Re: (TV) Good Thurs. Christ / Who the Hell Are Television's Fans?

["Joe Thornton" <joe.thornton@gmx.net>]

Leo wrote:
> During his solo acoustic tour(s), TV remarked in an interview
> that he wasn't very enthusiastic (I'm paraphrasing in all that
> follows) about his fans...
> In another interview [early 1980s?], he was asked who his ideal
> fan might/would be. He answered that they would be someone who
> didn't listen to much music...
>
> But to add some context, I think this was quite a long time ago
> when he was **sick to death** of dealing with people, who, by
> and large, just wanted to dwell on his past role in Television
> and that band's songs. Also, it was obviously way before any of
> the re-unions or even before rare shows such as the Viper Club gig
> during which he cheerfully comments on the old faithfuls' requests.
> And most of all--even though his 'ideal' fan stuff seemed commercially
> counter productive----his career has never it's never been about
> the money.

Reminds me of the Music for Films show in Italy a few years ago. My
new-found Sicilian friend Antonio was moved to shout "Marquee Moon" at one
stage as Tom & Jimmy were playing. But I must point out that Antonio was not
just a genuine Verlaine fan but a real gentleman. He drove me (and a couple
of crazy Italian friends) back to the hotel, in the bar of which we,
happily, encountered Tom & Jimmy again. I suppose I should mention that
Antonio (not a big man) had matched me for beers throughout the night... and
I was a bit inebriated. But no problem on the road. (Italy is SO different
from Germany...)

Anyway, you can imagine, yet another adoring fan (this one semi-drunk, and
probably reeking of garlic) approaches Tom when he's trying to relax after a
long day... But he was polite. I thanked him for all the music, told him
that he had lots of fans in Ireland (Television arrived in Dublin for the
first time a few months later), and so on.

And I can imagine the number of times Tom, tall and recognizable, has been
approached by adoring Marquee Moon fans in New York.

--JoeT
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