Mailbag

"Bill Browder's New Book | Lefsetz Letter. This has got to be one of the best reviews of Freezing Order yet. And for anyone wondering, I've never met the reviewer before in my life."

@Billbrowder

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From: H H Burnham
Subject: Re: The Coachella Backlash

My Coachella was 2005. A fucking lifetime ago. When Trent demanded we be on the bill right before New Order and then NIN. Tony Wilson introduced us. It was glorious. but, of course, we had an asshole Tour Manager who gave the All Access passes to his bitch friends while my wife and 5 year-old daughter had to stay stuck backstage. But it was a blast. Ask Flea….he was bopping up and down at the side of the stage. We'll do it next year, if they have a clue. My daughter is singing with us now - with an AAA pass around her neck. We haven't sold out - we still fucking deliver, no compromise - no sell out. And loud.
Shit still matters, still resonates, when you do it right.

Hugo
from my damn phone

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From: Michael Symonds
Subject: Re: John Martyn

Hey Bob,

Devoted subscriber since the mid 2000's. I rarely reply to your emails but thought I would in this instance. I remember seeing John Martyn perform at the Mountford Hall in Liverpool, England around 1980. I took my school friend, Richard, with me on the back of my motorcycle, (can't remember if it was a Yamaha XT 500 or Kawasaki 500 H1 "Widowmaker"). It was just John on stage with his guitars, a copycat device and a six pack which he consumed between songs . He really was an incredible singer/guitarist and gave a wonderful performance that night which I have never forgotten.

Nine years later, I'm working for a record company in London. A dear friend asked me to help put on live music at the Chelsea Arts Club Ball. We recruited a few members of the lighting and audio crew from the Royal Albert Hall and they created something truly amazing. I helped them install a massive lighting rig in the main room where the bar was located. The bar remained open and staff continued to serve drinks to a large crowd of members as we struggled to raise four extremely heavy 8 feet tall uprights. If we dropped one I am sure we would have killed some of the patrons who were milling around us, seemingly completely oblivious to the danger around them. Two of the uprights were located at each end of the bar and I was detailed to hold one steady while the crew worked to secure it. I turned my head to listen to a tech who was trying to give instructions from the balcony above us (not easy in a noisy bar). It was then that I noticed that standing next to me was someone who I immediately recognized as John Martyn. Super nice and friendly to me, he introduced himself , then bought me a pint while I was holding on to the upright for dear life. I remember telling him about the Liverpool show and how much I loved his music and in particular his album "One World" . Off he went to join whoever he was with and as soon as I got the all clear to let go of the secured upright, I took care of that pint.

Best wishes,

Michael

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Subject: Re: John Martyn

Great to be reminded that Richard Griffiths was John's agent before me (starting approx 1978) and I later became his manager ('83'-'88).

He was hugely talented, brilliant when on stage and delightful when sober, but with an undercurrent of anarchy.

Selling out two major London venues back-to-back (5,500 people) and good Piece By Piece album sales unnerved him and he told me he'd rather go back to playing pubs and getting cash in his hand each night, with no pressures.

Also, I'm sure Ed Sheeran must have studied his unique (in those days) guitar technique.

Steve Parker.

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Subject: Re: Spotify's Share

Hi Bob,

As an independent artist, we never see any cash from Spotify. The threshold is too high.

But the reason it's got the leg up on Apple Music is the quality of the algorithms. People DISCOVER so much music on Spotify. Depending on your search, it will continue to feed you similar music that you will genuinely like. It leads you down your chosen rabbit hole and makes you an expert in that niche. When the whole Rogan thing hit I tried to get buy-in from our kids to change our family music plan from Spotify over to Apple. Teenage son kicked up a huge stink. He spends probably 12+ hours a day listening to music. I said: "But the sound quality..!" He said I don't care about hi res sound, I can't live without Spotify. It knows what I like and I always hear the new music first, before my friends.

Have a great week!
Mara Weiss
New Zealand

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