In Defence of Nickelback and Other Social Deaths : In The Spotlight

I’ve seen people shriek. I’ve seen them; head back, tongue lolling out, eyes squinted in disgust, reaching out a pointed, hasty finger towards the radio dial, seemingly incessant in their revulsion. Some mainstream station has dared to sully the ears of our much-maligned compatriot with the radio-friendly hard rock tunes of a Canadian four-piece called Nickelback.

Known as much for their divisive effect on much of the populus as for their MOR grunge-rock stylings, Nickelback have copped an awful lot of flak since their inception into the mainstream in 2001, with their third album Silver Side Up, home to the hugely popular (this being apparently before they bore the world’s wrath) single How You Remind Me (which I did, and still, like. Sue me.)

Nickelback, like their American equivalent in Tallahassee pseudo-Christian rock band Creed, often bear the brunt of the jabs of the jaded and the cynical. As a consumer and appreciator of art- whatever that means- I can see that the detractors have their point. Nickelback are not, in any major or minor sense, reinventing the rock and roll wheel. This much we can freely admit without resorting to violence/name calling/declaration of Armageddon. But why reserve this vitriol for the Canuck rockers? Why are Nickelback forced to absorb all responsibility for the supposed degradation of musical creativity? Look at the ARIA charts this week. Who the hell is Ke$ha and why should we care? Her single Tik Tok, currently sitting at number two on the ARIA Singles Chart, is, to the keen ear, a shameless appropriation of Lady Gaga’s Just Dance, as well as, to your humble narrator, a vile and embarrassing few minutes of trendy posturing and lascivious false promises, and only slightly catchy. But no essays have I read decrying the grammatically jumbling bawd. Is rock and roll still so precious?

Nickelback's infamous frontman Chad Kroeger

Living in Melbourne, I have seen more than my share of snobbery. Working in the trendier parts of the city, I have seen double my fair share. Going to Hell’s Kitchen on a Friday night or traipsing down Brunswick Street, I have seen an entire small village’s fair share. It’s everywhere; “I liked them before they were popular”. Hey, mate, you want a medal? I’m all out of gold but you have this silver-plated douchebag in honour of the noble title? “They’ve gone so commercial now”; this one has been making the rounds in Kings of Leon circles of late. KOL purists have not appreciated the US country-rock band’s skyrocket to mainstream popularity with their 2009 single Sex on Fire (apparently people would prefer their bands poor and heard by eight people on a Tuesday night? Is that somehow more credible?).

Where does this sense of entitlement come from? You don’t own these bands. You buy their CDs when they release them, you grab a t-shirt after the show they perform for you…who are you to get uppity over their musical direction? Face the facts, dearie: musicians like to make money as much as anyone else. You think Benny down at Safeway stacks shelves for the creative freedom? No, he has rent to pay. And so do Nickelback, Creed and Ke$ha. They just happen to have found a more fun way of doing it. Do you need a step ladder off your high horse?

There is a sizeable portion of the populus that are still- in this day and age, of all times- riding the ‘sell-out’ wave. Amy Winehouse, on her terribly amusing spot on UK music quiz show Never Mind the Buzzcocks, said the following of popular “sell out” author and comic icon Ben Elton: “I don’t think there is such thing as integrity or being a sell-out, I just think he’s a wanker” Now, the Winehouse may be no fan of Elton’s, but she has a point: Bob Dylan remains the people’s poet despite his numerous commercial whorings, yet bands that have tailor-made their music to fit mainstream radio’s tricky and oft hypocritical standards are burnt at the credibility stake. I know Art made wholly for the sake of financial gain is a loathsome act of deepest degeneration, but surely the world is bigger than the likes of Nickelback? To wish death upon people you have never met simply because they make music not akin to your incredulous and specific tastes is insane. Go worry about something important- aren’t your taxes due soon?