Lost Faith After 30 years

Hi All
Sorry to sound so F**ked off but I am loosing all faith with Brian and Stray Cats.
It's all come down to what happened this year with the cancelled Tour and things that went on after. I know Jim's accident could not be helped,but at least Jim and Faith have the common decency to reply to your emails. As I explained in the other thread about my experience at Manchester and How F**kin arrogant and Ignorant the people (American road crew were) and then all this lot with Tommy not doing the web site anymore,so we dont even get a message from the main man (Brian Setzer) about Whats going on.
Ive been a dedicated Stray Cats fan for 30 years (from the beggining and have never parted with any of my collection,which is pretty big by now as you can imagine is probably worth quite a bit of dosh BUT!!! I am considering getting rid of the lot and just keeping my Mp3's that have been ripped from the originals.
My wife's gone mad at me but I suppose I'm just on a bit of a low eb at the moment and feel very frustrated that I will probably never get to see them live,at the end of the day I'm nearly 51 and feel like I've missed the boat , so keep your eye's on ebay unless something changes my mind.
Take Care All
Carbon Cat UK

Nyawww Carbon Cat, don't lose faith!!

Yes it's been a bummer, a BIG bummer what's been going on the last few months.. At the end of the day it's the music we love the most and that will never change.. It's on your records, on your CD's, and in your heart


Kid.

Oh, no... I smell a Rickabilly epic coming on...

Are you sure, Budge, because I could have sworn it was Old Spice.

Actually, you were partly correct. It's "New" Old Spice. Now with Epic!

If I recall correctly, at the Manchester show, CCUK, you not only got guitar picks from the "rude and ignorant" road crew, you also got pictures by Jim's drum kit, Slim Jim drum sticks and a drum skin! You probably made out better than 99.99% of the hundreds of crestfallen fans there. You weren't owed the pick, you weren't owed the drum sticks and skin, and yet, you have several fantastic souvenirs. It sounds like you made the best out of an unfortunate situation. In time, I hope you can see that. Amid your disappointment, you had a couple of shining moments that no one else had that night. And now you can purchase those elusive shirts on the website.

Forgive me if I'm missing something, but what about this so far has you f*cked off?

Now, I agree that Brian has made some choices of late that have left many fans disappointed and disillusioned. But you mentioned being a fan for 30 years. During the Stray Cats days, did you have any opportunity for direct contact with the band, or anyone who worked with Lee, Brian, or Jim? During the first few years of the BSO, before Setzer had an internet presence, did you get any inside information whatsoever about Setzer's latest activities? Or did you have to wait to see him on the telly or hear him on the radio or see his CDs in the music stores just like everyone else?

[sarcasm on]

That prat Buddy Holly couldn't tough out an Iowa winter, and the selfish git perished in a plane crash, Eddie Cochran hired the wrong driver, and while I did see Elvis in 1977, the bloated a-hole had the audacity to have "left the building" before I could get an autograph. And yet, I treasure all their music.



[/sarcasm off]

My advice would be to pretend it's 1984 all over again, where the Stray Cats have broken up, possibly forever, and you have three fantastic albums that will stay near and dear to you as long as you live. Except now you have at least 23 other albums, countless bootlegs, and everything else you acquired in your 30 years of fandom. You didn't collect those items with the expectation that your "frequent buyer" miles would get you an audience with the Stray Cats, did you? Of course not. You bought them because you loved the music. Unless you really need the money, I would give it a year, throw in a dash of perspective, and see what the future holds.

Best to you in your personal struggle with your fallen idol.



Still not over Macho Grande-billy

btw: most of the Roadcrews in Tourbuisness are arrogant, it doesn`t matter if Germans, Americans or english. This is not the fault of the artist.
But the worst are the people of TV-Stations...

Carbon Cat UK wrote:

Hi All
Sorry to sound so F**ked off but I am loosing all faith with Brian and Stray Cats.
It's all come down to what happened this year with the cancelled Tour and things that went on after. I know Jim's accident could not be helped,but at least Jim and Faith have the common decency to reply to your emails. As I explained in the other thread about my experience at Manchester and How F**kin arrogant and Ignorant the people (American road crew were) and then all this lot with Tommy not doing the web site anymore,so we dont even get a message from the main man (Brian Setzer) about Whats going on.
Ive been a dedicated Stray Cats fan for 30 years (from the beggining and have never parted with any of my collection,which is pretty big by now as you can imagine is probably worth quite a bit of dosh BUT!!! I am considering getting rid of the lot and just keeping my Mp3's that have been ripped from the originals.
My wife's gone mad at me but I suppose I'm just on a bit of a low eb at the moment and feel very frustrated that I will probably never get to see them live,at the end of the day I'm nearly 51 and feel like I've missed the boat , so keep your eye's on ebay unless something changes my mind.
Take Care All
Carbon Cat UK

Sorry to hear that you loosing all faith. My own experence with Stray cats and the crew is not like yours.
I meet them in the airport in Helsinki and i most say that Jim, Lee and the crew was very nice and friendly.

I understand how carboncat feels -to be honest I feel pretty disillusioned too. Maybe it's our age! I'm 48 and another 30 odd year 'veteran'! I think Rickabilly should allow that as 'fans' we build a 'relationship' with the artist - and if we feel that we are taken for granted in can rankle. I can think of a number of bands that have dealt with similar situations in past in a more fan friendly fashion.

I think it is irrelevant whether we had less accesibility in past - we are where we are now. The bottom line is about acknowledgment isn't it? All they would have to say on the BS site is that we are looking at possibility of rescheduling -is surely the minimum that common courtesy would require.

I'm not as downbeat as carboncat though -won't be selling my collection off -surely a step too far!

Yeh OK!
Maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit and not thinking too straight.
It was'nt "THE" actual ROADIES with the Stray Cat outfits on but a lorry driver and a guy who was not part of them (the guys with the outfits on) but had a stage pass at Manchester that gave me the souvniers.
YES I did follow them from when they first started out and used to try to keep up on what was going on through music mags and papers but things were'nt so easy in those days, as I had no transport until I was nearly 20 and lived out in the sticks,so you were always behind the times. I remember back in the 90's I had a chance to go see them in Birmingham,but had'nt got any transport and because I suffer from chronic anxiety and panic attacks needed someone to go with me,so had to miss that chance. I was gutted when I heard that they had toured here in 2004 but never even knew about that tour mainly because I never had the internet and did'nt even know they were back together. Even though I've been a fan from the beggining I have found out more about the Stray Cats since I had internet access than I ever knew before.
I knew rickabilly would give me a roasting over this post,BUT! without making excuses, I have'nt been too well just lately and without looking for sympathy, I think I am just a bit down and was looking through my collection and thinking, which got me on a bit of a downer about the whole thing of missing them again.
SORRY!!!!
CC/UK

Thanks StrayCatNut
You seem to see things the same as myself and what you have just posted is exactlly what I am trying to say or thinking at the moment.
You've managed to put it better than me. It just feels like that,s it for the UK (FOREVER) we were dissapointed to hear that they were doing a farewell tour,but for this to happen on top was unbelievable. I know rickabilly is probably more inteligent than me in what he writes BUT he still does'nt know how it feels.
I suffer with ill health and chronic anxiety and mental health and when I got those tickets 6 months before the concert It was such a boost, all I dreamt about was going to see them,All I talked about was going to see them , All I hoped was that I would be well enough to see them,I even worried about it,because of my condition and then BANG!! it's all over.
Words can't explain how dissapointed some of us felt.
CC/UK

Again, I wish you the best. I didn't intend to "roast" you. I realize it was a colossal disappointment for you in Manchester. We went over that in some detail back when it happened. I was suggesting that with regard to selling off your collection of 30+ years that you give it more time and consideration. You may find the purging of your collection somewhat liberating at first, but I fear you'll regret it in the long run.

Much health and happiness to you and yours,

Rick

Its the music that really counts and that will never let you down.

All the best to you, Carbon Cat. I hope you are feeling better very soon.

I would say this about the situation, though; just as quickly as things all disappeared they can reappear as well. We just can't see around the corner, so the future is always hopeful.

Hang on and don't give up!

I would say chill the f out! Just becasue a few shows due to an injury were cancelled and a former webmaster who also happened to be a fan so he kept in touch through the messge boards no longer is employed by Setzer. Well it's no reason to freak out and "LOOSE FAITH". Are you kidding me most artists half brians age don't put out the amount of material he does. So many artist sometimes take 3 to 6 yars in between albums. We were lucky to have someone like Tommy who updated things regularaly and included candid news and photos for example the pictures of Brian a few years back visiting Gettyysburg. Or him and Jewly on top of a scenic hill in his green hot rod, those things were done on his own personal time not durring his job as a musician we had no roght to see those pics and here about that news, so consder yourself lucky that ithose things were available from time to time. Ifot to say, Brian still has plently more great albums to come and as a fan of several other artist. Sometimes I don't get any web updates or any news anywhere for months at a a time or even a yaer or so. So consider us lucky to have had what we had. But to give up faith is just ludicrous. For all we know Setzer is either warming up for the cats Ausie tour or the feb big band jap tour or he is at home in Minni writing some new killer tunes for an albm to maybe be released in 09 or 10. so relax a little.

WTF!

Iloveopiatesandgretsch wrote:

I would say chill the f out! ...

WTF!

"Hello, Black Kettle? This is the pot calling."

"Actually, I prefer African-American. Or just Mr. Kettle."

See, when people think I'm shouting at them or up in arms about something, I just read one of these more confrontational posts, and then I don't feel quite so bad. Whether or not we defend CCUK's point of view, I think we're all trying to be understanding, and offer up our opinions, without being rude or mean-spirited. Can you dig it?

Chill-a-billy

They might be a few shows that were cancelled to you Ilovepiratesandgretch "BUT" to me mate it was 6 months of getting excited about seeing them for real.
When your head gets as messed up as mine does through illness you have to have something to aim for and look forward to and that was one of the things that had kept my head partly together over the summer. I know to some that sounds stupid,but simple things like that going the way it did (and I know it could not be helped) completely throw me.
I wish I could CHILL! but chilling does'nt come easy to me WTF!!
CC/UK

I love brian and i always will, ive never been fortunate enough to see him or the cats live but i get the impression jim and lee are more accesable/caring towards their fans. It probably has to do with the levels of fame compared to brian.
then again if i had tickets to manchester i'd be mighty pissed (even though its no-one fault)

Carbon Cat UK wrote:

They might be a few shows that were cancelled to you Ilovepiratesandgretch "BUT" to me mate it was 6 months of getting excited about seeing them for real.
When your head gets as messed up as mine does through illness you have to have something to aim for and look forward to and that was one of the things that had kept my head partly together over the summer. I know to some that sounds stupid,but simple things like that going the way it did (and I know it could not be helped) completely throw me.
I wish I could CHILL! but chilling does'nt come easy to me WTF!!
CC/UK

I could understand if you were like dying of cancr but it's a music group. Mabe I don't know the complete story of your "illness" but get over it and go buy the brixton dvd for christ sakes mate total bollocks your reaction was. Like a child, 50 years old huh...

Honestly, Opie, the man has a medical condition. Back off.

Strong opinions are tolerated. Personal attacks are not. Leave it alone.

I could understand if you were like dying of cancr but it's a music group. Mabe I don't know the complete story of your "illness" but get over it and go buy the brixton dvd for christ sakes mate total bollocks your reaction was. Like a child, 50 years old huh...[/quote]

Tell us, who do you think you are ?
Where did you find the "right" to talk someone here the way you do it ?
Leave US alone...

Lock this sucka!

Hey Iloveopiatesandgretsch
I'm not gonna lower myself to your standard. You would never understand, and at the end of the day you never know whats around the corner (health wise ) for you. Oh! and by the way,I've already got Live at Brixton. BRILLIANT DVD!!

CC/UK

Brilliant answer CC/UK !
I just hope in the recovery of your faith, you deserve it and Brian too.
Times are hard and a little sad for all of us, don't worry.
Keep on rockin' (for example watching this "brilliant DVD" )

Thanks Choochoohothub and Kid Setzer it's folks like you who help restore the faith

That is a Brill! DVD (Brixton 2004)
Wish they had done some on this tour or even a montage of the different venues.
Take Care both
Carbon Cat UK

hey carbon cat i know how you feel man but please please dont
lose the faith here is a wee thing that might cheer you up a little bit
go back to your rumble in brixton dvd and go to the song menu part
and find the page with the yellow brick wall in the background and move
the pointer till one of the bricks turns blue press it and hey presto a secret
video plays hope that cheers ya up a little bit


ps straycats will finish there fairwell tour of the uk some day you can bank on it

*loody heck Matt, i read your post,and you come up with something i did'nt know! I'm just away to work,and aint got the time now to go view..............But will when i come home.

CC........................We can just hope, that after the tour down under, they will fly back the wrong way......................and stop off,in the Uk.

Wee.