THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #695 - December 10, 1997
Magical Armchair Digest Wednesday, December 10 1997 Volume 01 : Number 695
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TOPICS IN THIS DIGEST:
In an attempt...
Armchair, we never really knew each other anyway...
MTW
Manchester show
uh, /\/\arc...
ENGLISH GIG ETIQUETTE & the MANCHESTER gig
Manchester Gig and Interview
Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #688
sorry
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 10:21:57 -0500 (EST)
From: marc s kaplan <mkap@wam.umd.edu>
Subject: In an attempt...
In an attempt to shift this worn out thread of Armchair content I ask a
question, that mabye you guys and gals can respond to here goes...
How did you first learn about BFF? Was it a song on the radio, or a video,
or mabye a person.
For me It was my brother who got into them, and after listening to BFF in
the car a copule times, I just eased into their music, and
slowly started asking him to bring it /w us in the car (instead of
listining to weezer, rush, or TMBG).
PEACE
-/\/\arc
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 10:57:56 -0500
From: Anne Lyons <westlyon@ultranet.com>
Subject: Armchair, we never really knew each other anyway...
Hello the 'Chair!
Sleigh bells ring, are ya listenin'? In the lane, snow is glistenin'...
They know that Santa's on his way... he's throwing lots of toys and goodies
on his sleigh... Silver bells, silver bells -- it's Christmastime in the
city... Then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say Rudolph with your
nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?... Oh the weather
outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, and since we've no
place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow... Feliz Navidad (ba ba
ba baa ba) Feliz Navidad (ba ba ba baa ba)... Sleep in heavenly peace,
sleep in heavenly peace... While fields and floods, rocks, hills and
plains, repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat
the sounding joy!... Star of wonder, star of might, star of royal beauty
bright... Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh, o'er the
fields we go, laughing all the way (ha ha ha!)... Let there be peace on
earth, and let it begin with me... You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch...
Just a friendly reminder that this *is* supposed to be a happy time of year
(at least, that is what advertisers and marketeers tell us, and they
wouldn't lie, would they?) I know, I know, not everyone celebrates
Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, but even if you don't... the end of 1997
is rapidly approaching, so the time of year is still a special one. So
let's all take a little joy into our hearts and take a deep breath and let
all this anger go... fly, be free!
Let's just think of what we're thankful for... I'm so happy that I got to
see BFF for the first time in 1997, that I found lots of wonderful new
friends through my subscription to the Magical Armchair, that I can sing
"You've been pushing me like I was a sore tooth..." at the top of my lungs
any time I want, and that my first issue of my new subscription to "Gay
Crackhead" arrived today!
Joyful, joyful... and all that.
Have a great day!
- -Anne
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 10:26:06 -0500 (EST)
From: marc s kaplan <mkap@wam.umd.edu>
Subject: MTW
You wrote:
>Last time I saw them they did that[opened /w missing the war], and it
>kinda caught everyone off guard. It's possibly one of my favourite
>songs, but it doesn't seem right to play it first thing....
I agree wholeheartedly. It seems like a strange song to open up with, but
I think it was first in the sessions brodcast as well.
I wonder why they put the songs where they do in the set?
Obviously Song for the Dumped is a great song to end w/ because it leaves
the crowd with a great impression of a band w/ "somthing to say about
ordinary life"
I also think the placement of BOXING in the encore set at recent shows is
strange and out of place as well does any one else agree???
-/\/\arc
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 17:35:59 GMT
From: "Mark Piper" <mfp540@novell3.bham.ac.uk>
Subject: Manchester show
Righto. Get ready....brace your fat ass's....for a REVIEW!
Now, call me ungrateful, but there were a couple of things that I
have to complain at about last night's Manchester show. Let's get
them out the way first:
1) They didn't have any "Farewell Tour 1981" shirts. Goddamn! I'd
been waiting weeks to get one of those. I made do with a long-sleeve
WAEA jersey. Oh, they didn't have any woolly hats either.
2) They didn't play anything out of the ordinary. No "She Don't Use
Jelly" (WHY THE HELL NOT GUYS???), no "Ultimate Sacrifice" (which
they've never played in the UK), even though I shouted for it (and
promptly got called a "spotter" by the guy in front of me. And proud
of it mate!).
3) There was rather a lot of pushing around at the front. I mean, you
expect to be pushed around a bit, but this seemed a bit more
excessive than normal.
4) The quiet songs. Not the band, the crowd. The aforementioned guy
in front insisted on singing along at the top of his voice (although,
to give him credit, he was on-key), and most of them seemed to turn
into singalongs by the whole crowd. I don't care how loud you sing
along to Jackson Cannery or something, but I'd rather hear Ben sing
Selfless, Cold and Composed than the crowd. Sorry. Oh, and that girl
who waited until a silence in the middle of Brick to shout "I love
you Ben!". Tcha.
Right, that's the moans out the way, now on with the good bit:
GODDAMN! What a show! It's almost too good to contemplate. The
harmonies they were coming out with were absolutely spot-on. I don't
think I've ever heard them play so well. Right from the start, when
they played Dr. Pyser (great choice!), everything was so damn
perfect. A couple of people I took were BFF virgins, and they were
just blown away. Can't remember the set-list in order, but they did
play:
Theme From Dr. Pyser / Jackson Cannery / Philosophy / Julianne /
Underground (complete with Rob's "Disco Diva". That man has such an
astounding voice) / Sports & Wine / Uncle Walter (encore) / The Last
Polka / 1 Angry Dwarf / Fair / Song For The Dumped (encore) / Brick /
Kate / Selfless, Cold & Composed / Smoke / Battle Of Who Could Care
Less / Missing The War / Emaline
I expect someone can put that in order somehow. Everything is a blur
really. Ben was handing out cups and water bottles to the crowd at
the front, telling the guy with the bottle to make sure everyone got
some. Which was the cue for the bloke to open it and wave it around,
spraying everyone, including Ben. The end of the show was pretty
riotous, Ben standing on the top of the piano shouting "ah yeah!" in
ever higher voices. Hmm, I'm sure someone can sum it up a lot better
than I can. Did anyone catch the support (Ether)? I decided that a
drink was far more important. Anyway, let's just be happy with the
fact that it was a superb show.....and, the ticket inspector on the
train let us sit in 1st Class on the way back to Birmingham. Wow,
luxury!.
LJ wrote:
> Steve, you should calm down. Pretty sad that you have to spend the time to write down a list of rules for BFF show goers...
> What the hell is your problem?
All I can say is that I hope this post was written in the same spirit
as Steve's.... :)
Mark
+------------------------------------------------------+
| mfp540@bham.ac.uk pipermf@phymat.bham.ac.uk |
| Ben Folds Five: Looks, Brains & Everything - |
| http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/5430/bff.html |
+------------------------------------------------------+
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 10:39:04 -0800
From: burgle <smitenko@uvic.ca>
Subject: uh, /\/\arc...
uh, dude...the credit card thing? i have this feeling it's one of those
junk mail things...y'know, like no one on the list wrote it, it was just
sent to various random mailing lists? just thought i'd clear that up for
ya...
burgle, failer of final exams...
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 09 Dec 1997 19:02:55
From: M******* <m*****@g**********>
Subject: ENGLISH GIG ETIQUETTE & the MANCHESTER gig
Hi people of the armchair,
#1) ok, i asked this before, and no-one answered me, except for someone
(/\/\arc???) knowingly saying 'oh god, not this again'...
Is it really so different here? or is it just my choice of gigs? When you
go to a gig here, you EXPECT (well, I do) to get shoved around until you
are practically horizontal, if you are anywhere within a 20 person radius
of the stage...
i was thrown around so much at a Super Furry Animals gig (only a LITTLE one
too!) that I vomited, at Ocean Colour scene (hardly the most offensive of
rockers) my feet couldn't touch the floor because of the people
> jumping all around and
>>pushing people to get closer to the stage
Yes, i am totally fed up with it, being a skinny ickle female does not
help, BUT, there ain't much we can do about it! As for asking people to
> treat others at concerts like they would want
>>to be treated themselves. If you get to a show late, don't try to push
others
>>out of the way to get closer to the stage if they've been there all
night. Act
>>courteous towards others..it's common deceny.
don't be surprised if you get an elbow in the face and an evil look...
I don't know, maybe it's just me...
#2) Manchester gig: OK, i wasn't there... i was 600 miles away... but i've
just quizzed my friend, and no, they didn't do Alice Childress or Uncle
Walter, encore included Song FTD.... that's about it... but i'm sure other
Brits will fill us in! And - she didn't see any name tags.... get it sorted!!
#3) I'm 16, have liked BFF for about 2 years, when i heard my friend's tape
and fell in love, not because the songs were catchy or i identified with
Underground, but because THEY ARE SO DAMN FUNKY!
4) Soundtrack of my life: Best imitation - because it just is my
behaviour... when i'm around people who i can't be bothered or I don't feel
comfortable to be myself for, i put myself on auto-pilot and do an
'imitation of myself'...
Thank you.
@nn@
:::: clarity just confuses me ::::
PS> I get to own Mitchell Lane tomorrow! I finally found Kate (the cd, not
the person, that would just be stupid) in Martin's pie Shop records, and it
is soon to be mine!! i have been deprived!!
PPS> WHEN is BRICK released in UK? anyone????
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 19:30:49 -0000
From: David.J.Holloway@student.shu.ac.uk
Subject: Manchester Gig and Interview
hullo
First off thanks to everyone who mailed me with interview
questions for the boys. I finally got the interview confirmed
and headed out to Manchester yesterday. Ultimately I spoke
with Ben for about 20 minutes and managed to get in pretty
much most of the questions I got sent in one form or another.
He was really cool and funny and was quite happy talking
crap with me for so long. He signed my CD's and let me get
a few photos as well so I am a happy little bunny.
The interview will be posted in its entirety on my web page
over the coming weeks (once I can get a dictaphone to play
it back in) and everyone who sent me a question will get a
copy mailed to them. So thanks for that guys...
To nayone who has posted messages on the forum of late -
sorry they haven't appeared yet but time is pressing right now.
I have a back catalogue of about 7 posts now and they should
have materialised by the end of the week. Stick with me please...
It was sooooooo cool to finally have Ben and the boys back in the
good old UK and doing what they do best. I was really worried
that it wouldn't be too good as Ben was practically dead to the
world when I first met him but he had woken up by the time he hit
the stage. They were great, Kate was mad as hell, as was Song
for the Dumped and Battle of Who Could Care Less. Robert looked
a little pissed when he was soaked in water by a rogue bottle but
cheered up for his rendition of Disco Deever in the middle of
Underground which had to be seen to believed. Brick felt a little
cold - but that was mainly due to someone yelling "I want
you Ben" in the middle of it. Philosophy was sweet and Uncle Walter
was incredible.
I know this isn't a very literary review but I'm still kinda numb from the
whole thing. I'll post the set list up tomorrow as with a more formed
impression. Was anyone else there?
Last thing (boy my posts are getting longer and longer these days).
Could Mark (BFF webring master dude) mail me... I tried mailing you
about the gig but my messages just kept being returned...
later alligator(s)
Dave
Ben and his Folding Five -
http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/lot/5009
"Is everybody happy?" - The Incredible PWEI
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 20:19:50 -0000
From: David.J.Holloway@student.shu.ac.uk
Subject: Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #688
Since the Second of December I have 143 armchairs in my
special Magical Armchair folder.
That includes the weekend where none appeared and the
week I had them forwarded to my dads address.
Is there something wrong with this picture?
D
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 09 Dec 1997 14:19:09 -0700
From: "Julie Hurst" <sledgie@mailexcite.com>
Subject: sorry
I must apologize for my last post, what I meant to write is-
Since I only have 3 more days and it's my holidays I was wondering if anyone would
like me to do a copy of the stuff I have since I have plenty of time on my hands.
What I have is
- -Interview with Ben on JJJ
- -One Angry Dwarf, an interview and Song for the dumped live on JJJ
- -Midday (with all the calling them immature) One Angry dwarf
- -Underground and One Angry dwarf + Interview (including the best moment of my life)
at Recovery.
- -The Arias
- -Rage (most of it anyway)
So if anyone is interested in a trade I'm not picky I've so far traded for photocopied
articles, but I'm more into getting live shows and since we are a friendly lot of
people, you'll trade with me right???
Well since this will probably be my last post, it's not going to be short. I can't
wait until Naked Baby Photos, I went into my local record store and looked at a list
of all the new albums coming out, and there it was, I was in such excitement. Are
Ben Folds Five becoming that popular in the U.S?? I haven't heard Brick on anything
here yet, I'm starting to think it may not be released, does anyone know?
I remember one angry dwarf and underground have been played on my local commercial
radio station, I never heard it my friends did, and automatically they told me, about
4 people actually did. I never have heard ben folds five on there but I suppose I
never listen to it. Eveytime I do tubthumping seems to be on.
Petra's idea for a book of quotes is excellent 'the zen of ben' outstanding petra!
My idea would be little pianos with the bf5 logo on the side, that would be excellent.
And if we all were rich just the pianos that Ben uses. I'm sure we'd all like one
of those.
I went to a brown hornet concert once and Dylan Lewis happened to leave his shirt
behind and this guy ran on stage and grabbed it, I heard he sold it to some chick
who loved him, apparentley there are a few girls in Ballarat who have started a Dylan
Lewis fan club (I heard from this girl who I stopped in the street 'cause she was
wearing a ben folds five shirt) whoops, gone right off the subject there.
Since people have been telling their experience with their parents liking bff well
ever since we met the boys, my mum has gone crazy over robert. We got the photos
back and she kept showing everyone going "i think he's cute" when she said it to
my best friend mother, that's when I realized it's strange.
Did anyone here go to pushover? I saw four people wearing ben folds five shirts.
That makes it five so far. Hmmm.
Did I tell you what I gave Darren for a present? this little sesame street five,
you know the ones you give little kids when they turn five? I gave ben a grumpy (angry
dwarf) which he was extactic about and Robert some silver nailpolish, who kept asking
me how I knew he needed nailpolish. God I love how I was the only one out of about
150 teenagers actually interested in them, they were all there for Gavin Rossdale
*for those of you who don't know, and I never did get into this story very well,
well he was there the same day bff were, and cause I have something against him,
I kept giving him dirty looks during the three songs he did (why did ben folds five
only get two?) well after the interview he walked past where my seat was, and all
these girls ran up to where my seat was and wanted his autograph and to touch him
and so on, well anyway I was constantly pushed into him since I was right on the
side and my exact words were (quite loudly too) "Piss off you gay thing!" I said
it about 3 times adding a few ehhhh yukky's we his response was a look and he drew
on my arm with his texta. What a childish creep.*
sorry if there is any bush fans, i have nothing against the band bush just gavin.
And if you like gavin, this is just my (and a few others I know) opinion, you are
intitled to your taste (no matter how bad it can be, as long as you don't like hanson
too)
Again I must apologise for the length of this. I won't be back for 2 months, But
I will be next week but won't post anything, so feel free to reply while you can.
I just thought of something cool, wouldn't it be great if ben turned up to a gig
with a completely different colored piano? Like purple or something? I would like
to see a rainbow one or maybe a purple and yellow one. How about other people? This
came from a dream I had ages ago where ben was playing for me and I commented on
his piano and we both said at exactly the same time that it would be better if it
were blue. i wonder if it is true??
My niece is so cute, her favourite song is song for the dumped, probably because
it gives her an excuse for swearing. She knows song for the dumped, underground,
oad&200sf, kate and bowccl. She absolutely loves Robert, and since she is only 4,
she always asks me when he is coming over. I just had to tell robert this, and his
reply was that it is a very musical age, but when I told him she runs around the
house yelling "i love robert, I want Robert!" he just laughed for about a minute.
God I hope they come back here soon, Robert said they definately will, and he said
he wished he had more time to do stuff when he was here, his plans are to come back
and have a holiday here, so mum requested that he goes to the gold coast and noosa,
she definately should have said ballarat.
Since I have a record store across the road, i go there pretty often, and I always
am keeping tabs on ben folds five c.d's. Once i saw the s/t for 24.95, then it dissapeared
and returned and was 29.95. And once I went there in the morning and waea was there
but later on that day, it was gone..... I'm trying to get a job there, maybe I'll
make a new friend. I have to do work experience next year, I'll try there. I almost
got a job ay brashes but it was too far away and the public transport cost would
have been torture.
Well I've decided I'm just going to crap on for ages, so i'm going to go now.
bye
LOL and Merry Christmas to all
Enjoy Naked baby photos when you all get it, I know I will.
If anyone is going to homebake in melbourne quickly e-mail me.
I'm going now
Julie 'the obsesseive spice' Hurst
"she's whispering to the moon"
Free web-based email, Forever, From anywhere!
http://www.mailexcite.com
------------------------------
End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #695
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