Dear Paul

I was surprised, sorry and sad that Saturday was not as good as you hoped. We ie both the band and I had spent a lot of time and energy trying to give people a night to remember and it is real shame if we did not meet your expectations.

I had a great time and people around me seemed to be having fun. You were standing next to me for a good part of the concert and you seemed to “know just what to do waving your hands in the air like you just don’t care” (oops sorry wrong band) so I hope some of the evening was fun for you. We certainly enjoyed having you and everyone else along. It was magnificent to see Tim Anderson (what a legend) Tim Hatwell as well as Leo who came all the way from South Africa there too. The music was brilliant but the people and craic were great too I thought. And thank you for your positive contribution to that.

I thought I’d comment on the points you made.

The venue? Well I think it is awesome (in several senses) as do others. Peter commented on it favourably both when he first saw it and during the set. The acoustics are much better than in many Victorian Gothic churches as HTB was before it was rebuilt. Anyway you didn’t like it and I’m sorry.

Why did we hold it there? Well it was a fund raiser for the church so we didn’t have to pay from a room hire charge. Secondly I don’t think I could have filled Wembley arena with this band.

The lights and staging were typical of what you get at small concerts. By way of example we light the stage with 4 white 500W PAR cans above the rear partition and 4 coloured 500W PAR cans on the drum riser: 2 directed on the drum kit and one on each of Peter and John. There was a decent height drum riser. At Farncombe I understand there were only 3 PAR cans and the drum kit was at about the same height as the rest of the band. All this kit is expensive and on the kind of takings we expect it is not possible to hire or buy big lights or stage. Even if I could have afforded to provide more lighting or more staging I would not have done so as it would have detracted from the intimacy of the evening. Our lighting controller could have provided lighting effects but on purpose I decided to go with simplicity.

Seating? Again I’m afraid it is not uncommon for gigs to be in churches with pews where there is no standing at all. I did think, for what nearly a second?, about removing the seats but I’m afraid many ATF fans prefer to sit.  Some people stood up and danced in their seats. Others like you came back 11 rows and stood. Additionally we left a space stage left, by John, for people to stand and dance without impeding seated people’s view although I don’t think anyone used it.

The numbers? What is your problem pal? The atmosphere was superb, I thought. Would you complain if you were at a decent Rolling Stones gig with 70 odd people present? The band spent a lot of time promoting the gig. I mailed nearly 100 churches with flyers. There is barely a noticeboard or letterbox for miles around which didn’t get information about the gig. I’ve been hassling radio stations and newspapers. The plain fact was we were competing with firework displays, nights by the telly, evenings down the pub etc. In the end only 70 odd people came. That is the way it was.

Peter and John are big enough and ugly enough to make their own comments on costume if they want. I would say however that they didn’t just come in off the street like that. I walked into the dressing room while Peter was changing which I think is an experience neither of us would like to repeat! Also life is change and were they to dress in the same style as years ago then ATF might not be a living, growing. changing thing but simply a parody.

It is long post I know and if you read this far thank you. I hope you’ll go to more ATF concerts but please don’t expect lighting or staging significantly better than Saturday’s.

Cheers!

Tim