(RNN) – In an effort to showcase musical acts from all four nations of the UK during the 2012 Olympics, the London Organizing Committee missed two factors – international relevance and timeliness.
Headliners were announced for a July 27 concert that will coincide with the Olympics opening ceremony, and the committee chose bands to represent the different countries in the United Kingdom.
Duran Duran will be representing England, Snow Patrol will appear for Northern Ireland, Stereophonics for Wales and Paolo Nutini for Scotland.
Although the organizers clearly fulfilled their Gen-X childhood dreams by hiring their favorite bands, most 20-somethings in America recognize Snow Patrol and the '80s pop band Duran Duran, but Stereophonics and Paolo Nutini may require a quick YouTube search.
With more recent internationally-known homegrown talent like Adele, Radiohead, Franz Ferdinand, Mumford & Sons, Florence and The Machine, and The Wanted, you really have to wonder who was too busy for the Olympics.
It could be worse though, bands that were more relevant in the '70s might have been booked.
Oh, apparently it can get worse.
The Specials, a ska revival band formed in the '70s will join '80s rock band New Order, and Blur whose Song 2 took the indie band mainstream in the late '90s, will all join for another concert marking the end of the Olympics.
Once again, you might need more YouTube research before turning to Wikipedia to figure out when these bands were actually relevant.
But the jolly ‘ol London Organizing Committee had the international community baffled long before announcing the final headliner list when they invited Keith Moon, famed The Who drummer, to play in the closing ceremony.
Trouble is Moon died of a drug overdose in 1978. How does a UK native miss that?
Granted, the Olympics gives the host country the opportunity to feature their own culture. However, if ever there was an opportunity for the British to overcome prudish stereotypes, the London 2012 Olympics would be it.
Guess no one told them that.
Copyright 2012 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
Several headliners, including Duran Duran, were announced for a July 27 concert that will coincide with the Olympics opening ceremony. (Source: Wikicommons/Samira Khan)