Okay, it looks like Damien is coming to the end of the 'O' tour and it seems that album number 2 will be out early next year.

Will it see him continue with his meteoric rise? Will the interest level off?

What do ye all think, will he get 'bigger'? Do we want him to? Does he want to? Lets get some debate going in here again.

I'd say he'll get a bit bigger but not that much. He could definitely look at breaking into the Aussie market if he wanted to.

As for wanting to get bigger etc. I don't think it's that he doesn't want to get bigger, it's more he doesn't care about getting bigger and if it happens so be it, he'll take it in his stride. Any of his newfound fame hasn't gone to his head yet and I don't think it ever will (thank god). As long as he doesn't ever "radiofy" his songs (like the horrific Cannonball mix) I'll be happy

I can't see the trend changing, i.e. interest will continue to grow and Damien will get "bigger" but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. It depends also on the next album. I've heard it's going to be a bit harder and louder and not just more of the same so it depends how people take to his new stuff. The real fans will follow through any changes in his style and music whereas the fans with a more cosmetic or superficialinterest in Damien will probably always love his first album but their interest might level off.


Whether he wants to get big or not is a good question. The message seems to be that he doesn't care too much but personally his level of popularity doesn't make any odds to me - i.e. I'll still listen to Damien Rice even if he plays Top of The Pops and all those shows on Saturday mornings.

I only hope that his next album wil be (nearly) as good as his first one.One thing is for sure he'll never be as big as U2[img]smileys/smiley17.gif[/img].This is a very interesting topic, Wheels!

I think he'll just continue to get bigger,but I can never see him playing a gig like the point or RDS.Alot of people think he's too soppy,maybe the louder album will appeal to more people and not just the die-hard fans.

I think he'll get bigger and bigger also!! From eating all the pies. [img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img]


But seriously, he's too talented not to....isnt he??

Well there are lots of talented people out there who stay small... just 'famous' within a limited circle of people.

But I do think the higher tempo of album two should bring in a new wave of interest.

I agree with Enoch though. I don't care if he becomes mega-famous or not. Good music is still good music, even if everyone knows about it. But there seems to be some people who would be turned off if he were successful... why?

id prefer if he didnt become so commercial as he seems to be going down that road... we dont want another david gray situation...


i think the heavier album will do him more good than O did... he's much better rocking out than playing his melodic melacholic stuff


and lets pray he never plays the point as ill just have to kill myself then[img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img]

I accept that it happensbut becoming famous doesn't have to mean that you sell out and become commercialised. I think the people who don't want too many other people to know about Damien Rice are just being elitist. You just can't please some people i.e. people who moan that Damien doesn't get the recognition that he deserves then moan when other people (less worthy I presume) make him "famous" and get his face on TV.


Not directed at anyone in particular this comment by the way.

Because here it already is at the point where people go see him because it's the "cool" thing to do.

But they go back to see him because they like his stuff... who cares if it's 'cool'?

When they go back, yes. But if you go to a gig now, at least that was the case here, most people didn't know who he was other than somebody you "must see".

Is that bad? No. It's just different. And I think that kind of jump to increased popularity will always be something that turns older fans off (not all, of course, but some). Add to that the increase in anonymity. I for one (not that anybody cares, ha, ha)enjoyed Damo much more in a small venue.

Well everybody is better in a small venue... Who wouldn't want to see U2 (the best stadium act in the world) in a tiny room at the back of some pub in the west of Ireland, late at night, with noone else about... But I wouldn't avoid listening to them because they play stadiums too...

I'm sure Damien will always want to play special gigs in small venues... and I'm sure he'll put you on the guest list Angela! [img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img]

Ha, you wish! [img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img]

ooh..


i personally hope he gets bigger and bigger. it seems like he can definitely handle it. sometimes people identify showing up in big shows like TRL or the top ten with "selling out".. but that necessarily doesnt have to be the case.


if we all here were as to go to mtv.com right now, and vote for Volcano.. and he appeared with the pop and rap masses, does that mean his music is any different? whether damien wants that or not, i dont know, i would love to see it happen though. we all know his music is different.. and the people he might inspire would be amazingly countless.

wow..look at spiderman go!



i would vote [img]smileys/smiley4.gif[/img]

[quote=Angela]When they go back, yes. But if you go to a gig now, at least that was the case here, most people didn't know who he was other than somebody you "must see".



How else do you find new music? Even you didn't know who he was at one time! [img]smileys/smiley5.gif[/img][img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img]

as would i [img]smileys/smiley14.gif[/img]





*finally reached 800 posts took long enough*Edited by: Krystian

The small venue thing. I saw Radiohead in may in the olympia and they were great. Last night I saw them at the point and they were quite simply magnificant. Its the performance on the night that makes it good or bad not the venue. I could go see Britnet Spears in Whelens and it would still be crap.

[quote=Enoch]

I meant people who hadn't even listened to his music before they went to see him (though they could have) and didn't go because they were interested in his music, but because it is now "cool" to have seen Damien Rice.

That issues doesn't really have anything to do with finding new music.

id love to see britney spears play whelans[img]smileys/smiley4.gif[/img]what a gig that would be[img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img]


but i still think the venue has alot to do with the vibe of the gig... radiohead are used to playing big venues and such so there isnt much of a difference between the olympia and the point to them


but for someone like damo the difference between the olympia and Witnness main stage is wayy too much... he cant handle a main stage at all and ive never been so dissapointed seeing one of his gigs as i did last summer


am i off on a tangent?[img]smileys/smiley5.gif[/img]

It'll be interesting to see how Damien reacts if he starts getting bigger than he is -- there seem to be ambiguous signals about whether he doesn't care if he gets famous or whether he wants to actively discourage it. After the Tempe show somebody asked him what it was like to do the big late night talk shows here in the US, and he was more or less just like "Eh, who cares," which makes you think he doesn't care one way or the other. But then I've heard about that clause in his contract where he doesn't have to do more than one interview per week, which certainly seems to say that he doesn't feel comfortable with alot of media attention, or at least doesn't want to seek it out.

As far as the upcoming albums, it sounds as if there probably won't be too many completely new songs on it, just maybe some of the more aggressive songs they play in concert. So for people who've seen them live it won't be as much of a shock, but for those who have only heard "O" or seen Volcano on VH1, it may seem like a huge departure and like he's trying to get more commercial or something. I totally agree with Enoch about how people who turn on artists and accuse them of being "sellouts" just because they happen to become popular are usually just being selfish elitist snobs about the whole thing. Hopefully if Damien does get more popular they can avoid that, but I'm sure there'll be a certain percentage of people who lose interest.

The reason he didn't care about the chat shows may be because he was so unfamiliar with them. Apparently Tomo was excited to do Letterman.

Speaking of TV on a slight tangent; sucks that Dunphy got axed, no more outlet for decent music on Irish TV besides the last broadcast.

What!!Dunphy got axed!Why?He had decent music on that show everyweek!Grrr!

Tomo is American, so he probably has a different appreciation of the meaning of being on Letterman.Edited by: Angela

even if he did struggle to pronounce their names.[img]smileys/smiley1.gif[/img]

I am very curious about Damien's next album. I hope there are alot of surprises on it, with songs that hit as deeply as his last one. I am very anxiously waiting[img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img] Edited by: jbalogh

if it's going to be more rocky, i want to hear him play some elctric guitar on it.

in an interview on The Last Broadcast (ages ago), he said that the band had been playing in a big room for big drum sounds and he had started using the electric guitar.

i can't wait for it.Edited by: The Weatherman

Yeah thats my point, if Tomo got on the late late show he mightn't be bothered but a lot of Irish musicians would be quite proud of that.

Ah, OK. I'm slow these days [img]smileys/smiley11.gif[/img]