Man - Trades Club Hebden Bridge, 3rd October 2009

[Mark Davies]

It seems there'll be low turnouts this tour, so a word of empathy would go down well.

And I know I'll be bringing a mate next time, so if we all do that we'll be looking at...ooh, 80 people a gig! By 2015, if the friend brings a friend, Wembley Arena!  

30 People at Southend last night to see the Martin Ace Band. I guess a lot are being put off by the strong aroma of cooked goose!

I would suspect that the majority of people in any of the audiences on this tour are not even aware of, much less care about, the band politics of the last 12 months.

Low & decreasing audience numbers have been a problem for many years, and I don't personally feel that the current low attendences are largely down to the split, though obviously some diehards have been & will be absent.

[lloydie]

Great reviews folks nice change to have a few positives for a change

[Jules]

We didn't rush straight off, but there was no sign of the band, so we didn't hang around. Upstairs communing with Jools, no doubt

Have you seen those stairs? Far too steep for a little chicken-shit like me.

Mick Williams was doing fair business on the merch stall at the end, with CDs and posters exchanging hands. No "Introspective" DVDs available. but this was finished and released without any input or editorial control from the band anyway (it was supposedly canned last year, but Voiceprint seem to have decided to push ahead regardless).

Phil and Martin came back down after a little while, signing autographs and just generally mingling while the packing away was taken care of by Mick, Steve and others with more energy. Rene, Josh and James joined them a few minutes later. Everybody seemed to have enjoyed themselves onstage, although Martin was being rather self-critical at first.

Packing up was finished by around half twelve. The rented van has a 60mph limiter on it, so the long sedate journey down to Roger's was going to take some time..... 

[Gavin Crumpton]

30 People at Southend last night to see the Martin Ace Band. I guess a lot are being put off by the strong aroma of cooked goose!

Gavin, this is Man, not the Martin Ace Band. It even says so on the posters (check the related Gallery if you're in any doubt). In my opinion, you really do need to get your head out of your arse now.

If you can't support the band that's fine, but at least try to keep up with the real world.

The real world where the future looks bright with audiences of 13 people.

Fuck off Jules.

[Tim W]

30 People at Southend last night to see the Martin Ace Band. I guess a lot are being put off by the strong aroma of cooked goose!

Gavin, this is Man, not the Martin Ace Band. It even says so on the posters (check the related Gallery if you're in any doubt). In my opinion, you really do need to get your head out of your arse now.

If you can't support the band that's fine, but at least try to keep up with the real world.

The real world where the future looks bright with audiences of 13 people.

Fuck off Jules.

Onf of the great things about this forum is that it's never really needed any rules or heavy moderation.

I suspect we're reaching a point where the politics matters more than the music to some, and once that happens, things start going downhill fast.

[Gavin Crumpton]

Reminds me of that quote from the film Brassed Off (also the sample from the start of Chumawamba's Tubthumbing).

"Truth is I thought it mattered. I thought that music mattered. But does it? Bollocks! Not compared to how people matter..."

[Pete T]

Musicians need to sell music. They need to sell CD's. They need audiences. KON and the current tour figures suggest that "Martin Ace's" Man are failing to do that on all counts. Will the promoter in Wrexham book them again? I think not..

I suggest it's Martin Ace who should get his head out of his arse..

I'm pleased some of you are still enjoying the music from the band, and hope they can keep going for you..
I'll leave you now to keep your dream going, and hope that recent memories of the band don't over-shadow the GOOD days.

Bye bye.. (unless I see you at the plough..)

[Colin Salter]

Whatever.

But when we start telling each other to fuck off, I think it's time to draw a line. There's no need for swearing, as my granny would say, and certainly not in typed exchanges rather than spoken ones. It's not big and it's not clever.

Seriously, moderator - if contributors can't moderate their language, can you?

The thing in these situations is that everyone is adamantly convinced that theirs is the correct point of view. No ammount of fighting is going to change that for anyone - ooh, it's like the real world, isn't it - so the nicest thing any of us can do is accept that we have expressed our point of view, accept the other point of view as having been expressed, accept that the other point of view accepts our point of view as having been expressed. And move on.

It's nice to be nice, don't you think (as my granny would say).

[Mark Davies]

30 People at Southend last night to see the Martin Ace Band. I guess a lot are being put off by the strong aroma of cooked goose!

Gavin, this is Man, not the Martin Ace Band. It even says so on the posters (check the related Gallery if you're in any doubt). In my opinion, you really do need to get your head out of your arse now.

If you can't support the band that's fine, but at least try to keep up with the real world.

The real world where the future looks bright with audiences of 13 people.

Fuck off Jules.

Whilst I understand & share his frustration, I don't think that the post from Jules was wise or helped matters.

[Rob W]

Whereas we can all post messages which can be genuinely misunderstood, well I can and do, anyway, the post from jules and retort from Gavin appear enequivocable.

Irrespective of one's views, personal insults and abuse are way way out of order. It's ironic that both do and have done more for Man and offshoots than most others.  Just shows how what has happened has affected us all.

Bottom line is, this website has resulted in I suspect all of us, having made friends with people we otherwise would never have met. In many cases, firm friends, not just acquaintances at a gig (as good as that is)   

One of my previous posts on another thread which sparked some criticism, was whre I stated I feared the end of the website as well as TWC could come about, and compared it to another website I used to go on which became no more.  What happened here, is what happened there.

Our views will probably never change, we may disagree with others, but we should respect each others, and move on.

Maybe, Jules and Gavin could pm each other a quick apology? 

[Nick Nation]

Truce Requested. 

[Gavin Crumpton]

Firstly I'm not apologising to anyone I dont resort to that kind of language very often but when I do I mean it. I made an inoffensive comment about the current tour following the over the top optimism of other forum members. I didn't deserve the abusive retorts from Oric or Jules. You might not like what I said but its a valid view.

The facts are as follows: Wrexham 13 paying customers, Hebden Bridge 30 something (half of which were almost certaintly trade club members who watch whoevers playing every Saturday), Southend 30. The attendance was better at the 100 club but that gig was I believe only booked on the condition the band didnt do any other London dates on the tour.

I'd say its questionable whether the band will be able to do another UK tour after this. Do you seriously think promoters are interested in paying ?500-?600 for a band that will only bring in 30 punters?

Sorry guys but I've done nothing other than add a touch of realism to the debate.

I do think, like Pete, it may be time to move on from contributing to this forum. It has become a place for people who have a very blinkered view about Martin Aces band and where anything negative said about this band is met with hostility. It is not about Man anymore or Micky or Deke. With the exception of Pete and Rob it seems to me people want a band with the name Man to follow at any cost regardless of anything and certainly devoid of any respect for the contribution of Jones's Snr and Jnr to the band. For these reason I have very little respect left for most of the people who still post on here.

It did used to be one big happy family especially those of us that used to travel regularly to the gigs but not any more it's all gone.

I'm glad this band are getting tiny audiences it's what they deserve and hopefully it will bring forward the day when they finally show some dignity and call it quits.

Bye

[Iowerth Pritchard]

I can supply a copy if you need it - but I think Mssrs Bruce & Trower's latest (Seven Moons) is far superior.

[Mark Davies]

For these reason I have very little respect left for most of the people who still post on here.

Thanks for that.

[Jules]

Gavin. My apology is offered, and I hope you'll accept it.

I take no issue with your decision not to continue supporting Man, that's a matter of choice and preference.