From: owner-oppositeview-digest@smoe.org (oppositeview-digest) To: oppositeview-digest@smoe.org Subject: oppositeview-digest V3 #12 Reply-To: oppositeview@smoe.org Sender: owner-oppositeview-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-oppositeview-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk oppositeview-digest Saturday, January 13 2001 Volume 03 : Number 012 Today's Subjects: ----------------- OV: Re: Re: oppositeview-digest V3 #9 ["Jane Armstrong" ] OV: Re: #9 (& we ain't talkin a love potion) ["C. Reid & Susan G. Gardner] Re: OV: Re: #9 (& we ain't talkin a love potion) [Leah Schenkenberg Subject: OV: Re: Re: oppositeview-digest V3 #9 > 2.) I dont like the way we, the die-hard fans, are treated by eihter the > management nor the band themselfes. Many of us hang on like 10-15 years, > spending money on concerts, records and merchandise and doing inofficial > promotion. I must say I agree with you here Dirk. It's hard to stay loyal to a band when they don't feed back to us. I'm still going around trying to promote Del Amitri to all and sundry - but with no new material it's getting hard. And once upon a time Del Amitri used to send out Christmas messages, flexidiscs and postcards. Now they can't even be bothered to write a couple of sentences of Christmas greeting for the website. I could have done it in less than a minute - "Del Amitri would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and to thank you all for your patience whilst waiting for the new album. We can promise you that it will be well worth the wait and that hopefully you will be seeing a lot more of us in 2001". There you go! Took me no time at all. Why couldn't the Dels do something like that?? It would have been a great public relations exercise for no financial cost and very little effort - and it would have surely been worth it just to make the fan base feel happy and appreciated - the people who are going to be buying the album. I don't want them to compromise on the album - I can understand that they want to get it as near to perfection as possible and that they need to move on - they can't keep releasing another Waking Hours or Change Everything. I am prepared to wait for it - some of my favourite artists have kept me hanging on much longer than this - but what I do mind it that they seem to take for granted that we'll still be here when it comes out. They're not on a par with people like Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson or Madonna - who can guarantee million dollar sales - their fan base is relatively small, and dwindling daily. They can't rely on radio airplay alone to sell records - they're just too old to appeal to the teenage (ie major record buying) audience, and are likely to be relegated to the "middle aged" radio stations. So they need people like us - who care enough to sign up to this list - we're the ones who will be buying the CD's and tickets to see them - we provide their bread and butter. The casual fan is the jam on the bread - but you can' live on jam alone. If they piss us all off we'll be less inclined to go out and buy the album the day it's released, as we have done in the past - we may not even buy it at all until it gets to the bargain bin. We don't want a lot from them - we're not demanding special treatment. Just a little acknowledgement every couple of months. That surely isn't too much to ask for? Just a one little email is all it takes. I think Dirk has the right to feel pissed off. Del who? Jane ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2001 19:55:47 +0100 (NFT) From: Dirk von der Heyde Subject: OV: Del & Fans The point is that the band somehow lost the plot. I dont deserve special treatment because of spending money on records mainly bought on record faires and in second hand shops, however, I know that many of you have even put a lot more energy into building up a fan-network than I ve ever done. I just dont like the attitude of the band, at the end of the day I am a customer and if they like it or not, I am part of the force that keeps the thing driving: 1.) The live version of Here&Now on the Abbey Road cd is an insult and/or why didnt they offer the whole show? 2.) Why on earth didnt they put up a b-side collection which is not packed up to the maximum? 3.) Why did I write my name/address in a mailing list ages ago without getting any response? 4.) Why are they constantly ignoring the first album? This is of course up to the band, however it reflects in some way that they dont give a shit to those fans who would appreciate listening to one or the other song performed live. What I would like to see is that the band would somehow respond to us. I might be missing the point maybe because I was impressed by a band playing about forty songs during two nights in order to entertain all of their die-hard fans as a sort of appreciation for 20 years of support. I certainly would like Del Amitri getting the number one spot (that would surely give the value of my collection a boost), despite the fact that their best singles are my least favorites ... But does the band really care about their fans? I dont think so. ciao Dirk Email: vdheyde@uni-bremen.de ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2001 16:08:47 -0500 From: "C. Reid & Susan G. Gardner" Subject: OV: Re: #9 (& we ain't talkin a love potion) Jane & Dirk wrote: > > 2.) I dont like the way we, the die-hard fans, are treated by either the > > management nor the band themselfes. Many of us hang on like 10-15 years, > > spending money on concerts, records and merchandise and doing inofficial > promotion. > > I must say I agree with you here Dirk. It's hard to stay loyal to a band > when they don't feed back to us. I'm still going around trying to promote > Del Amitri to all and sundry - but with no new material it's getting hard. > And once upon a time Del Amitri used to send out Christmas messages, > flexidiscs and postcards. Now they can't even be bothered to write a couple > of sentences of Christmas greeting for the website.... I whole heartedly agree with you both... I wonder if the Dels actually realize what a die-hard, devoted, genuinely interested bunch of obsessives hover out here in Internetland. I keep up with a couple of other bands via the 'net ( Skillet and dcTalk esp) and not only do they send out personal updates from the band, when I've written to the email addys for Skillet I've actually had the band members write back! In Skillet's case they are just starting to be well known on a national level so they genuinely appreciate the fan support; they hang around after concerts & actually autograph stuff & chat with you instead of having reps stop long-time fans from going backstage who have traveled 100's of miles just to see a concert (this rings a bell with several of our Opposite Viewers I know.) > I don't want them to compromise on the album - I can understand that they > want to get it as near to perfection as possible and that they need to move > on - they can't keep releasing another Waking Hours or Change Everything. I > am prepared to wait for it - some of my favourite artists have kept me > hanging on much longer than this - but what I do mind it that they seem to > take for granted that we'll still be here when it comes out. Didn't I hear that it's been 8 years since Sade's last album? But here she is, advertised so heavily that you'd think the last lp was just last year. What I'd give if Del Amitri's promotion was that strong! My horror is that they'll produce the best album of their careers and it will be abandoned to languish on shelves by the powers that be... > ...their fan base is > relatively small, and dwindling daily....So they need people like us - who > care enough to sign > up to this list - we're the ones who will be buying the CD's and tickets to > see them - we provide their bread and butter. If they piss us all off we'll > be > less inclined to go out and buy the album the day it's released, as we have > done in the past - we may not even buy it at all until it gets to the > bargain bin. Well, I'll confess that I'd be at the stores first thing on New Album Release Date, no matter how neglected I feel! I don't really REALLY like much music-wise but of the 6 artists I'm devoted wholeheartedly to, Del Amitri is 3rd on the list. Its alphabatized, thus the 3rd place status. ;~} TTFN Susan ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2001 20:24:27 -0600 From: Leah Schenkenberg Subject: Re: OV: Re: #9 (& we ain't talkin a love potion) I've seen Skillet 6 or 7 times in concert...talked to them after every single one. I have 2 signed tickets, they've signed "The Magical Red Hoodie" (my red sweatshirt that became my autograph collector, now covered with over 20 signatures) 3 times, and they even signed a pair of my best friends little white tennis shoes. I have always dreamed of my favorite secular bands doing for their fans what christian bands do....they ALWAYS meet their fans after concerts, send out emails and personal notes. I just got a signed christmas kodak card from switchfoot with a picture of them all standing next to a mall santa claus. Not like I can imagine my beloved Justin standing next to a mall santa claus, but I'd take anything at this point. Leah On Fri, 12 Jan 2001 16:08:47 -0500 "C. Reid & Susan G. Gardner" writes: > Jane & Dirk wrote: > > > > 2.) I dont like the way we, the die-hard fans, are treated by > either the > > > management nor the band themselfes. Many of us hang on like > 10-15 years, > > > spending money on concerts, records and merchandise and doing > inofficial > > promotion. > > > > I must say I agree with you here Dirk. It's hard to stay loyal to > a band > > when they don't feed back to us. I'm still going around trying to > promote > > Del Amitri to all and sundry - but with no new material it's > getting hard. > > And once upon a time Del Amitri used to send out Christmas > messages, > > flexidiscs and postcards. Now they can't even be bothered to > write a couple > > of sentences of Christmas greeting for the website.... > > I whole heartedly agree with you both... I wonder if the Dels > actually realize > what a die-hard, devoted, genuinely interested bunch of obsessives > hover out > here in Internetland. I keep up with a couple of other bands via > the 'net ( > Skillet and dcTalk esp) and not only do they send out personal > updates from the > band, when I've written to the email addys for Skillet I've actually > had the > band members write back! In Skillet's case they are just starting > to be well > known on a national level so they genuinely appreciate the fan > support; they > hang around after concerts & actually autograph stuff & chat with > you instead of > having reps stop long-time fans from going backstage who have > traveled 100's of > miles just to see a concert (this rings a bell with several of our > Opposite > Viewers I know.) > > > I don't want them to compromise on the album - I can understand > that they > > want to get it as near to perfection as possible and that they > need to move > > on - they can't keep releasing another Waking Hours or Change > Everything. I > > am prepared to wait for it - some of my favourite artists have > kept me > > hanging on much longer than this - but what I do mind it that they > seem to > > take for granted that we'll still be here when it comes out. > > Didn't I hear that it's been 8 years since Sade's last album? But > here she is, > advertised so heavily that you'd think the last lp was just last > year. What I'd > give if Del Amitri's promotion was that strong! My horror is that > they'll > produce the best album of their careers and it will be abandoned to > languish on > shelves by the powers that be... > > > ...their fan base is > > relatively small, and dwindling daily....So they need people like > us - who > > care enough to sign > > up to this list - we're the ones who will be buying the CD's and > tickets to > > see them - we provide their bread and butter. If they piss us all > off we'll > > be > > less inclined to go out and buy the album the day it's released, > as we have > > done in the past - we may not even buy it at all until it gets to > the > > bargain bin. > > Well, I'll confess that I'd be at the stores first thing on New > Album Release > Date, no matter how neglected I feel! I don't really > REALLY like much > music-wise but of the 6 artists I'm devoted wholeheartedly to, Del > Amitri is 3rd > on the list. > > Its alphabatized, thus the 3rd place status. ;~} > > TTFN > Susan ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. ------------------------------ End of oppositeview-digest V3 #12 *********************************