tblair

no hints about the scheduling conflict?

looks/sounds like it was a great gig...

(grumble... salt... wound.... grumble....)

Zemaitis Guitars

 

There is a photo of the one Jeff has on the site somewhere.

 

There was some talk about this in one of those sections about equipment - I think. The guitars are being made once again. I don't see Jeff buying vintage ones - I could be wrong though. Rich Robinson also plays a Zemaitis.

The Zemaitis guitars that are being made now are copies, or under licence, seeing as Tony Zemaitis died a few years ago. I went to see him (Tony) once, as he had a test guitar that he didn't really know what to do with, and he sold it to me for

It has taken many months, but Der Hoff's review of the Wilco shows in Hamburg and Dresden from this past May is finally online!

 

http://www.kalimotxo.co.uk/live/dresden.htm

 

Here's an excerpt:

 

"My favourite of the new songs was

True, but it went back onsale twice already,

But even then, 14th isnt sold out and in Dublin they advertise every large and tiny gig with posters and ads in newspapers, even the sold out gigs, so just a bit odd

I really don't understand the way Wilco are promoted in the UK. I know it's not their fault that they're not flavour of the month an' all, but it's almost as if someone's going out of their way to keep them a secret (which I guess isn't true!). Even the ticket agencies, who you'd think it would be in their interest to sell tickets, don't include them half the time on their free mail outs. I even subscribed to the Wilco newsletter, but I never get one when new shows are announced...?!?!

SFA are great yes, met them backstage at Brixton a few years back - top blokes.

 

As it happens even without Wilco first week in Nov is a good one for gigs in London. SFA at The Roundhouse, and that Shins gig at Hammersmith (Nov 7th) clashes with The National at Shepherds Bush Empire which is about a mile up the road! Tough choice to make but National win out this time round as the excellent St Vincent (Annie Clark ex Polyphonic Spree) is supporting - I've also seen The Shins several times before including earlier this year in London.

I was looking forward to this week with tickets to see The White Stripes and Wilco...(my 2 favourite bands within a few days of each other)

I was going to get tickets for KT Tunstall as well, but couldn't afford all of them, and KT is sold out now

(i was at the Neil Young concert too... wasn't quite as good as when he played with Booker T as his band and Pearl Jam were the support at the previous Fleadh, but amazing nonetheless ('nonetheless'?? what does that mean? )

And I said I'm sure they'll play London again but the rest of the UK has to be very doubtful if poor ticket sales are the reason this tour has been canceled.

you said "a whole week later still having zero information for us let alone any indication of whether Wilco will ever play the UK again"

I realise now what you meant..

People?

If that's the case then it would be nice for Wilco's management to tell us, rather than a whole week later still having zero information for us let alone any indication of whether Wilco will ever play the UK again. Although after this debacle even if they do schedule new dates in the future I won't be buying tickets until I know the band has actually landed in the country.

someone else suggested it also..

I don't understand why people are suggesting that they might never come back (to uk). They sold out 2 nights at the Empire earlier this year, so there's obviously enough of a fan base to make it worthwhile.

I would have considered a trip/break to Spain or Belgium if there hadn't been any uk shows, but the late cancellation made it too difficult.

To be honest, I was really surprised that they were coming back to London so soon, and was thinking how lucky we are, especially in London...

oh well oh well

they seem to have managed the gig last night (28th Oct) ok. So nobody's ill, and they'll be in Europe next week!?!?

I haven't read the entire thread, but frankly if shows are canceled it is probably due to some illness which should be a major cause for concern.

 

LouieB

doesn't seem very likely as they're playing in Belgium, the day after the London show was to be

Just like the others said - not that easy. Tell me Craig , were you in the same Geography class as our friend Channing?

 

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1290248,00.html

"he's black, so I'm sure he's not from London"...!!

oh dear...

let's hope they've got their schedule sorted, and there's no conflicts.....

seriousy, I'm envious..

I'm aware that a U.S. resident going to see the band in a few days shouldn't be posting here, but I could bite my tongue no longer (and let me say I know NOTHING - so don't let any of this become rumor):

 

You can't fathom that there may be some unforeseen conflict that caused them to cancel the shows that they don't want to share with the public? Do you ever call off work with something you just didn't want all your coworkers to know about? Health issues aren't always 48 hours and you're all better, or so bad that you can't stand just one more day before taking time off. Who knows, maybe someone is having scheduled surgery and they just don't want the whole world to know? Maybe someone needs to stay put for 5 days for antibiotics to finally kick in? Maybe it IS a money issue. Maybe it was either take a five day break and piss off a whole bunch of fans or risk physical/mental breakdown. Maybe they ARE gonna show up on TV somewhere and promoters/record companies/etc. pushed them into the decision. Who knows!?!

 

"Scheduling conflict" could mean ANYTHING, but the one thing I read into it for sure is "mind your own business."

 

I thought for a few minutes this week that our plans to go to New Orleans this weekend would no longer involve Wilco. Luckily, I was wrong. But you know what? We were gonna go and have a damned good time regardless. It's only 2 hours in a lifetime. It's just a concert.

 

So yes, I know/understand you're mad. I've lost hundred of dollars on canceled shows in the past. Be mad. But don't just assume they're home having a laugh at your expense.

 

-Laura

I don't recall anyone suggesting that they're having a laugh at our expense.

the one thing I read into it for sure is "mind your own business."

errrm, I'd have thought for the hundreds (thousands?) of us who are out of pocket and have made arrangements for a show, it absolutley IS our business.

If it was something that they wanted/needed to keep quiet, they could have said so. 'Scheduling conflict'?? implies that something more important came up. If that's so, why not re-schedule the shows to the end of the european dates that they're still doing. They're playing in Belgium the day after the cancelled London show!

Poor ticket sales is the most likely reason (so far). They may not be on a guarantee'd fee (as JerseyMike says). Brixton (London) holds about 5,000, they played 2 smaller shows earlier this year (probably about 4,000 for bothshows). There has been zilch publicity since then. Most Wilco fans would have been satisfied with one of those 2 shows for a while, I guess.

I'd probably be more satisfied with no explanation than 'scheduling conflict'...

I'm not angry with the band, I'm frustrated. This is the second show this month where I end up out of pocket.

I think everyone is forgetting who is really to blame. Was it not pointed out that Jeff became ill in Columbus? He said he was sick at the Detroit show. Please stop directing hate towards the band and management. Blame ohio.

if it's due to illness, that would be the easiest explanation to accept, but we've been told there's a 'schedule conflict'..

and they're sticking with their other dates, before and after the uk shows

'Ghost Of Bob Cumming'

Out of interest, did you have to ring up Ticketweb re the refund, or return the tickets? I booked via Ticketweb and did get an automated message from them about 24hrs before the Decemberists show saying it was cancelled, but I've had no confirmation of a refund (would be helpful iro Wilco also) - not sure if I need to do anything (I think the message said that my card would be automatically refunded - but I was to busy cursing the cancellation to hear it properly ).

 

- No it was all done automatically - I basically had to do nothing. Having said that I'm still awaiting any confirmation of them yet re the upcoming Newcastle show being pulled...

 

If there was any problem with low sales it can only be down to the promoters. With the increasing corporate circuit of Academy venues I can't help but feel that a lot of them are just sitting on their arse when it comes to promotion. The only UK ads I saw for these gigs (which didn't even include the Newcastle gig!) were very small banner ads in Mojo and Uncut magazines - squeezed in with a hundred other bands. And for the corporate promoters this is becoming a major pitfall and basically sells the bands and the fans very short.

 

However I think the real reason for cancellation must be TV in the states - this has already killed a handful of shows at my venue this year as it's such a huge market opportunity that no band can ignore it.

 

I realise many are very pissed with this - but I have a feeling Wilco will make amends next year.

Even the e-mails that I regularly get from ticket agencies letting me know what gigs are coming up, quite often didn't mention the Wilco shows

Here, here.

 

Forgive my ignorance, but I'd really like to know who pockets the booking fee, I mean... I bought my tickets from the venue in person from a ticket office so what exactly needs to be 'booked'?

It's a bit like, if you buy a product, and when you take it back for a refund (for whatever reason), the seller then saying "well, some of the selling price was my profit, so I'll only refund you x amount..."

I know Wilco try to look after their fans, but we've already been shafted here in the uk with the 'extra's' on the cd that didn't work..

At the risk of pouring oil on troubled waters, can I step in here, 100 or so posts since starting this thread, and try to repair a little of the special US/UK relationship that this forum enjoys and which appears to be in danger here, due to some pretty aggressive and ill-informed speculation and whingeing that's going on from some of my UK compatriots, especially those who are relatively new, who need to educate themselves pretty quickly and read some of the millions of posts on this site about Wilco's generosity and appreciation of their fans.

 

It would be great if Wilco came more to the UK and more to towns outside London; those of us not in London miss out on a lot, particularly when the bands we like are out of the mainstream. I live in Liverpool, and even here, in a town which trades on The Beatles year in, year out, we are only just gettting our first decent indoor arena. London is cost-effective for bands to visit, so I understand the focus, and I've got the credit card debts, bad train experiences and terrible hotel memories to show for getting down to London, mostly to see Wilco, over they years.

 

I have been spoiled however by having had chance to see Wilco over the last few years in Manchester, (twice), Birmingham and Nottingham. I, like I think a lot of UK fans, were delighted that there were a few dates out of London coming up again, so to have them cancelled at relatively short notice is a real bitter disappointment, especially as we will all lose money one way or another, to agency fees, handling fees, service fees, etc, etc, which are never refunded.

 

At the end of the day it's a shame, but that's all. I'm certain the cancellations are for a very good reason that the band feel will be of benefit to them and to getting their music out to a bigger audience, sell more records, do bigger tours, etc, etc.

 

To suggest the band have little regard for their fans is disgraceful and I disassociate myself from some of the UK members of this forum who are suggesting this. I know Wilco will make it up to us, and I know they will feel bad at letting us down.

 

This is Wilco; this is not some Simon Cowell wet-dream no-talent one-hit wonder cash-driven bullshit pre-pubescent chart fodder.

how wonderfully patronising...

just because it's Wilco (and not some x factor blah blah etc) is no reason at all for not giving a reasonable explanation. I'm sure (even?) Wilco would not expect any fans of any band to simply accept whatever reason is given.

A big part of my complaint is with the system (which is nothing to do with Wilco), and how the agencys make their money whether the show goes ahead or not, and I don't understand why some of that profit doesn't go back to re-imbursing the punters.

My last 2 cts in here: That the band didn't give a "proper explanation" for the cancellations (which would of course not be a proper explanation in everyone's opinion, so they'd have to give out at least 10 different explanations to cover all possible explanations that their fans might accept) doesn't necessarily mean that they haven't got a very good one, or that they found it easy to cancel those gigs, or that they did it just to show their complete lack of appreciation of their wide-all-over-the-UK-mainland-spread fans.

 

I totally understand the disappointment of those who had tickets, but I do not understand them having a go at a band that has given more to their fans than any other band I've ever ben in touch with.

 

*over and out*

it would help if the band gave an understandable reason. There's a week to go for some of these shows, so 'scheduling conflict' is a little ambiguos.

People have to make arrangements for shows, everything from baby-sitters to flights with hotel rooms booked. And we're out of pocket throught the agencies dubious charges. What's not to be pissed off about?

My guess is on poor ticket sales....

I was looking forward to seeing Wilco and The White Stripes, and now they're both cancelled.

What pisses me off is how you lose money each time. You're supposed to return the tickets 'securely' which amounts to 2 lots of postage each time (first time when you buy the tickets, then again to send them back). Someone, apart from the customer, should forfeit those charges. The agency overcharges anyway.... ever get the feeling you're being shat on?

and 'scheduling conflict'?? is a bit poor. What happened, did someone double book a dentist appointment or something?

I just posted my recording of the show on etree:

 

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=509737

lovely...

It's a testament to what an amazing sound Wilco get live, that a simple audience recording can sound so good. I've never heard a better live quality than you get at Wilco shows.

Muzzle's back...

I guess whats really surprising, is there is no mention about eventually going back on tour or any hope whatsoever for future dates. Sucks. All the best to Meg though.

There's quite an amusing (well I laughed!) thread on the (only) other forum I spend any time on. It's kind of related...

thread here

The problem is that the bigger the government gets, the bigger its role in telling us how to live our lives. Whether it be how much of our income we get to keep, what drugs we can and cannot do, or how we plan our retirement, the government keeps assuming a larger role. My problem is not so much with whether the guy in charge is religious but rather the fact that he gets so much power.

I'm not just referring to governments though. There was the Christian Crusades, Christian missionarys taking previously unknown diseases to remote places in the world, etc... (don't put too much importance on the examles being Christian...)

I don't think the amount of power the 'messenger' has is of any relevance. Who is anyone to tell someone else how to live their life, providing they're not harming anyone?

I think this is getting a little out of context with the original post.

BUT..... from where we stand in Europe, and putting in this in the context of how a lot of the world is now percieving America, with George Bush telling us that he hears voices (God I believe is who he says is talking to him) telling him what to do, it IS a bit scary. I'm sure Bush is on the side of 'God's Warriors', and these people do come across as a little more than extreme.

For me, any criticism of the Bible thumping teenagers, and more importantly the people who are running the show, is not connected with others who have their beliefs, and get on with their life without having the need to try and convert the rest of the world.

We've had at least a couple of thousand years of groups of people running round the world telling everyone else how they should live their lives. Iraq is just the latest in a bloody long run of examples. I know this one is supposed to be in the name of democracy, but it's being driven by narrow-minded people (and yes, my namesake has to take some of the blame) with the backing of God.