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Post by stevemacdonald on Mar 22, 2006 20:44:52 GMT
I've been to seven Hayley events and have met her four times, and that was just in New York City. Some UK fans have met her 10, 15, perhaps 20 times! I'm sure this is a good thing because she can always benefit from our constant support.
HOWEVER ....
Don't you think by now she gets a little tired of seeing the same faces over and over? Shouldn't we let new people have a turn at meeting her in our place? Why are we always hogging the queue?
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Post by roger on Mar 22, 2006 21:00:04 GMT
Hi Steve,
I have seen no evidence of anyone from HWI "hogging the queue". On the contrary, many of us have helped others to see her when they may otherwise not have done so. Certainly in the UK, we invariably wait until everyone else has seen her. Then we take our turn if she is still able to wait. Occasionally, she has not been able to (or the venue insisted we leave because they wished to close) in which case we have left quite willingly.
It has also been said that Hayley is genuinely pleased to see familiar faces and she seems even more relaxed than usual in our company. I really don't see a problem unless you know differently in the US. (?)
Roger
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Steve H
Global Moderator
HWI Management Team / Official Site Photographer & Videographer
Posts: 1,756
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Post by Steve H on Mar 22, 2006 21:41:29 GMT
Hi Steve,
Was this thread started to generate some emotion? well it certainly has in me!
Hayley's close fan base in very important to her, she enjoys the support of those of us who are here for the duration of her career and I am sure however difficult it gets Hayley will continue to spend time with her fans, it has always been important to her and she has on several occasions commented on the wonderful support of HWI staff and members.
Even when she is tired, she still finds time to sign merchandise if as Roger says, the venue permits it, she allows photographs to be taken with her, and she often stops to talk to those of us who wait until she leaves a venue to say goodbye.
I can not speak for Hayley, but i could not imagine that she:
quite the contrary, She always seems to have a smile on her face when she recognises someone.
Steve H
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Post by stevemacdonald on Mar 23, 2006 1:37:33 GMT
...Was this thread started to generate some emotion? well it certainly has in me! Not in the least, but a swift and sincere apology goes out to anyone put off. I'm guessing many major music stars have a core of die-hard fans who follow their tours, routinely seek them out after performances and lead the way for others to partake in the same. The system seems designed to include them wherever possible and Hayley has been perfectly gracious to go along. But as disarmingly gracious as she is, it's important to remember it would be unprofessional of her if she weren't, and some miscreant would certainly let the world (or the tabloids) know all about it. When a performer like Hayley knows there's a familiar, die-hard following to please, what lattitude can she really have to try things in a new way? Or maybe it's the other way around: Maybe by now she knows we'll love anything she does and so she won't get objective feedback. Has any one of us ever told her to her face, "That was excellent, Hayley, but you really held the C-sharp a nano-second too long in the coda"? Well, I won't defend my point any further because it does touch a nerve more than I intended. And you can bet I'll be at the head of the line when I catch her on tour, so shame on me even more.  |
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Dave
Administrator
HWI Admin
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Post by Dave on Mar 23, 2006 3:18:14 GMT
...Was this thread started to generate some emotion? well it certainly has in me! ...But as disarmingly gracious as she is, it's important to remember it would be unprofessional of her if she weren't, and some miscreant would certainly let the world (or the tabloids) know all about it. When a performer like Hayley knows there's a familiar, die-hard following to please, what lattitude can she really have to try things in a new way? Well, I won't defend my point any further because it does touch a nerve more than I intended. And you can bet I'll be at the head of the line when I catch her on tour, so shame on me even more. Well if I attend a Hayley concert, I'm usually at the back of the line and, from talking with Hayley's 'entourage' (more so than with Hayley) while waiting, I can assure you that if anything needs to be said, it will be... by them. Hayley doesn't need to say a thing. I've discussed both positive and negative aspects of performances, sound systems etc., with Hayley, although I have to admit, I am more likely to mention anything negative to her Management instead; I think that's the best way to do it. I'd be surprised if we inhibit Hayley from trying out new things. I think all successful recording artists, need to appeal to a broad spectrum of the general public... much wider than the "die-hard fans" as you put it. Doing things 'our' way wouldn't necessarily sell many CDs. But we are sometimes asked for our opinion, which is nice. And don't worry about touching raw nerves Steve, I don't think you have... certainly not here!  Cheers, Dave |
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Post by postscript on Mar 23, 2006 8:31:31 GMT
You raise an interesting point, Steve, so perhaps a background on 'us lot' in the UK.
There is a hard core of around 4 to 6 that is in a state of continual change added to which, on occasion, there is another three or four on 'odd occasions'. So, in fact it is not that great a number, when the line-up can approach 100..
Second. 'the gang' as we would like Hayley to think of us, always waits until the queue of those wanting programmes or CDs signed has cleared. This can entail a half-hour wait during which Hayley can often be seen kneeling down for young people, or generally being engulfed in bearlike hugs by oldies, or just general family groups, with all of whom she is extraordinarily patient to ensure they gain the photo they want.
Sometimes, time is short, and that is why we hang to the end precisely so we DON'T hog her time. For us, unless we have something meaningful to say to her, we simply hang around socialising with:
her musical director
her manager (UK)
her accompanying artists, usually Fiona Pears
Jill or Gerald, which ever happens to be with her.
Amongst our grouping who ever is likely to be the main contributor for that night's performance has precedence. This is how we gain the insights we share with everyone else on this site (having checked our conversation is public and not a private one and also check out our intended approach as being acceptable.
So, I don't think there is any way we could be regarded as 'hogging the line-up' and even if, in the end, other than having our own programmes signed, we only have time for a cheery wave, 'hello/goodbye', being in her presence in that general family background for half-an-hour is a soul-lifter.
Peter
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Post by postscript on Mar 23, 2006 8:48:19 GMT
That is a point, Roger, it is the venue and the circumstances. These meetings don't happen all the time and as has been mentioned in another thread, we are quite happy with the expectation of being 'thrown out of the theatre' because the building needs to be closed.
When she has had a sequential run of her own concerts it is not unusual to say, as her staff hurry her through one door--yes, for obvious reasons of cost, presumably, even Hayley has to be ushered away by her manager, so she obviously enjoys the camaraderie--as she departs through one door and we another, we yell out 'Finish the conversation next week!' 'Right! comes back the reply and a wave.
tt does depend upon venue, the nature of the show and most particularly as to whether or not it is HER show with guests or she is accompanying someone else. That perhaps is what defines these moments.
In the UK she has used our old churches which she likes because of their age. She is careful not to reveal any religious opinion but she is a spiritual girl and she enjoys such venues.
In such circumstances of course, there is a slightly different attitude to the normal theatre surroundings because staff there are generally excited about having her, chat with us as well but most particularly, it is probably someone 'down the road' who will\ lock up after us and who is enthralled at meeting her, so is not in a particular hurry to rush home, unlike a theatre where time is money and staff have a routine.
Peter
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Post by Richard on Mar 23, 2006 10:16:48 GMT
Hello Steve and everybody!  I'm one of Hayley's regular supporters, and I usually wait with the rest of us at the back of the queue. As well as not hogging Hayley's time at the expense of others who may not have met her before, it can be quite entertaining seeing the reaction of people meeting her for the first time. It's also a good opportunity to spread the word about HWI and this forum!  Hayley greets us all with a big smile, and vice-versa of course, so I'm sure she's always pleased to see us! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifRichard  |
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Post by postscript on Mar 23, 2006 10:17:13 GMT
...Was this thread started to generate some emotion? well it certainly has in me! Not in the least, but a swift and sincere apology goes out to anyone put off. I'm guessing many major music stars have a core of die-hard fans who follow their tours, routinely seek them out after performances and lead the way for others to partake in the same. The system seems designed to include them wherever possible and Hayley has been perfectly gracious to go along. But as disarmingly gracious as she is, it's important to remember it would be unprofessional of her if she weren't, and some miscreant would certainly let the world (or the tabloids) know all about it. When a performer like Hayley knows there's a familiar, die-hard following to please, what latitude can she really have to try things in a new way? Or maybe it's the other way around: Maybe by now she knows we'll love anything she does and so she won't get objective feedback. Has any one of us ever told her to her face, "That was excellent, Hayley, but you really held the C-sharp a nano-second too long in the coda"? Well, I won't defend my point any further because it does touch a nerve more than I intended. And you can bet I'll be at the head of the line when I catch her on tour, so shame on me even more. I don't think you should in any way be ashamed or embarrassed by raising the subject you did. I think you raise a very important issue. We all need to be aware of the danger of outstaying our welcome. I think those of us whom you might define as 'her regulars' are not only few in actual numbers but also sensitive to what we do regard as an extraordinary privilege. But, familiarity does 'breed contempt' and we do need, both on those occasions and here on this board, to be aware of the much larger numbers around us. It is numbers in the largest possible sense that earns Hayley her money and her international standing.In that wide world it is crucial to her that no one feels that someone else has a special place in her favour. 'Stalwarts', in that category.of money are of no use to her. However, rather than giving her 'no latitude', I would suggest the opposite is true, that we invite her to challenge herself. We debate with her options and possibilities. She is superb in her frankness. I assume Steve and Jill pass back some of the tit-bits of our conversations with them but on one occasion I was talking to Steve (her UK manager) that liking Wiegenleid so much as I do, should she not consider the songs of Schubert?. His reaction (we had by now met two or three times) 'she's over there, go and tell her'! I did and her response was that she enjoyed the German lieder, 'but I don't have sufficient confidence'! To which i replied that if Steve, who was there, thought the German audience's response enthusiastic, what was she worried about, surely that was sufficient reassurance? We do criticise her. I remember at Milton Keynes, she passed Roger and I on her way to her signing desk. She smiled with an 'okay?' expression on her face and almost simultaneously Roger and I said, 'No! You could have taken a second encore, that audience wanted you back.' She gave a slightly rueful grin and and wave that indicated, 'see you later'. It turned out there was a specific and quite understandable reason why she hadn't come back a s second time but she admitted she should have. In these conversations a lot of information is in fact forthcoming which we could not/would not presume to share at that time. However, it is useful in her interests on this board when issues do come into the open, as happened a few months back, following a press comment about her use of the microphone. The matter then being in the public view it was easy to counter the criticism with the authority of 'insider information' in a manner that gave away no secrets but balanced the criticism and put it in perspective. In the UK tours, for instance, one has to take a note of the songs she sings because while there is a substantial 'general' programme the actual songs are not listed, presumably to give her leeway to adapt as she wants each night. Not infrequently, if one is writing it up for these boards, one needs to check with her precisely the sequence or title or perhaps raise a question of interpretation. Simply because, certainly in my case, one becomes so memserised by Hayley on stage one forgets to take notes! I think, the most important thing about meeting Hayley is that when she is 'open for fans' she is OPEN TO ALL She will welcome criticism, observation, suggestions from anyone asking her to sign their programme. We few, we happy band of brothers are not so much specially privileged as being uniquely placed to attend many of her concerts and can thereby give her something additional--a consistency of response because we can make comparisons of various venues, strategies and techniques--we see a large part of the gamut of her portfolio. This would apply to anyone seeing her regularly. It provides criticism in the context of a series as opposed to single 'one-off' experiences. I think she values both. She should, because it provides her with a unique reference point that can only be to her benefit. More particulary, I believe we should be the ones to raise and debate hard-hitting questions. Someone will at some time so let us, in the fratarnity of confirmed Hayley admirers, debate the issues fearlessly. Peter |
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Post by postscript on Mar 23, 2006 10:21:19 GMT
...But as disarmingly gracious as she is, it's important to remember it would be unprofessional of her if she weren't, and some miscreant would certainly let the world (or the tabloids) know all about it. When a performer like Hayley knows there's a familiar, die-hard following to please, what lattitude can she really have to try things in a new way? Well, I won't defend my point any further because it does touch a nerve more than I intended. And you can bet I'll be at the head of the line when I catch her on tour, so shame on me even more. Well if I attend a Hayley concert, I'm usually at the back of the line and, from talking with Hayley's 'entourage' (more so than with Hayley) while waiting, I can assure you that if anything needs to be said, it will be... by them. Hayley doesn't need to say a thing. I've discussed both positive and negative aspects of performances, sound systems etc., with Hayley, although I have to admit, I am more likely to mention anything negative to her Management instead; I think that's the best way to do it. I'd be surprised if we inhibit Hayley from trying out new things. I think all successful recording artists, need to appeal to a broad spectrum of the general public... much wider than the "https://i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifie-hard fans" as you put it. Doing things 'our' way wouldn't necessarily sell many CDs. But we are sometimes asked for our opinion, which is nice. And don't worry about touching raw nerves Steve, I don't think you have... certainly not here! Cheers, Dave Good point Dave. There are things to raise with the artist and things to raise with the management. They know when the opportunity presents itself the way to put things over to her, especially if particularly negative. Peter |
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Post by roger on Mar 23, 2006 13:15:43 GMT
Hi Steve, I am grateful for the opportunity to comment on this subject because there may well be people here who feel that some of us (including me) take up too much of Hayley's time at signing sessions at the possible expense of other fans. I hope the replies have served to allay those concerns. I have seen many examples which suggest Hayley, her family and management, and even the (now former) chief executive of Decca UK truly appreciate the work that HWI does to support her and, if anyone has witnessed some of our meetings, they will have seen how thankful they are for it. It would not be prudent for me to disclose most of those examples on a public forum but I will share one thing with you. Last September, Dave and I were talking to Jill about Odyssey and we mentioned Hayley's "incredible journey". Jill immediately said, "you are part of the journey". For me, that epitomizes the respect they all have for us and that they are genuinely pleased to see us and I know that Hayley feels the same way.  Roger |
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Post by fusilier23 on Mar 24, 2006 3:52:41 GMT
Hayley perfectly walks the beam between saying hello to new folks and making sure she says hi to her old fans. I've seen her six times and she's never expressed displeasure at saying hi, even though the last time was in vile weather. In fact, at the NJPAC, when I was lucky enough to have her "all to myself" for a few minutes, and when I saw her she gasped as you only do for a friend. The one time she expressed even a teeny amount of displeasure when her eyes began to hurt from constant flashes.
Maybe some of us have taken a big slice of the pie, but none of us have ever monopolized Hayley or interfered with anything, we would never do that. In fact, if anything, I would do my best to get others to meet her, for there are many other worthy people here who haven't been fortunate enough to meet her.
Don't worry, there's plenty of her to go around, and I think we're all willing to share. The only fear I have is that someone might push it too far and drive her into hiding.
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