| |
|
 |
 |
|
Another Chance for a Mermaid Ticket!
If you were one of the 15,000 or so unfortunates who
tried and failed to win a ticket to see David live
at London's Mermaid Theatre, you now have a reprieve.
DavidGilmour.com has been given 150 tickets by our
friends at BBC Radio 2, so once again we are able
to come to the help of the deserving fan.
An hour's worth of the show will be broadcast on BBC
Radio 2 on Saturday 11th March at 9:30 pm GMT. BBC
Radio 2 (88-91 FM in the UK) does have a 'listen again'
feature on their Web site, but we will also be trying
to track down details of local broadcasters carrying
the programme around the world.
For full competition details, please turn RIGHT NOW
to The Blog, where everything is listed. Please
do read the rules...the Features Editor is a very
stern taskmaster, who insists that only true fans
get to go.
The Countdown Begins...
As you will see from our Press
page over the next few days, the amount of promotion
that David has done for various media around the world
is starting to make its presence felt.
For instance, we have recently received the covers
of US Guitar World, and UK MOJO magazine,
which is on sale now. A riveting read, plus a stellar
review, we recommend it highly (except for the picture
on page 68 which purports to be David in 1969, but
is actually a mystery impostor).
Look out for much more over the coming days, plus
of course the daily exclusive video clip.
Ticket news, and the tickets released today
for the Royal Albert Hall sold out by 2:30 pm, so
congratulations to all of you able to view the musicians'
posteriors from the elevated position of the choir
stalls. Tune in again tomorrow, when we hope to have
another in a series of pleasant surprises for you
re: special tickets.
'On An Island' Section Launched
Please check out the new On
An Island section to view exclusive video
clips of each track on the album. A different clip
will be posted each day.
You will also find the On An Island EPK (Electronic
Press Kit). This is a short film, intended for
International TV and Press use, featuring short interview
sections with David and some footage of the album
recording sessions. It is intended to give a flavour
of the On An Island album, so that a local
TV news reporter can announce the album and introduce
some footage. It includes some of the artists appearing
on the album, sessions at David’s Astoria studio,
and the orchestra at Abbey Road.
Your Prayers Answered –
More Tickets!
As predicted in these pages, we have been able to
release some tickets for London's Royal Albert Hall
for production reasons. They will be going on sale
via the Royal Albert Hall Box Office only,
at 9:00 am on Monday 27th February. Tickets
will be available via phone or the Internet only.
There are tickets for every night (May 29, 30 &
31) in the 'choir' section of the stage, so will
be behind the musicians – a unique viewpoint.
A few (possibly 30 or so) for May 29 & 30 are in
the Arena (in front of the stage), in Rows 13, 15
and 17.
Please do not purchase them if you don't think you
will be happy with the seating. We try to help everyone
(see the Features Editor's efforts elsewhere), but
please remember that tickets are not returnable.
Please also note that the Albert Hall's policy of
searching eBay and invalidating tickets for sale
there, is still in force.
For anyone not resident in Britain, apologies that
returns are only for UK dates. When we hear of others
at any venue, we will post the news here straight
away.
Promotion News
As the release date of On An Island approaches,
a number of items have started to appear around the
world, and there will be more to come.
Check out the Press
page for two interesting items. One is an interview
with music industry trade paper Billboard for a current
overview of David's position on a couple of things.
The other is an album review, again from a trade paper.
In this case it is UK industry journal Music Week,
which may enlighten record dealers in Caithness some
of whom are unaware of David, according to one of
our correspondents.
David did also record some interviews for US radio,
which are due to be syndicated to local stations around
the album release. We will try and bring you full
details of local broadcasts soon.
Finally, as highlighted last week, UK's premier radio
channel BBC Radio 2 has announced their competition
for tickets to the exclusive David Gilmour live concert
at London’s Mermaid Theatre. The recording date is
March 7th, and the hour-long broadcast will be on
Saturday 11th. See The Blog (February 20th) entry for the link to the competition,
or click here.
Not Much News Today...
Hang on! Things look different. The backgrounds, the
lettering, the design – the site's changed around
me!
Er, well, if you’re a regular visitor to the site,
hope you like our new direction. All your favourite
features are still here: Biography;
Discography;
Live Dates;
and the FAQs
that no-one ever reads before asking the same Frequently
Asked Question one more time.
There are a couple of new areas, with many more to
come. The
Blog is the place to go if you crave the Features
Editor’s regular diet of astringency and assurance
(and who doesn't?).
'On An Island' will be the place to go for
all things to do with David’s new album. We will be
counting down the days to release with some special
elements (surprise elements, so don’t ask – it
wouldn't be a surprise if we told you).
There will also be other visual thoughts, words and deeds activated
on the site from time to time, and there might even be the odd
competition if we can think of some prizes.
If you're a new visitor, this is the site to come
to for all things Gilmour – please hang around,
you're very welcome. (And if you want a laugh, check
out some of the old daily entries on The
Blog).
And if you're a REALLY new visitor, you might not
know that David’s amazing new album, On An Island,
is released worldwide on March 6th (US/Canada, March
7th). You won’t be disappointed.
Live Concert for BBC Radio 2
David and his full live On An Island band will be playing a
special concert for BBC Radio 2 on Tuesday 7th March for later
broadcast. Entry will be by ticket only, issued by the BBC.
Full details of how to obtain tickets will be revealed exclusively on
Radio 2's Johnnie Walker drivetime show on Monday 20th February,
so make sure you tune in.
UK Airplay/On An Island BBC Album of the Week
BBC Radio 2, the UK's most-listened to radio station, has confirmed
that the On An Island album will be 'Album Of The Week' in
its release week commencing Monday 6th March.
BBC Radio 2's playlist has also added the single of On An Island.
It is a new addition to the Radio 2 'C' list for the week commencing
Sunday 12th February. A commercial version of the single will be
available as a two-track CD single (including the 4'40" edit as
well as the 6'50" album version), in store in the UK on March 6th
to coincide with the album release.
Dick Parry to Join On An Island Tour
We are pleased to announce that saxophonist Dick Parry
will be joining David on tour.
Dick played the famous saxophone solos on such acclaimed
Pink Floyd tracks as Money, Us and Them,
and Shine On You Crazy Diamond, as well as
touring with the band several times since the 1970s.
He also performed with David in London and Paris in
2001 and 2002, as well as playing with Pink Floyd
at the historic Live 8 show last July.
Please see The Blog for more information and fan reaction.
On An Island No. 1 at Classic Rock
The single of On An Island, after five days,
has entered the US 'Classic Rock' airplay Chart at
Number One. This is all the more remarkable because
the Classic Rock format is normally very resistant
to playing new songs.
A Special Package for All
Some retailers around the world are mentioning a 'Special
Edition' of the On An Island album. This is
not true, in the sense that there are no other versions.
However the 'standard' version is actually very special
– it is designed like a book, with stiff card
covers and 20 pages of full-colour lyrics, illustrations
and photographs. The effect is topped off by an actual
cloth spine, with silver foil lettering.
So the 'standard' is actually much more special than
many 'specials'.
Please ignore any listings from any retailer that
highlight a 'special' package at a premium price.
More photos of the finished package will appear on
the site soon.
Ticket Agency Getmetickets.net Closed by UK Government
Getmetickets.net, an unauthorised ticket resale agent
specialising in high-priced tickets, has closed after
the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) asked
for the company to be wound up in the public interest.
The official receiver has said that the company did
not appear to have enough tickets to supply its customers.
Getmetickets.net offered sought-after tickets to fully-booked
concerts, festivals, sports events and theatre shows
at prices well above face value, and has been investigated
by the BBC's Watchdog programme.
David Tops Guitarist Poll
David Gilmour has been voted No. 1 in a vote of Fender's
Greatest Players in a poll in this month's
Guitarist magazine in the UK.
The readers' poll is part of a series of features
celebrating Fender Guitars' 60th birthday, and David
appears ahead of such celebrated guitarists as Jimi
Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Keith Richards, and Eric
Clapton.
Guitarist comments: "Gilmour has achieved what
once seemed impossible: he's usurped Jimi Hendrix
as your favourite Fender player ever. His forthcoming
solo album On An Island will offer a rare taste
of new material, while his gliding, shining playing
with Pink Floyd not only stands the test of time,
it seems to become ever more popular".
While David's unique tremolo work is associated with
the Fender Stratocaster, he also plays various other
makes, including Gibson and Gretsch electric guitars,
plus Martin and Taylor acoustics. See the
Galleries
for a fine selection.
'Dude, Where's My Seat?'
Because the tickets allocated for 'Advance Booking'
at the UK dates in May won't be sent out till April
for security reasons, some enquiring fans, having
paid for their tickets, are wondering where their
actual seats are. (Some are even questioning the likely
quality of their allocation.)
Well, wonder no more. Our pledge was an allocation
of the best possible seats at each venue. Given that
not everyone can sit in the front row, here are the
facts:
At the Royal Albert Hall in London, the seats are
in the Stalls and in the Arena. In the Manchester
Bridgewater Hall, the seats are in the Stalls, from
the front row backwards, in a total of approximately
15 rows (rows A- P), and the three front rows of the
Circle (rows A-C). In Glasgow's Clyde Auditorium,
they are also in the Stalls, from the front row backwards
up to 11 rows back (rows A-P), plus the front row
of the Circle (row A).
At this stage we are unable to provide exact seat
numbers, and apologise for any inconvenience this
may cause. Tickets will be dispatched four weeks prior
to the event, and every ticketholder will receive
an e-mail confirming the dispatch and the tracking
number.
Should anyone have any other queries relating to their
order, please e-mail Trinity
Street Customer Services.
Customers living outside the UK should liaise with
Customer Services to ensure the safe shipment of their
tickets.
P.S. There has been some interest in the process.
An interested person would complete (and e-mail) the
form on the Web site requesting an Advance Booking,
after which the lucky first quantity of fans was e-mailed
a separate site link and a code number. The fan then
had to actually use the link and the code number to
access the secure ticket booking form. It may be hard
to believe but, at all venues, not everyone who applied
for an early ticket followed through with an actual
booking. This meant that fulfilment agents Trinity
Street had to do subsequent e-mailings to other fans
who had missed out initially. (In Glasgow, even after
two e-mailings by Trinity Street, 24 tickets were
not applied for, and had to be returned to the venue
Box Office.)
'Dude, Where's My Ticket?'
Well, we did our best. Keen fans wanted early access
to tickets, so we provided 'Advance Ticket Booking'
(in the UK only). US fans wanted upfront ticket availability,
so we got the promoter to make a portion of the tickets
available before the official box office opening date.
Now that the tickets have been on sale and snapped
up straight away, those lucky few that have been promised
seats are looking for the actual ticket in hand.
Don't despair because, for security reasons, tickets
aren't sent out until around a month prior to the
show date.
In addition, London's Royal Albert Hall, in order
to challenge the reselling of tickets on Internet
auction sites such as eBay, will not be admitting
anyone with tickets found to have been purchased from
such Web sites.
But before you panic, this is what happens (this applies
to the London shows only):
If a ticket is found to be for sale on eBay for any
of the London shows, then it is no longer valid. As
stated previously, the seller will be notified that
their booking has been cancelled and that they will
not receive that ticket when they are dispatched in
April. Once a booking has been cancelled the tickets
are returned for public sale.
This strategy is designed to stop people from making
money at the expense of genuine fans, but we appreciate
that some fans have purchased tickets nonetheless.
In this case they can request a refund from the person
who sold them their ticket. Remember that the seller
does not yet have the ticket to sell on, and will
not have it for another two months. In any case, this
ticket is likely to be invalid and will not be sent
out by the Royal Albert Hall, so it should be possible
to request a refund relatively easily.
This will no doubt make some of you nervous if you
have purchased tickets from eBay. If you're reluctant
to part with your tickets, we hope you can accept
that the above strategy is designed to curtail the
exploitation of music fans.
Our best advice is for you to contact the authorised
UK agents (SEE Tickets, Stargreen, Royal Albert Hall)
and enquire about tickets that have been returned
to the box office. As more would-be eBay exploiters
are deterred, more tickets will be freed up at point
of sale, and you should be able to keep trying up
until the evening of the show. Although something
of a lottery, this will be better than giving money
to an eBay seller.
Even for the non-London shows, anyone who is thinking
of buying tickets from eBay for any venue from now
on should be very wary indeed.
We have also received e-mails and messages from people
asking how to get rid of unwanted tickets without
resorting to eBay type sales. In this situation the
best option is to return the tickets to the point
of sale. We will continue to focus on ticket issues
which have raised concerns, so please bear with us. |
|
|
|
|
|
