Frost* Derby DVD - PLEASE READ!

Started by Jem, January 11, 2011, 12:00:01 PM

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Jem

Hello all,

I hate bringing bad news to the Frost*iverse, but this is bad news plain and simple. So I'll get to the point.

As you know, we recorded a DVD at Derby University last month. 162 of you battled through appalling weather conditions to get to the gig. Some of you were already there in the afternoon so God knows what time you must have set out...

Similarly, I met people after the show who would be driving for HOURS afterwards to get home. Some of you said you wouldn't get to bed until way past 3 or 4am after the show. I'm amazed and deeply touched that you love Frost* so much that you'd make THAT much effort to come and see us.  It meant and still means the world to me and also to the rest of the band. I don't think we can ever thank you enough. I really don't.

So it is with bitter, bitter regret and a fair amount of fury that I have to say that we can't release the show you saw filmed that night. A combination of events has conspired to mean that the audio recorded during the show is unusable. In particular, my lead vocal channel and my keyboards. Unfortunately, there was a sound curfew until 6pm, something we were only made aware of about 48 hours prior to the gig via text therefore the time for preparation was much shorter than expected. The sound onstage was terrible initially so we had to spend most of the hour we had sorting that out. We were supposed to record The Secret Song as part of the DVD extras package which is why some of you heard us running through it, however, the problems with the stage sound meant we had to abandon that plan in order to try and rectify the monitor problems. Inevitably we fell way behind and therefore we (well, I) had no time to work with the team on the Logic rig that was taking the DVD audio feed in the recording studio behind the stage. I knew there were problems, but I assumed a member of staff would be there to sort things out. As a result, we had no choice but to fly blind for the show. This, I now know, is never a good idea.

My schedule was set to start mixing yesterday. So I duly loaded up the session to be confronted with a sickening scenario.

My vocal channel is awash with hiss and what sounds like aliasing. The keyboards were recorded so quietly that I've had to apply nearly 150% normalisation, this has made them very hissy. One half of the audience ambience mic feed is missing, Craig's SPD-S channel is distorted and in stereo when it was only ever a mono feed, there are 2 or 3 channels with nothing on them at all, there's one channel of hiss and Nath's bass mic channel is full of crackles. In short, the session is unusable. If you like, I can post some examples of the audio so that you can hear how bad it is.

I double checked with Steve Gurney, Reef's sound man, who did our live sound on the night and he concurs. He said to me in an email –

"For the recording they took a direct split from the stage box giving themselves independent control of all their own channels. At no point did they come and say they had a problem with any of the signals being received in the control room. My main issue at the front of house was a 5k air/noise coming off your vocal channel. This only appeared after sound check when they re-patched looking for a cleaner recording line. For me a notch filter seemed to do the trick in-between songs and during quieter moments.  My bass channels were both fine but i predominantly ran the di as it had a great tone. Terrible clicks would point at a cable and as my line was clean it must have been the line to the recording room. A white noise channel has to be an issue at their end ........ alarm bells would have been ringing for me and you would have seen me on stage looking to fix."

I've also spoken to Russell Cherrington who was the organiser of the event and director of the filming. He's understandably aghast and will be heading back to Derby Uni this week to try and find out more. I shall report back on that when I have more info from him.

What I do want to say is that I don't in any way blame the students who helped out on the day. They were there in a learning capacity and mistakes do happen. That said, I appreciate that this whole thing was supposed to work as an event. Myself, the band, our crew and yourselves have a level of expectation that when we agree to something and make a commitment, the proposers should be able to honour that agreement with the correct level of professionalism. For some reason, that has not been possible on this occasion. That said, I'm sure that the frustration is being just as keenly felt on the part of the staff of Derby University. I'm just so sad that this has been at Frost's (and your) cost. I can assure you that this will NEVER happen again.

And so to what happens next, the video footage is apparently great and barring keyboards, bass, SPD-S and my vocals, the remainder of the audio is intact. Therefore we're working to save Hyperventilate and the "Checkmate" section of Milliontown from the Derby gig. It'll equate to about 15 minutes of footage that will be included as a bonus feature on a new DVD that we're planning by way of a solution so the Derby show won't have been a complete write off.

After the events of Derby, I'm sure you can understand my reticence to repeat such an "in concert" scenario, therefore over the course of a couple of days soon, we plan to set up and record a new and different DVD. Kind of Frost* "in session", it'll feature us in the studio playing the entire Black Live Machine Tour set plus some additional songs and will also include a behind the scenes documentary chronicling the entire event. Similar to a Frost report, but with a full 90-100 minute music set included.

The set will be (although not necessarily in this order...) – The Dividing Line, Falling Down, Pocket Sun, Milliontown, The Forget You Song, Saline, The Other Me, Dear Dead Days, Secret Song, Hyperventilate and Black Light Machine.

We're going to film it at Rockfield Studios in Wales in the spring. Rockfield as some of you may know is a legendary residential recording studio where Queen recorded Bohemian Rhapsody. It's also played host to many prog bands over the years, most recent of which was Magenta who went there to mix Metamorphosis. I feel it has the correct heritage and gravitas, plus it has a kick arse Neve desk that I want to have a play with...

In this way, I feel we can deliver you a visual feast worthy of the band's name and a proper recording of the band at this stage of our career. I know it's not quite what was promised, but those who came to the Derby event will still be credited on the new DVD as was always the plan, plus we'll produce a special limited edition signed CD of the new DVD soundtrack available only to the Derby attendees. We'll also send you a messaged and signed photo from the Rockfield session.

I hope you will appreciate that we really are victims of events beyond our control here and that I'm trying to make amends as best I can. I really am very sorry.

In the meantime, I'll keep you posted with any more news I have about what happened at Derby and thank you very very much indeed for keeping the faith.

With much repect,

Jem  :(

RiK

Aww man that sucks.  So sorry to hear that after all that hard work it didn't work out as planned.  

The only consolation I can say is it was a great gig anyway and well worth fighting the weather to get there.
work: www.BlackBeltAcademy.info  • photography: www.richardolpin.co.uk  (WIP)  • blog: www.olpin.net

E.S.

Crap.  :(  That makes me sad to hear. I was really looking forward to this DVD. Crappy mobile recordings on youtube don't quite do justice to this kind of music (or any kind of music at all, really).
I really hope there will be another chance some day, to do a full kick-ass live DVD. At least there's some good news with the studio recordings.  :)

DueyC

What a bummer  :(

But hey, it was a great experience, even if we don't get the DVD as a souvenir  :D
Also to be found running the website and merch sales at www.lifesignsmusic.co.uk

RacingHippo

Jem, thank you for being completely honest and, as usual, going beyond the call to make up for matters beyond your control.
You da man!

My first thought on reading this was "Oh damn. We'll just have to do it all again.... Whoohoo!". After all, it was a BELTER of a gig, and well worth traipsing through all that Fluffy-Frost at -13C for.
But your Plan B sounds excellent. A Frost* Report with 90+ minutes of music? Oh, go on then.....  :mrgreen:
* May contain nuts.

monument

As one of those slightly mental people who drove quite a large distance to get there (Devon and back) I can say despite this it was completely worth it. Jem, you genuinely are a completely wonderful bloke, I'm starting to worry that Frost is taking up a huge amount of your life you'd otherwise like to be spending...well..doing something a bit more fun perhaps. Either way, reading that I was slightly disappointed, but the lengths to which you're going to make up for what wasn't even your mistake puts you right up there as one of the most personable and fan-concious musicians in modern music (if not *the* most).

You're an absolutely mental devoted person to just pleasing a relatively small amount of people and I have the utmost respect for you for that.

As the above said; A 90 minute Frost Report/Gig? Oh go on then.  :D

Mooncat

Gutted for you, the band, and everyone else connected with the organisational side of the DVD shoot(who will undoubtedly feel quite bad about this).
But the 'consolation' DVD sounds great too - now to be greedy, any chance of some warm up dates before the Rockfield session????? ;)
One of the brave Defenders of the Realm - Lydney, October 2010
Statistically, 6 out of 7 dwarfs are not happy

Brom

I must admit my first thought (after the Oh Noooo) was the same as RH's - "way hay another gig!" Jem, I also really appreciate the time taken to let us know what's happened and what's not going to happen, and that you are doing your very best to make more than something out of a bad job!

The gig itself was great, but also what went with it, the excellent pre gig meet up and amenable ambience generated by the like minded Frosties!

Rockfield eh! - I pass the local signpost every time I visit The Land of My Fathers, always thought I should make the short detour - just to be nosey.
I am out of the office. Messages can be left with Mr. C Lyons on 020 7722 3333

JakeWorrell

that's a bit gutting - I was looking forward to reliving what was probably one of the best nights of the year over and over again!

What a terrible shame - I can't begin to imagine how you must feel. I hope you reconsider doing a live gig recording in the future, perhaps at a venue where you have 100% control.

Anyway jolly good of you to do an alternative, and nothing will ruin the fact that it was a cracking night all round and worth every second of our journey!
"The longer the note, the more dread."

JakeWorrell

Quote from: "Mooncat"now to be greedy, any chance of some warm up dates before the Rockfield session????? ;)

what a splendid idea!
"The longer the note, the more dread."

daveyb


daveyb


Jem

Quote from: "E.S."I really hope there will be another chance some day, to do a full kick-ass live DVD.

I think that's very possible in the future. Once my nerves have settled back down! :D

Thanks to everybody for being so understanding. It means a hell of a lot. Blunders is emailing me now, he sends his love.  :D

JakeWorrell

Quote from: "Jem"Thanks to everybody for being so understanding. It means a hell of a lot. Blunders is emailing me now, he sends his love.  :D

send ours in return!  :P
"The longer the note, the more dread."

Nellie

Hopefully, there will still be quite a lot of footage from the Derby gig included.
It's in the post!