynyrd was in my town this summer at a big venue were they sold less than 1500 tickets. As to the Outlaws,they played at a community college over the summer. The teacher that they named the band after( LEONARD SKINNER) passed away this summer.
I saw Skynyrd in 1975 and in August 1977. Two months later their plane crashed after running out of fuel. They played some songs from their new album ''Street Survivors''. The crowds at both shows were near 60,000. They were the best Southern Rock band ever. ''Sweet Home Alabama'' and ''Freebird'' made 60,000 people stand to their feet.
After Ronnie passed away,his brother Johnny took over as lead singer. He wasn't Ronnie but in my opinion was the perfect fit for the band.After all the deaths and firings in the band,only Gary Rossington was the sole member of the original Lynyrd Skynyrd.
With only 1 sole member playing,Southern Rock waning,no new hits,less radio play,playing the same songs over and over,the music of Lynyrd Skynrd became a nostalgia act just like the Beach Boys.
I was amazed an ex-skynyrd guitarist could play to an empty house.
He's not an original member. Part of the original band (including the singer) died in a plane crash in 1977. Allen Collins (guitar)was paralysed in a car crash in the 80's and later died from pneumonia. The guitarist you speak of toured as part of a reunion band with the remaining original members (Billy Powell and Gary Rossington) in the mid 90's.
That's probably why he played to an empty house.
