TURN on, tune in, and unplug is the mantra being chanted by the music industry. It seems everyone is taking a stab at going acoustic, thanks to MTV.
When producer Alex Cox came up with his Unplugged programme almost four years ago, he was taking a shot in the dark. Little did Cox know he was starting the trend of the '90s, providing the tired music industry with a shot in the arm.
Unplugged was first broadcast on January 1, 1990, with Squeeze taking the plunge. Since then the programme has played host to big names as diverse as Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, The Alarm, The Allman Brothers and Paul McCartney. McCartney became the first to release a recording of his performance, but the real turning point came in March 1992, when Eric Clapton released Unplugged. It sold millions and swept the Grammy Awards. Since then other artists - Rod Stewart is the latest - have released albums of their performances on the show.
But the leap from electric to acoustic is not always graceful. Watching and listening to Poison or 10,000 Maniacs struggle through an acoustic show is painful. Springsteen made it through just two songs before plugging himself back in.
Some musicians, like Indigo Girls and The Allman Brothers, seem happier in the medium than others. Performers like Elton John and Elvis Costello can also straddle the line successfully.
But when Duran Duran, Nirvana and Stone Temple Pilots were set to tape their shows in New York last month some critics wondered if enough was enough.
The concerts were performed over two days at Sony Music Studios. An audience of about 200 sat in a makeshift theatre-in-the-round.