Re: Antigravity CD

[phil mason <phil@ph...net>]

With respect to the two gigs: if the band don't know the songs, then it 
would be pretty stupid to do requests at the drop of a hat, wouldn't it? 
Invariable set lists are the norm, even for frequently performing bands. 
The forum vote gave them time to rehearse the "requests" and slot them 
into the set list in such as way as to produce a non-disjointed gig, 
surely? 

As for the rest... The idea that any kind of art (or even mere "product") 
gets promulgated independently of the market is delightful, but it's just 
not true. Not even adolescents believe that any more, do they? Pure gold 
or utter turdiness: neither shifts itself. Besides, we can all think of a 
musician/band who have produced music that wasn't utter crap even after 
they'd moved to a major label. For example, I remember there was this band 
called the Blue Aeroplanes whose finest hour (so far -- never say never 
again) is generally reckoned to be an album called Swagger, which was 
released on the moderately hefty Chrysalis/Ensign label, after they'd 
released several albums on the considerably more humble Fire Records. (OK, 
there would probably be some general agreement that Harvester on EMI 
wasn't their finest hour, but Altitude was a good effort, and my point 
still stands.)

Particularly because they characterise themselves as an "arty" band it is 
easy and attractive to imagine Gerard, the Noble Artist, braving the 
seductive crashing waves of the tasteless market (sensibly dressed in a 
Mackintosh, of course). And that may indeed be part of his motivation. 
Back in the mundane real world, however, it's far more likely the scarcity 
of Antigravity has a lot more to do with Gerard's difficulty in finding 
anyone who thinks there is a significant market for it at all. The flesh 
of all the artists I know creeps when it comes to marketing their work, 
but they all recognise that it's a unavoidable part of their job, and some 
of them are better at it than others. *That* is the tedious, often grubby 
deal, and it is possible to accept it without your work failing to come up 
smelling of (ceiling) roses.

Phil
 
On 11 Sep 2011, at 23:50, GORDON WILHELMI wrote:

> Don't think I've ever received a stream of endearments with so many 
> commas in before. Thanks for that. 'Mackintosh wearing..' was 
> particularly accurate.
>  
> So how is the Beatles Opus relevant to the vinyl release of 
> 'Anti-Gravity', not four months ago, again ?
>  
> Meanwhile, a little pedantry is to be expected in this type of forum, 
> and is often the lifeblood, so at the risk of stirring anybody's ire, 
> I'll indulge in a little more, in defence of an Artists right to present 
> their work as they will.
>  
> Some time ago Chris Sharpe hosted a vote via this forum, for the five 
> songs we would most like to hear at the forthcoming Dingwalls gig. The 
> five songs were duly delivered at said gig (including 'Daughter Movie'), 
> but for me, somewhat underrehearsed, and the whole gig was probably the 
> most disjointed that I can remember. Fast forward to the Borderline gig 
> this June. Somebody shouted a request for a particular song, Gerard 
> replied that they didn't do requests anymore, and referred to the 
> Dingwalls thing.
>  
> Point is, perhaps an Artist's work is diluted in direct proportion to 
> how much they pander to the whims of the market. We, the punters, take 
> what they have created as they design it, with as little corporate or 
> committee meddling as possible, hopefully, and either like it, or lump 
> it. That's the deal.
>  
> G
> 
> 
> --- On Sun, 11/9/11, chris kemp <cjkemp@gm...com> wrote:
> 
> From: chris kemp <cjkemp@gm...com>
> Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Antigravity CD
> To: "A Discussion list for The Blue Aeroplanes" <blueplanes@bl...org>
> Date: Sunday, 11 September, 2011, 8:14
> 
> See? How is that possibly relevant? We're all now resigned to waiting 
> years for it to be available? The Beatles went from Please Please Me in 
> 1963 to Let it Be in 1970. Seven years, for all the drugs, the 
> innovation and experimentation, the invention of new sounds from 
> nothing. This album can't possibly be worth waiting as long as the 
> Beatles entire catalog. 
> Maybe pedantic, lyric-quoting, Macintosh-wearing, masturbation-obsessed 
> nerd warriors like Gordon thinks so, but I'll search for new interesting 
> music available now.
> That is all.
> On Sep 10, 2011 11:35 PM, "probably spam" <right.knewit@gm...com> wrote:
> > So - I can wait until it becomes available - I'd love to get it now, 
> > in any
> > format, but if it takes a few years, I can keep busy until then. I was 
> > in
> > London last month though and spent an afternoon running between record
> > stores looking for the vinyl. No one had it. That was rather 
> > inconvenient
> > and kinda sucky. I wonder if someone could stream it - so it's digital 
> > and
> > available, but not a permanent file (or high quality.)
> > 
> > Or .. I have other favorite bands that can fill my time too. See you 
> > when I
> > see you ...
> > 
> > -Dave
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > On Sat, Sep 10, 2011 at 8:42 PM, John Davies 
> > <davies.john69@gm...com>wrote:
> > 
> >> i spoke to chris about it yesterday. apparently gerard is in no hurry 
> >> and
> >> it's "very frustrating"
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Sun, Sep 11, 2011 at 1:49 AM, chris kemp <cjkemp@gm...com> wre:
> >>
> >> Don't quote unquote at me.
> >>> On Sat, Sep 10, 2011 at 6:43 PM, GORDON WILHELMI <
> >>> gordon.wilhelmi192@bt...com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> It's a form of sulky nazism to suggest that having, and choosing, a
> >>>> release format of somewhat retro nature suddenly makes the Band, 
> >>>> and all
> >>>> it's works, no longer relevant. Are you serious ? Perhaps you have 
> >>>> been in
> >>>> that cultural wasteland too long, Chris, and can no longer relate 
> >>>> the
> >>>> relevance of some off the pearls of the english language to our 
> >>>> current
> >>>> times.
> >>>>
> >>>> 'Twenty to thirty in fifteen seconds
> >>>> thirty to forty in fifteen years
> >>>> forty to fifty you're off the scale
> >>>> you are not getting back in ........'
> >>>>
> >>>> That is personal, immutable, and relevant.
> >>>>
> >>>> So was
> >>>>
> >>>> 'this ain't our country
> >>>> we just live here'
> >>>>
> >>>> He wraps the latest gems up in a format that encourages, in me, an
> >>>> appreciation, and you, who have 'moved on', take Bush's
> >>>>
> >>>> 'you're either with us
> >>>> or against us'
> >>>>
> >>>> attitude, and declare it all to be no longer relevant.
> >>>>
> >>>> I can only guess that you may be working for that sad old irrelevant
> >>>> leviathan 'News International', and are rightly looking over your 
> >>>> shoulder.
> >>>> In any case, we are all benefitting from some robust but sincere 
> >>>> exchanges
> >>>> here, and find it encouraging that you have not moved on so far, as 
> >>>> to not
> >>>> continue contributing.
> >>>>
> >>>> G
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> --- On *Sat, 10/9/11, chris kemp <cjkemp@gm...com>* wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> From: chris kemp <cjkemp@gm...com>
> >>>>
> >>>> Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Antigravity CD
> >>>> To: "Abi Marchant" <abi_rock_chick@ya...co.uk>, "A Discussion list 
> >>>> for
> >>>> The Blue Aeroplanes" <blueplanes@bl...org>
> >>>> Date: Saturday, 10 September, 2011, 21:53
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> I think this would matter if the band was still relevant. But, 
> >>>> clearly,
> >>>> they are not. If they don't want me to hear it I don't want to hear 
> >>>> it
> >>>> either.
> >>>> On Sep 10, 2011 4:35 PM, "Abi Marchant" 
> >>>> <abi_rock_chick@ya...co.uk<http://uk.mc870.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=abi_rock_chick@ya...co.uk>>
> >>>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> -----Inline Attachment Follows-----
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> The Blue Aeroplanes mailing list
> >>>> BluePlanes@bl...org<http://uk.mc870.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=BluePlanes@bl...org>
> >>>> http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> The Blue Aeroplanes mailing list
> >>>> BluePlanes@bl...org
> >>>> http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> --
> >>> "I am getting so far out, one day I won't come back at all."
> >>>
> >>> -- William S. Burroughs
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> The Blue Aeroplanes mailing list
> >>> BluePlanes@bl...org
> >>> http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> The Blue Aeroplanes mailing list
> >> BluePlanes@bl...org
> >> http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
> >>
> >>
> 
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