From: owner-oppositeview-digest@smoe.org (oppositeview-digest) To: oppositeview-digest@smoe.org Subject: oppositeview-digest V4 #167 Reply-To: oppositeview@smoe.org Sender: owner-oppositeview-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-oppositeview-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk oppositeview-digest Thursday, June 27 2002 Volume 04 : Number 167 Today's Subjects: ----------------- RE: OV: The future [Jim Hopping ] RE: OV: Re: World Cup & Del Amitri [Jim Hopping ] Re: OV: Re: World Cup & Del Amitri [Kmjmac64@aol.com] Re: OV: Re: World Cup & Del Amitri [darren@bendcable.com] Re: OV: Re: World Cup & Del Amitri [Kmjmac64@aol.com] Re: OV: Re: Dels - The Future ["Sal Accardo" ] Re: OV: The future [SngWrite1@aol.com] Re: OV: Re: World Cup & Del Amitri [Darren Holmquist Subject: RE: OV: The future Answers 1.Why? 2.Why? 3.Why? 4.Why? 5.Why? 6.Why? After all we do this for us, not for you. > Here's my ideas for the Dels: > > 1. Get out. It's time for Mercury to fish or cut bait. If they're not going to bother promoting the record, tell them to have the courtesy to drop you now. That's better than waiting around for a year or two and doing another record and then the label saying, "Oh we're not putting this out." You'll be better served in the long run, because you can find (or form) a new label who will do better for you. > > 2. Cut back. It's never fun taking a step backwards, especially if it's a down from a comfort level it took you a long time to achieve. But it is better to be a band that travels by van than a band that does not travel. As someone recently reiterated, it's about the music, not the lights (based on some reviews, it seems like it's about Justin's pants!). > > 3. Give more. 90 minutes is not enough. I don't care if you're sweating away 10 pounds a night. You've got the material, and the fans want to hear it. How many times have you said in the Q&A that "Oh we couldn't play that song that night because I was in the wrong tuning."? Um, why not just re-tune? Can't remember the words? Who cares, give it a go, the crowd knows 'em better than you probably and will help you out. For a band with 6 studio albums (yeah 6, don't forget that debut record - if you're proud of it as you say, play a tune from it now & then!) and several albums worth of b-sides, your minimum set should be 2 hours. We're fans of your music, we want more! > > 4. Check the books. If you're not making money touring, something is wrong. So many acts say that they survive on touring since there is usually no money coming in from the actual record deal. Find out why you seem to be the exception. > > 5. Focus. If you weren't in the band what would draw you to it? What are your strengths? There's nothing wrong with playing to your strengths, as long as you don't get stale. Sonic experimentation is all well and good (I for one find the new album sonically refreshing after the claustraphobic mix of SOSP), but don't lose sight of the hook for the band - great songs sung by a great singer backed up with a very powerful band. > > 6. Come back! America is waiting. Plenty of artists with solid fanbases tour without a record. So what are you waiting for? Hell, do an acoustic club tour (low overhead). ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 23:38:18 +0000 (GMT+00:00) From: Jim Hopping Subject: RE: OV: Re: World Cup & Del Amitri Was there ever a song/album called 'Death of a band'? If there wasn't, there should be. Now where is my guitar? Jim > > Thinking about Del Amitri I feel utterly disappointed! Lets face it: > > the new album is, from an artistic point of view, mediocre, far from > > being a classic. The band doesnt care much about us, compared to the > > effort of other bands in the same position. there are numerous > > examples of different approaches but the band still seems to have > > these strange eighties pop star attitudes. > > Au contrare, mon ami!! (but said like a Southerner does: "aww con-trer-ee , > mon am-eee!") > I've been listening to the new album often these last few weeks, and today > nearly all afternoon in the studio and it has really gotten under my > skin... Justin's vocals are absolutely wonderful, and there are some gems > in the lyrics that keep coming back to my mind long after the song is over. > Think of the album as the next logical step after Suckers Parade, and it > makes sense in the progression of the band's style. Goodness knows it > sounds different from Change Everything (which rarely leaves my cd player) > but it shines all on its own. Whether it is a classic or not is sheer > opinion, but no one can deny that it is unique and obviously created with a > bit of introspective musing, some sincerity and a lot of determined > self-expression. I admire the sheer audacity of anyone who sticks to their > muse when they probably know their fans expect something else, and would > give them a listen just to try to hear what it is that they are so > hell-bent on saying. > Go out and get the album. Listen, really listen to it - hey, has anyone > noticed the references to guns? Wonder what this means... I think while I > try to figure it out, I'll go clean my Smith & Wesson 38 ... > > > Special releases to the fan base: nothing! > > But what about all that stuff Kevin and Ali have given us, the songs > available on the web site before we could get our mittens on the cd? And > the band diary has been great, as difficult as it was to fathom if anyone > but Iain was writing it. And howsabout the band Q & A and the photos, > which are the delight of a visually-oriented obsessive like me. Those are > nice extras, imho and intended for diehard fans just like us... > > > If there werent the many of you, whom I traded with and laughed about > > reading posts (the vomit story for example..), I would have quit. I do > > confess that I havent bought the new album yet and I am better off > hunting the old stuff... > > May I just say you are the OVer a certain friend of mine holds in very high > regard among the longtime regulars, and she would join me in saying we'd > miss your presence if you were to depart and I certainly would've never > heard Cringe if it weren't for you I think. > > TTFN > Susan ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 19:41:06 EDT From: Kmjmac64@aol.com Subject: Re: OV: Re: World Cup & Del Amitri cool! where do i sign up. i'm a singer. kristen ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 16:55:53 -0700 From: darren@bendcable.com Subject: Re: OV: Re: World Cup & Del Amitri This reminds me... all musician types need to start thinking about songs they'd like to do for the Tribute Disc Vol. 2 (if there's any interest in it.) "Songs In The Key Of Del" anyone? - ---- Original Message ---- From: Kmjmac64@aol.com To: jhopping@iobox.com, creidg@bellsouth.net, vdheyde@gmx.de, >oppositeview@smoe.org Subject: Re: OV: Re: World Cup & Del Amitri Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 19:41:06 EDT >cool! where do i sign up. i'm a singer. >kristen ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 19:57:56 EDT From: Kmjmac64@aol.com Subject: Re: OV: Re: World Cup & Del Amitri Hi, I'm new here. Was there really a Vol. I ? Kristen ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 17:09:57 -0700 From: "Sal Accardo" Subject: Re: OV: Re: Dels - The Future Did anyone else attend the NYC Irving Plaza show waaaaaay back at the end of the Twisted tour? It may be my inflated sense of nostalgia kicking in, but I seem to recall that show going on all night, with the band ultimately taking a number of requests, playing b-sides, and even showing off Medicine about a year before SOSP was released. Ahh ... memories. :) - Sal - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2002 05:22:48 EDT From: MinervAthene@aol.com Subject: Re: OV: Re: Dels - The Future << They rarely do more than ninety minutes, if that. >> I've seen how much Justin sweats in those 90 minutes - perhaps they don't do longer sets for fear of dehydration?! ;) Sarah ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 20:35:40 -0400 From: SngWrite1@aol.com Subject: Re: OV: The future What? I'm not sure I get your meaning. Who is the "we" in your statement? In a message dated Wed, 26 Jun 2002 23:33:13 +0000 (GMT+00:00), jhopping@iobox.com writes: > Answers > > 1.Why? > 2.Why? > 3.Why? > 4.Why? > 5.Why? > 6.Why? > > After all we do this for us, not for you. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 20:22:54 -0700 From: Darren Holmquist Subject: Re: OV: Re: World Cup & Del Amitri At 07:57 PM 6/26/02 -0400, Kmjmac64@aol.com wrote: >Hi, I'm new here. Was there really a Vol. I ? Yes. http://home.bendcable.com/oppositeview for more info. :) ------------------------------ End of oppositeview-digest V4 #167 **********************************