(no subject)
Pfff, a lot's happened. Right.
When did I last update this?
OK. The EP. Got back from Devon early - I got the train up with Dani, which was cool - and then I did this thing where I basically mixed and mastered everything in two days. So I got the masters off to the pressing plant and we all panicked about artwork and then we just sat down and did the artwork instead of panicking about it. And we got it printed by a fantastic man in a fantastic shop. Then several things went wrong.
Dear Mr Haywood,
I am writing to express my utter dissatisfaction with the way On Air has treated the pressing of our EP.
After several phone calls, you assured me that you had sent the package containing the discs last Wednesday, the 19th of July. However, when I received the parcel this morning it was postmarked yesterday, the 25th of July, and had been sent by special delivery to arrive the next day. Why did you feel the need to lie to us repeatedly? Even on Monday you claimed you were going to find the parcel’s Post Office tracking number - which I had asked for several times - and call me back, which you never did, subsequently being unreachable despite my repeated attempts to phone you. Since you had not posted the parcel at this stage, I find it hard to understand why you told me such a tracking number existed. As it is, we avoided putting back the release date by a week as we believed your claim of a ‘three day turnaround’ and thus assumed the product would be finished by the 24th. As a result, we have let down our fanbase, several of whom have voiced their annoyance and disappointment. We do not expect to have to treat others in this way. Had you told the truth we would have shunted the release back by a week and our deadlines would have been met. Because of your incompetence, we are the ones who look bad. Do you treat all your clients like this?
Furthermore, upon receipt of the discs, I discovered that you had sent us 50 copies of the CD we had explicitly asked for 75 copies of, and 67 of the one we had asked for 50 of. Of the former, one at least will not be read by any CD players I have tried it in, and I have yet to test all of them - something I should not have to do if adequate quality control measures are in place.
Finally, you have not returned my master CDs. This is theft as they were not sent on the understanding that you would keep them. Since you have not completed our job either, if you do not give us what we have paid for (the 25 missing CDs) and what is already ours (the masters) then I will be seeking legal action against your company. Personally, I think it would be a reasonable gesture to refund our original fee following the disgusting way in which we have been treated and unless immediate action is taken I will definitely be advising all other local bands in our network against the use of On Air.
Yours sincerely,
Ramzy, The New Vague
Anyway, we distributed the ones we could - turns out we JUST make enough from selling the 50 special editions to break even anyway - and then I guess we'll get some more pressed somewhere else. But still.
What else?
The musical. Urmmm... it went better than expected, I guess. The first night was pretty dire but then I had half a week to rehearse the opera bit which was mad since it was impossible. The soloists did really well though (bar the obvious)... the 'London' bit was as oppressive and surreal which I'd hoped... Rosa's bitonal interjections were really cutting... I'm pleased with how it turned out. Especially the Britten-y bit with the chorus.
I've just got back from playing Ben the EP... he was really positive... we talked about him playing acoustic on the new song. I finished the harmonies today... I think we're trying to get it all recorded next week sometime.
Saw Sarah again on Monday. Basically... we decided that The Breakfast Club was so great we should actually have a club where we ate breakfast. So I walked to her house - turned out that via the centre is like seven miles - and realised on the way that REPLAY'S SHUT! I walked past a few times to make sure (to the general confusion of the people in Boston's). But... closed. Shut. For good. I can't believe it. It was the only decent indie left in Bristol. It was only a couple of weeks ago I was in there getting The Eraser and the guy gave me a poster 'cause, you know, he knew me, we've chatted quite a bit over the last couple of years... and we were talking about how sales weren't great but it was nothing serious... and then this. Total shock. I'm really going to miss it. Bristol just isn't going to be the same. I've been going in there since I was just a kid. This is just like Disc 'n' Tape, except I had time to disconnect first because it turned all Stock Clearance and horrible and its soul just got crushed. But this... this is all wrong. Why can't independent retail survive in this city? I blame Fopp. And Borders. And superfuckingmarkets. I hate those anyway.
So this was made up for a bit by eating icecream with her, in the pouring rain, under a tiny broken umbrella. We trekked across Bristol to find the one van that was still selling it and it was just about to go and we ran towards it all like 'no no no' and the man said 'you've got to be kidding' and then we just stood there under this umbrella (which we'd broken on the way), getting soaked but not really caring.
Web. Tangled.
When did I last update this?
OK. The EP. Got back from Devon early - I got the train up with Dani, which was cool - and then I did this thing where I basically mixed and mastered everything in two days. So I got the masters off to the pressing plant and we all panicked about artwork and then we just sat down and did the artwork instead of panicking about it. And we got it printed by a fantastic man in a fantastic shop. Then several things went wrong.
Dear Mr Haywood,
I am writing to express my utter dissatisfaction with the way On Air has treated the pressing of our EP.
After several phone calls, you assured me that you had sent the package containing the discs last Wednesday, the 19th of July. However, when I received the parcel this morning it was postmarked yesterday, the 25th of July, and had been sent by special delivery to arrive the next day. Why did you feel the need to lie to us repeatedly? Even on Monday you claimed you were going to find the parcel’s Post Office tracking number - which I had asked for several times - and call me back, which you never did, subsequently being unreachable despite my repeated attempts to phone you. Since you had not posted the parcel at this stage, I find it hard to understand why you told me such a tracking number existed. As it is, we avoided putting back the release date by a week as we believed your claim of a ‘three day turnaround’ and thus assumed the product would be finished by the 24th. As a result, we have let down our fanbase, several of whom have voiced their annoyance and disappointment. We do not expect to have to treat others in this way. Had you told the truth we would have shunted the release back by a week and our deadlines would have been met. Because of your incompetence, we are the ones who look bad. Do you treat all your clients like this?
Furthermore, upon receipt of the discs, I discovered that you had sent us 50 copies of the CD we had explicitly asked for 75 copies of, and 67 of the one we had asked for 50 of. Of the former, one at least will not be read by any CD players I have tried it in, and I have yet to test all of them - something I should not have to do if adequate quality control measures are in place.
Finally, you have not returned my master CDs. This is theft as they were not sent on the understanding that you would keep them. Since you have not completed our job either, if you do not give us what we have paid for (the 25 missing CDs) and what is already ours (the masters) then I will be seeking legal action against your company. Personally, I think it would be a reasonable gesture to refund our original fee following the disgusting way in which we have been treated and unless immediate action is taken I will definitely be advising all other local bands in our network against the use of On Air.
Yours sincerely,
Ramzy, The New Vague
Anyway, we distributed the ones we could - turns out we JUST make enough from selling the 50 special editions to break even anyway - and then I guess we'll get some more pressed somewhere else. But still.
What else?
The musical. Urmmm... it went better than expected, I guess. The first night was pretty dire but then I had half a week to rehearse the opera bit which was mad since it was impossible. The soloists did really well though (bar the obvious)... the 'London' bit was as oppressive and surreal which I'd hoped... Rosa's bitonal interjections were really cutting... I'm pleased with how it turned out. Especially the Britten-y bit with the chorus.
I've just got back from playing Ben the EP... he was really positive... we talked about him playing acoustic on the new song. I finished the harmonies today... I think we're trying to get it all recorded next week sometime.
Saw Sarah again on Monday. Basically... we decided that The Breakfast Club was so great we should actually have a club where we ate breakfast. So I walked to her house - turned out that via the centre is like seven miles - and realised on the way that REPLAY'S SHUT! I walked past a few times to make sure (to the general confusion of the people in Boston's). But... closed. Shut. For good. I can't believe it. It was the only decent indie left in Bristol. It was only a couple of weeks ago I was in there getting The Eraser and the guy gave me a poster 'cause, you know, he knew me, we've chatted quite a bit over the last couple of years... and we were talking about how sales weren't great but it was nothing serious... and then this. Total shock. I'm really going to miss it. Bristol just isn't going to be the same. I've been going in there since I was just a kid. This is just like Disc 'n' Tape, except I had time to disconnect first because it turned all Stock Clearance and horrible and its soul just got crushed. But this... this is all wrong. Why can't independent retail survive in this city? I blame Fopp. And Borders. And superfuckingmarkets. I hate those anyway.
So this was made up for a bit by eating icecream with her, in the pouring rain, under a tiny broken umbrella. We trekked across Bristol to find the one van that was still selling it and it was just about to go and we ran towards it all like 'no no no' and the man said 'you've got to be kidding' and then we just stood there under this umbrella (which we'd broken on the way), getting soaked but not really caring.
Web. Tangled.