HW: Voiceprint and Us

[IAN ABRAHAMS]

Before I start - sorry if I lose any friends here but I want to make some observations on recent controversies:

1) Hawkwind & Us

Looking at the discussion group and the Mission Control Guestbook and reading Kris Tait's comments it seems that observations/thoughts on the recent tour have been created a little disapointment close to the band.  But, Hawkwind is not a piece of consumable merchandise for which you hand over your cash.  When we go to see any artistic performance that is what we are paying for, a person(s) own artistic (in this case musical) vision.  The fact that there are however many people on the BOC-L list wanting to hear "Hurry on Sundown" should be totally academic to the artist.  Whilst as a sort of "organised" fandom we are having a good time discussing what we liked and didn't like, the artist should be playing the music he(they) want to play, in the musical genre he(they) want to play in. I don't see it as the artist's role to produce what the fan wants to hear, just what he is artistically lead to create.

In other words, contrast with The Clash "Complete Control", you know the one where the businessman tells the artist what to do.  Organised fandom should not be casting it's self in the role of the businessman, just discussing the performance as it's receipients. I think that's largely what we do.  The other side of the coin is that the artist has to accept that, perhaps without listening in.  A slightly different analogy, which some people won't understand: Doctor Who used to be a succesful TV series until the producers tried to listen to the fans and produce it for them.  Then it died. Hawkwind have not fallen into that trap and nor should they.

2) Voiceprint & Us

This is different.  Here we are consumers of product and we have every right to discuss and criticise. Voiceprint might think (and I might agree with them) that it is pretty damn ridiculous for buyers to complain about cutting out a small piece of card from the packaging to get a freebie, considering what they were actually buying was a CD of music! Nethertheless, it is correct that the purchaser can express his view and the seller at least attempt to understand where that view point is coming from. I certainly agree that lower sound quality releases should be flagged as such (like the Treworgey video was) so that the consumer knows what he is getting, that is simply just good practice.  Frankly, it you are going to be in business you have got to take customer criticism "on the chin".  I think Voiceprint are doing a good job, but as a customer it is my (our) right to expect/demand an understanding of the product we are buying.

Sorry folks, this is a long ramble but I wanted to post a view and I hope that people a) understand what I am trying to constructively say and b) appreciate the spirit in which it is said.  We're all here because we are fans, right?


Ian Abrahams
ian at abrahamsi.freeserve.co.uk
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