++++ HW: Covers All Final Call/ Studio album

[Paul Mather]

On Thu, Apr 17, 2003 at 12:19:11AM +0100, Andrew Garibaldi wrote:

=> One thing occurs to me - this argument would not be happening prior to the
=> arrival of the internet. Patience,then, was, indeed a virtue.

I largely disagree.  I think it would still be happening, but in a
scattered fashion and on perhaps a smaller scale.  Why?  Because the
same information would appear through different "traditional"
sources---radio interviews, genre articles, etc.---with the same
overall result: that fans might eventually, e.g., tire of hearing
about "the new album coming out soon" and begin to feel the same line
wearing a bit thin or confusing.  It's possible that the same argument
being conducted through an Internet mailing list might also break out
amongst isolated pockets of Hawkfans.

I also think that general nosiness about inner machinations of bands
is not confined to the Internet.  It just makes it easier to discuss
on a grander scale. :-)

=> I think Jon has some valid points in terms of his opinions, but for me the
=> flaw is what we are all led to expect because of the existence of the
=> internet

Again, I largely disagree.  Even without the Internet, if fans heard
nothing from Camp Hawkwind for a long while they'd probably begin to
wonder, "what's up?"  I'm sure lots of idle speculation would ensue.
Some might even conclude the band had called it a day if they heard no
news for a very long time.  Others might wonder "hey, didn't I hear on
that Total Rock programme that they were working on some kind of
concept album?  What happened to that?"  The Internet is just a tool
that makes it much easier and cheaper for the band to pump out
information verifying they're still alive and what they're doing.  On
the flip side, it makes it easier for Hawkfans to congregate and
discuss that information.  But I don't think it is anything that
wouldn't happen (and isn't happening) outside the Internet.  I still
think that fans off the Internet that caught wind of the legal
brouhaha would still be interested in digging the dirt behind it. :-)

In short, I guess what I'm saying is that I don't think the Internet
invented skepticism and prurience (or even a demand for information). ;-)

I do think that the Internet does allow the band to disseminate its
information quickly and cheaply, something which it probably finds
advantageous.

Cheers,

Paul.

e-mail: paul at gromit.dlib.vt.edu

"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production
 deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid."
        --- Frank Vincent Zappa