JUNE PERSONAL STATEMENT ABOUT THE DANSE SOCIETY AND ME

Transcription

1 JUNE PERSONAL STATEMENT ABOUT THE DANSE SOCIETY AND ME Please sit down with a nice cup of tea because this is a bit long here since it's a one off :) I feel, after repeated ridiculous attempts to defame my reputation I should perhaps say a few words, supported by written evidence, since the amount of bullshit I keep reading here and there seems to persist (even after 6 months) from a few people that obviously haven't got better things to do :) I just want to state I can clearly separate lies from opinion, opinion is fine, lies are not! The reason why I am writing this is because I can see that my compassionate nature is being mistaken with being permissive of, or worse approving of such behaviour, and because the good will of a few people are being abused by such liars, it's time to put things clear in the sunshine. I have been waiting for 6 months minding my own business, working on our new songs and line up and ignoring the bullies. After 6 months I still read bullshit, and a few people in good will seem to believe it despite no evidence whatsoever, so maybe it's time to say something. If there wasn't persistency I would simply keep on ignoring it and this note wouldn't be here. REWIND: I remember the first time I listened to The Danse Society was when I saw 2000 light years from home on the small black and white television that was in my parent's kitchen, in I joined the band 3 years ago because I have always loved their music and I am still here because I don't love it any less.

2 I am interested in making music, drama is not on my priority list. In three years I have done all my best, from bringing a bag of peanuts and t-shirts to the fans :), to performing during illness. I take comments and suggestions seriously, I reject insults as they don't consist in any form of constructive communication. I have loved each member of our team and refused to work with a few bullying ones that were unable to behave in the presence of a woman and yes, if this means I am a diva, I am. Call it whatever you like, I put all of myself into my job and I am expecting the same back. I don't read gossip magazines, I don't join any campaigns that are not related to music or animal rights or human rights or dealing with environmental issues. My spare time is better spent with my Man, my pets, my Bands and my Friends. My relationship with Paul Nash started as purely accidental, certainly it wasn't planned, but it has nothing to do with the band. Within the band we maintain a purely professional relationship, and yes we are old enough and mature enough to do that. However, what concerns my life outside the recording studio and the stage is my own business and nobody has the right to try to stick their nose in it. (You might think this is obvious but trust me, there seems to be 50 something groupies spreading thousands of s inventing lies about our private lives for the sake of attention, so it's not so obvious). The truth is I would be in the band as long as the majority wanted me there, The Danse Society has always been a democracy, in fact that is the reason why I am still fronting The Danse Society despite a few isolated sexist individuals or envious groupies or antisocial ex band members. Apart from the fact that there's tons of fabulous bands that include couples (See Cauda Pavonis we recently performed with), I don't have problems in the fact that for some people this might sound strange that two people in love might be in the same band, but using it as an excuse to defame it sounds rather childish. Like in every band, in three years there have been ups and downs, but the music has always kept us going, because that is

3 what really counts, together with amazing team work between Paul, David and I, which meant dealing with all the media, artwork, recordings, photography, video, merchandising, and design. I have heard bullshit about how all the songs and videos were wanted only by me as if I was manipulating the bands image and music, in fact all songs and videos were only released and published after every one of the band members approved in writing and were happy. If there are really people believing I was pointing a gun to the heads of the rest of the band or that they are so stupid not to have a voice then this gets even more comical. ABOUT STEVE RAWLINGS: One thing I want to say about Steve Rawlings, apart from this statement here <a> 435&set=a &type =1&theater</a> <a> </a> is that I don't know him and I won't therefore engage in comments on him as a person, nor do I believe what people say about him because I had the chance in these three years to state what TWO FACED LIARS were around him... and I began wondering a while ago if THAT is the reason why he hasn't been back, frankly at this point. I have read people calling him a lazy fucker, saying he can't hold a single note, constantly comparing him to me to slag him off... the same people who then begged him to come back after three years and calling him 'mighty' in public :) to slag me off. Such a reversed logic in the repeating patterns :) My Grandma always told me to beware of people who talk bad behind others backs because they do that to you too, and that's why I prefer to talk to the faces of the ones I find rather two faced, and cut any connection afterwards. It's time wasted and life is too short to waste it with such elements. As a singer and frontman, Steve has never been a Pavarotti but then neither was Ian Curtis but I love them both :) I always liked his style and that's the reason why I brought to The Danse Society what my heart has for it, rather than trying to copy him.

4 Despite some horrid and heartless and tasteless comments I have found below some of their old videos on youtube, I stay of the opinion he has done a fantastic job most of the time, he had his ups and downs like everybody else. Before some people raise themselves as judges perhaps they should remember that before being musicians we are human beings. So I can't tell you why he resigned but I can see a few reasons that might have caused that, from my experience. CHANGE OF SKIN It was an album totally worked around instrumental tracks created for Steve. I did my best to blend in the scores, not easy and not perfect but certainly very genuine (I can guarantee that). I am glad many people liked it, we received a very good response. Feeling sorry for the few ones who didn't like it but hey, trust me it's not easy to wear a dress created for somebody else, as much as it's impossible to please everyone. Although I can honestly say that now, a few years later, if I were to do it again I think I could have done a better job, but then I think most artists think that, looking back :) SCAREY TALES Now that was co-written and you can tell. Scarey Tales is made of pure LOVE. not talking about the love in fairy tales or girly films... talking about unleashed souls. In Scarey Tales everything was gathered... the novel, the artworks, the songs. Each song is a chapter of a history, beautifully crafted. Did you know that Paul and I wrote the poem and set up the whole book? Now you do. Oh I know... couples in bands can be a real problem, can't they? :) Even more glad that the response has been more positive and we promise our third album since the reformation will be even better! OUR FIRST GIG: Wave Gothik Treffen. It was hard. It was our first gig all together and the first gig after a long time for the boys to perform together. After a long car journey, we were wonderfully welcomed by the staff at WGT who arranged things beautifully. The sound on stage unfortunately didn't do much justice. We had

5 the keyboards very low and the guitars were loud. If you remove partially or totally the keyboards from a band like The Danse Society (think David Whitaker and Lyndon Scarfe), there you go, you've got a result like a car driven on three wheels. Keyboards are even more important than vocals, in my opinion in The Danse Society, because they SPEAK. Whether you have Dave or Lyndon, you have MAGIC, you have SPOKEN NOTES and I am not afraid to say it. We released a new version of Come Inside for Italian film St@lker, directed by Luca Tornatore. I always thought Come Inside (original version) was pure perfection. I think the same about the new version now. Both Lyndon and Dave are pure genius. They are the evidence that you can sing a song in more languages without losing a molecule of magic. CURRENT SITUATION: there has been a change of line up. drums and bass have left the boat in the middle of an arranged tour, they resigned in writing and with no notice (very professional and respectful towards the public and the team members... NOT) and despite the writings to the contrary the resignation is even on his own facebook wall! I wish it happened in a nice way but unfortunately it didn't and I don't now why, neither Paul or Dave know and they both state this doesn't make sense. If I had resigned in the same way, the mass would have blamed my hormones and called me diva. When a bloke does it, somehow everything becomes "excusable". Going back to the subject of the reason why he left, written evidence suggest nothing, since the day before rehearsals between the Bristol gig and the London gig, I was chatting with the drummer happily and we were making plans of new releases. he was happy, I was happy. we all were happy. What happened afterwards is that rehearsals were missed and I have got an insulting saying nasty things to me and that he was resigning with the bassist. Usually if someone is unhappy he doesn't agree to participate in a tour, in my opinion. If you think there's another explanation, please feel free to comment below. I accept debate but I won't accept any further bullying or lies.

6 Whilst I don't have problems in people changing their mind and wanting to take a different route, I might have a slight disagreement when there is commitment, money and work involving a team, where anybody with a minimum percentage of honesty either would have given notice or discuss the problems with the band (by band I mean the 4 elements that put the money in the initial pot that made the whole thing happen in the last three years. There was and there is a company binding). Usually honest people only resign without notice if there's a health issue or an accident. I myself had surgery last year and was very unwell for most of it, and whoever has followed me for years can tell I wasn't up to my best standards, but I didn't cancel a single date with Spear of Destiny. This doesn't make me a saint, I am simply someone who cares about the team. The other written evidence of the possible reason for resignation was that the drummer refused to share the van with the support band Everyone an Army on the tour. Whilst I don't see any problem in sharing a car with anyone (I bought a nice Prius to give as many lifts as I can :) ), seeing myself stamped as diva after this really puts a smile on my face. However, the keyboard player confirms that the "issue" was sorted since the drummer was going in his car and I would have had the "dirty job" to share the car with the support band :) TBH I love the guys, they are lovely. Now I don't have problems in what ex band members or ex groupies do, the same with ex partners. I am all happy for them to be well and have fun. However I am not going to have my reputation ruined if they have nothing better to do than try to attack me (and fail miserably). If somebody takes pleasure in begging people to write bad things about me and good things about them, by all means it's not my problem because every action has got a consequence (the bad things about me have got a cost, the good things about them are clearly forced and in result rather pathetic). I am used to being bullied from school... such things really don't bother me because as I said I am interested in making music, in fact I am very happy to have such drama and attention seekers away from us now. Spending 6 months spreading false information about our

7 families to defame us is illegal and childish. Sticking to us like parasites is rather pathetic, just like attempting to keep the music instruments that I lent in friendship before this nonsense (remember, all this is supported by written evidence). This is my one and only statement. I don't spend my day writing lies about other people, I have got a life to enjoy here and tons of new songs to write, I wish the same was true for them too. Last but not least, the reason why I am tagging each one of you is that I do not want to be associated to any ex band member ever. I do not attack them but they keep on attacking me. If you are kind enough to support The Danse Society, please do it without any negative and unnecessary drama attached. This is not a soap opera, it is a band that writes beautiful genuine music and deserves respect. ps: to anyone who likes to talk bullshit, it's your own choice of course, but to me you are a bunch of sad liars behaving like old farts. I still have compassion but don't piss on my doorstep! pps: if in a band, work with the band, if you are only interested in yourself, go solo. ppps: thanks for reading this long sermon. If you managed to get here, I appreciate your dedication and salute you :D x Maethelyiah PS: To leave a comment and interact, please click on