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GermanZERO View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: The Tangent line up dissolved, gigs cancelled
    Posted: October 10 2012 at 18:39
THE TANGENT - ANNOUNCEMENT 10/10/2012

 

Hello everyone. I'm really sorry to have to make this awful announcement but, after many months of trying not to, I am going to have to dissolve the current line-up of The Tangent. There are a number of complex and personal reasons why I have to do this, but top of the list, head and shoulders above all reasons is the continuing financial impracticality of running the band in its current state.

As a result of the current economic situation, logistical problems (250 miles between members) and other overriding commitments, this whole Summer we met once to play the Celebr8 concert, and once at a Maschine gig. We haven't recorded or rehearsed together since July 7. Along with that are numerous other issues far too complex to recount here.

The Tangent until now have managed to exist as a 100 percent professional band since 2003. This has been my living, and I've had to fight to stay alive against many competitors. The huge huge number of bands coming into this arena now, along with the the public's acceptance of piracy as the norm means that I have less and less money to finance anything like tours. I chose Progressive Rock Music as my life's work out of love, not desire for success. The choice was guaranteed to fail, from the moment I chose this path in the late 70s. The fact that we got as far as we did is testament to a success that some folks dream of. I'm proud of our track record, what we accomplished and how we accomplished it.

We've seen the world, we've played from Moscow to RoSfest, from Spain to Sweden, from Quebec to Parma. We've sold records to 100 and more countries. Without electronic pestering, without vote canvassing we've had the opportunity to stand at the top, yet never look down on anyone. We only had disagreements with a couple of other bands in all the many gigs and festivals we've played. We've shared our "headline" dressing rooms with other bands, we've refused to sign contracts that call other bands "support". We've stuck around to watch the whole festival rather than just appear for our slot. We've worked out how to do the fastest sound check on earth to make sure everyone else gets a turn. We played shorter sets when the festival was running late. We've seen every gig we do with another band as an evening of entertainment rather than our own showcase. A couple of times that attitude has been abused, but for the most part it's worked.

NOW

While of course I wish to apologise to all friends and supporters of the band who will surely be disapointed by this sudden announcement just before some scheduled gigs, of all the people I wish to apologise to, it's IO Earth. They are a true "heart and soul" investment band who work their bollocks off to do what they do. One stressful night in Leicester they managed to save the day for The Tangent and it makes me kick myself that I have to let them down on a tour that they enthusiastically promoted and worked hard for. I have spoken about this with them and in place of the full Tangent show, Guy Manning and I will do 4 special one off shows with IO Earth on all those dates. This set is well overdue. The set will feature songs from our intertwining careers which reach back over 25 years and will be rehearsed here at home making the trip at least possible if not profitable. I sincerely hope Tangent fans will still support the events and help to make this a profitable tour for IO Earth and the fantastic promoters that risk everything to keep prog alive in the UK.

THE FUTURE

People who know our songs know that "the future finds you" rather than any other way around. It's ironic, but during this very difficult and stressful time I have been writing some of the most ambitious music in the band's history. I hope to release Tangent album number 7 next year. Other than a few demo parts I never had the chance to get anyone from the band onto the recordings. I intend to find musicians who can help me complete this recording and I hope that with those musicians I can build the essence and workable framework of a new Tangent closer to home and thereby more practical.. The Y-Prog festival date next year is still in my diary and I fully intend to honour that commitment. Luke and Dan will of course continue the development of their excellent band Maschine and I wish them every success for the future.

THE PAST

At this crucial point I need to stress that all musicians involved since the inception of the UK band, (in order of appearance) Guy Manning, Jonathan Barrett, Theo Travis, Paul Burgess, Mike Gilbourne, Luke Machin, Tony Latham, Nick Rickwood & Dan Mash have provided the best moments of the Tangent's career to date. Sally Collyer has been a true brick in organising everything. All of them have been amazing, highly skilled and enthusiastic players and to lose them in this horrible way is heartbreaking. It is with seriously twisted lip that I remember that flying Beardfish in from Sweden on Ryanair to play with The Tangent at Summers End 2008 cost less money than it costs the current Tangent line-up to meet in London.

THE FUTURE NOW

I believe that I have earned the mandate to continue releasing music under the name The Tangent hopefully without the hurls of "tribute band" levelled at some bands who don't have the 'right' player. I accept that for many people the name has now become synonymous with the people currently in the band but I beg to suggest that the music has a continuity since that first album 10 years ago. The Swedish band had to be dissolved owing to running costs and impracticalities in 2008, and it now appears that the same thing has to happen here. I'll be rebuilding the Tangent. For now, I'll keep you posted on developments - there are over 2 hours of music written for the Tangent name already. This is an ongoing story, as it always has been.

Best to all

Andy

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/alltangentmembers/

http://www.thetangent.org/



Edited by GermanZERO - October 10 2012 at 20:13
            
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2012 at 18:55
This is terrible news.  Cry
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2012 at 18:59
:[
Crushed like a rose in the riverflow.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2012 at 19:01
Heartfelt, hertbreaking, but still full of so much endless potential.

Andy and the various evolving Tangent lineups have won over many of us progressive rock lovers, who've come to expect something intelligent, exciting and passionate from every different release. A number of outstanding progressive albums that reward endless replaying and stand up as consistently strong works.

We aren't going anywhere, we'll be there to support the band and look forward to any further Tangent/Andy release whatever form they may take.

Best of luck, Andy.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2012 at 20:03

I saw Andy and the band at Terra in Quebec last summer. what a lost an what a shame. Andy it's always one steep foward and two steps back but I know you will be back.

 Andy you an count on my support . 
 
And for those of you who download  music for " free", remember nothing in life is free  case in point  Andy just paid the price
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2012 at 20:12
I'm a huge Tangent fan, as Andy knows, but this doesn't bother me for two reasons ; 
1)  I see the band as much as a musical platform, not unlike Clearlight, as I do a self-contained band, and Andy alludes to this in his post.   It's one of those projects that just won't die, at least anytime soon.
2)  They already recorded so much good music I'd be perfectly satisfied with the possibility there might not be any more.   Under the circumstances I'm amazed they've done as much as they have.   It's a lot more than some of the big bands here have released.


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 11 2012 at 09:44
I agree with David, this is not that big of a deal when you consider the history of this project (you can't really call it a "band", when you think about all the different lineups).  There has never been a Tangent album with the same lineup as the last.  It's Andy's musical vehicle, and he seems to always better himself each time something like this happens (IMO, of course).

This was quite possibly the best lineup of the band yet, but I suspect he'll be able to find something as good, if not better.  In any case, there will be more Tangent music in the future, so it's not such terrible news.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 11 2012 at 09:46
I should also mention that on Facebook, Tony Latham (the drummer) commented that there is more to this breakup than meets the eye and that he, Luke, and Dan will be releasing their own statement in the near future.  It will be interesting to see what they have to say, as the implication is that they have a different take on this dissolution of the lineup.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 11 2012 at 18:31
Hmmm Infandous, that's an interesting observation. I have to admit, my eyebrow raised a little when I read this line of Andy's statement:

"I believe that I have earned the mandate to continue releasing music under the name The Tangent...."

OK, reading between the lines and all, but that sounded a little...defensive? Then again, I can't help but feel that The Tangent has always been Andy's `baby', so to speak, and it's kind of a given that he brings in different musicians for each project.

Wait and see, of course...
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 11 2012 at 19:24
This is a real shame, I had the pleasure of seeing the most recent line up at Summers End last year (I was also front and centre for that 2008 appearance) and the performance was absolutely brilliant, I really beleived that the mix of young and "old" gave them such a dynamic on stage and this was probably their best line up since The Music That Died Alone. I'm also really gutted becauseI was going to see them at the end of the month.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 11 2012 at 19:28
Damn that sucks. Hope they can release this " but during this very difficult and stressful time I have been writing some of the most ambitious music in the band's history" soon.
 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 12 2012 at 09:14
I don't like this band so much but Not as good as The Book is decent album.

Sad news, btw.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 12 2012 at 14:29
This is one of those bands I discovered through Prog Archives and have thoroughly enjoyed everything I have heard by them.  I hope the band continues in some form and is able to provide us with some more quality prog music.  Living on the west coast of the U.S., bands like this rarely come my way (and if they do they hit either SoCal or the Bay Area and I don't hear about it), so I do not even think about seeing them live even if I have the time.  Prog is a recorded genre to me rather than a live one.  No single person can comprise a band - all other players offer something to the final mix of music, some more than others, of course.  This will create the inevitable differences in choice of direction for the band, which I am sure is part of the sub-text of Andy's message.  I hope we won't see a public airing of the band's dirty laundry, nor do I want to pick sides in any dispute.  Still, I would like to see Andy and Guy Manning collaborate again.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 12 2012 at 15:49
Originally posted by infandous infandous wrote:

I should also mention that on Facebook, Tony Latham (the drummer) commented that there is more to this breakup than meets the eye and that he, Luke, and Dan will be releasing their own statement in the near future.


I browsed the FB page and this stood out to me too. The vibes it gives off are not good. Andy has stated the reason for Tangent's demise - why the need for the other to announce an imminent statement of their own?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 12 2012 at 16:16
I have all their studio output and really think Andy is a good guy and great musician.  And while this is certainly bad news it should be a lesson for all the hopeful musicians who think that fame and money is in the cards when you pick up a guitar. Extremely tough business and it is a wonder we don't see more of these announcements. I wish everyone in the band well and hope there aren't a lot of the hard feelings alluded to above.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 12 2012 at 16:24
Originally posted by Meurgley Meurgley wrote:

Originally posted by infandous infandous wrote:

I should also mention that on Facebook, Tony Latham (the drummer) commented that there is more to this breakup than meets the eye and that he, Luke, and Dan will be releasing their own statement in the near future.


I browsed the FB page and this stood out to me too. The vibes it gives off are not good. Andy has stated the reason for Tangent's demise - why the need for the other to announce an imminent statement of their own?


Probably because
 
Originally posted by infandous infandous wrote:

I should also mention that on Facebook, Tony Latham (the drummer) commented that there is more to this breakup than meets the eye and that he, Luke, and Dan will be releasing their own statement in the near future.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2012 at 08:29
To me, Andy IS The Tangent.
Let's hope that he can find a working businessmodel that makes him enough money to do the things he wants to do (touring etc).
Also, let's hope he will find a new collection of musicians to record the next album with, most likely that'll work out fine, he always had great musicians.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2012 at 13:47
I agree, Tillison Is The Tangent, Andy is a very intelligent person and incredible musician.

Soon the phoenix will rise again!!!







Edited by GermanZERO - October 13 2012 at 13:57
            
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2012 at 15:03
Originally posted by Pekka Pekka wrote:

[/QUO
My question was rhetorical (not to be taken literally).




Given the circumstances for both The Tangent and Guy Manning and their similar problems with keeping a band intact, wouldn't it be a logical next step to combine their forces again? Since they are friends and have been working together for many years, and both are struggling with two separate careers, why not combine their musical endeavours under one headiing?

I admit wishful thinking on my part, as I missed Guy's guitar when he left the Tangent.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 20 2012 at 17:04
Originally posted by Meurgley Meurgley wrote:

Originally posted by Pekka Pekka wrote:

My question was rhetorical (not to be taken literally).

Sorry, it's sometimes hard to tell.
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