Just caught the band supporting Crowded House at Sherwood Forest last night. I've been a fan since Faded Seaside Glamour and have all three albums but had never seen them live.

They were superb. I was blown away. A fantastic set list and they really impressed most of those in the crowd who were near me.

Also had some banter with the band - a shouted request for Valentine met with a quick "don't spoil it!" and, when it was finally played as the closing number, I was treated to a "here you go, mate" from Greg.

Come back to Notts soon, guys. I'll be looking out for you.

  That one slipped in under the radar!

"Delays - Back to Nature!"......Must have been amazing.

Been on another forum and it looks like they're also supporting at 2 other 'forest' gigs...

Tonight at the National Arboretum in Gloucester and Thetford Forest in Suffolk on 10th July. Can't find any actual confirmation of this though.

The cream of songwriters / lyricists under the stars 

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-7BDG2W

 
Looks like they didn't want us all there for some reason, certainly not the usual way to treat fans who supported you with all the gusto they can manage.

The forest gigs are ace, I went to some last year. And Nottingham is on my doorstep.

Anyone want to buy some Oxegen tickets? I no longer feel in the mood to go... 

I wonder why it was kept quiet? A bit naughty I think....I feel for the truly dedicated fans who loyally follow them around the country.

Paula x:

A bit naughty I think....

A bit? A BIT?!! For fucks sake. 

I'm off to sulk. Nobody talk to me. Like ever. 

Talk about biting the hands that feed you.

There must be reason to this?  Perhaps they (or the label) wanted to see how a completely fresh crowd would react to them?  Although, I could understand that for a one off, but more gigs does seem a bit odd.  If it's a sell out then maybe they kept quiet because they wouldn't be able to get any fans in?

Why am I trying to find a reasonable explanation?

This is incredibly disrespectful to any one who's been a dedicated and loyal fan. Big big mistake. 

Klair don't get rid of the oxygen tickes though.  There's too much fun to be had at a festival!

Sorry, didn't want to sound like a spoilt brat, I certainly would NOT have been legging it to all of them, they're too expensive. But when you spent your Friday eating soggy pasta and watching Jonathan Ross when you could have taken a mere 40 minute drive to spend the evening in a beautiful forest on a rare dry evening watching a band that amaze you every time you see them, well, I'm sure you can understand I'd be a bit pissed off.

It just annoys me because there are people who don't get the chance to see them as often as I do, so when they aren't told of things that are happening real close to them it takes away their opportunity to see them, only tonight is sold out but there are people on the Crowded House forum selling tickets at cost if anyone wanted to go.

Its all well and good chasing after new fans, but if you don't look after the existing ones then you're gonna lose you guaranteed income. Its not like the olden days when fans were more committed to a band because there was less choice, the internet gives you more choice than ever of where to spend your cash musically (or not, if you are one of those um, downloaders)

Oh, and someone will have to vouch for whether it was in the newsletter or not, as I didn't get one, but do I assume that you all know there is a competition to win VIP tickets for V Festival? If not, well, there is.

I'm not really getting rid of my Oxegen tickets Catherine, The Feeling are playing there! Who incidentally, are shit hot at getting their news out....

Ahhh... after much searching and using of very old thought processes, here you all are, fans of the support that was thrown into the lions den at Sherwood Pines Forest Friday evening.

Picture this....

Incrediblly (well mostly) old crusty Crowded house fans, such as yours truly, settling down on picnic blanket with ye olde mead and errr.. cake.. . Expecting to be waiting forever for the band you grudgingly parted your underpaid wage to go see, when onto the stage walk OMG .. young people !!!

Ok ok so maybe not exactly completely old or totally crusty, but the crowd certainly were surprised, when this tiny little guy opens his mouth and out pops a voice that immediately prompts the aforementioned crustys to cast cake to the birds and yep.. actually stand on their poor old feet!!!

Not only that, but I can swear to  the fact that some people were actually........ MOVING IN TIME TO THE MUSIC.  aka dancing.

Myself included, (not a totally foreign concept you understand)

I or I feel the majority of the crowd, had no idea who this band were, where they're from, but I can vouch for the overheard comments that I will not be the only one googling their name

A fabulous summer evening amongst tall Pine trees, with the hint of sweaty chips in the distance and a sound that made an almost completely alien to the sound of todays music crowd of old crustys, sway, jump, tap and bounce ..

BRAVO guys.

If you missed it.. try not to be so sluggish in your fannish ways.

Peace and love ( but no hippy hugs ) 

Glitterverse:

but the crowd certainly were surprised, when this tiny little guy opens his mouth and out pops a voice that immediately prompts the aforementioned crustys to cast cake to the birds and yep.. actually stand on their poor old feet!!!

I like you. Stay a while!

Glitterverse:

If you missed it.. try not to be so sluggish in your fannish ways.

You've gotta admit its pretty fucking embarrassing to have CH fans come along saying how great they were last night and we're all like, eh, wtf??? And it does mean that you missed out on mutual kudos as we'd have all stayed to watch the guys as well, some of us would have probably liked them, we're not all youngling you know!

Glad you enjoyed it though, still pissed off, but thanks for sharing! 

I will take up your very kind invite,and indeed stay awhile.

BTW... the sluggish fannism was tongue in cheek

Am now incredibly curious as to why it was not advertised, or indeed on the tickets. Even more curious as to why I've not come across these little gems before.

Ok so I gave up listening to radio one in the days of ermm hairy cornflakes and the like, but still, surely it can't be my overwhelmingly bad misdeed of disliking shouty northern radio presenters, that can be the actual reason.

Hmm.. (thats a replacement thought bubble)...

CH fan, actually, only part fan, more a case of "ooh happy type music in forest" accompanied by frenzied lets fill the diary with as much sound, hopefully happy, as indeed possible.

I have just clicked go get it to buy The Delays latest release.

Mood.... >>>> searching for the mystery machine to answer the posed question.

Hugs and such  like material 

I didn't realise I was gonna kick off such a fuss. Sorry none of you guys knew about this. To be honest, neither did the Crowdies fan base, as we'd been trying to find out who the support was for a while. I only found out the day before and was stoked. The two best bands of the last 20 years in the same field. Marvellous.

And, hey Glistterverse: less of the "old crusties" :) Some of us Crowdies fans are under 40 you know :)

Delays fans, you should be proud to note that there were MANY people around me who started off a bit WTF and ended up dancing about. After their set, several people near me were asking me what the albums are like (they could see I was jumping all way through the set). I think The Delays made a bunch of new fans.

And yes, they ARE supporting CH at all their Forestry Commission dates. (And Klair, the Sherwood gig DIDN'T sell out. Only Saturday night's show has sold out apparently.)