Sinister: Rule it out!

[Neil Robertson]

For fuck's sake.
In future I won't bother keeping people updated then.
It's funny. Only yesterday I was discussing with someone how I've never met
an American who voted for George Bush.
Well, maybe in Julie I've found one. I've rarely seen such a case of
American-centric shit in my life.
Let me re-iterate.

There are many, many places where we have never played, where people have
been waiting for a few years. I think it is only fair to go to these places
before we start returning to places we have already been.

Is this not a fair statement? Seemingly not. Julie, tell you what. Why don't
you write a letter to everyone in Japan explaining that B&S can't come after
all because you are more important?

> How considerate of you to play for the good people of Iceland

And you have the balls to say I'm insulting? Fuck's sake. Does no-one from
Iceland take offence at that? There's plenty of people in Iceland who have
been waiting for years to see the band. Really, do you think you're more
important than the people in Iceland? I'll tell you something. You're not.
Honestly, you're not. And you're not more important than the people in
Australia, or Brazil, or New Zealand, or Italy, or Croatia or Turkey or
Taiwan or Norway or any other fucking place.

WE DO NOT HAVE TIME TO DO MORE US DATES IN SEPTEMBER.
We have other commitments as soon as the West Coast dates are finished.
Sometime, hopefully the first half of next year, we will have caught up and
will be able to come back to New York and, more importantly, Philadelphia
and Toronto.
But the more time I spend answering shit like this, the less time I have to
sort out concerts.

I don't know too many managers who spend so much time on unofficial
fansites, trying to keep in touch with the fans. I only stepped in because
people started claiming there were going to be more US dates. I thought I'd
just clear up any confusion. I really didn't expect to get fucking
slaughtered for it. I'll think twice next time about keeping yous informed.

Cheers Julie. Nice work on the Kyoto Treaty by the way.

Neil Robertson


> You know, the times when I've had the opportunity to agree with Brian
> Pennington have been few and far between.
> I wasn't going to say anything about this whole west coast tour thing,
> because I didn't really care that much.  But this email from Neil
Robertson
> pissed me off subconsciously, as I woke up this morning annoyed.
> Belle & Sebastian have very rarely acted like professionals, and their
fans
> have passed it off as charming.  Oh, they won't be photographed, isn't
that
> cute!  But the people Neil's email was directed to were not the NME, they
> were the fans who have been buying imports, flying to the UK for
festivals,
> and crouched over their computers listening to Peel Sessions for years on
> end.  But to wait for ages for news of a tour, and then to be answered
with
> a chiding "Just wait your turn!" is a little fucking idiotic.  One half
> assed mini tour in 1998 where half the dates were cancelled does not a
good
> excuse to blow off more than half a country make.  If you can't afford an
> east coast tour, or you have no time, or you just don't WANT to because
you
> spent a few weeks there not long ago working on the Todd Solondz thing
> (without scheduling any shows), say that.  But don't play the fucking
> martyr, Neil, it's  not becoming.  Clearly you are shocked that those of
us
> who saw the band several years ago, or possibly stood in the venue waiting
> for a show that would never happen, would dare to ask for more shows.  Oh,
> but we have to wait while the rest of the world gets graced with the
> presence of Belle & Sebastian.  How considerate of you to play for the
good
> people of Iceland.  (I noted that the entire center of the United States
and
> Canada was omitted from Neil's list.  Really, if you're going to make sure
> everyone gets a turn, don't forget Bolivia, and India, and fucking
> Minneapolis.)  It is painfully apparent here that touring for Belle &
> Sebastian is not a matter of satisfying fans, it is a matter of
convenience
> for the band, and where the band feels like going.  Which, once again, is
> fine, if you're just going to be up front about it.  But that email was
not
> a reassurance in any way to those of us on the east coast, it's a kick in
> the teeth.  Just to get things straight.
> This email from Neil Robertson is the biggest bunch of defensive garbage
> I've ever seen from a supposed professional in my life.  And I'm insulted.
> Which is irrelevant, but shouting about it made me feel a little better.
>
> -Julie
>


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