Posted on 05/26/2005 10:16:45 PM PDT by ambrose
Costello fans walk out in disgust
NAOMI CANTON
26 May 2005 13:04
Outraged fans walked out in disgust last night after Elvis Costello arrived on stage several hours late because he was watching the football.
He then shouted abuse at the audience and deliberately played badly.
The avid Liverpool fan had arrived on stage at the UEA at 9.40pm because he tried to catch the Champions League final on television.
Many fans had been waiting for him since 7.30pm and so when he received a hostile reaction from fans, he proceeded to shout abuse at them and under perform.
Andrew Milnes, of Wood Street, Norwich, was outraged. He said:
"At first I balked at the £25 tickets to see Elvis Costello at the UEA, but he was, after all, a hero of my youth, having written, produced and sung some of the greatest material of the late seventies.
"The tickets stated there was no support band so we arrived early and took up a good front-of-stage position. Then we heard the rumour that he was watching the football and he was.
"A support band was given the unenviable task of soothing an increasingly hostile crowd. When Elvis eventually daned to appear at 9.40pm there was loud booing.
"His reaction to this was to hurl abuse and play loudly, not very grown up, but more importantly, not very good.
"Great as he is, Elvis is not a guitar hero and this stint earned him a soaking with water from a fan.
"His band the Imposters probably knocked back by the hostile reaction, played like amateurs, the crowd knew the material better than they did and could probably have played it better too.
"The whole thing seemed to be done on the cheap and at £25 a ticket, that's not good enough."
Malca Schotten, from Norwich, was also in the audience. She said: "Some of us had been there since 7.30pm and didn't realise he was going to be late, so we were annoyed to say the least.
"Although there were some people shouting and throwing things, most people were polite.
"His reaction was completely over the top. He was swearing and gesturing to the crowd, showing a complete lack of respect - I don't care how famous you are, you should respect your fans.
"I paid £50 to take my sister for her birthday, I've always wanted to see him live and was really looking forward to it.
"His behaviour was disgusting and we were the first to walk out and plenty of people followed."
It's been a good year for the roses. ;P
I can't figure out why anybody listens to either of them.
"That's what you get when you go chasing after vengeance"
(The Angels Want To Wear My) Red Shoes
I'm a fan of them all. Completely different kinds of music.
I happen to like Elvis' voice. But - he has had a bad reputation for abusing his audiences for years if not decades.
Who the H is Jake Riviera?
Ironically, it was the social and economic distance between the monster rock bands and the fan base which gave rise to the New Wave and punk movements. Elvis' falling prey to the same primadonna self-absorption (if that is what explains this) would certainly add an additional element of irony to this aesthetic watusi.
There's a line from P.T. Barnum that comes to mind...
I love his first four albums. I was there when it happened. Saw him live, summer 1978. A great musician; singer, songwriter, bandleader. I don't care anything for all that he's done since. But back in the day, Elvis was king!
Costello...you odd fellow.....
"I don't wanna kiss you, I don't wanna touch..."
His work with the Attractions was some of the freshest stuff during the 80's. He broke new ground IMHO and deserves his fame.
Don't get me wrong, I love me some Clash, Dead Kennedys, Sex Pistols - I just never heard anything from Costello that was musically interesting. If he's a poet, that probably explains it, I don't listen to music for the lyrics.
I guess he's like Bob Dylan, you either get it, or you don't. I certainly don't!
There was a crisis of meaning in the UK in the late '70s and early '80s. Whatever explains that, Elvis' look and ironic-aesthetic posturing -like changing songs suddenly at the beginning of his SNL appearance - clicked with some people. It may have something to do with the sensibility of British comedy. More so than on a purely musical level. Dunno.
You know, I don't think I ever heard it! I'll have to check it out - thanks for the tip.
Thanks for that. I love to laugh in the morning.
DK has a heroin problem? I never heard that one. I loved her "Live in Paris" album and her cover of Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You" is a masterpeice of emotion. Simply incredible.
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