Dear Two Men and a Dog, you’ve been my persistent audience quite a while. You are so quiet I sometimes doubt you really exist. But – so long as you are here – it’s my duty to keep you posted.
A strange thing happens consistently over my career. Everything tanks, collapses in the worst muddle of whimpers. Record labels fold, gigs dry up, income plummets. There comes a period where I’m quite sure it’s all over and it’s time to just document all the good times, fuck off and die. But after a miserable month or year – it flowers again. A new influence arrives and it all veers off again in another direction, probably in a hurry to crash and burn again some years in the future. I don’t know if this is normal, whatever this is, and I never take it for granted.
Change. Change is When It Hurts
As Severed Heads finished touring I decided to try a new path. I’ve already described how Nilamox was a needed risk, I don’t have to go through that all again. The last few months have been a tactical retreat, but some useful intelligence was gained.
Again I’ve made the mistake of believing in a wider community, this time on Facebook, which inevitably turns out to have all the artistic empathy of the Russian army in Ukraine. There are good people on there but they are good everywhere. I dumped Facebook. I firmly believe that the old Web 1.0 – the small houses not the malls – are where the best cultures will grow. I think others agree with me.
The reformation as Dogfood/Sevcom/Nilamox was announced months ago. Now the BandCamp shop is being reformed as well. The Nilamox titles will be re-absorbed into the main page. Everything on Nilamox was FREE for months. No one gave a flying fuck. Now because I am moving them to the main page there is screaming and wailing. My God, am I running a childcare centre?
The Séance was a fun thing. It wasn’t as popular as I had hoped – if you believe all the online metrics that the web spews out you’d think that from 5000+ targetted messages to previous purchasers there’d be a proportion that would be interested. When it came down to it – it was the same Men and Dogs that always get involved. A good crowd. Extended Family.
Opportunity. Knock Knock
Dear Men and Dog – I know I’m annoying when I have to be vague about upcoming projects. All of these things involve collaboration and I can’t toot the horn until everyone is on-toot. But several significant projects that I thought were delayed and would never happen were confirmed in a single minute (!) a few days ago. I will update you as soon as can be.
Tom.
I’m one of the men…or maybe the dog(?).
I got into SH initially from the period you were with Nettwerk / Volition (and backwards) and then after a gap (I missed the CDR phase sadly) my interest reignited and I’ve been fully reengaged again for the last decade plus – buying what I can from wherever it is (Medical Records, LTM, Klanggalerie, Cold Waves, direct from you in Australia etc).
I finally succeeded in seeing you live when you played Electroworks in London a few years back (sooooooo good!!) and was gutted when I read the gig(s) were up on that front (so to speak).
I was gutted that I missed the seance window and posted a message to say as much on Bandcamp (a mixture or work and family pressures and a bloody crap memory). Any chance to make it available as a charged download would be snapped-up by me!!
I read your updates when they go up on hear (I can’t be arsed with Facebook / twitter etc) and completely understand your frustrations and fear that you’ll just get completely exasperated and give up the ghost. Please don’t!!!!
I wish I could help. You’re pretty much the only artist that I’d sign-up for some sort of sponsorship/ patreon type deal as I know you find it tough to make it all work… and I’m selfish and still want to hear what you have to say / what you create.
Take care and keep the faith as long as possible please…and if you have an idea of how I could help (and others like me) then please yell.
Gerard
Btw. I loved all the Nilamox stuff I got (Butch Crutch, Coklacoma – or is it Cok La Coma?? – and Solar Woodroach)
P.S.
I should have added I’m VERY excited about the potential new projects. Fingers-Crossed!!!!
Gerard
I’d be happy to describe it but there’s one that requires a government minister to announce it, and the other I’m part of a larger team that’s negotiating a contract. Meh.
Thanks for being involved. I am not keen on Patreon, so long as I can scrounge money from larger sources I’d rather it be a simple purchase with freebies whenever I can manage that.
Séance… I’m thinking about it. I wanted it to be an event rather than a release. Maybe a time delay will allow both. Cheers.
I go through similar cycles. Nothing and then suddenly three offers of vinyl represses etc etc. People still want the 30 year old tracks and few want anything new. I don’t get it but my take is that I keep on going cos 1. It’s what I want to make/hear and 2. There are a couple of people and their dogs who still support the new stuff.
I look forward to hearing your news.
Yeah well it’s the same story everywhere: We only want what we cannot have. We only want a reminder of our past life. We fear change.
So as much as possible you just make things now for 40 years from now. And you make them impossible to get until that time. Yes?