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TubularBelle Group: Members Posts: 1487 Joined: April 2004 Posted: Aug. 30 2005, 05:03 Well I just received my copy of the 'Dark Star' magazine and what a disappointment. After waiting 27 months since the last one, everything in it is old! There is an old black and white photo on the cover of Tom Newman and Sisi Von Brunner, who?, from the 70's and you can't even see their faces, they printed a better photo taken at the same time in their last magazine! The first half of the magazine is an interview with Phil Newell who worked with Mike in the 70's and doesn't even associate with Mike anymore and the rest of it is old news. Why not release it 2 years ago then. Their are fan reviews of TB2003, how ridiculous, is that in case you will be inspired to run out and buy a copy, it was released 2 years ago! All the photos of Mike were from Tres Lunas and Maestro, no new stuff, and they are still calling the new album 'Quicksilver'. If they weren't going to wait until they had all this new exciting news and photos etc that has come out in the last month, then why did they wait so long to put this issue out. It's not as if they are going to release another issue in the next month is it!! The only up to date stuff in there is my personal advert on page 5   and a cute article about a rose called the Tubular Bells Rose.  And there is an interesting two page article on how fans can help with PR for the new album, which I will include here. 1. ADVANCE NOTICE Send an advance notification to the regional daily newspapers that the album is coming out and supply them with our Mike Oldfield fact sheet (from the website). This should be done 14 days in advance of release and addressed to the Entertainment/Music Correspondent. This increases the chances that a reviewer will look out for it or go and seek it. 2. ADVANCE ORDER Make an advance order in HMV stores - this may help to create an initial sales impact that gives the album a lift in the charts. Do this one week in advance of release. By concentrating on HMV we boost the album's placing in it's sales charts and it's visibility. 3. REVIEW With your local newspapers, either, a) Send our review of the album to your local newspaper 14 days in advance (available from our website). Most weekly papers go to press on Wednesday and appear Thursday so ensure the review arrives for Tuesday at the latest. Address it to the features editor. Local newspapers will probably not get advance copies so this will be gold dust to them. They can run the review a few days before the album is on sale. Or (b) Write to the letters pages of your local newspapers at the time the new album is released. Letters must be short, no more than 100 words. Longer ones are often ignored or shortened by the editor. Most local papers are now online. For both of these, a cover scan of the album or new image of Mike will help. Please remember to register with us if you are contacting a specific newspaper, as if a single newspaper does get more than one advance review they will smell a campaign and be much less likely to print your contribution. Dark Star Website : www.mikeoldfield.org -------------- I hate getting up early. I didn't even realise there were two 6 o'clocks in one day! Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Aug. 30 2005, 05:29 I agree. I took out a subscription some time ago just out of curiosity, but on the basis of what I've seen so far it isn't worth having, and I won't be renewing it. Mind you, I still have another two issues due; at this rate my sub will last for several years yet!! Back to top

TubularBelle Group: Members Posts: 1487 Joined: April 2004 Posted: Aug. 30 2005, 06:59 Also I found a few little bits from a two year old (I think?) interview that I thought was interesting. Interviewer - I've seen a poll on a website about MO, which was very interesting - fans voted for the best album, best vocal song, best instrumental, but also worst song and instrumental and there was a statistic about the average MO fan. Are you interested in this kind of feedback? Mike - I know that there are an unbelievable amount of websites devoted to my work, seems to be hundreds of them (Is this an exaggeration?) and a lot of them seem to focus on the very very early period and they're very interested in something I did when I was 23 when I was drunk, you know, some silly song, they'd be interested in that. In one way it's nice, but in another way I think they should not be so focused on me and what I do and what I did many years ago. Some of them love this album I did called Amarok, which is a crazy instrumental album, some of them love that, but it was probably the worst ever commercially - it didn't sell very well at all. The record company wanted me to call that Tubular Bells II. If I'd have called it that it would have sold a couple of million, so it's just about the title isn't it - it's crazy. It's a very good album. Ommadawn is a beautiful piece of music. Interviewer - Ommadawn was the big winner. And for me, surprisingly The Songs of Distant Earth made it up to number 3. Why surprisingly, how rude! Mike - Well, that's also a very nice album, a lovely album - yes. I enjoyed that. I still like to listen to that. Interviewer - Also of interest is the average fan profile. The average fan is 36, and a fan for an average of 20 years. It seems you have very very loyal fans who will get older together with you. Are you pleased about your wide and loyal fan base? Mike - Yes, of course - naturally, It's lovely, very very nice. The only thing I don't like is they take it all too seriously. At the end of the day it's just music, you don't have to go crazy because you didn't like this guitar note or that vocal sound, or something - you don't have to go out of your mind. Me thinks he reads the posts in this forum more than we think. -------------- I hate getting up early. I didn't even realise there were two 6 o'clocks in one day! Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: Aug. 30 2005, 07:04 Got mine yesterday,and I enjoyed that article "Mother Stoke or Genius". The interview with Mike was nice,but it was something from 2 years ago(! and dunno if some things commented on that(like concert issues) have changed on Mike's mind(do hope so...) Tracy - I saw your ad,thought it was you   -------------- "But it's always the outsider, the black sheep, that becomes the blockbuster." - Mike Oldfield, 2014 "I remember feeling that I'd been judged unfairly and that I was going to prove them wrong." - Peter Davison, 2011 Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Aug. 30 2005, 13:46 Who cares if Amarok was his worst commercially it's still utterly sublime. It'll stand the test of time miles better than most of his more commercial works. Back to top

hiawatha Group: Members Posts: 2391 Joined: Mar. 2004 Posted: Aug. 30 2005, 18:15 If there were no Internet, I'd probably subscribe to "Dark Star", as there would be no other way to get information that I know of. However, if not for the Internet, I'd never have heard of "Dark Star", and I would have assumed that the only CD he came out with after "Earth Moving"  was "TB2". -------------- "In the land of the Dacotahs, Where the Falls of Minnehaha Flash and gleam among the oak-trees, Laugh and leap into the valley." - Song of Hiawatha Back to top

bonkers Group: Members Posts: 45 Joined: Dec. 2004 Posted: Aug. 30 2005, 18:58 god bless the internet   Back to top

Korgscrew Group: Super Admins Posts: 3511 Joined: Dec. 1999 Posted: Aug. 30 2005, 20:32 That's right, after you're finished with Mike, turn on the other fans. If you want my opinion then no, it wasn't the best issue of Dark Star ever, but those guys are in a damned hard position. So what if Phil Newell isn't current? The feature offered some great insight into a period of Mike's work which many regard as his best. Fan reviews have always been a feature of the magazine, and if you think they're so ridiculous, go and write your own for them. That applies to the whole thing - if you want it to get better, go and help them. They will gladly accept your articles, reviews and interviews. Whinging doesn't help - it discourages, and really, it's amazing that the guys there are still running the magazine and website at all. Theirs is a very hard job, and they're not a commercial operation - they don't get paid for it (the subscription just covers running costs), and don't receive any support from Mike whatsoever. Seems like they don't have much support from their fellow fans these days either. Back to top

TubularBelle Group: Members Posts: 1487 Joined: April 2004 Posted: Aug. 31 2005, 00:31 My main complaint Korgscrew was waiting 27 months for a magazine that could have come out 2 years ago and not been any different. I didn't say it was shit, I said it was disappointing. You have to admit the timing is ridiculous, why now when there is nothing in there even about the new album. If they had to wait until a new album was released in order to have anything to write about, that I would understand. But to wait 27 months and then have only old stuff in it?. That interview took up HALF the magazine and it was Part 2 of an interview that Part 1 came out 27 months ago, that's a long time to make people wait. I support the mag, why would anyway pay over $50 Australian to wait 2 1/2 years to get what they paid for. I have every mag, plus the highlights and I use to write and contribute. The fan reviews were great, the best part and sole purpose of the mag IMHO is to connect the fans, but of an album that was released two years ago!!! even the fans who wrote those reviews would have been disappointed. I'm really sorry Korgscrew, I realise what a thankless job you people do, but I don't think I was being too harsh. And I spent over an hour repeating the PR request to help with the cause and part of the interview, or shouldn't I have done that either?. It was certainly not my objective to only focus on the negative and I tried to even it out by repeating here what I thought was good and interesting about the mag. I didn't write out every word of what I didn't like did I? Do you want me to remove the first paragraph?, I don't mind. I'm sorry, my only REAL complaint was about the TIMING, not the CONTENT, and I stand by that. P.S.- Tati, it was 'Another Stroke of Genius', type is a bit tricky to read. I have had 6 responses to my ad so far including one from Peter Evans! -------------- I hate getting up early. I didn't even realise there were two 6 o'clocks in one day! Back to top

bee Group: Members Posts: 1227 Joined: Jan. 2004 Posted: Aug. 31 2005, 06:45 [quote=TubularBelle,Aug. 31 2005, 05:31].[/quote] Quote even the fans who wrote those reviews would have been disappointed Well I wasn't disappointed with mine. I was delighted actually coz I had forgotten I'd written it! And I still feel the same about Tubular Bells 2003! I do agree that it was a long wait for Dark Star but I will continue to subscribe. It must take a lot of time to get stuff sorted to make an issue. Big pat on the back to those that put it all together!! There's always something interesting to read. I'm afraid the internet, brilliant though it is, has made us all rather dissatisfied with life. It's hard not to get carried away with the speed of everything. Having said that though, I couldn't survive without this forum (so informative and often very amusing)  ~ but I'll always look forward to reading things from paper copy. I'm just a bit old fashioned. And hopefully the next issue will be here sooner. In the meantime, just relax... and wait for Light and Shade...not long now....ahhh -------------- ....second to the right and straight on till morning.... You heard me before Yet you hear me again Then I die Till I call me again Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Aug. 31 2005, 06:46 Quote (Korgscrew @ Aug. 31 2005, 01:32) if you want it to get better, go and help them. They will gladly accept your articles, reviews and interviews. Whinging doesn't help - it discourages, and really, it's amazing that the guys there are still running the magazine and website at all. Theirs is a very hard job, and they're not a commercial operation - they don't get paid for it (the subscription just covers running costs), and don't receive any support from Mike whatsoever. Seems like they don't have much support from their fellow fans these days either. There's more to this than meets the eye in this thread, Richard. I've been supporting Dylan (and other) magazines for years by writing a substantial number of articles, so I do understand the position of people doing things for love, without being paid, and I'm certainly not unappreciative of it. I had a great deal of difficulty getting any response at all from anyone at Dark Star after I'd ordered a back copy, and some other materials, and paid for my subscription. True, after many emails and several weeks I did eventually get a reply (and there was a good reason for the delay which I accepted). So eventually I did receive what I'd ordered - but despite my original intentions, by then I'd lost most of my enthusiasm for offering some articles because the magazine didn't really seem like a going concern, to be honest. You're absolutely right that whinging won't help, but Tracy wasn't whinging and neither am I. Two years between issues is genuine grounds for misgivings about continuing to support a magazine that seems to be losing its way, no matter how well-meaning the guys are who are doing it - and actually I thought Tracy was doing a good, supportive job by passing on some of the information in her post despite her disappointment with the magazine itself. As for me - well, I still haven't ruled out the idea of offering articles (particularly on Music VR) to support the magazine, but that two year gap between issues is really quite discouraging. And yes, I know - if no one takes up the ball and runs with it, then the game can't get better; but you do have to believe that the game is still in progress. Back to top

TubularBelle Group: Members Posts: 1487 Joined: April 2004 Posted: Aug. 31 2005, 07:13 Quote (bee @ Aug. 31 2005, 06:45) Quote (TubularBelle @ Aug. 31 2005, 05:31) . Quote even the fans who wrote those reviews would have been disappointed Well I wasn't disappointed with mine. I was delighted actually coz I had forgotten I'd written it! And I still feel the same about Tubular Bells 2003! Bee, I was not refering to the review itself being disappointing, I said it is the highlight for me personally reading about other fans input. I was refering to the lateness of it being published as it would not have benefitted anyone who wanted to read a review before deciding whether or not to purchase the item, that is after all the whole purpose of reviews. Thankyou Alan for your support and understanding. I support Dark Star and I will continue to support Dark Star. -------------- I hate getting up early. I didn't even realise there were two 6 o'clocks in one day! Back to top

bee Group: Members Posts: 1227 Joined: Jan. 2004 Posted: Aug. 31 2005, 09:04 Ofcourse I understood what you meant about the issue being late, TubularBelle, but I had to say that because I really didn't feel disappointed, at all. You can write & read reviews of albums (and indeed buy them) at any  time regardless of when the music was released. Take a look at Sir Mustapha's website. All sorts there. As dedicated fans, all those that subscribe to Dark Star would probably buy the album anyway, reviews or not. bee -------------- ....second to the right and straight on till morning.... You heard me before Yet you hear me again Then I die Till I call me again Back to top

Korgscrew Group: Super Admins Posts: 3511 Joined: Dec. 1999 Posted: Aug. 31 2005, 11:10 Well, I'm sorry if I misinterpreted the intentions of this thread. It just feels a little like people here are out to bash everything in sight at the moment. It's not fun to have to read it all, and that's why I reacted as I did. There is indeed more to everything than meets the eye. I worked alongside the Dark Star guys for a while (and technically speaking still do), so I know the problems. I also know there are problems beyond those on the surface, and really, it's a rather sad state of affairs. I think they would do better if they communicated their message themselves - probably if they explained the reason for their sluggishness, people would have a little more sympathy. In fact, it couldn't all have been published two years ago, because I know that the David Humphrey interview was done only recently, as they got the contact via us. Not much consolation, perhaps, and I agree that it might have been better for them to look at an alternative to waiting so long to publish the older material, but really, I'm just glad to see them still going. Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Aug. 31 2005, 12:13 Quote (Korgscrew @ Aug. 31 2005, 16:10) It just feels a little like people here are out to bash everything in sight at the moment. It's not fun to have to read it all, and that's why I reacted as I did. I feel very much the same way myself (having put up dozens of posts trying to present a positive view of Mike's new music against a general background of dismissiveness) and in hindsight I can see I chose a bad moment to make that rather negative comment at the start of this thread. I'm very sorry if that contributed to your feeling of disenchantment. Quote I worked alongside the Dark Star guys for a while (and technically speaking still do), so I know the problems. I also know there are problems beyond those on the surface, and really, it's a rather sad state of affairs. Even without knowing any details, it makes a big difference to me to know this, and it changes my attitude quite a lot. I'm going to be away for a fortnight, but when I get back I'll make a serious attempt to write something substantial to offer them for the next issue. So maybe this thread has served a useful purpose after all, especially if it galvanises people other than myself into action? Back to top

Inkanta Group: Admins Posts: 1453 Joined: Feb. 2000 Posted: Aug. 31 2005, 15:51 Well, I can't wait to get back home in another week to read the issue that awaits me. Bee, looking forward to your piece, and everyone else's! I used to work in the serials department at a university library, and this is not the only mag in the history of publishing to have experienced a bit of a time delay, not even 27 months. A bright, good spirit is shining through, though, one of help,  contribution, and community. I'm with all of you who hope to contribute to the future issues! Peace -------------- "No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris." Back to top

olracUK Group: Members Posts: 1683 Joined: June 2003 Posted: Aug. 31 2005, 17:00 To try and tie a few similar threads together, we can begin to see why the record companies (Warner and Universal/Mercury) choose Germany to make the big splashes and pre-releases. Alex and others have the German language fanzine Hiawatha out at far more regular intervals. And I have to say it's bigger and glossier (and my Wife tells me size does count   ) I had thought Darkstar was gone, the site updated so infrequently. Even Mr Evans selling off his collection of stuff. So, I am grateful they are back, and even more thankful of the work they have done in the past. But the forum here, and the Yahoo groups and many other sites give us much more instant access and discussion space. Which has it's own drawbacks in the range of views and personalities present, leading as in most families to the occasional misunderstanding and squabbles. So, as Korg said, well done for the hard work, shame about the timing and lack of communication inbetween. Hopefully this thread in itself will re-invigorate the Magazine, and others to help support it. -------------- The answer is 42 - but what is the question? Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Aug. 31 2005, 17:20 I guess the problem with Dark Star and indeed any fanzine in this day and age of the internet is that it needs to be able to provide something the internet can't, and I'm not sure what that is really. I suspect all fanzines for all artists are under increasing pressure form the internet to justify the existance of themselves seeing as the majority of people are now online. I suppose the things is with an artist like Mike, who is certainly less than hands on when it comes to staying in contact with his fans and doesn't tour much if at all these days, is that the fans just have to entertain themselves (ohh err misses) and I suppose they will feel at somepoint that they've done enough with out any input from the artist Back to top

TubularBelle Group: Members Posts: 1487 Joined: April 2004 Posted: Sep. 03 2005, 04:49 Just sent the review of Light and Shade (from Dark Star) with pictures and album cover off to 'Rip it Up', a South Australian Music magazine. Have you sent one off to your local mag yet? -------------- I hate getting up early. I didn't even realise there were two 6 o'clocks in one day! Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Sep. 03 2005, 05:20 How have you heard the whole album? Whats it like? Back to top

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