[Slowhand] Phil Collins statement (no EC)

[LukeLinus]

Hi,
I found this at the forum of www.genesis-music.com .
This is an original message by Phil Collins to his
fans. He writes a lot about the "Set-List-issue". As
this is one of the "hottest" topics in this group
also,
I thought this might be interesting... Also nteresting
the part of publishing a CD of every show of a tour...


NOTE: several times he is referring to
Peter Gabriel, who released most of his
shows thru themusic.com
___________________________________
Dear Fans out there,

I had an idea at the beginning of this tour to check
out the Website to get
some REAL feedback about the shows. We all know the
press don't like what I
do, witness some of the recent reviews reprinted on
the site!!!

Unfortunately what I found on the Website disheartened
me a little. If one
thing keeps rearing its head, it's 'THE SET LIST', so
I'll try now to
explain a couple of things about choosing a set of
songs to play.

Firstly, I don't choose a set list for people who
travel to multiple gigs...
I choose it to be seen once, as that is the way MOST
people will see it in
the City I'm playing in.  If people go to more than
one show then they have
to expect the probability of hearing the same songs.
There will always be
things people miss, and I've seen it mentioned a few
times that people have
liked it more the second time.

There's a lot to take in at one sitting. The complaint
that the set is
"safe" or "just hits" is a bit unfair as these are the
songs that MOST
people have shown to be their favourites over the
years, and presumably
would like to hear 'live' for the last time.

MOST bands, once they have material that is paced and
in the right kind of
order DO NOT change the set much from night to night.
To get the pace right
over 2 hours requires tweaking here and there during
rehearsals and believe
me, if you mess with it, it can really change the flow
of the show.

WITHIN songs different stuff happens, but the sequence
of songs may not
change once they're in their best place. One other
major point about
changing the set is that it has a knock-on effect with
the Lighting Cues
etc.  Most days it's all the crew can do to assemble
the rig in time,
without relighting new songs.

The list of songs in some of your set lists would have
MOST people
scratching their heads.... they include some of my
favourite songs too, but
there is nothing worse than looking into the audience
and seeing a bunch of
bewildered faces.  I have to think of the 90% of the
audience that don't
spend time on the website, and just want to hear their
favourite songs. In
amongst all of that I do try to put in some new or
different stuff if only
for the band and me.  I too could have put together 2
hours of material that
even you guys may not have chosen, though personal
favourites of mine, but I
had my reasons for choosing what I did.  I do though,
take it as some kind
of backhanded compliment that there are so many
different favourites among
your choices!!!

I, perhaps mistakenly, hoped that this set list would
be looked at as a
celebration of my music, covering a lot of what's been
enjoyed by MOST
people over the last 25 years or so.  I have changed a
few things around,
contrary to some opinion, arrangement wise, and
brought some songs back to
the way they were originally, as well as adding some
new pieces altogether.

The point though, that actually led me to write this,
having held my tongue
for the last few weeks about the set list, is that I
don't "respect my
fans", as I don't listen to their input or opinion. 
Some of the replies to
this point were right on the money and thanks to those
who jumped to my
defense!  I do of course have great respect for my
fans.... you like what I
do, which means in some ways we connect... who'd
listen if you didn't!!  I
don't inter-react with the site, as quite honestly,
I'm too busy doing the
things that you end up discussing!!!!

Regarding the CD of every concert being made available
via the Internet,
such as Peter and The Who and others, this WAS
something I was going to
do... however, The Record Companies stepped in and
stopped me: even I answer
to someone... so there you go!!!  I am obviously
pissed of about this and am
pursuing it, but if you want to get involved, complain
to Atlantic Records
in the USA...

I am not the neurotic perfectionist that people make
me out to be and I can
see why people would want that sort of memento, warts
and all!!!

True, the Internet does not interest me as much as
Peter.  I could see even
as far back as the Interactive CD period that you
either immerse yourself in
it, or you carry on and gradually absorb the
technology: I chose the latter,
he the former.  Incidentally, something that nobody
has mentioned at all
considering you seem to notice everything, is that we
change the language
every night for the statistics in Paradise... every
night we have the city
we're playing in on the 'Take me Home' screen...so the
show is not static at
all.

Frankly I'm really bored with the continuing
comparison of Pete and myself.
We're great friends that once played in a band
together 30 odd years ago...
aside from that we have no reason to be compared to
each other.

Finally, it is my dog Jack that participates in 'Wear
My Hat', and it's not
loud on stage, just a bit warm for his feet!!

This tour IS the last tour.... I will play on stage
again, but not for
months at a time, like this.  Again some of you have
responded
sympathetically to this.  As you know, I have a young
Son who I will be
taking to school. As some of you have also pointed
out, I did say I wouldn't
Tour as I'd been advised not to due to the hearing
loss.  So this tour is
something of a bonus.  I just thought it would be nice
to go out one last
time, play everybody's favourites and say 'goodbye',
and I'm really enjoying
it, as are the audiences so far.

Most of what I've read on the site is just good old
discussion...but I felt
I had to straighten a few rants and theory's out.  I
don't want to indulge
in a great debate here either, I'm putting my thoughts
and reasons to you,
and I know already what some of you think!!!

I suppose the old adage of "you can't please everyone"
is as true today as
it was when someone first said it...

Meanwhile, we'll keep on keeping on.... hoping that
you'll still be there...

Much love, and relax, enjoy it, it won't be here
forever!!

Phil (the singing drummer)


best regards
Peter / Germany

last show: Stomp
next shows: Bruce Hornsby

=====
http://www.lukelinus.com


		
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