Ye olde musician...what went wrong....

[elephant.stone]

haha

[DJ-Ants]

A regular rock night person or just full time olde musician regular?

[v_troll]

Well, if I was a regular of one then I would automatically be a regular of the other, wouldn't I?

Think I've seen just about every rock night, but spent a lot more time in there than just Saturday nights.

Now of course, being a regular of the pub certainly wouldn't make a difference to any of you guys now, would it? I mean, it hasn't bothered you so far has it, with my postings, despite the fact that there's now this stigma attached to me because I'm supposedly one of the favoured few?

I'm just someone who wanted to see what it was about, someone who would prefer to find out for themselves and discuss it, rather than receive biased, preconceived or misconcieved opinions on the situation.

If you think I'm on here for a wind up, or here to score points, then tell me what the score is, but I can assure you that I'm not.

The offer still stands, I respect you for you honesty, although it took a little while to get it out of you. And if I see you out, then I'll buy you a pint, but there's no compunction for you to accept it, if you feel that way.

[DJ-Ants]

No i was trying to figure out which person you were....I now know and realise that you were the only one that wasnt moaning about the music and actually could appreciate newer stuff....especially the Hives

[v_troll]

Nice one, centurion. Exactly right.

Saying that about the music though, I woudn't want to limit myself to anything - I like any music that sounds good to me (I can't speak for other people's opinions). Rhetorical question: because I can also like newer stuff, does that make me "more open" or "less limited"?

I suppose it does prove that (some) people aren't limited to the average opinions and actions of the social set that they're in, and that's if they actually want to be generalised or pigeon-holed as belonging to a certain social group, just because they stand in the same physical location.

Politics is an incredibly ugly animal if not handled correctly, but hindsight is even more bizarre. I think that the lack of the rock night will certainly be detrimental to the pub in general (both financially, and in terms of the variety of culture that it attracted), and it's strange that ye olde musician is probably one of the very few places in (or near) the town centre that still has an "old boozer" feel, as in, it brings in a "community" of people. This is the main reason that attracted me to it years ago, and is pretty much why I've lived in two houses that are less than two minutes' walk away.

The lack of the rock night is a real shame, and I mean that sincerely. I might not have liked all the tracks that were played, but then again who gives a fuck about my opinion? If I found everything to my liking, then it should have been called "my night", rather than "rock night".

I still think that y.o.m. is probably the best venue, in terms of size, and accessibility to everything else, for a rock night to be held with the current scene. I've never been to the matrix (when it's been called the matrix), but certainly know and have experienced it's history, and I have to be cynical about it with the fact that they've had so much trouble before with trying to attract a varied croud (and they ended up with rather a "niche" (to put it mildly) of people), that they do now seem to have gone for a business model that would attract regular and loyal money to fill the coffers (rock/student, or whatever classification they're currently using). That doesn't necessarily make it a bad place, or a bad night, but as long as they have the scene's regular money, they'll be happy. It is a business, after all.

In the same way, any "boozer" (not "public house") would be more than happy to instantly inherit such a throng of people, and an increase in revenue. Whilst I would enjoy the experience of it being at a pub that I frequent, it really doesn't matter whether it is or not. The rock night is a great thing simply because it gives people the chance to get together and enjoy themselves.

Like I say, it's a shame.

[DJ-Ants]

When Matrix was Hollywoods..it was specifically aimed at Dance nights and what they called the 'town' crowd.
The Rock nights on a tuesday were a bonus feature for them...but as the crowds got bigger and more loyal they realsied there was a big market...and also how well behaved they were...especially in comparison to the weekend crowd,who were the downfall of the club itself.
They then realised that mass profit isnt necessarily the best way to go..after all they could have reopened as a members club for all comers....but they havent...they have specifically tailored it toward the rock crowd and more open minded members of the public...and have successfully created an atmosphere that feels safe and friendly..something that has yet to be matched anywhere......
One thing that used to piss me off about muso...was not the fault of the staff,but of a few regulars...one in particular who used to shout "shit!" during tracks for other people...which is out of order..but is an example of what Matrix is trying to avoid...After all I never really felt safe in the muso...because there were a lot of people able to walk in and out...some of whom seemed to be out for a fight...although that only tended to happen during football season.
I urge you to give it a try one night..as my guest.

[v_troll]

Thanks for the invitation, I'll take you up on it some time and buy you that pint.

The regular in question was Phil, I believe, who's not particularly representative of the whole crowd, but then again neither am I.

Phil has an exceptionally sharp mind, and yet also some quite firm traditional beliefs and opinions. Hence his reaction. He's a wonderful debater if you ever have the fortune (?) to have a conversation with him, but I believe that his choice in music is firmly fixed to the material he would have heard whilst growing up - it's an experiential thing, which I'm sure anyone can relate to.

But, I digress.

Hope that all goes well with the nights at the matrix.

[DJ-Ants]

Without trying to restart an argument...I was told last night that Mark was wearing a wig and was taking the piss going"errr Im DjANts Im a big cunt" or whatever (cant remember exactly).A friend said he went in not knowing it wasnt on anymore and walked out.Its an example of the lack of respect I knew that I had.....
But C'est La Vie...I look forward to meeting up sometime...

[v_troll]

Er, didn't think that we were having an argument - I've simply been on a voyage of discovery.

Whoever told you that is, to my knowledge, not really telling you the truth. I was in all last night, and Mark wasn't doing that at all - not to my memory, but that could be clouded by the old ambrosia.

There is, however, a degree of truth in what your man says, because the previous Saturday night, Mark was indeed doing the DJ'ing (and a pretty atrocious job of it really, as even though it was supposed to be a rock night, it was essentially "Mark Ransome's Favourites" - I think he even slipped in a Jean-Michel Jarre track that he particularly likes), and yes, he was wearing a wig.

Now, to be 100% correct about this, this wig has been doing the rounds for some time, you may or may not recall a couple of months back that there was some do at Olde Coach House, something to do with the re-opening after the landlady changed from being the manageress to the tenant, and Mark dressed up as a bird. Now he had a wig on then, which was brown and quite short, but after the do, he managed to inherit another longer wig from somebody else, which looked like a brown female wig, or possibly a male wig if you wanted to dress up like Dick Turpin.

I think that the majority of people who go in there and are labelled as "regulars" wore this wig at some point in the ensuing months, and I've got pictures on my camera of pretty much everyone wearing it (including me), but that wasn't a piss take of anyone, as we all used to have long hair when we were younger.

I do recall that Mark was wearing the wig when he was DJ'ing, but he has done that quite a bit during the previous weeks, and I'm pretty sure that some comment was made, possibly along the lines of what your man said, but I couldn't be specific.

So to clarify, I think that's pretty much a "yes" - some kind of a piss-take, but not last night (that I remember).

Now, so that I can put my two-penneth in, from an unbiased point of view, I don't know what degree of communication you've had with Mark since the original night that we're all talking about, if any.

If Mark has been informed anything "through the grapevine" then it may be difficult for him to consolidate what does and does not come from the horse's mouth - a lot of people say a lot of things, and one would always be wise to take anything at face value, rather than attributing any kind of validity to the comments, like I previously said with the maxim "all stories are true", it's true that someone said the story, but not necessarily true that it happened.

I certainly haven't discussed the situation in any kind of depth with him, other than in passing conversation, which hasn't really been any depth whatsoever. Nor have I informed him that I've been discussing the matter on hostboard, but that's not to say that someone may have worked out who I am and already informed him - after all, this is not impossible.

If we then work on the assumption that Mark doesn't have the same degree of knowledge (after I've read everything on here) that I have, and that he's only been passed on information from his bar staff as to the turn of events that happened, then we could deduce that he really doesn't know a great deal about it at all.

If looked at from this perspective, given the fact that he's had a member of staff quit on him without any advanced warning, he may well be feeling let down (mind you, I think that everyone's probably feeling let down).

That may well explain why he took the piss, albeit in a light-hearted manner.

Alternatively, he could just be a wanker, but that's not something that's been borne out by my experience of him - but then again, I've never worked for him.

I think that respect is the main problem, though, as you've already expressed.

[DJ-Ants]

I didnt think that he was a wanker...and true he probably only knows the sanitized for management version of the story...what galled me though is that he had my phone number and never bothered ringing it to find out...or indeed try to work something out...cos I wanted to talk to him when I left but he wasnt around,but then to readily accept second hand versions of events and presume he could do an equal job to myself...hmmm dunno...but fuck it...it will possibly turn the fortunes of the place around a little,obviously without the rock type crowd...cos all reports I have had have been negative so far....as I have said before...I felt guilty about leaving him in the lurch and do hope that he can continue making money without the custom I brought in...maybe a universal set is a good idea..cos its something that hasnt really been tried since gullivers....and they only had a fixed set that wasnt tailored by who was there at the time...My advice to Mark...pay more attention to the music that is current and try not to get caught in the easy trap of only playing old favourites...cos eventually people will leave.....