Unofficial Simply Red Forum

[sasred]

Hey everyone...

Just observed something very interesting on the official boards this week. Samkit had posted up in the Music forum about how boring the site had become...no news, no interesting forum topics, etc. The topic had gotten a few responses of support. I was about to put in my two cents (basically saying I agreed, but that it was up to the users to make things interesting--too much bitching and Mick would shut it down)--only to find that the entire topic had been deleted!!!

I'm wondering if, per the User Agreement, Samkit has been booted off there now...Sam, if you're still here, let us know...

My thoughts: Music is a business. Things like the official forum are paid for, in this case by Mick himself. We waited for-bloody-ever to get those forums back, and the connections to the band we have as a result. The sort of sparks we simply didn't have here. So I understand us not wanting to seem like ingrates and curbing our opinions of the state of affairs over there to a degree. Too much complaining and Mick can say, "Hell, I'm not paying to have a bunch of people whining at me or talking about fluff they can take elsewhere"...

BUT...

...at the same time, this is really the first instance of anyone expressing what it seems like many are feeling about those boards, ON the boards themselves. The site IS lacking the zip it once had. User participation is way down compared to last year. Many either haven't reregistered or are on there but not posting. Things are not the same, and I think having someone say so is not harmful. Yet that thread got deleted. It was not worded offensively, just stating someone's honest opinion.

Was it worthy of censorship?

Discuss.

Also, for anyone willing to say, will this affect your future use of those boards?

[Advertisment]

[MARTHA JEAN]

TO SAY THE OFFICIAL SITE IS BORING IS UNDERSTATEMENT!!
THE QUESTION IS WOULD MICK EVEN WRITE ON HIS OWN SITE EVEN IF HE PAID FOR IT OR NOT? IT IS SOOOO BORING.
THE'RE IS A BIT OF CENSORSHIP I BELIEVE, AND IT'S THE SAME OLE SPEAL.
I LONG FOR THE DAYS WHEN WE'D TALK SERIOUSLY ABOUT NOT ONLY SIMPLY RED, BUT OURSELVES AS SUPPORTERS.
WE WOULD HAVE DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT SUBJECTS, BUT IT WOULD BE AWFULLY DULL IF WE ALL THOUGHT THE SAME.
NOW, I CAN'T RELATE TO THAT SITE WHAT SO EVER. I THINK THIS ONE IS MUCH BETTER AND WE ARE SOMEWHAT FREE TO STATE OUR OPINIONS FREELY.
THE WAY I LOOK AT IT, MICK MIGHT HAVE PAID FOR THE SITE, BUT WE PAID MICK AND BROUGHT HIM TO THE HEIGHTS HE IS NOW. ONE MUST THINK ABOUT THAT. IT'S NOT GOOD TO BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU.
DON'T GET ME WRONG, I STILL LOVE MICK AND THE BAND TO BITS, BUT
THERE'S NO ZIP ON THE OFFICIAL SITE AND I USUALLY COME HERE BEFORE I GO OVER THERE.
WHAT I'M THANKFUL FOR IS THIS PLACE. WHEN THEY REMOVED THE OTHER ONE TO POLISH IT UP AND PUT RESTRICTIONS ON IT, YOU WENT AHEAD AND PUT ON THIS OUTSTANDING SITE. IT HELPED WHEN US POOR SUPPORTERS WERE OUT IN THE COLD AND NEEDED TO KEEP UP WITH SIMPLY RED.
SO I THANK YOU SO MUCH AND ASK YOU TO CONTINUE YOUR OUTSTANDING WORK.
_________________
FONDLY, MARTHA JEAN

[redorro]

Good topic. I agree with you both.

There has been some discussion between fans about paying for membership of the 'fan club', which might contribute to the maintenance of the website. A selfish idea, of course.

However, as Mick and Co now own Simplyred.com and it is the name of the label, they will of course use the website as a way into Simply Red for the 'industry'. So the website has to remain 'there' and it is one of their key Marketing tools. So they have to keep it groovy and eye catching. Then it makes you wonder.............

If this is the case, then do they want the 'industry types' to see our negative comments? No matter what they be.

So given that, I'm not keen to contribute to the maintenance of the website.

As we in the democratic world are finding, our democratic rights are slowly being whittled away for the protection of the few in high places. Even those with socialist sways are joining in. YOU DON'T HAVE AN OPINION!

Cheers

Pat

PS Stay tuned for something big to happen in the fan base. I don't know what it will be, but something is up. I feel it in my waters.

[MARTHA JEAN]

I NEVER THOUGHT OF THE COMMERCIAL SIDE OF THE OTHER SITE, BUT IT'S VERY TRUE.
IT SCARES ME HOW MUCH OUR RIGHTS ARE BEING SLOWLY WHITTLED AWAY. BIG BROTHER IS RIGHT THERE ALL THE TIME AND IF YOU MAKE A FUSS OR COMPLAIN, OTHERS HIGH UP CAN REALLY MAKE YOU'R LIFE MISERABLE.

MICK IN THE PAST, HAS USUALLY BEEN VERY OPEN AND WAS ONE FOR FREE SPEECH. HIS SONGS WERE CONTRAVERSAL AND DARING. NO ONE EVER CENSORED HIM.
YET TIME CHANGES THINGS AND BEINGS, SO WHO KNOWS?
_________________
FONDLY, MARTHA JEAN

[amelie]

Hi all,

I dont post here very often and I was thinking about should I post or not.

But....

I wouldn't post this at the offical site but I feel free to speak my mind in here.

I totally agree with you all. There is no more to say about the boards than BORRING.

You are right its censorship and I wonder that some coments are still there. We see how long.

But I think something more is going on at simplyred.com. Just my opinion and maybe (hopeful) I am wrong. And please dont get my wrong. I love the music and the band and micks wonderful voice.

My friend is working as an eventmanager and she was in the organisation team for the nobel concert. she told me weeks before, that simply red will just performe with half (6) of band.
(read on the offical board that michi said, mick looked great but where was the rest of the band) wasnt there michi

I asked on the offical site, please can you tell us if only mick is performing or is he there with the band cause I didn't belive they can do it with half band.
No answer.

The half of band will also perfome in switzerland.
I wonder if that has any meaning???

All the bandmembers topics are deleated? Why?
Yes, Dave is still there, I know. But what about the others?

I wont wonder if Mick is performing on his own in Australia.
But why dont they say a word from the offical site if the fans ask?

I know its Micks project and he can do what he wants but for
me Simply Red means , Mick, Dee, Sarah, Dave, Pete, Steve, Ian, John, Kevin, Chris and Kenji. Not 6 of them.

If they say Simply Red has confirmed that means, all of them, not half of band.

I think its not fair. Fans travel hours to get there and be dissapointed.

That happened this summer in italy, lucca. Maybe a few remember that dave played (mime) sax. lots of italian fans where dissapointed cause ian and a few others wheren't there.

Sorry if I said something wrong, get a lil to exited

English is not my native language.Hope you understand what I mean and want to say.

Love, Amelie xx

[MARTHA JEAN]

I DON'T THINK THERE'S REALLY ANYTHING YOU CAN WRITE IN THIS SITE THAT IS WRONG.
THINGS CHANGE AND I'M SURE MICK AND THE BAND HAS TOO.
I'M JUST HOPING THAT SOMEDAY WHEN HE'S NOT SO POPULAR, I'LL GET TO SEE HIM IN VEGAS OR A MUSICAL PUB IN ENGLAND.
POSSIBLY, HE'LL END UP WORKING IN SMALL PLACES AS HE DID IN THE BEGINNING.
_________________
FONDLY, MARTHA JEAN

[simplymichi]

[knokkak]

[sasred]

Some good discussion here...

I think there's a lot of factors contributing to the state of affairs at the official site...

--Membership is waaaaaaaaaay down. The forums had over 2,000 registered members pre-crash last year. Now there's 500 some. And if you count the number of active posters (and by active we'll be conservative and count at least 1 post per month!)...a mere handful. There's just not that many people participating.

--Those that ARE there seem to be very segregated. Don't think it's escaped my attention that certain posters ignore posts by certain other posters. Hell, I'm guilty myself, for select harmony-maintaining reasons. It is what it is--people have every right to interact with who they see fit--but it does contribute to the lack of activity on there, since there's so few posting to begin with...

--The time limits don't help, when you consider our busier posters who only get time to check in every few weeks. Not everyone checks in daily. Those that don't, miss out these days.

--There does seem to be a strange undercurrent, a feeling that something more is going on behind the scenes. At least it's something myself and other veterans of the fandom have noticed, since we've been observing things so closely for so many years. Certain things are making us raise eyebrows.

I think we should do as Michi says--if we want to be active there, we need to try and make the best of it--but I also acknowledge that we're up against a fair bit. The old boards they're not. Time and user participation will tell, I think. I hope it can get sorted.

In the meantime, what Amelie's written concerns me. I will be watching even more closely for that Nobel concert broadcast--and seeing who all is on that stage. I was poring over the pictures everyone's been posting for glimpses of band members. Saw Dave, Ian, Kenji, and possibly Steve (profile shot with poor lighting), but no one else thus far.

Simply Red means the same thing to me as it does to Amelie. I really hope that I can see that full lineup on tour again next year...it would be a sad day indeed if we were to lose any of them. Let's hope this isn't the case.

In the meantime, we can support the band members in their solo pursuits--Dave with Pressure Zone and John with his upcoming material...hopefully others in future, most of them are still doing session work at least...

I'm glad those that still visit here feel comfortable here, I know I don't ever want this to be a place where people feel like they can't say what they feel, and I'm sure Michi wants everyone to feel at ease as well.

The lid to the Red Box is always open.

[Redlollipop]

A brief note in reply to posts on this subject, some very good points mentioned. This is just to let you know that I do check in here and the official site most days although I only log in if I want to post as I'm limited for time.

From a personal point of view I feel comfortable with the 'red' sites I use. We all have our own way of posting and for me I use the sites to find or pass on the latest SR information. Unfortunately I don't speak a second language and therefore, I only read the messages posted in English. I don't knowingly ignore posts by certain members, if i see a topic subject that looks interesting I'll read it but not necessary answer it. I'm not particularly interested in the 'games' section either but there is a place for it for those who are interested.

As with everyone else that has been around the official SR website for some time I am aware that the official site has a far lower membership now than it did pre hacking/crash but just wondering if this could partly be due to the fact that some of the membership list were the same people using at least two or more user names or email addresses and now they are limited to one only? (I'm a techno dimit, so don't know how they got around the system), or that some of those who caused some of the problems are no longer allowed as members. However, I know of friends that are registered with the official and other sites but rarely look these days, for whatever reasons.

Removing posts after a certain time limit is OK, everyone needs to clear out old correspondence from time to time. Keeping some of the topics and disposing of the 'chatter' in the replies may also be a better option but would take time for someone to read through each posting to remove the unwanted bits and leave the others, so removing the whole topic may be the only way.

In conclusion, I'm happier with a smaller number of members posting information that is relevant to the subject than a larger number of members posting a lot of 'off topic' and some of the content of email 'spam' which used to occur from time to time.
_________________
That's all I have today, it's all I have to say.

Redlollipop
Life - a Picture Book, a Fairground - We're In This Together

[redorro]

Amelie

I find your news that only part of the band played at Lucca very interesting. I wouldn't have a problem with that that sort of thing when they are doing things like Nobel concert. One offs. But not on full blown concert tours.

If one member was missing for family reasons or similar, again, you would accept it. But not almost half the band. How sad is that for fans who are paying to see the 'whole' band on tour.

Cheers
Pat

[amelie]

[vialattea]

Hi all,

I share your're concern as to what is really going on behind the scene, but I would like to reassure you on one point:

The festival you probably were referring to Amelie, when Dave was... toying... with the sax was not a tour concert, but only a promotion of Oh What A Girl.
It wasn't in Lucca (which was part of the tour), but in Verona and it was for a summer competition called Festivalbar. They let Mick sing live there because he can and wants to, they were guests and not part of the competition but the music is never played live anyway. Dave was just having fun!!

By the way, the competition was won by Nate James!

And now a couple of Christmas gifts for you at the redbox...

http://festivalbar.leonardo.it/backstage/artista.php?id_video=19467



http://festivalbar.leonardo.it/backstage/artista.php?id_video=19230



Lots of love

Via
_________________
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. Wilde

[amelie]

[vialattea]

I like this band formation, I think they're absolutely fantastic both on stage and in studio, but I was wondering how much they feel like they really belong to Simply Red as a band, if you know what I mean.

When you read their personal pages on other site, the fact that they play with/for/in Simply Red doesn't seem to have a prime relevance.

But maybe is just a wrong impression that I have...

Where are you writing from, Amelie, if I may ask?

V
_________________
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. Wilde