This is so well written Julianne. It makes absolute sense and we applaud you for your integrity and staying true to who you are. Like everyone here, we have great memories of seeing you in your heyday and there certainly were some magical performances to be savoured and swe shall ever be grateful for being able to share that.
On another level though, Ruminations is actually becoming quite a serious dissection of everything that is wrong with the music industry (then and now) and why it just doesn't work for the musicians who create the magic upon which it is based.
The 'shareable' reasons for not touring are not particular to ABE by any means, they are simply the economics of trying to play live, dare I say, post-Brexit. The numbers simply don't stack up anymore.
I saw an interesting discussion on Instagram the other day where they revealed that bands have only held the No. 1 spot on the UK singles chart for 3 weeks this whole decade!!! Wow! Read in conjunction with your article we can see why. It's just far too expensive. Much more doable if you are a singer songwriter who can travel alone, turn up with a guitar and take whatever ticket returns for themselves. It is literally the only way.
This government really needs to give serious thought to this - possibly paying for bands to appear at cultural venues that people can attend for free thereby making it possible for bands to play whilst also dealing with the very real 'demand problem' where people only want to risk their limited funds on 'dead cert' experiences e.g. Oasis reforming rather than a new band playing original material that they have never heard of.
Anyway, keep up the writing. Loving the thoughts and discussions your ruminations are provoking.
I dislike the limelight and touring would drive me clean round the bend. I have never had any illusions that AAE would reform and maybe that is for the best - The Sisters of Mercy?- nuff said.
If you were to play live again it would have to be new music played by the person you are today - that need not be a tour and one can take the applause at a nice venue and just go home. Just sayin.
I offer this subjective observation from a man who could never do what you did and will never choose to.
I imagine that whether you play live again depends on whether YOU imagine this:
"I used to love playing live, certainly on nights that had something magical about them. It could feel almost transcendental, like vast, invisible, gossamer threads bound us together with our audience."
is still possible - and worth the effort and the risk of transcending what people might think of you.
Honestly, most people have noticed that we have all got older and fatter too and are mature enough to understand that musicians do not transcend time.
anyway - thank you for the music, so many happy nights and thank you for putting up with people like me so graciously. I was a very confused and lost man back in those days - I recall you as very kind.
I am a very happy family man now here on the West Coast of Ireland, so all turned out nice.
Oh, where to start? 🙂 Even as someone whose first gig was AAE(!), even as someone who has seen a frankly silly number of AAE shows, even as someone who cites AAE as one of his favourite bands after all this time, I completely respect your reasons for not wanting to go back there. As you so rightly say, it has to be enjoyable for everyone involved, otherwise where's the joy? No-one but the fatally entitled want to see performers going through the motions for whatever reason.
Whilst that holds true for everyone, I do think the passage of time only makes the truth of it more self-obvious. Our time is short, and to expend time and energy (and money, of course - something that fandom often doesn't even consider in the white heat of its passion) doing things you'd rather not do seems increasingly ridiculous the older we become. Carpe diem, indeed - but carpe your preferred, enjoyable diem. Follow your bliss, and all that. Because your bliss is contagious. Enthusiasm begets enthusiasm, and it's genuinely impossible to mimic.
The more years fall behind me, the happier I am to receive what life brings my way, rather than wishing too hard for what might be. It's easy for creative to be hostage to their prior endeavours because of those maybes - far better to move forward than to try to capture that lightning in a bottle.
It's dispiriting how often I see "fans" (those pesky quotations marks again!) completely disregarding the needs of the artists they so claim to admire and respect, all the name of the art. Artists are people too, not robots or holograms. Would that everyone would remember this a little more often.
Well when you put it like that! I can completely understand that from your point of view (and that's just the public reasons!) and from my own, fan's, point of view, I always have mixed feelings when a band gets back together - it's exciting, but also, will it ruin the memories? I've tried to pretend Abba didn't do what they've done because they were such an important part of my childhood and I want them to remain so. What we really need isn't bands to get back together, but time machines! Having seen AAE at the height of your fame at the Albert Hall, and in your 'smaller audience, banter' years, but sadly missed the tour of my favourite album, Ultraviolet, (just watched the YouTube of the Newcastle gig, I would give anything to go back and see you play guitar!
What a fantastic explanation though I don't think you ever needed to justify your reasons to anyone but it's much appreciated.
I have been very fortunate in my lifetime to capture many of your shows and each one holds a distinct affection in my ageing memory but honestly I think your audience will just appreciate the music more than anything else but you have highlighted your personal reasons which we may not know.
I'm just grateful that there is music from you and Tim today!
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/9WJZQv1meSpjxHmy/ 👍🏻
This is so well written Julianne. It makes absolute sense and we applaud you for your integrity and staying true to who you are. Like everyone here, we have great memories of seeing you in your heyday and there certainly were some magical performances to be savoured and swe shall ever be grateful for being able to share that.
On another level though, Ruminations is actually becoming quite a serious dissection of everything that is wrong with the music industry (then and now) and why it just doesn't work for the musicians who create the magic upon which it is based.
The 'shareable' reasons for not touring are not particular to ABE by any means, they are simply the economics of trying to play live, dare I say, post-Brexit. The numbers simply don't stack up anymore.
I saw an interesting discussion on Instagram the other day where they revealed that bands have only held the No. 1 spot on the UK singles chart for 3 weeks this whole decade!!! Wow! Read in conjunction with your article we can see why. It's just far too expensive. Much more doable if you are a singer songwriter who can travel alone, turn up with a guitar and take whatever ticket returns for themselves. It is literally the only way.
This government really needs to give serious thought to this - possibly paying for bands to appear at cultural venues that people can attend for free thereby making it possible for bands to play whilst also dealing with the very real 'demand problem' where people only want to risk their limited funds on 'dead cert' experiences e.g. Oasis reforming rather than a new band playing original material that they have never heard of.
Anyway, keep up the writing. Loving the thoughts and discussions your ruminations are provoking.
Best regards
Richard
Hello Miss R.
I dislike the limelight and touring would drive me clean round the bend. I have never had any illusions that AAE would reform and maybe that is for the best - The Sisters of Mercy?- nuff said.
If you were to play live again it would have to be new music played by the person you are today - that need not be a tour and one can take the applause at a nice venue and just go home. Just sayin.
I offer this subjective observation from a man who could never do what you did and will never choose to.
I imagine that whether you play live again depends on whether YOU imagine this:
"I used to love playing live, certainly on nights that had something magical about them. It could feel almost transcendental, like vast, invisible, gossamer threads bound us together with our audience."
is still possible - and worth the effort and the risk of transcending what people might think of you.
Honestly, most people have noticed that we have all got older and fatter too and are mature enough to understand that musicians do not transcend time.
[I have recently transferred my political blog to Substack: https://sodiumhaze.substack.com/]
anyway - thank you for the music, so many happy nights and thank you for putting up with people like me so graciously. I was a very confused and lost man back in those days - I recall you as very kind.
I am a very happy family man now here on the West Coast of Ireland, so all turned out nice.
good luck with whatever you do next!
John Lynch
Oh, where to start? 🙂 Even as someone whose first gig was AAE(!), even as someone who has seen a frankly silly number of AAE shows, even as someone who cites AAE as one of his favourite bands after all this time, I completely respect your reasons for not wanting to go back there. As you so rightly say, it has to be enjoyable for everyone involved, otherwise where's the joy? No-one but the fatally entitled want to see performers going through the motions for whatever reason.
Whilst that holds true for everyone, I do think the passage of time only makes the truth of it more self-obvious. Our time is short, and to expend time and energy (and money, of course - something that fandom often doesn't even consider in the white heat of its passion) doing things you'd rather not do seems increasingly ridiculous the older we become. Carpe diem, indeed - but carpe your preferred, enjoyable diem. Follow your bliss, and all that. Because your bliss is contagious. Enthusiasm begets enthusiasm, and it's genuinely impossible to mimic.
The more years fall behind me, the happier I am to receive what life brings my way, rather than wishing too hard for what might be. It's easy for creative to be hostage to their prior endeavours because of those maybes - far better to move forward than to try to capture that lightning in a bottle.
It's dispiriting how often I see "fans" (those pesky quotations marks again!) completely disregarding the needs of the artists they so claim to admire and respect, all the name of the art. Artists are people too, not robots or holograms. Would that everyone would remember this a little more often.
Well when you put it like that! I can completely understand that from your point of view (and that's just the public reasons!) and from my own, fan's, point of view, I always have mixed feelings when a band gets back together - it's exciting, but also, will it ruin the memories? I've tried to pretend Abba didn't do what they've done because they were such an important part of my childhood and I want them to remain so. What we really need isn't bands to get back together, but time machines! Having seen AAE at the height of your fame at the Albert Hall, and in your 'smaller audience, banter' years, but sadly missed the tour of my favourite album, Ultraviolet, (just watched the YouTube of the Newcastle gig, I would give anything to go back and see you play guitar!
What a fantastic explanation though I don't think you ever needed to justify your reasons to anyone but it's much appreciated.
I have been very fortunate in my lifetime to capture many of your shows and each one holds a distinct affection in my ageing memory but honestly I think your audience will just appreciate the music more than anything else but you have highlighted your personal reasons which we may not know.
I'm just grateful that there is music from you and Tim today!
Understand and agree 100%, great title too, who can forget Janine wanting to dress the band up as animals. The Minack would be a cool venue though!