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Gerry Love Leaving Teenage Fanclub

Started by CaledonianGonzo, August 20, 2018, 10:55:31 AM

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DrGreggles

That's gutting.
Glad I'll get to see him* before he leaves though.

*3 times

CaledonianGonzo

It's like Paul leaving The Beatles. 

I don't even know if it's worth them soldiering on. Are they just going to dump a third of their setlist?

DrGreggles

Not just Gerry's songs that'll go, but his harmonies too.
Whether they were due to record anything soon, I've no idea. Maybe Norm and Ray were happy touring the old stuff and Gerry wanted them to be more active again.

Honestly, I've only been in Scotland for a few hours and it's already broken!

Crabwalk

Well, this is a shiter isn't it?

Just had to use a dirty reseller site to get a ticket for the show on the 15th. Last ever proper TFC show. 'I Need Direction', 'The Town & The City', 'Near You'... something might be in my eye.

I hope it's all amicable enough between them.


Jockice

Just seen this on Twitter and was about to post it on here. End of an era. He was my favourite. But maybe there really is a side of him unknown. Big deal.

Phil_A

Quote from: Crabwalk on August 20, 2018, 01:42:37 PM
Well, this is a shiter isn't it?

Just had to use a dirty reseller site to get a ticket for the show on the 15th. Last ever proper TFC show. 'I Need Direction', 'The Town & The City', 'Near You'... something might be in my eye.

I hope it's all amicable enough between them.

Sparky's Dream, Star Sign, Don't Look Back, Ain't That Enough...

Norman was interviewed on Radcliffe & Maconie the week before last about the album reissues, seemingly everything was fine at that point. What a bloody shame.

Crabwalk

Quote from: Phil_A on August 20, 2018, 01:59:05 PM
Sparky's Dream, Star Sign, Don't Look Back, Ain't That Enough...

Was just naming songs from the 98-00 era that he's likely to get to play on the last night. I'm not able to make the middle show of the three so would be good if he's allowed a few greatest hits at the end of the final show. But I suspect they'll underplay the occasion.

CaledonianGonzo

Either he wanted them to speed up - which seems unlikely - or slow down - which seems even less likely. Has he had to get a day job?

Crabwalk

It makes another Lightships record more likely I guess, which is a silver lining.

CaledonianGonzo

I'm not even going to get to see any of the final shows....

Although I am seeing them next weekend, so that's something.....

Maurice Yeatman

Quote from: Crabwalk on August 20, 2018, 01:42:37 PM
I hope it's all amicable enough between them.

Reading between the lines it seems a bit too formal to me, even frosty - the news sandwiched between clauses about the tour.

CaledonianGonzo

Yeah - it reads as pretty terse to me too.  Given that he does a third of the heavy lifting in the band it's not just as straightforward as the bass-player leaving.  I mean, I like a lot of Raymond's songs, but giving him half the airtime is gonna fundamentally affect the whole balance of the band.

JFC.  This is as bad as Aretha dying.

Crabwalk

My guess is they'll keep playing Gerry's songs, with Norman singing lead on them. It's too massive a hole in the setlist otherwise, if they're still calling themselves TFC. They'll recruit a bassist with a similar voice to Gerry's for the harmonies.

CaledonianGonzo

More likely to just hand Dave the bass on a permanent basis, no?

Crabwalk

I assumed they'd still need Dave doing everything else he does, and prioritise getting the third voice right.

CaledonianGonzo


wosl

By a long chalk the creator of my favourite TFC moments; I've long felt his best stuff (Star Sign, Pet Rock, Sparky's Dream, Don't Look Back, Ain't That Enough, I Need Direction, Near You, Into The City,..) is a good cut-above what the other two have been capable of.  Haven't been keeping up with them enough to know what sort of schisms have opened, but they're now middle-aged men and been going a long time, and although I couldn't give concrete reasons for what I'm about to say (beyond noting that he has the sort of face you could find yourself wanting to punch every so often) I can imagine Norman Blake being insufferable to deal with at times.

CaledonianGonzo

Ain't That Enough is definitely my favourite TFC song, but The Concept runs it pretty close.

wosl

He's so consistently good you find your choice of favourite Fannies song, album by album and overall, changing as more of his tunes float into your head (I was sure I Need Direction was the pearl on Howdy! until I remembered that Near You was on there too; now I'm quite unable to rate one above the other. Cul-de-Sac's wonderful, too!).

CaledonianGonzo

All 4 of Gezza's tracks on Howdy! are belters.

jobotic

So they can still Everything Flows and God Know It's True?

It's all still cool then.

I have no idea if they perform ancient stuff now.

CaledonianGonzo

I dunno if I've ever seen them not finish a gig with Everything Flows,

holyzombiejesus

Saw them last Friday in Hebden Bridge and they were as great as ever. Heard rumours that they were splitting after the Autumn Creation shows and kind of wish they were now. Anything but 6 Raymond songs per album.
Feel really sad about this, the more I think about it. I hope they haven't fallen out but the statement seems pretty terse. I'll do some digging....

wosl

Their already updated Wiki is poignant:



Crabwalk

It was like that an hour after the announcement.

Fucking jackals.


holyzombiejesus

Fuck, I'm so gutted about this. I think they're probably my most played band of the last few years and... aw, fuck. Think I'm sadder about the tone of the statement than Gerry leaving.

Crabwalk

Bizarre that they buried the lead like that and worded it so coldly.

Crabwalk

The press release literally starts with the words 'We are pleased to announce...'.

Actually, I'm now finding the absurdity of it quite funny.