Fairfield, CT

[withahip]

The requested topic does not exist.

http://bunnymen.com/forum/viewtopic.php ... a12433c771

[FFLD]

I was in the second row and saw the whole fight from 10 feet away less than 48 hours ago.

First this venue. It's the best place to see a great band. English Beat play here once or twice a year (they're back next week), and Dave Wakeling told the crowd if he ever recorded a live show he'd do it here. It's a small room , the crowd gets on their feet, and feels like a private party.

Ian was in great vocals. The band gave the audience what they wanted: all the familiar songs performed close to their original arrangements recorded 25+ years ago.

Now the fight. Ian insulted the audience between songs the entire night. At first it was amusing. People were looking at each other in shocked amusement. "Did he really say that?" It went on all night then slowly began to feel like the joke was on us.

It stopped being funny halfway through the show and started to kill the mood.

Ian singled out a few people and insulted them regularly. The bearded guy in the front row got it a few songs into the show. When the guy answered him Ian said "Where you from?" The guy answers "Glasgow." "Really?" asks Ian. The guy says yes and Ian says, "Bullshit you're from Glasgow, more like a suburb of Glasgow." Not terribly insulting but not particularly hospitable considering the guy has Ian's lyrics tatooed on his arm.

They get to the encore and let's face it, the audience is waiting for Lips Like Sugar. They do a great version of Walk on the Wild side, a bit on the long side, but Ian was involving the audience and it was fun. Then the crowd goes crazy when they begin Lips Like Sugar. Halfway through, the arrangement turns instrumental (no vocals) and I clearly see Ian look over at the guy, walk across the stage, (the guy is still sitting), and Ian bends down, reaches down to the guy, and that's when they grabbed each other and fell on the stage, practically hugging each other in the sloppiest, drunkenest, saddest nothing of a fight I've ever seen, more grabbing each other than fighting. They were laying down on the stage writhing and wriggling and within seconds four stagehands pulled them apart.

Oddly, after the fight broke up Ian stood up, walked to the drumset to sip from his red plastic cup, then goes back to the mic and finished the song as if the fight never happened.

Let me be clear: this guy did not jump onstage and rush Ian. The whole thing happened within 1 foot of this guy's seat ... NOT anywhere near the mic, where Ian planted himself the entire evening.

The audience was turned off. I overheard a lot of conversation after the show and everyone was disappointed, many ran for the doors the moment the song was done, they were not sticking around tor a potential second encore after that.

Don't get me wrong, the music was great and the performance was first rate, but what's the point of paying money to have a lead singer look you in the eye and resentfully call you names all night? It's about as charming as a toddler having a meltdown.

[zabird]

It's about as charming as a toddler having a meltdown.

A very apt description.

Mac is coming apart at the seams.

[Frank The Bunny]

Mac is coming apart at the seams.

Nothing new... it's been years in the making.

[bunnybunny]

FFLD, did it seem like Mac was drunk or high from the get-go of the show? Yet his vocals were strong? Seems so odd.

And what were these insulting comments he was making at audience members?? Things about people's appearance or what?

I can't believe people fled out right after the song. He's alienating the few fans he has left. How sad.

[black francis]

Yeah, I thought that was so clever when I saw them at 15!

Yeah making fun of a chick's weight isn't cool. You're just as guilty as Mac you asshole!

[bunnyboy]

RESPONSE TO A NEW THREAD ON EATB OFFICIAL FORUM - WHY WAS FAIRFIELD PULLED?

THIS POST RELATES TO EATB FORUM NOT THIS FORUM

It was pulled because it "was too close to the bone," and, most likely due to the potential legal ramifications surrounding the incident.

This post will be pulled as well.

Censorship, when unwarranted, is tantamount to violations of our inherent right, as a World community, to express opinion and thought as preserved in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the US 1st amendment, the European Union's Charter of Human Rights; i.e., "the right of freedom for all citizens to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority regardless of frontiers;" and, censorship violations within the context of the UK's freedom of expression as proscribed under Article 10, of the European Convention.

With respect to more specific/unique UK law, nothing contained within my posts could be perceived as defamatory given documentation of stated conditions as expressed by Ian himself in various publicized statements; as well as, the observed behavior, and the supposition basis surrounding the root cause of such behavior at Fairfiekd; not only deduced by witnessing concert attendees; but, documented via cell phones by some of the the aforementioned attendees.

All posts contained documented statements, facts related to stated conditions, and opinion pertaining to the rationale for behavioral responses.

In my opinion, this forum no longer meets the definition of a "Forum" - defined as, "a public meeting place for open discussion - or - a medium (as a newspaper or online service) of open discussion or expression of ideas" - Merrriam
In my opinion, it fits closer to:
"The chief function of propaganda is to convince the masses, whose slowness of understanding needs to be given time so they may absorb information; and only constant repetition will finally succeed in imprinting an idea on their mind."
- Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf

The imprinting within this community is interpreted by me as portraying only the positive "spin" determined by the will of the webmaster/admin and imparted upon the collective community for the good of collective political correctness.

And to think WWII was fought by our Fathers and Grandfathers to guarantee the freedom of expression we now enjoy - but, not reflected within the oversight of this manipulated conversation exchange; whereby, posts can be deleted as a means to "imprint" only the the positive, as determined by the interpretation and decision-making of a lone overseer.

I believe this forum no longer fits the definition of a "Forum" given the capricious removal and disregard for an individual member's right to discuss all aspects of EATB as a subject , "good, bad, right or wrong."

Shame on the trampling of member expressions and subsequent "post/thread" manipulation by the administrator(s). Let it be remembered that "We" are backbone of EATB - the fans.

Remove my post and prove that this is not a "Forum;" but, rather a "Propaganda Communique;" controlled with a disregard for our rights, it's intended purpose, and the blatant "gerrymandering" of posts that contain a deemed interpretation of "non-political" correctness. Delete it, while reflecting upon who died for your right to express your opinions, unfettered - Peter.

Bye forever. To the rest of the community, remember you are but sheep, not bunnies, with thoughts and opinions that in the end, "don't matter" unless they fit one person's agenda and misguided sense that EATB must be portrayed only as a positive entity.
Pull it Peter, and think of the family members that sacrificed their lives so you can extrapolate your unique freedom of expression.

-bunnybye

_________________
F*ck You, I Won't Do What You Tell Me
-Zach de la Rocha

[DivaDiana77]

wow!! Great reading and fantastic pics for a second, Mac looked like he was 25 again. Um, it seems like everyone is taking it all so seriously. Mac thinks he's a great performer. The audience is disappointed that he's an ass and everyone gets all upset.

Almost as entertaining as reading that Mac chased a man for making fun of Mooneye not wearing socks or grabbing Drummond (?) by the throat for putting trumpets on the Cutter.

And to think, he used to be shy.

[zabird]

Nothing new... it's been years in the making.

just seems like it's spun totally out of control this time ... I mean ... fighting people in the audience when you're 50? Jesus H! What's lil Dusty Mae gonna think about her daddy?

[Frank The Bunny]

just seems like it's spun totally out of control this time ... I mean ... fighting people in the audience when you're 50? Jesus H! What's lil Dusty Mae gonna think about her daddy?

Maybe he's trying to prove to baby momma that he's a Badass Motherfucker.

I would still like to find out an accurate account of the verbal interchage. "Your mother's a whore" would make a good t-shirt.

[withahip]

Maybe Mac just needs a hug?

[Frank The Bunny]

Maybe this was just the rock & roll version of "you goddamn kids get off my lawn"

[DivaDiana77]

Maybe Mac just needs a hug?

Aww!

[black francis]

He got a hug from a bearded fan. What more does he want?

[In The Margins]

Let me be clear: this guy did not jump onstage and rush Ian. The whole thing happened within 1 foot of this guy's seat ... NOT anywhere near the mic, where Ian planted himself the entire evening.

FFLD, thanks for clearing this up. How sad that the night ended like this. Plus having to endure his audience abuse all night must have been hard to do deal with too.

However, welcome to the forum!