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A long while back you could count yourself to be quite the indie rock specialist if you spoke of Jack White and his band The White Stripes. But since 2003 and the song "Seven Nation Army" from the band's "Elephant" album, The White Stripes have become a favourite at dinner parties the world over. That's just the way it goes.
Jack White has moved on to tour with another band, The Dead Weather, but this summer The White Stripes will resurface in the rock-along videogame Guitar Hero 5. Last Friday Jack White seemed less than pleased with the new attention that's sure to come his way from teens strumming on fake guitars connected to games consoles.
During an LA press conference for the "It Might Get Loud" documentary, in which White features alongside Led Zeppelin legend Jimmy Page and U2's The Edge, the cheeky feller had the gall to get the blues about the youth of today.
NME journalists reporting from the event have White down as saying: "It's depressing to have a label come and tell you that [Guitar Hero] is how kids are learning about music and experiencing music." And, "If you have to be in a videogame to get in front of them, that's a little sad." We're sure he won't turn down the royalties though.
Jimmy Page also used the stage to continue his much publicised disapproval of Guitar Hero, Rock Band and their ilk. In summary, according the NME, Page believes that kids can't be learning anything worthwhile about musical instruments by playing videogames. He says: "You think of the drum part that John Bonham did on Led Zeppelin's first track on the first album, 'Good Times Bad Times'. How many drummers in the world can play that part, let alone on Christmas morning?" And then probably fell asleep with a Werther's Original in his gob, we don't know.
Guys, it's only a game! Or is it? No, it is. Isn't it?
Should we be tossing our plastic guitars and drums on the scrap heap for the sake of real rock 'n' roll? Do you think practicing for hours with a music videogame is a waste of time? Should Jack White have kept his mouth shut - will you boycott his songs in Guitar Hero 5? Is it past Jimmy Page's bedtime already?
Let us know your thoughts.
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User comments
Just buy your kids a les paul copy, and stop making them think they are musicians cos they can hold a piece of plastic and press 4 buttons in time to the colour chart. Whatever will they dream up next, ah yes Wii fit for fat @#$%.
Posted by: joe1manco on Thu Jun 25 09:59PM | Report abusegary whales - if you think Page has 'only had one decent song', I beg you to keep your daughter away from guitars.
Posted by: edwoodhams on Thu Jun 25 09:59PM | Report abuseRight on! Sorry but if you call them snops then your a chav just like the people who would have more money then sense who would rather buy wii fit then GET OFF YOUR ARSES AND GET SOME PROPER EXCERSISE! It's sad how people and kids are playing computer games now instead of getting instruments and playing them, they're cheaper! I'm a gamer myself but I'm not one of these who jump on the bandwagon and just play the games that are popular. I blame the people themselves tho and the parents cos god forbid someone take some R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y!! Yes it is a word, go look it up! Oh sorry idiots don't read do they?
Posted by: bedazzledcandybar on Thu Jun 25 09:59PM | Report abusewot a load of rubbish, they should av kept their opinions 2 themselves, it has encouraged my son to play guitar, hes brilliant on the game and can now play tunes for real on the guitar, he has self taught himself, no one has helped him, so i dont see what harm it does, i say rock on with your guitar hero kids, if it keeps u out of trouble and allows you to express urself in music, so be it.....
Posted by: princessdoddsie on Thu Jun 25 09:59PM | Report abusewhy not just buy a guitar,and learn to play? simple solution! And whoever says page is to old,man,page will be remembered in a thousand years for his guitar genius!
Posted by: michaelsupernova on Thu Jun 25 10:00PM | Report abuseGuitar hero is a joke for losers who lack the talent to learn a real instrument. Fact.
Posted by: james.lockhart17 on Thu Jun 25 10:00PM | Report abusesad old junkie has beens
Posted by: toby_teddy on Thu Jun 25 10:01PM | Report abuseyep, its rubbish, people play it, get a moderate score, then instantly think they are a rock god and can play the guitar, but when they come to actually playing the guitar, they suck. it is stupid that people class this game as an instrument now!
Posted by: peartong on Thu Jun 25 10:01PM | Report abuseImitation is the sincerest form of flattery......but that is all it is...flattery...It's a sad age we live in when kids cannot be arsed to get off their butts and learn something properly instead of sitting in front of their computer screens...the guitar gods are correct!!
Posted by: maisonstgeorges on Thu Jun 25 10:01PM | Report abuseI think guitar hero and rockband both let people hear new songs that they wouldn't have heard if they didn't play the game. although if i had a choice if i could play A real guitar really good or be really good a guitar hero, I would choose a real life guitar but i tried and failed so ima stick with guitar hero for the moment :P
Posted by: np_cartwright on Thu Jun 25 10:01PM | Report abuse