A couple of days ago I decided to leave all the Simple Minds FB groups I was a member of. All of them. That also meant handing in my moderators badge at Simple Minds International. To be honest, I was always flabbergasted that Gordon bestowed the thing upon me. And I was never of any real use in the role anyways.
Two days later, I am starting to see just how much of my FB feed was taken up by SM groups.
I honestly don’t know where I am going with this post!
The groups do my flaming head in, but I miss them. I mean, I stopped inputting into groups a couple of weeks back. The only thing I posted lately was my interview with Catherine on SMOG. And those who didn’t care for it were respectful enough to leave it the fuck alone and not comment or be bitchy. Which was actually amazing, given the bitchiness that was going on in other posts on SMOG.
The fans that trash them and go on about how “they aren’t the band they used to be”. No, they’re not. And you’re not the person you used to be 40 years ago, either. In fact, I’m guessing your arsehole factor has gone up exponentially in 40 years!
Then there’s SMI. I grappled with posting a link to my interview with Catherine on there because there we have an example of the “free speech” paradox. A private group so people can express what they like.
And I am sorry, but those who go on about “free speech” only ever want to seem to spread their hate. They seem to confuse “free speech” with being vitriolic and tactless and to spread negativity and hate.
People rub me the wrong way ALL THE TIME, but do I talk about them? Do I comment on posts about them? Do I tell people how much I dislike them? Nope!
So, I post to SMI and I think I am ready for the fallout. For the inevitable “don’t like her. Glad she’s no longer in the band” ya da ya da crap that was inevitably to come – but what I wasn’t prepared for was just how instantaneous it was going to be. LITERALLY within three minutes of me posting the YouTube link of the interview there was a comment left. And that comment started with – and perhaps they fully intended the irony of it, “if you haven’t got anything nice to say, say nothing” and then said some snidey piece of crap after that.
It was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I removed the post and then left the group and left all the other SM groups I was a member of.
I am sssoooo tired of the negativity. I’m trying to keep hold of any remotely tangible positivity that’s left around this band at the moment. I feel it is just slipping away further and further.
Things feel so bad right now, I’d almost swap my “real fans” block from SM Official and the sadness of Musilac to get away from this!
At least there were gigs. At least Jim was around. At least I felt I had something to talk about and be passionate about. I thought my world was coming to an end then. I actually wouldn’t WANT to relive it but…
Compared to now? It felt more unified in the fanbase and… JIM WAS HERE! And although he got pissed off with me and blocked me – I’d much prefer that to this…silence. To…the nothing. The void. This emptiness that seems to grow into a deeper and deeper chasm.
I honestly don’t know what else to say. I’m so worried this site will just become some retro site.
I just don’t know what to do any more…
