CW and Hayley Tour..The Beginning of The End

[alcan1]

roger said:

Hi Bob,

I cannot comment about the CW forum because I rarely have time to look at it but I hope we have made it clear on this forum that nobody is blaming the members of Celtic Woman (including Hayley). If anything, I think we are genuinely concerned that what has happened will unfairly damage their reputation.

I'm sure we all hope for a happy and successful tour. Good luck to Meav, Orla, Lisa, Chloe, Mairead... and Hayley!

Roger

Yes it has unfairly damaged all their reputations. I received over 100 emails and PMs from people who feel exactly as I do. As a result of the events that have taken place I along with several of the other high rollers will no longer buy any Celtic Woman, Celtic Collections, or EMI products. Of course that doesnt include Hayley as her home label is Decca (Universal Music Group) and not EMI so I'm looking forward to supporting Hayley as a solo artist. Frankly I think all 6 of those artists should quit and regroup under a new name and under new management. Then and only then would they have the return of my full support. But I'm not going to line the pockets of their current management. That means I wont buy so much as a program in 18 days when I see them in Wallingford, CT. I sure hope that their current management thinks that all this was worth it. They have lost alot of supporters. And its going to be very hard to get them back. I can no longer look at this group in the same light again. And Im not the only one. Thats why there were so many who wrote in as I did.


I corrected Hayley's record label.
Richard

[roger]

Hi alcan1,

I think that is very sad. I understand the depth of your feelings and the disappointment and anger of many fans like you. However, it seems that the girls have been let down and their reputation has been unfairly damaged. The last thing they need right now is for their fans to abandon them.

If there are no supportive fans, there will be no Celtic Woman.

Roger

[bobcochran]

Roger, you made my point far better than I could.

It's time like this when all the artists involved need supportive fans the most, epecially if this alternating arrangement allows Meav to spend more time with her family while continuing to remain a part of Celtic Woman.

[fusilier23]

Hey, it is what it is. In the end the fans are the consumers and the artists are selling them a product, the same as any other vendor. Sometimes things other than simple economics enter the equation, like a dispute with the grocer over a child's poor behavior or finding out that the local hardware store supports the opposite political party to you. If that happens you are free to choose another vendor. The same is true here, if you feel like you've been gyped, you are free to withdraw your support from these artists or even oppose them, though the question of whether you're allowed to do it on their websites is an entirely different one, as same are privately owned. Money talks the way few other things do, and if you are angry with the artist for whatever reason, don't buy her CDs or concert tickets and encourage others not to. It isn't like the market is bare of other Celtic soprano types, and you, like a customer who thinks the grocer gyped him on change or that the mechanic did a poor job, are free to take your business elsewhere.

[postscript]

roger said:

Hi Bob,

I cannot comment about the CW forum because I rarely have time to look at it but I hope we have made it clear on this forum that nobody is blaming the members of Celtic Woman (including Hayley). If anything, I think we are genuinely concerned that what has happened will unfairly damage their reputation.

I'm sure we all hope for a happy and successful tour. Good luck to Meav, Orla, Lisa, Chloe, Mairead... and Hayley!

Roger

I think that is a very fair summary of both the situation and our collective attitudes. Its ALL the performers' reputations we are concerned about and their collective and individual standing. We are concerned that the management aspect understands how vulnerable those hard-built -up reputations are and that management must match the quality of the artistes it is supporting.

Peter S.

[postscript]

roger said:

Hi alcan1,

I think that is very sad. I understand the depth of your feelings and the disappointment and anger of many fans like you. However, it seems that the girls have been let down and their reputation has been unfairly damaged. The last thing they need right now is for their fans to abandon them.

If there are no supportive fans, there will be no Celtic Woman.

Roger

I think there is a strong point there, Alcan 1. Don't throw out the baby withy the bath water! The artistes are still the marvelous people they are. It is they who deliver the final product. I know it is Japanese custom to reject a product just because the wrapping is damaged but I think one does need to differentiate between a torn poster, or label even, and the reality of a quality product underneath.
Peter S.

[Jeff]

It seems to me that problems like this wouldn't happen if Hayley did more shows in her own right, rather than guesting on other people's. It can't be that she lacks confidence to headline her own event. Maybe she prefers to share the limelight with others but when she does, admin problems seem to dog her. The delay in relaunching her official website is another example .

[flip8]

Let me see if I can restate the obvious here. Let me at least try...
You have a beef with the management of Celtic Woman for not forcing Hayley to reschedule her solo performances and, instead, seeking to resolve the situation by having her alternate tour dates with Meav, who was absent for most, if not all of the '05 CW tour, seeing as how she'd recently had a baby. This provides another explanation for the alternating dates, as she might want to spend time with her child.
Because of this beef, you refuse to buy any more albums, attend any more shows, or even watch them on TV?
I'll admit, I was disappointed when I scheduled my concerts and discovered that I would not be seeing Hayley perform this year. I tried not to dwell on it, however, and instead purchased Odyssey and Celtic Treasure (excellent purchases, I might add). I'm looking forward to my next concert as I normally would.
Am I an unabashed apologist for Celtic Woman? That's up to you, but please don't let that perception cloud your judgment and allow you to dismiss my arguments as the rambling of a CW fanatic.

[fusilier23]

Eh, freedom of choice. If someone's annoyed and pulls his support, that's his right.