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Softening your opinion towards the nice blokes


Barking Spiders

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2 hours ago, yorks5stringer said:

Anyone got a good word for Van Morrison, cos I love his music but he seems a thoroughly unpleasant individual?

A few years back, the company I worked for had a Northern Irish sales rep who did quite well and lived in the same up market neighbourhood as Van and yes, he is as unpleasant as some people say.

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I always thought that Morrisey's twuntishness put me off liking all bar a few tracks by The Smiths.

As the years have passed, I've realised that I only actually like five songs by The Smiths, Morrisey being a massive cnut had nothing to do with it.

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Another thread reminded me of Mark Knopfler. Didn’t like Dire Straits much, then saw him with

The Nottinghill Billies and started to warm to him. He always seems just a great bloke, very grounded

and friendly. Made me seek out some of his solo stuff which is so good. 

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18 hours ago, SpondonBassed said:

James Blunt?

 

 

 

 

 

I know, I'll get me coat.

 

actually, same here. After I started reading his twitter stuff I saw him in a different light, then I saw a bit of him in an interview... Now if I hear him on the radio I would actually enjoy it.

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16 hours ago, seashell said:

I agree with all the James Blunt love on here! xD

Another chap that springs to mind is Dean Friedman. I was dragged by some friends to see him at the Edinburgh festival in 2011.  I'd never thought much about his songs, but he turned out to be an excellent musician and seemed to be a really nice guy.  I found myself enjoying his hits (in particular 'Lydia') and some of his new stuff,  a lot of which is very humourous. I even bought his CD, which he signed for me. (Not that I've played it much since, I have to admit!)

 

Lucky Stars and Ariel always made me smile.  I was impressed by his vocal range.  I always considered him to be a bit of a novelty singer but I never looked beyond that until now.

Thank you Seashell.

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I never really had an opinion either way on Tom Robinson. However after seeing him play at a festival last year I was struck by what a thoroughly nice chap he is. Over the course of the set he recounted his experiences, the highs and lows - especially when he was virtually banned from the airwaves for being "Glad to be Gay", and later on rediscovering success with War Baby. He wasn't too shoddy a bass player either. It turned out to be one of the highlights of the festival for me

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4 hours ago, scalpy said:

Isn’t the rule of thumb, the heavier the band the nicer the guys? Would explain the Eagles too. 

So funny you mention this, I remember going to a big heavy rock/metal festival years ago and all of the bands looked as mean and scary as possible. My friend and I both had an ongoing joke the whole weekend, that most of the bands singers were really softly spoken and polite over the microphone and then launched into super aggressive almost inaudible screaming shouting vocals.  "Hi everybody, we are Satans Armpit from California, we are so blessed to be here and see you you all, thanks for the support. This next songs is called BLOOD GOBLIN DEATH MURDER" followed by screaming for 3 minutes. 

I am guilty that I have let the personalities of musicians and bands influence me to an extent. I always though James Blunt was incredibly funny and self deprecating, and played up his soft image. I have no doubt he is more rock and roll behind closed doors than most bands, and a lot tougher than anyone will ever realise.  I have recently found a new level of respect for Noel Gallagher too, he is very funny and a proper wind up merchant, and its made me a little more tolerant of Oasis and his solo stuff. I know there are more examples but my mind is not functioning well today.

My friend sent me a link to a band the other day and I mocked him quite a lot, because he said "great band, really good songs, tight as hell and they are really nice boys". I love the fact that we have both got to an age, where being 'Nice Boys' is something you should mention about a band.

 

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6 hours ago, Norris said:

I never really had an opinion either way on Tom Robinson. However after seeing him play at a festival last year I was struck by what a thoroughly nice chap he is. Over the course of the set he recounted his experiences, the highs and lows - especially when he was virtually banned from the airwaves for being "Glad to be Gay", and later on rediscovering success with War Baby. He wasn't too shoddy a bass player either. It turned out to be one of the highlights of the festival for me

I remember it was said on an Irish radio station (probably RTE2 fm) that he had become a heterosexual a few years back.  Not sure if there was any substance to that.  It just sounded very odd to me at the time.

I liked Motorway and War Baby.  He had a song out in the last year or so that was quite haunting but not enough for me to remember the title, sorry.  He DJs on 6music on Sundays at 6pm if anyone's interested.

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I read a lot of music autobiographies and have definitely given bands or artists much more ear time as a result of enjoying their story. Sometimes I'll play the music of the era the book is covering while I read, for a bit of perspective. I read Mark E Smith's book before ever really giving The Fall a chance, for example, and rapidly got into them after that. An engaging personality can definitely open your mind to someone's music.

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13 minutes ago, Doctor J said:

I read a lot of music autobiographies and have definitely given bands or artists much more ear time as a result of enjoying their story. Sometimes I'll play the music of the era the book is covering while I read, for a bit of perspective. I read Mark E Smith's book before ever really giving The Fall a chance, for example, and rapidly got into them after that. An engaging personality can definitely open your mind to someone's music.

I've just seen on Facebook that he's died!!! 

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9 hours ago, barneyg42 said:

I've just seen on Facebook that he's died!!! 

There was a false report by Auntie Beeb about this on Twitter before:

BBC accidentally announces Mark E Smith's death on his 60th birthday

Has there been another announcement?

The Guardian24 January 2018

Edited by SpondonBassed
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14 hours ago, SpondonBassed said:

I remember it was said on an Irish radio station (probably RTE2 fm) that he had become a heterosexual a few years back.  Not sure if there was any substance to that.  It just sounded very odd to me at the time.

I liked Motorway and War Baby.  He had a song out in the last year or so that was quite haunting but not enough for me to remember the title, sorry.  He DJs on 6music on Sundays at 6pm if anyone's interested.

I believe Tom Robinson is actually married - to a woman (hard to say that without thinking of Shakespeare In Love). He invited people tp write to him on the cover of Power In The Darkness and we communicated for a short time. Very nice chap and a mate of mine used to go to songwriting workshops that he ran and was very complimentary about him. Mind you, he is a bass player after all.

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Methinks you can apply this to actors, directors, authors, sportspeeps  etc.  If you find someone highly personable and good humoured you're much more likely to have an open mind viz what they do. The opposite is true, if someone comes across as an utter bellend you're more likely to go out of your way to find fault in what they do and so not enjoy the whole.  Fr'instance I can't abide Mel Gibson, for his racism and general weirdness.  This has made me much of aware of his terrible acting and stupid mullet in films like the Lethal Weapon series. I quite enjoyed the first two when I was young and ignorant of Gibson's personality. Now it's straight to changing channels if any come on the box

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Conversely, I was once present when Bill Bruford was setting up for a gig. He might have been having a bad day, I don't know, but on that occasion he was utterly obnoxious and unpleasant. None of it was directed at me but I never wanted to listen to him since. Never meet your heroes and all that.

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28 minutes ago, BassBus said:

This all brings to mind something my Dad said to me; "You might not like the person but listen to the message". That has stuck with me ever since and makes me look at certain people in a different light. 

 

And it works both ways... sometimes you like someone, until you listen carefully to what they say.

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I think we are guilty of going the other way these days

We know everything about everyone and form opinions that have little to do with the job they do

Back in the day you got into a band and apart from the odd interview or tv appearance you knew nothing about them,you didn't really care,you loved the music.Not their politics,infidelity,drug habit etc

I hear a lot of "can't stand him,he was on telly the other day,what a tosser etc" in answer to wether you like the band

 

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Always had time for Steve Winwood, his music and his bands, and some years ago I met him by chance at a christening. So really, I should now tell you what a terrible twunt he was.

However, he was charming, urbane, funny, showed a genuine interest in what I was doing musically and we chatted for some time.

Sorry. :D

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