What has happened to all of us here... ??

.

I am utterly laughing my ass off, but it's fantastic to read you Swanse, in a very very good way!!!

What the hell! In the end what matters is what you like!

On a the Facebook page of a Spanish artist, he, quite full of himself, wrote (well, he told someone to write it, course!):
"By the expressed deisre of the artist, tickets are between 30-35 Euros on this tour"

He just opened Pandora's box....

Many people complained, specially, taking into consideration how damaged Spain is at the moment....
but there was this guy saying: " I wouldn't even pay 20 for him, but the other day I paid 50 to see Muse, that was
a spectacle" - so.... in the end, what matters is what we like!

I love Slim Jim Phantom, but obviously, technically speaking, he's not the best....

gretschoholic wrote:

Slim Jon Phantom wrote:

What has heppened to us all?? WHERE ON EARTH ARE WE???

On facebook, I guess... But although there are over 90000 "likes" on Brian Setzer's facebook page, nothing happens there either. The Lounge used to be kind-of a hangout for a bunch of friends (who didn't necessarily know each other) discussing at least ONE interest they had in common (plus a whole lot of other random, funny stuff). But if that ONE thing was, say, Brian Setzer during the Dirty Boogie/Vavooom/Ignition days ... well, there's no wonder why nobody's here anymore...

I believe (read: I'm pretty damn sure) I don't only speak for myself when I wish Brian would make a decent follow-up to Ignition. I'm not asking for another Stray Cats reunion or farewell tour or whatever. But a kick-ass rockabilly record with the best trio I ever saw live; Brian Setzer, Mark Winchester and Bernie Dresel. I'm pretty sure they'd get a kick out of it themselves, too!

I right behind Norway on this one

I agree with most that has been written here.Personally I used to have more time but work has taken over my life it seems now (I drove over 80,000 miles last year). I,like all you guys am a loyal Brian Setzer fan.From the day I heard Rock This Town aged 14 his music has been the biggest influence on my life.I am not knocking Brian for wanting to experiment with different themes and styles,that's his prerogative.....I just don't dig it.
WBNO....musical masterpiece to some maybe but I just can't listen to the whole album.
Instrumentals....no thanks,I find 'em boring.
Lonely Avenue...Setzer trying to pitch his voice Broadway style....too far from his roots I'm afraid.
Rockabilly Riot Live....loved the London gig but was left flat by the CD.The vocals are definitely fading.

To sum up,and this is just one fan's opinion.Brian I think should give the fans another Rockabilly album.Originals would be great,but covers are fine.God knows there's enough of a catalogue out there to go at.If there is ever another BSO album,it just needs to get back to a Rockin' Big Band sound.I also wouldn't mind another album along the lines of 13.That's a cool album.I just want to hear something Rockin'.

From a fan's perspective I think we are all in agreement about the official site since Tommy's departure.It's like a long lost relatives grave these days...rarely visited.

Cheers

Steve

I thought Setzers` vocals were great at the Manchester gig on the Riot tour, the cd though is a touch sterile...badly mixed?

I am sorry but, for me, Brian's last records are among his best : Lonely Avenue, Instru-MENTAL & Live From the Planet are all 10/10.
I understand Jon and I hope we'll post more than this last months and not only when there is a tour or a record.
Next record seems to going to be a Rockabilly (trio) one and that suits me fine.
Love Brian Setzer for ever. He's my idol and, from far, my fav' Stray Cat.

Loneley Avenue is incomprehensible underrated.
It`s a great album with fantastic songs. (Lonely Av. My baby don`t love me blue, kiss me deadly, etc)
Deseserves much more appreciations.
It`s not a Rockabilly album and not a 2nd Dirty Boogie but it`s unique.

Social networking called Facebook and Twitter has killed most of the forums.. We all would come here everyday and hope for a bit of news fed to us, but Setzer has chosen to stay totally private without a spokeman like tommy. When
Tommy was fired, it hurt us all and some did not recover. Tommy has moved on with his life as have many others.

That together turns this once thriving town into a ghost town and perhaps one more thing is that since this is an american based forum, most of us in the US arent excited about the stray cats like european fans. We in the states
got all lit up by the creation of the Big Band at a time where a huge movement started up again involving swing music, hotrods, pinups, mid century modern/ atomic age, low brow art, Tiki bars, hell even cigars and vegas became something new out of something old, and lots of us musician went apesh$t for gretsch guitars more than ever.

Brian capitalized on it, and for me it all happened about the time in life I moved from being a wild young man, into being a responsible father, home owner, etc etc For me Brian Setzer with his art and music was life changing and it clarified the things in life I loved and grew up with as a kid then returned to thanks to Brian Setzer and it wont change near 20 yrs later.

Well said, and I would say most of your points pertain to my Setzer tastes as well. Hell I even went through a cigar phase! Man those late '90s/early '00s were good times for my household! Without Tommy's input, there's no breaking news here. I can't even remember the last time I visited the official site. Now I mostly post when there's a new project on the table, or if there is another topic where I feel I can make a valid contribution. I will say I've learned a lot about music and Gretsch guitars here, and I don't see that ever changing. For that reason, I lurk almost daily!

Yep, Tommy's fly on the windscreen approach made Setzer not only relevant in our daily lives it gave us back story and ownership.. but... Setzer is doing it his way and always called his own shots and he must be very happy the way its all working for him. He'll knows when he's ready to rev up the machine again, and that the faithful will rise up along side!

Damn right! Speaking of revving up the machine..... it's about that time isn't it?

In any case, and whatever the circumstances, it's a pity that this forum is kind of dying...

And, I don't really think that social networks have killed this forum... when Tommy ran BS.com
there was something HERE at the forum all year round... BS is not precisely the type that posts
or mantains the website very much updated. I mean, the website has just become a medium to
promote new albums and tours, which is OK but his Facebook too.

Some people here have posted/proposed some interesting topics, videos, etc... and somehow,
it's disappointing so see how little we participate.

It's also a shame that not only BS.com but Lee & Slim Jim's websites are so badly run... specially
Slim's... it used to be a complete website. Now everything is done last minute pretty much.
Lee Rocker's website is not much mroe informative, in fact, since the former webmaster was fired,
the quality of it has gone down, but truth is that Lee posts on Facebook pretty much every day,
having some activity, which is fantastic.

But I don't see why us, the fans, have to do their homework in someway... I don't feel it right that
Surfdog for intance, announces Brian Setzer performing with Glen Campbell in his farewell album
just because they belong to the same record label, but then, we have no clue whether Brian performed
with this or that artist back in the day, which is part of his discography too...

I don`t care about if it`s become a ghosttown or not, this will be my board No.1.
I met cool people here, great musicians all over the world, technical genius, the best guitar sound advises ever.
And we all love nearly the same music and artists.

I stay.

Part of the reason these forums turn into ghost towns is because they turn into big bitching fests and the old guard talking about the way it used to be. Whats that Neil Diamond song.. "used to be's dont count anymore, they just lay on
the floor till you sweep them away"

So why don't we talk about the future ? I mean the next album...

That's what I'm talking about! Anybody know what's next? Or when?

I will be the last one to be critical of Brian's management because they have really helped him stay in the forefront of independent artists BUT Setzer's website is completely and utterly lame.. its like his mom decided to start blogging and followed an online tutorial to making colorful, fun hobby blogging. There is no content, no foresight and generally its
career killing in this social media world.

They need someone like ME (hahah) that is web centric keeping a webpage that is both interactive and connected to facebook, youtube, pinterest, twitter and DOING something with them.
Am I a web designer, nooo.. but I have help from people that arent my damn age and I think brian is surrounded by
old men my age. The guys that help me with my web stuff are all 15yrs younger than me.

I know I sound too harsh but seriously for dedicated fans, you want to constantly be giving some sort of teaser updates, new merchandise, short video shout outs and maybe play some ditties once and a while to let fans know how your creative process is going, or backstage pics and vid clips of recent shows or even some of the sights and sounds of the places you played.

This stuff matters in this world we now live in. The rock god chart topping mystique has been detroyed long ago and the dinosaurs with it, by the advent of Itunes and Amazon.com

Now artists with back catalogs can farm new sales by simply tweeting and occasional video/ blog updates.. That alone is a big money maker when an artist is not on the road touring and needs to generate income while locked into the creative process of the next album.

my 2 cents... now hire me Surf Dog and Brian to make your next Grammy a reality

I keeeed I keeeeed!

I don't know what will be next, but it would be great if the BSO or a mini-BSO toured Europe in a decent way.

However, good news is that in Europe we are having Lee Rocker in March for a couple shows in London...
and then, the Kat Men (Slim Jim + Darrel Higham + Al Gare) are releasing a new album... The Katmen Cometh...
with a subsequent tour - only a date in Spain has been confirmed, but sure more will follow!

Lee plans to release a new album taped at Sun Studios last year....

Brian, waky-wakey!!!

We are all fans of Stray Cats, Brian, Lee and Jim.
To me It dont matter, what they release, i will buy it.
The only CAT, i have never met, is Lee. I really wanted to go to london, last weekend, but could'nt.

We now have the Katmen, album to look forward to. Plus live shows.
Lee, has an album in the works.
So I am sure, Brian has something in the pipeline.
As said, By various people, A 68CBS would be great, with Mark, and Bernie, it rocked.
But Brian, will do what ever he wants, and i will buy.
We have been very lucky, that all 3 members, are still involved, in making music, after all these years.

Plus the Rockats, have a new album coming too.

Wee Mark.

wee mark wrote:

We are all fans of Stray Cats, Brian, Lee and Jim.
To me It dont matter, what they release, i will buy it.
Wee Mark.

I am with you Wee Mark !!

A Rockabilly record would be great, somewhere between Ignition & Nitro Burnin'...

I think the majority of people (not the hardcore) are feeling just a little bored of all these live this and that surfdog keep churning out with multiple versions of xyz on them it's all too much, I haven't even bothred to buy the 81 Rockpalaast dvd as I already have it for many years on dvd transfer ho is much better is it going to be?

Give the fans what they want or they willmove on it's the same as any product