Jack White has told NME that new musicians need to quit playing video games.
Asked to name three things every new artist starting out today needs, The White Stripes front man replied: "They need to quit playing video games, throw away their Auto-Tune program and cut three strings off their guitar."
So basically he's saying they all need to become Seasick Steve.
This isn't the first time that White has had a pop at video games. Last June he complained about the impact that Guitar Hero is having on the music industry.
"It's depressing to have a label come and tell you that [Guitar Hero] is how kids are learning about music and experiencing music."
Wonder if he was depressed about picking up the royalty cheque when Blue Orchid by The White Stripes was used in Guitar Hero 5. Or for that matter, when a Raconteurs Track Pack was released for Guitar Hero: World Tour? Or when a number of Dead Weather songs were made available in the Rock Band store? Jack?
I’d be a much better guitarist if I didn’t play games, that’s a fact.
Seasick Steve only has one string on one of his ‘guitars’ as he made it himself. It’s surprisingly tuneful but one can’t help but think that he murdered people with the wire when he was a hobo.
So I was right yesterday when I said that another celeb's oppinion on games was going to be posted today *facepalm* No offence CVG as I love your gaming articles but this isn't news, Celebs oppinions on games are no greater than non-celebs oppinions be they positive or negative.
So I was right yesterday when I said that another celeb's oppinion on games was going to be posted today *facepalm* No offence CVG as I love your gaming articles but this isn't news, Celebs oppinions on games is no greater than non-celebs oppinions be they positive or negative.
Who are we getting tomorrow then?
Vanessa Feltz on the beneifts of Cooking Mama's Cook Off on the Wii .
So I was right yesterday when I said that another celeb's oppinion on games was going to be posted today *facepalm* No offence CVG as I love your gaming articles but this isn't news, Celebs oppinions on games is no greater than non-celebs oppinions be they positive or negative.
Who are we getting tomorrow then?
Vanessa Feltz on the beneifts of Cooking Mama's Cook Off on the Wii .
Wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo have her star in one of their celebrity casual player adverts. I'm going to guess at Jeremy Kyle for tomorrows article on why video games are corrupting our kids and turning men into violent wife/girlfriend beating thugs.
As much as I hate this sort of news I have to agree in this case, Guitar Hero is s**t and is in no way encouraging people to pick up a real guitar. Anyone can mash a coloured button when it tells them to on a screen, playing a guitar well takes years of practice.
As much as I like the White Stripes, Jack White is a c**k.
Whats wrong with people discovering new music through video games?
I found out about Pendulum by playing Motorstorm on the PS3, and Goose by Playing PGR4 on 360.
I don't see whats wrong with using videogames as a means for discovering music. I would like the know why Jack White is so depressed by it. His problem is that he seems to think that videogames will kill off talented artists making music, how wrong can you be? The fact that more people have been picking up guitars since the rise of games like guitar hero should speak for itself.
"I'm thinkin' about my doorbell, When ya gonna ring it, when ya gonna ring it? I'm thinkin' about my doorbell I'm going to rig it, to kill a twit... um... yeeah!"
I can pretty much conclusively say that my love of video games is the main limiting factor in my music-making activities the past few years.
I am a pretty good bassist but spend most of my time programming techno and experimental stuff when I'm making music.
When I solely played bass I never found games were much of a distraction - If I was jamming with friends I would be away from my console/flat, and if I was practicing on my own it was half-an-hour here and there or whilst watching telly, little and often.
However, since I got into online games I found it a lot more difficult to stay focused on my music. I would have a threshold of a few hours max whilst playing a story-based game like Oblivion, GTA, Infamous, etc etc. However, with online fps I find that my boredom threshold is almost non-existent - I can sit and play an online shooter from early evening until 5am and even then it is tiredness that stops me rather than boredom. It has been this way ever since I discovered GRAW and Halo 2 online. I just find them incredibly addictive in a way that no other hobby has gripped me.
This only got worse when I got into programming. When I lived in London I was able to play my PS2 for a few hours then crack on with some tunes. However, now that I work on a computer all day I find it all too easy to turn on the PS3 with the excuse that I've already had to concentrate for eight hours today...
Bit of a rant this...I guess my point is that much as I love games they are kind of like the McDonalds of entertainment for me - when I turn off my PS3 those 4 hours have disappeared. I don't have a song to listen to the next morning or to play my friends. I haven't improved my blocking/striking skills as had I practised my krav...
Much as my stomach feels empty an hour after eating a Maccies, I find that gaming leaves me empty-handed.
I can tell myself that it is an "experience" but really any half-decent book/film is going to offer more intellectual substance in 9/10 cases. This is a very pessimistic view perhaps but for me games are a bit of a guilty pleasure.
Ultimately, I don't feel I need to justify my love of shooters to anybody - I work hard enough in the day to justify a few hours of gunishment in the evening and am by no means lacking in the amount of exercise I get in the average week. However, it is interesting to read this article when one of my most prominent weekly reflections is how many tunes I'd have written in the past year if I hadn't got a PS3...
My album is out on Universal on the 19th, and due to pre-orders Album #2 is already in the works. Its took 6 months of effing hard work, during which time I've still managed to write for Europes top Independant gaming site *AND* play games. Jack, STFU you utter mong. These stupid commenst come from a man who in the same interview said ""In my head I'm still living and working as if there is no internet, and treat it as a nuisance."
Well, I enjoy playing videogames more than listening to his stuff. And I love music. I never found his work remotely interesting, let alone 'good'.
I'll stick to my gaming, NIN, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Them Crooked Vultures, Aerosmith and even Foo Fighters and ya da ya da ya da (ie lots of other stuff rock related and more) thanks
So today I've been trying to think of some melodies, to record on my computer, after changing strings on my electric guitar.
I started getting into music when I was a teenager. Already then, I thought I was too late to start playing an instrument, figured I was never gonna be any good at it anyways, cos I sucked at that kinda stuff.
Fast forward a few years, Guitar Hero is released. I pick it up, am instantly hooked and eventually complete the whole thing on expert. As do I with the sequel, Legends of Rock, and World Tour.
Guitar Hero just made me realize how freaking awesome guitar actually is, and that if I spend ridiculous hours working on something, I'll eventually get good at it. So I decided to see what'd happen if I actually spent that many hours playing real guitar.
So I've been playing guitar for three years now, slowly starting to write some music. I don't know why I had to make this long a story of it, but basically Guitar Hero is what ultimately got me playing guitar and writing music.
I will admit that if you're playing CoD or WoW 4 hours a day, those hours would be better spent with an instrument, if you hope to be a musician. But the same goes for Facebook, TV, whatever.
Chances are that's basically what he means. If you want to be a musician, spend most of your time on music. Videogames just happen to be what a lot of people spend time on nowadays.
I personally don't really play games anymore, but I still visit my favorite gaming websites, to read news like this and comment on whatever's going on :/
chop three strings off your guitar? thats more of a harm to musicianship than videogames if you ask me. It seems to be less trendy if you are actually a skilled and accomplished musician so all these indie kids would rather learn a couple of chords on a banged up old guitar, dress like their grandmother buys their clothes and think they are cool musicians. Im not saying technicality is what makes a song, the beatles wrote simple songs but they at least had structure rather than some badly played 3 chord (3 string) riff played over and over...Not to mention its all been done before (Iggy Pop and the like)
I think theres only so much satisfaction you can get from playing Guitar Hero, if you enjoy it enough and want more, im sure it will encourage you to pick up a guitar and thats a good thing.
Besides I still manage to have time to make music and play Mass Effect 2 and have a social life!
I can say pretty much conclusively that it's only online shooty games which I have trouble curtailing.
For example, I just picked up Resi 5 the other day as I never got the chance to play it when it came out. What I notice is that after a few hours of playing I feel compelled to turn it off and revisit when I'm fresher and will enjoy it more - it's a bit like putting that halfpack of biscuits back cos you know you don't really need to eat them now and will appreciate them much more tomorrow...
However, with online shooters I just can't put them down! I have probably amassed almost 200 hours on MAG since it came out and until I checked a week or so ago I thought I had been pretty reserved!
Guess part of my ongoing problem is the type of music I make. As I love all my Aphex, Spor, etc, I tend to program pretty complex drum maps with a lot of fx and automation. Ultimately, it's a very time-consuming process to turn a few loops into a tune - much less "hand-on" than playing bass/guitar.
I must have a good 20 tunes which only need 1-2 hours polishing to be pretty much complete...
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Wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo have her star in one of their celebrity casual player adverts. I'm going to guess at Jeremy Kyle for tomorrows article on why video games are corrupting our kids and turning men into violent wife/girlfriend beating thugs.
