I was on a Rocky Horror Picture Show fan site yesterday and was contemplating how well the site had done to keep going when basically they'd had very little nothing new to say for about ten years. It reminded me of another site I like to visit.
Ths may be a retread of an older thread of mine, but isn't it time all us KS fans just quietly chose another band to spend our time thinking about? The central issue for me is that this one clearly couldn't give a shit for anyone interested in their music. Now I don't expect the lead singer to post daily, but they play their first proper gig in how long and does anyone other than the fans post anything? Any photos, any reviews, set lists, etc? Nope. There's a new album in the works - any updates, piccies, teaser demos. Nope.
I think it's time to wake up and smell the coffee (or should that be tea). KS died in 1999.
Crispian sat in his big old house doing whatever Crispian does. He had a jolly little tour with some mates from Brighton (mates of his old manager) as The Jeevas, before unexplicably giving that up to. Sat around in Bath for a bit, probably went to India on holiday, got bored. Oh, let's be KS again. Paul and Alonzo - straight on board - mortgages to pay. Jay - no thanks, earning real money, in a band that actually produce regular music, knows Crispian better than the others. No record company interest, so Crispian cobbles it together with family cash - one album later with no proper marketing and, ooops, no interest. Spend some time in Japan, hang out in Bath, start to lose interest. Have a baby. That'll do and end of KS again. Does anyone bother to tell the fans? Nope.
So, cynically, I consign KS to the history books. I'll dig "K" and "PPS" out every now and again, but that's it. Lasting impression - some great songs, great guitarist, wasted opportunity. Millionaire stoners maybe don't make the hungriest rock stars?

Now, let's debate that.

But they are still playing live and working on the 4th album...

About the marketing, that's easy to say, but marketing costs money... not easy to do without record company backing. Plus Kula always have the double problem of 1) Nazigate and 2) being 'critically derided' (lazily, of course; but it's so ubiquitous an opinion one imagines it is on the first page of every music journalism textbook: 'remember, Kula Shaker are shit!'). The idea that they have been reticent towards the media, or not serious about getting a record deal, is without foundation.

I think we should rather remark on our good fortune that the band is still viable for the four of them to do. Decent sales in Japan no doubt play a part in that, don't forget.

Its a real shame that Kula have not done much since their tour. I dont think they truely know the positive effects they have on some people. Just when the world looked like it was going down the crapper up popped kula shaker like a breath of fresh air with their positive vibe and cutting edge music.

Maybe its an empty void must be filled thing and just when we all feel despair is hanging over us again, Kula Shaker will charge back out to the rescue and restoreth our souls.

I went through one of those phases again where I get rid of all my cds but I kept my Kula Shaker music......why? Because I believe in them.

Keep the faith Poet!

quote:

Originally posted by Poet:
Ths may be a retread of an older thread of mine, but isn't it time all us KS fans just quietly chose another band to spend our time thinking about? The central issue for me is that this one clearly couldn't give a shit for anyone interested in their music. Now I don't expect the lead singer to post daily, but they play their first proper gig in how long and does anyone other than the fans post anything? Any photos, any reviews, set lists, etc? Nope. There's a new album in the works - any updates, piccies, teaser demos. Nope.

But seriously, what bands constantly update fans with what's going on? In my experience bands are usually pretty lax when it comes to updating fans. And when they occasionally have a burst of glasnost, it very rarely lasts for long.

quote:

I think it's time to wake up and smell the coffee (or should that be tea). KS died in 1999.

I realise you're just being controversial here to stir up a little debate, and don't really mean that. So I can't get too outraged. But we really don't know the facts about this stuff.: how busy they are, what their motives were for splitting up, getting back together etc. I'm prepared to give them the beneif ot the doubt, anyway.

This seems to be an odd time to be complaining really; I honestly think that things will pick up soon in terms of activity. By promising to play new songs live they appear to be trying to raise expectations and get some interest going, I assume with good reason.

You might feel let down by them, but I certainly don't.

When we discussed this before I gave them the benefit of the doubt. However, I am getting pretty pissed off. -Surely one of them could type a few lines.

quote:

Originally posted by 2-J:

About the marketing, that's easy to say, but marketing costs money... not easy to do without record company backing.

Publicity on this website would cost nothing. I'd love some info re dates so that I could make plans and I'm sure that goes for everyone else.

The odd non-UK festival aside, when haven't they given us good enough advance notice of live dates?

Hi 2-J, yeah, I know they'll give us plenty of notice. That's my point, any future gigs will be ages away. I'm a bit sad really because I saved up my leave from work so that if dates were announced, I could travel around a bit and fit in as many as possible. Not to be this year but there's always next year hopefully.

I don't think there's anything to debate. Clearly, there is a lot of room for them to engage more frequently with their fanbase, but is that something we're owed? I don't think so. And they seem happy with their lot, happy to do things in their own style, and at their own pace. If they were complaining about their lack of success, perhaps we would be in a position to criticise their somewhat, erm, relaxed approach to promotion and marketing!

they're holding off on releasing any news until all the grousers get impatient and leave.

Maybe Kula aint big fans of the internet or the people who frequent the boards.

People who hang around boards all the time are somewhat sad and obsessive anyway. Why feed their psychosis?

And dont give me that fan line p leeaase!

quote:

Originally posted by Juganet:

People who hang around boards all the time are somewhat sad and obsessive anyway. Why feed their psychosis?

pffff you must be talking about yourself right now? 6 posts since the 11th of august 2009. Statistically that's one post every day.
That makes you a 'sad and obsessive fan' as much as me or any of the others on this board.
why judging people you don't even know?

Wow I don't really get all the freaking out and people saying that Kula Shaker have broken up again and we should all just give up. It's been exactly two years since Strangefolk was released. To compare to another one of my favorite (and very different) bands, Prodigy disappeared for seven years before releasing a shit album - Always Outnumbered Never Outgunned. They then disappeared for another five years before releasing a rather good album, Invaders Must Die. During these times, they did not have a major amount of communication with fans, in fact there was probably zero for several years. But people didn't think they had broken up.

After only two years, Kula Shaker are already recording another album. Why aren't we all absolutely delighted by this? So what if it takes them some time to work around the birth of their kids or some legal wrangling with a record company?

Of course I want a new album from them as soon as possible, but if it takes them another year or even two, it's not like that's out of the ordinary.

Going back to the original post, I don't get the idea of somehow rejecting KS to find another band to follow instead. It's in the nature of bands that they have periods where not much is happening. The sensible thing is to have more than one favourite band, that way there's usually one that has an album out or is touring or doing somethine else of note. That way your attention naturally wanders according to where the interest is, but it's not about some kind of permanent switch of loyalty; more like a natural ebb and flow.

If you only have one band that you like more than all the others than that's unhealthy imho. You're bound to end up feeling like they owe you something, rather than just feeling grateful for what you do get.

quote:

Originally posted by drykid:
Going back to the original post, I don't get the idea of somehow rejecting KS to find another band to follow instead. It's in the nature of bands that they have periods where not much is happening. The sensible thing is to have more than one favourite band, that way there's usually one that has an album out or is touring or doing somethine else of note. That way your attention naturally wanders according to where the interest is, but it's not about some kind of permanent switch of loyalty; more like a natural ebb and flow.

If you only have one band that you like more than all the others than that's unhealthy imho. You're bound to end up feeling like they owe you something, rather than just feeling grateful for what you do get.

Well said sir!

quote:

Originally posted by K ॐ:

quote:

Originally posted by drykid:
Going back to the original post, I don't get the idea of somehow rejecting KS to find another band to follow instead. It's in the nature of bands that they have periods where not much is happening. The sensible thing is to have more than one favourite band, that way there's usually one that has an album out or is touring or doing somethine else of note. That way your attention naturally wanders according to where the interest is, but it's not about some kind of permanent switch of loyalty; more like a natural ebb and flow.

If you only have one band that you like more than all the others than that's unhealthy imho. You're bound to end up feeling like they owe you something, rather than just feeling grateful for what you do get.

Well said sir!

Seconded!