Wacken 2017 - life in the old dog yet

Aug 4, 2017 19:09:14 GMT Victor said:

Aug 4, 2017 17:05:23 GMT @catlady said:

Hi Victor - I think you have hit the nail on the head there because he has often referred to his childhood in this way. As you suggest, nothing he has earned or can own etc is going to compensate for a hole inside him that can't be filled. If this is true, it is sad for sure.

Thanks very much @catlady It all makes me think a bit about a few things too. You know, one one hand this sort of thing is something to be handled carefully, it's often dangerous to assume and to make conclusions about someone if you don't know them personally, in this case Francis. What you and I have been writing these two messages might easily come across as being armchair critics, armchair psychologists, or whatever. Well, let me tell you something about that...

No we are certainly not. As a matter of fact it has nothing to do with that. It simply has to do with this: Francis, with all he has and everything in the end only one thing: A human being like you and me and everyone everywhere. Well, when a human being shows any sorts of behaviors and behavioral patterns to others and especially when they do it in publicity, then in turn it will make other human beings he shows it to have their own thoughts and feelings about it and how his behaviors comes across to them. And not everyone is gonna keep their mouth shut, to the contrary, others will at some point point it out and name the behaviors. Simple as that. Yes, you and I don;t know Francis personally, yes we have not been in the situations he has been... but if he is showing behaviors like he has been then yea well, we can only go by what we see and hear from himself in interviews, concerts, videos, etc etc... and he comes across as a very bitter, grumpy, money hungry, sarcastic and negative personality on top of the things we mentioned in our message. What am I supposed to do ? Say he's the most fantastic person in the world when he is showing the opposite ? Don't think so. I am not going by a prejudgement, I am going by what I see and hear. And I dont like the personality he seems to be showing more and more one bit. And it pains me more then most people know to say that about a person that was my teenage and much later even hero. 

Yes I agree - my own last reply, for example, definitely seemed like I was acting like some psychologist. Which I am not  No-one can be expected to keep quiet and if Francis is going to keep being outspoken and contradictory, or deemed as outspoken and contradictory, that its inevitable that responses aren't going to change too much either.

But I think its possible to try and avoid re-cycling old negativity as I am sure you/most others would agree. So reacting to new news or interviews means maybe putting fresh perspectives relative to these, rather than dredging up the same thinking from previous occasions that mean yet more repetition. I am sure I am as much to blame for this as anyone else - its too easy to fall into the same trap I think.

Its possible to micro analyse most people, let alone Francis, when they under camera scrutiny and then come to various conclusions which may or may not be true.

I think many of us can relate to quite a few of the gestures and recognise them. I occasionally get over talkative and hand wavy, but then become conscious of what I am doing and how it may come across to the other person and attempt to tone it down. Nothing new in that for lots of people.

However I think there is something to be said that Francis takes this common type of behaviour onto another level where it seems a bit too contrived and too much of a deliberate actor on stage to be just an inbuilt foible. He is naturally mercurial by character of course, but I think this natural behaviour characteristic is amplified further by his acting up for the camera and interviewer.

I don't think he is on drugs in that interview however, despite the animation. He has proved without doubt those days are long behind him

Ritchie and Leon play a strange part in the proceedings there - too much of a pecking order happening maybe for them to contribute naturally, They seem a bit stifled as to if and when they should speak.

1) He might display erratic and rather annoying traits (and I don't see what is wrong at all with saying that or having that opinion) but he doesn't need a psychiatrist or suffer from any (unfortunate) mental health problem. Which is a good thing

2) He definitely doesn't need moral support, he quite clearly has perceived himself top of a pecking order for a long long time. Whatever one might think of that.

3) If Ritchie and Leon were there to be shown off, then the nature of the interview would (or should) have been structured differently. We may all see or interpret different things, but I don't think its a coincidence that some opinions converge on the thinking that they seemed a little wooden and surplus to requirements on the basis of the scant contribution they made and the fact that they would only speak when asked, rather than it be a natural flowing conversation. That might have broken up the impression of in your face 'Rossi syndrome', which would have given a semblance of balance and normality to the interview.

That's not to say R&L seemed unhappy, but Francis could have involved them to a greater degree rather than the usual 'me, me, me'. There are plenty of examples where ego does seem to play its part with Francis, and again I don't think its unduly unfair or unreasonable to point this out. Its hardly uncommon in the rock world after all.

4)I personally dislike the term 'brand' - its been used a lot as a descriptor over more recent years of Quo and rather resonates of the pretentious business speak I was tongue in cheek gently mocking a week or so back. But I would agree it does make sense that Ritchie and Leon would have been there as some subtle way of showcasing the new line up. Irrespective of the fact that I think the new line-up could and should be used to infinitely better purposes than they are....

5) I thought Francis conducted the interview not much differently to as if Rick had been there. Same distractive humour, multi facial expressions and random perceptions that veered between semi profound and trite. This high level of capriciousness rather detracts from some of the pertinent and more interesting observations and comments he does make and frustratingly can get lost amidst the rest of it.

6) Finally despite my own opinion, and the rather odd interview as it seemed, there is no doubting that the band members seem settled with each other and getting on together.  It further makes any hopes of surprises or sudden shock changes to the status quo highly unlikely. Alas.

In conclusion it remains the case of being resigned to, though not approving of, the same old. Its band/management 'business as usual' till whenever the end of the end finally does arrive.