BadfingerBarb Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 Anyone have any guesses at to what Eric's unhappy about regarding the Walk Down Abbey Road tour? I've thought about this quite a bit and based on what little he has said, I can only think of two things. One, originally each artist was to perform five of their own songs. This got shortened to two songs in order to perform more Beatles' covers. Maybe Eric is unhappy about this. I, personally, would rather hear Eric do more of his own songs than Beatles' covers but at the same time I'd rather hear him do "No Reply" over "Hungry Eyes" again. Another possibilty is the scheduling between him and Todd. There is a lot of confusion as to which shows Eric was set to play and which would have Todd and if any would have both. I know it's futile to sit around and speculate, but it is getting down to the wire and I'm on pins and needles trying to reckon it all out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 I'm sure if Eric wants us to know his reasons he will inform us. Gemini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadfingerBarb Posted June 27, 2002 Author Share Posted June 27, 2002 I'm trying to put this as tactfully as possible as it is not my intent to offend anyone. There is definitely an attitude by some that just because they are a fan of Eric Carmen's he can do no wrong. I find this blind allegiance some display to Carmen more than a little odd. I'm a big fan of the guy's music, but I still realize he's a normal person with the same responsibilities as everyone else. He may have a very good reason for wanting to back out of this tour. There are a lot of us who have made travel plans and bought tickets under the premise of seeing Eric Carmen. If he does back out, he most definitely owes these people an explanation and it sure as Hell better be a good one. Look at it from a different perspective. If you and your cousin BillyBob committed to an activity; and you invested xx amount of money, got off work, made travel plans, then at the last minute BillyBob backed out leaving you high and dry, would you not expect an explanation from him? A very good explanation? Eric Carmen isn't any different from your cousin, BillyBob. Again, I hope I haven't offended anyone, but come on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hungryeyes Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 I also have concert tickets, airline tickets, hotel, and time off from work to see Eric. I certainly don't have money to throw away, and I will feel bad if this tour falls apart. I hope he sees how many faithful fans are out there. I guess this is a part of being a faithful fan, we take chances, no matter what happens. I am waiting patiently for what I hope will be some good news, til then, I am just hangin' in there.Gina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulguitar Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 I saw Eric once around 1975 or so. I believe it was when his first solo album was out and he played the Tower Theatre outside Philly. I'm a fulltime musician and am usually working when he has come around since then. I really wanted to see him with Ringo but couldn't work it out. I got tickets to the 7/24 Keswick show because it was on a Wed. night and I had off. I'm taking, along with my wife, two friends who have birthdays in June. That's over $200 for the tickets. We have real good seats, too. I saw last year's Abbey Road tour and it wasn't the tightest show I ever saw but it was cool to see all those people on the same stage. I did enjoy the part of the show where Todd, Ann Wilson, David Pack, etc. played their own songs much better than the Beatles stuff although there were some highpoints in the second set, too. To sum up, I don't know Eric's reasons for considering not doing this show, but I would be more than disappointed if he backs out. There better be more to it than the music isn't tight,etc. Hopefully, he can put up with it for a month whether he really wants to or not. Many, many people have spent a lot of money to travel all sorts of distances to make this work for them. I hope he considers this when he makes his decision. For me, hearing GATW once live will make up for the last 27 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darlene Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 My only question is: If Eric has pulled out of thetour, for now, and Todd Rundgren says he isn't playing at The Keswick nor some of the venues marked on this site with an asterisk, then WHO isgoing to play? Will the venues be cancelled, and the people who had travel arrangements, etc. canat least get a refund on their tickets?--Darlene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HubbyOfEricFan Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 Well said BadfingerBarb. I'm not particularly a big fan of EC, but my wife is and we bought tickets to a show hundreds of miles away. And even she is getting pretty pissed off. Some of these fans are just so blind to accept anything that Eric says. He has a responsibility to his fans. He does owe us an explanation IF he does indeed cancel. I'm still holding out hope that he will perform at all of the shows that Bernie listed on his site, even if it DOES have Todd performing too. Why can't they both perform together?? If it is indeed the promoters who are saying they can't play together and that Eric can only play when Todd isn't and Todd can only play where Hall and Oats are NOT, then I really don't blame Eric. Who would want to play one night, sit out for a couple, then play a couple, then sit out a couple, then play again?! What's Eric going to do? Travel with the band but not play? Go back home in-between? I just doesn't make sense. However, if it's simply that Eric doesn't want to perform with Todd, then the almighty Eric is at fault after committing to this tour in the first place. I also place part of the blame on Bernie for getting us all excited and posting the dates with links to each venue on how to get tickets. In short, we should wait and see what happens, though time is running out. If it is indeed the promoters fault, then they should refund our money! I hope someone will look into the legality of this. If it's Eric's ego, or whatever, then he owes us an explanation, and those people out of money should rethink being fans of this guy, who has done this before. As someone else said, there seems to be a pattern here of his cancelling. I just wonder about all these blind fans out there who would probably give up their first born to see him, then if he cancelled, would forgive him.Thanks for hearing me out. I'm just a hubby of a die-hard fan who doesn't want to speak out, but I will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlesteve Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 Todd Rundgrens site has a forum for fan reviews of his concerts, which currently include him solo and with Abbey Road. The Abbey Road reviews are quite mixed, but most seem to cite problems with sound system and harmonies. I'm just speculating but take Eric's message along with the below fan review and it might provide a clue as to what's amiss. Whether it's performance quality, promotor issues, etc. perhaps the reason that people are left hanging at the moment is that at the risk of having less notice, Eric is trying to resolve the issue on our mutual behalfs rather than throw in the towel.-Seattle Steve-Review of Abbey Road Tributeby Lawrence Sweet6/25/2002Dear Readers and TR Fans, I wish I could join in a lovefest (as I generally do when TR is involved) about the show in San Diego on June 24th, but I'm afraid this missive is a bit more critical than I wanted to write. It is, after all, only rock and roll, but the polish and musicianship that I experienced at last year's Abbey Road tribute (on TR's birthday, in San Diego) just wasn't present in last night's show. The standard the musicians set for themselves in 2001 hasn't been met yet in 2002. Highlights: --the unheralded and largely unknown members of this band (Godfrey Townsend, John Beck, and the drummer whose name wasn't mentioned enough!). All three musicians anchored the songs solidly when the stars didn't. --Mark Farner. Interesting rendition of "Taxman", crowd pleasin' "I'm Your Captain", complete with wah-wah pedal. A definite asset to the team. --Chris Cross. "Sailing" and "Ride Like The Wind" well done, true to the vinyl arrangements, and with no skips or pops (musically, either). "For No One" nicely performed and vocalized. Good harmonies. The scouts did well adding him to the roster also. Lowlights: --the lack of Pack (David), especially in the vocal department (though his guitar finesse was excellent also). This show suffers, certainly in comparison to last year, from a lack of audible, consistent multi-part harmonies that are integral to the arrangements of the Beatles' songs. Pack's contribution to that important element is obvious now, as was... --Ann Wilson (by not being here). There is no comparable vocal versatility in this year's lineup; the background vocal support is noticeably hollow without her. The sparkle and breadth from a strong female performer that helped to balance the testosterone in last year's band is missing (especially during the Cream songs, which need some serious editing). Ringo took advantage of this same factor by including Sheila E. in the All-Stars lineup last year, and I'm sure it wasn't just because Carl Palmer wasn't available. --Jack Bruce *reading* the lyrics to "Eleanor Rigby" while the back-up band groaned on in the back under the weight of the vocal performance delivered upfront. The audience members around me knew all the words....why didn't the performer? --the "let's all sit on stools with acoustic guitars and generally massacre Beatles songs like the middle-aged hoi polloi do on the weekends in the garage" segment after the intermission. (Or as Todd remarked, "Here's another one we don't know.") Well, gee, I've had fun attending impromptu pakololo-laced musical sessions with the buddies, guffawing at the lack of musical rigor with a hoist of a cold Corona......but I've never paid 60 to 125 bucks to do so. (Unless it was a rare imported beer, of course.) I found the lack of professionalism (and preparation) in this segment to be painful, and bordered on insult. It didn't end soon enough for me. --frequent sound problems, perhaps uncontrollable by the musicians themselves. PA failures, 60 cycle hum, mic outages galore. The most uneven sound reinforcement at this venue I've ever encountered. Closing argument and summation: If you saw this show last year, you know the drill. The individual performers largely do their own material (with a sprinkling of Beatles songs) in the first half, followed by the acoustic abomination and mercifully electrified reanimation of the Beatles' music in the second half. TR was energetic, carried himself well vocally, and being center stage on this outing at least, brought a welcome focal point to the proceedings for the Faithful fan. (And, his rendition of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on Clapton's old SG is still killer.) Nonetheless, those looking for great performances and the pixie-dust factor of last year's lineup may find something lacking. If it's just a case of opening night jitters (save the two Hawaii shows), it will only get better. If not, it's gonna be a long summer for the Dung Beatles....and their fans. Peace and health to all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggiesjc Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 Thanks for the insight, Seattle Steve. That tells us quite a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Benfer Posted June 28, 2002 Share Posted June 28, 2002 I wasn't going to say much about all of this, but after HubbyOfEricFan's post, I feel necessary to just say a few words. First: Why do you think Eric has a responsibility to his fans? The fact of the matter is, he doesn't know most of us and we don't know him. I know I don't. I love his music. That's all I really know. So I certainly can't speculate or judge any action he elects to take in any matter. Will I be dissapointed if I don't get to hear him play? Certainly, but I still hope to enjoy the show. Second: You blame Bernie? You are kidding I hope. If you're not, that is one of the most absurd things I ever heard. It is his inside information that allowed some of us to get some pretty good seats for these shows. I'm not even gonna go on. I hope things work out, but if they don't, I'll just keep on hoping that I get to see Eric perform again someday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlesteve Posted June 28, 2002 Share Posted June 28, 2002 Bernie has proven over the years that his information is clearly the best available at the time he posts. He does a great job of balancing "breaking news" with getting even more info. He has a direct and unfiltered pipeline to a straight shooting Eric.There is no better or more current information to the public on Eric Carmen than Bernie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted June 28, 2002 Share Posted June 28, 2002 I blame Bernie, too! Wait, I mean...! Seriously, though...I am still hoping (praying) that the five pairs of tickets I bought get used! I have to admit, I'm having a really hard time understanding Ticketmaster's policies. If this thing turns out BAD, then why can't we get refunds for the shows which originally listed Eric and then switched to Todd? The thing that I hate most is that my money is already in the promoter's pockets! If Eric was never announced as part of the tour, it would surely still be in mine! --Bernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted June 28, 2002 Share Posted June 28, 2002 Hmmm...I just saw on Ticketmaster that the Brewster, NY show has just been cancelled, so I guess I only have tickets to four shows now --Bernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadfingerBarb Posted June 28, 2002 Author Share Posted June 28, 2002 Bernie, Not only have you shown you have a Hell of a sense of humour, you've shown that you're one cool dude! I tip my hat to you. Any idea when we will get the word on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted June 28, 2002 Share Posted June 28, 2002 Bernie: Ignore the criticism being leveled by some. You are doing an absolutely fantastic job running this website. Thank you for a job well done, and please keep up the good work!!! Art in Utah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam Posted June 28, 2002 Share Posted June 28, 2002 Bernie, don't listen to the negative talk. You're not to blame for anything. True fans are still behind you and Eric. If the tour does not go on or Eric backs out I'm sure his reasons are legit. Sure I'm gonna feel a bit bad, not about the money on tickets and so forth but on not seeing my favorite singer/songwriter perform. Bernie, keep up the great job your doing for us...and Eric, I hope you liked Maui, too bad I wasn't there to show you around, ha ha, it use to be my home. A fan for life, Sam L. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuliaD Posted June 28, 2002 Share Posted June 28, 2002 I'm trying to put this as tactfully as possible as it is not my intent to offend anyone. There is definitely an attitude by some that just because they are a fan of Eric Carmen's he can do no wrong. I find this blind allegiance some display to Carmen more than a little odd. I'm a big fan of the guy's music, but I still realize he's a normal person with the same responsibilities as everyone else. He may have a very good reason for wanting to back out of this tour. There are a lot of us who have made travel plans and bought tickets under the premise of seeing Eric Carmen. If he does back out, he most definitely owes these people an explanation and it sure as Hell better be a good one. Look at it from a different perspective. If you and your cousin BillyBob committed to an activity; and you invested xx amount of money, got off work, made travel plans, then at the last minute BillyBob backed out leaving you high and dry, would you not expect an explanation from him? A very good explanation? Eric Carmen isn't any different from your cousin, BillyBob. Again, I hope I haven't offended anyone, but come on! I'm not offended by your post, and I know you are entitled to your opinion, but here's my take on this, for what it's worth:I don't see anyone here displaying "blind allegiance" to Eric, what I do see them displaying is common courtesy in that they will not point fingers at Eric or anyone else without knowing the facts. You are misguided in your statement that Eric is "a normal person with the same responsibilities as everyone else", in his personal life, indeed he is, but we're not talking about his personal life here, we're talking about his life as a musician, and it's a well known fact that the music industry isn't all that great an ocean to swim in sometimes. Things can and DO happen that are beyond the performers control. I, for one, prefer not to judge anyone without the facts. As for Bernie, he does all the work on this website in his "spare" time so he can share information with fans who come here of their own free will, and look at this site, it is quite impressive, it's not something Bernie devotes 5 minutes a week to. Bernie did nothing more than share info he was given, which is what all of us who come here expect him to do. He is doing us a favor by even having this site up, and of all of us, monetarily, Bernie is probably the one absorbing the greatest loss on these tickets, he had tickets to 5 shows. To place any responsibility or "blame" on Bernie is unfair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy K. Posted June 28, 2002 Share Posted June 28, 2002 But there are worse things that can happen to a tour...just heard that John Entwistle of the Who died today in Las Vegas, just at the band was getting ready to start touring... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvin Posted June 28, 2002 Share Posted June 28, 2002 I'll preface my statements by saying that this is MY OPINION. There's definitely "blind allegiance" to Eric on this site. How else do you explain the praise that "Winter Dreams" and the "Geffen" album receive on this site? They are easily Eric's two worse albums. In any case, I've been a fan of the 'berries and Eric since Day One, and I'll continue to purchase any new material that he or the band puts out, but I don't look at life through Rose Colored Glasses (no pun intended). The 'berries history is ripe with stories of the rest of the band not getting along with Eric. Sure there's three sides to every story, but it always seems to be Eric that is the 'bad guy.' It wouldn't surprise me at all if the "creative differences" alluded to in this Abbey Road tour has something to do with Eric and Todd Rundgren. I wonder if Eric has ever forgiven Rundgren for ripping off the 'berries by taking the 'berries version of "Locomotion" and presenting it to Grand Funk Railroad who did an identical version and turned it into a #1 record. I saw Eric two years ago with Ringo, and it was a dream come true, but given past history, I'm not surprised that the Abbey Road tour is experiencing problems. Regards,Marvin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Posted June 28, 2002 Share Posted June 28, 2002 Well said, Julia. I don't think anybody put a gun to anyone's head here and forced them to buy tickets to these shows. There are no sure things in life. If you really can't afford to eat the loss or accept the possibility that something could go amok, then you really shouldn't even buy tickets and make plans. Double shame on those posters who said that this is a pattern for Eric. If they truly felt that way, then why did they buy tickets in the first place? It's a very cheap shot to blame Bernie as well. Geez. These people would be the first to complain if Bernie didn't post advance notice of the shows and they weren't able to get good tickets. Yeah, I'll be disappointed if I don't get to see Eric perform. My tickets came in the mail just today. But, I don't want to see him pressured into doing something that he obviously is having a problem with either. This is only MY opinion, but if you're going to whine and gripe than maybe there are much better places to do it than at a website honoring Mr. Carmen. --Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadfingerBarb Posted June 28, 2002 Author Share Posted June 28, 2002 Julia, There are none so blind than those who WILL not see. The music business is a business just like any other business. It's a tough world out there. To say a musician is allowed a different set of moral rules because the music industry is unfair is asinine! That being said, I have in no way pointed any fingers or passed any judgement toward Eric Carmen. What I did say was that the man made a commitment to do a tour; and based on that commitment, people bought tickets for said tour. If he backs out of the tour at the last minute, he most definitely should have a good explanation to those people. THAT is common courtesy. Yet, there are those who will immediately absolve him of any responsibity and place the blame elsewhere (to use your words) without knowing the facts. I would call that blind allegiance. Lastly, I have in no way criticized or blamed Bernie for anything he has done as your post implies. I appreciate all of the hard work he has done and truly respect the guy for the way he did handle criticism elsewhere in this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted June 28, 2002 Share Posted June 28, 2002 Went out of town for a few days (me and my wife took the horses to the beach for some riding :)and a volcano erupts! First, thanks to Bernie for the mp3 -- you always have the 'cleanest' versions -- awesome! Second, and I hope I'm wrong, but it seems like there might be some people who have been lurking just waiting for a little disharmony on the board so they can post whatever their agenda might really be (how about signing your posts with your REAL name). And last, I've had as many shows cancelled over the years as anybody here, so just deal with it and write your own little song about it like I did ;} Oh, and if I owe somebody an apology, we're going to Mammoth with my car club for the next 4 days, so I'll get back to you then. Keep the faith, folks. Kirk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted June 28, 2002 Share Posted June 28, 2002 Rest assured that if this tour *does* fall apart, I'll give you a play-by-play on what happened. There will be no disagreement on Eric's motives then. Right now, Eric wants his reasons to be vague so that he still might be able to work something out with the promoters. --Bernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted June 28, 2002 Share Posted June 28, 2002 Oh...and Marvin-- the Geffen album? The GEFFEN album?!? Not only does it include "She Remembered" (one of my favorite Eric Carmen songs of all-time), but the Geffen album also includes a number of other absolute gems like "The Way We Used To Be" and "I'm Through With Love."By the way, blind allegiance has nothing to do with the fact that I'd be willing to sit through a hundred repeats of "You Took Me All The Way" to hear "She Remembered" just once! --Bernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted June 28, 2002 Share Posted June 28, 2002 By the way, I wanted to make sure that I acknowledged the great JOHN ENTWISTLE who tragically died yesterday! The Who has always been one of Eric's favorite bands and many of his songs have been influenced by the genius of Pete, Roger, John and Keith. --Bernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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