Nice reviews from OCNYE… and UK 2007?
At both the big festival type events I did this year, O2 Wireless and OCNYE, I seem to have impressed and pleasantly surprised some lurking journalists, despite their overall negative takeaway from the event. Here are a couple of very flattering reviews from OCNYE three nights ago:
This is significant to me because at these shows, the majority of the audience are non-committed going in (unlike my solo shows where it’s close to 100%, or the BT shows where it was roughly 50%). So there’s a lot more for me to gain, by sending people away as happily converted Dolby fans. Plus, given the evident perception of those journos prior to seeing me play, a lot of people are amazed that my stuff still sounds fresh and relevant today. So it’s gratifying to know I’m re-writing history, and wiping the slate clean. I really think this will benefit me when I eventually come out with new material.
With that in mind I put in a call to my European agent yesterday, and asked her to try to get me on the bill for a couple more European festivals this Summer. For starters she’s going to take a stab at T In The Park (Glasgow) and Oxegen (Dublin) in June. If those work out I hope to string a few other UK dates together, including possibly a return to the Scala in London which I enjoyed so much last summer.
The last time I attended a provincial rock festival as a punter it was Knebworth Park in about 1980. As for what these things are like nowadays I am at my agent’s mercy–I have a vague notion of hoardes of mud-diving inebriates pelting me with beer bottles, but that’s probably wrong. So if any of you Brits/Europeans have favorite summer festivals you think I’d go over well at, please let me know!
Great to hear that your getting some great reviews. I don’t think anyone has negative about your return!?
I think if this was a master plan of ‘getting to know your audience’ and then ‘hit them with new music’, then plan is indeed on the right path!
If somehow you could appear on TV in the UK on say a program like the BBC’s Jools Holland’s ‘Later’ next year then that would give you a larger audience.
Great to hear you are planning a return to UK next year.
Oh by the way the link to the review on Orange Country Register didn’t work, I did find it on the search though
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/entertainment/music/abox/article_1403957.php
I hope that EMI get that back cat DVD out soon. How do you as an independant get your new work out to the general public!?
liverpools a great place to play a gig{hint hint} oh my god have you seen ken russell on celebrity big brother.you have to ask how did he get roped into that one!!!!?no better news even for the hammers,you must be a worried man mr d!,cheers david
Great to hear you’re coming back to the UK. Totally agree with Wireless. Jools Holland’s ‘Later’ would be a good showcase for your one man show.
Isn’t Glastonbury back on this year? Why not go for an intimate gig in one of the tents! Failing that, Scala worked so well I think you should go for a couple of nights.
>>pelting me with beer bottles,
Well, you can tell a lot about a person by what kind of beer they drink, so by induction, one might deduce that you can check the beer bottles to see what they are drinking to tell what they feel about you, but you do need to be able to tell the rate as well…. let me know if you need a nuclear physicist to figure out the results for you…..
I’m really pleased you’re going for Glasgow T in the Park. I’ve been to a few of them and the atmosphere is one of the best you’ll get at a festival. If your new material is dance oriented the fans will go wild!
Happy New Year!!!
If anyone is interested in trying to get TMDR on Jools Holland’s ‘Later’ program this year then click on the address below and let them know. The BBC say they are open to suggestions!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/later/faq/
Well let’s see if it’s true!!
Hmmmmm…there’s quite a few beautiful summer festivals here in Australia T.D. Not sure if you’ve ever visited the Great Southern Land whilst on expedition…. ?
Anyway…..if you don’t ask, you don’t get
. Let the seed be planted.
Happy New Year T.D. All the best.
MuLu
I fully understand why you keep getting lauded. I think it’s because you aren’t a has been or a novelty act like many of the stars of the 80′s have become. I think maybe some of these journalists go into the thing thinking “oh yeah here we go another washed up one hit wonder, let’s see his organ grinder and dancing monkey routine”, and after they see how passionate you are about your music they are nothing less than blown away. I dont even have to see you live to get that either. I can hear it in the songs. I heard “I live in a suitcase” on the new album and it was so powerful that I have been playing it over and over again ever since. In short this music means something to you. A big something and people can tell that you aren’t faking it or just going through the motions. You needn’t be surprised by any positive attention you get because what you do is differant than the others, and incidentaly its better!
Tim whispers: “Australia, Australia”
All you have to do is call (or email)
Glastonbury is the way. T In The Park last year was wet, rough and someone stole 48 cans of beer from our tent.
Ah, yes… ye olde Knebworth Festival of 1880… Queen Victoria in her tasteful black legwarmers, black crepe scrunchies in her hair (de rigeur for monarchs in mourning) but still with some playful blue eyeshadow blinking out, opened the gig. Gilbert & Sullivan belted out some of the finest post-punk electronica available with limited wiring… The 10th Bengal Lancers got into the brown acid and had serious Afghan War flashbacks, causing a security nightmare.
Weren’t the Stones already playing the festival circuit in 1880?
Paving my way to my own level of Hell,
Affectionately,
Merujo
Thomas, you seem a little surprised that your catalog “still sounds fresh and relevant today”…how to say this without coming off as a complete jerk…ok, I’ll try it this way and hope for the best.
I’m a very critical listener/consumer of “modern music” (from the 1950′s onward). I have every US album release you produced. I don’t buy crap.
I would hope by now that you are financially comfortable enough to write music simply for the love of it. Like you did when you were starting out, idealistic and broke, but driven. Just do that and you’ll be fine. Don’t bother with the $%^# critics. Trust yourself. If you can’t do that, trust your wife and children. They won’t steer you wrong.
Warm regards,
Randy
TD’s coming back, omg, I might have to stay in England during summer, how odd that’ll be. This is most terrific news.
1880 huh? Was Thadeus Cahill there with his “Electro-Harmonium” on the flatcar?
What about the Roskilde Festival near Copenhagen? They have a special stage dedicated to electronic music. Also, that way I wouldn’t have to travel so far to see you the next time! I think the last (only?) gig you did in Denmark was in 1984, and unfortunately I wasn’t in the audience. So in my humble opinion it’s about time you came back!!
Hi Thomas, things have moved on a little since knebworth in the 80s! Check out bigchill.net – they run a beautiful festival in a stunning location in herefordshire. i have no doubt you’d go down a storm among their mix of ambient and other electronic artists. They’ve had other pioneering artists on the blll previously as well, so well worth your agent getting in touch!
Look forward very much to seeing you live again this year, whether there or elsewhere. best wishes, a.
Great to see you might be coming back to Scotland, though T in the Park is sold out already and I don’t have tickets. So why not take advantage the fact that you are in Scotland and play a few more gigs? Just off the top of my head, the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen is a great venue, small enough to be intimate, large enough to be noisy, and – coincidentally – very handy for me. Seriously though, I still have great memories of your Flat Earth tour show at Glasgow university and hope I get the chance to see your show when you come back to the UK.
All that news makes me wish I did live in Europe… or had means to get there. I’m a bit depressed now. And, if you’ll forgive the utterly off topic nature of the rest of this comment, I’m pretty sure I suffer from undiagnosed depression, and right now it’s kind of bad, so I’m trying to distract myself by reading your blog entries, listening to your music, that sort of thing.
Your music is completely and utterly brilliant. And your talent with mere written words amazes me.
It helps distract me a bit, and sometimes, when I’m in this depressed funk, I scratch myself, and my arms have the scars to prove it. That’s something I don’t want to do more of… ^^;
Again, I apologize for all this, as I’m pretty sure this isn’t exactly the right place for it… but it helped a little… so, like, thanks for having a blog people can comment on. Even though I’m sure you’re busy and have little time for things like reading blog comments, even the thought that you may come across my comment is comforting…
See, that’s why I tend never to complain about things–somebody
I think we all need to do whatever we can to cheer ourselves up. Listen to Thomas’ music ’til it comes out of your EARS, BlueSilver, and I will too!!! 
else usually has it worse. We all do things that we regret later,
BlueSilver–I’m certainly no exception. All one can do is just say,
“OOPS!” {and use a handy little ‘blushing’ icon, which thankfully I haven’t needed too often}
I don’t actually know if Thomas ever reads down this far…I tend
If you do happen to be
not to assume anything either way.
reading this, Mr. Robertson, hi there.
Peace and really good earphones,
Kara
Thomas- I recommend that you do Electric Picnic instead of Oxegen, assuming you can fit it in to your schedule. It would suit you a lot better. The audience is more your demographic (strictly over 18). Kraftwerk, Human League and New Order have played there in the last 2 years to rave reviews.
http://www.electricpicnic.ie/flash.html
Good luck with the tour.
Would love to see you again in Glasgow.
For a good club venue I suggest King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut.
Haven’t seen you live since the A&H show in London.
The T In The Park site is a field in the Kinross-shire countryside.
They say it’s a great gig especially if it doesn’t rain!
Avoid the Oxegen festival like the plague, horrible overpriced festival that has no fun or atmosphere and is about 90% rubbish musically, check it out here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxegen. Electric Picnic however I can guarantee you will get a fantastic reception and have a wonderful time, also as this is your first gig in Ireland the amount of fans who’ll come out of the woodwork to see you will amaze you, as it did for Sparks who played their first Irish gig there last year, check out the line-up, it was fantastic last year and Gary Numan was also extremely well received, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Picnic
Thomas,
Just being completely impartial and unbiased here, but Virginia would probably be the best place to go on tour. Australia? Too Olivia Newton John. The British Isles? They’re nice, don’t get me wrong, but a lot of those folks came here to Virginia a long time ago for a reason.
Oh, and stop by my house on your way to the gig. I have Fox Soccer Channel. I’ll put on a West Ham match. I have hope the Hammers won’t get relegated. Wigan will choke.
Mic
Please take a look at the Latitude Feastival held in Suffolk.
at Henham Park near Blythburgh just up the road from your Suffolk retreat.
http://www.latitudefestival.co.uk/home
Thomas me old mucker. I am really pleased to hear your may, NO WILL be coming back to the UK this year.
I have never had the privelege of seeing you play live mate so bring it on!!
But if you decide to gig while I am away on holiday in August I am coming after you mate!
Steve
This might not be the best place to make this suggestion as I expect no one will read this far down for an old blog post, but I recommend Bestival (Isle of Wight)
Cheers,
Andrew
Alright Thomas,
Would be great to see you doing some shows in Scotland. T-in the park’s rubbish but I’d go if you were playing. I see you holidayed in one of the Hebridean islands, where did you go?
I would strongly recommend Iona, just off Mull. Fantastic. Anyway, I’ll be off. Check out my music @ http://www.myspace.com/bitterhistries
Roscoe Vacant
Mr D,
If I may be so bold as to suggest your agent contacts the very nice people at WOMAD.
I’ve crewed at various Womads over the past 15 years, including watching the main stage blow out to sea at a particularly windy Morecambe Bay event. I think an ex-pat Brit living in the states qualifies as world music in anyone’s book! Surely Mr. Gabriel would agree.
Seriously, give it a thought – can you get a rig set up in under an hour? It would be great to see you in the UK and I’ll stand you a beverage of your choice at the backstage bar when I finish my shift!
This year’s UK venue is Charlton Park in Wiltshire.
http://www.womad.org
You absolutely have to go for Latitude. It’s relaxed and eclectic and attracts a good mix of age groups – and because it’s so new I think they are very open-minded about who they will book. The geographical convenience is almost unimportant compared to what a genuinely nice festival it is.
(Plus the boys and I will be there anyway!)