Shadows guitarist booted off BGT

[donna plasky]

Steve, I commend you for the courage and perseverance it took to get onto that broadcast, and I thought you played beautifully. Your father is surely proud of you, and hopefully you are proud of yourself as well, so that is all that counts. It would have been nice if the judges and the show were professionals, but there's no hope for that.

I noticed that the YouTube video has "comments disabled" by Britain's Got Talent, who posted it. How cowardly of them, but not surprising.

Hank and Bruce have told the story of when they were 16 or so - they entered a talent contest, a long distance away from their homes in Newcastle, and they came in second. I think they were pretty disappointed, but fortunately they didn't give up. A year or two later, they were "discovered" and things went upwards from there. If they'd have given up, everything would have turned out differently.

You've got talent. That TV show has no class. Your performance on the show just proved both statements to be true.

Kind regards,
Donna

[Hank2k]

I am afraid musical tastes have changed and also the level of presentation and impact - performance - that audiences expect. Shadows-style music slipped from mainstream when the Beatles and company made headway. That was 50 years ago!

Of course, we love that music, and I congratulate Steve for his dedication and effort, but we are not many anymore and our numbers decreasing. Our audience won't stay late to watch a show and if they do it would be not really for the music but the memories they bring.

The challenge for me and the ad hoc musical company I play with is how to play "Apache" and such the old way but give it new impact, make it interesting to people who had never heard it.

I am not surprised at all. The woman violinist had an act from beginning to end; she is quite smart.

Andres

Hi Andy

I appreciate your comments, now all the talk has died down ive had time to look at it all and yes i do agree with a lot of the comments on here that the song choice maybe was an issue however i think the judges had made their mind up before i played.

With regards the style i dont think it is dead and buried, lets be honest the lady violin player that everyone is raving about is basically playing the vocal line of modern days songs a la Hank on a guitar, ok the sound and choice of material is different but its the same thing. There is a guy called Adam Lee on youtube who plays a PRS guitar with distortion and does exactly the same thing and has 500,000 plus views etc and is really rated, all he is doing with some improvisation aswell thrown in, he is playing the melody line of modern pop songs again a la Hank, maybe on reflection thats what i should have done but values means more to me.

[abstamaria]

Thanks, Steve. You are probably right, and it is good you are standing by your values.

The fact that many of us here didn't recognize what the violinist played perhaps illustrates that we are mostly already out of touch. I was intrigued by your gracious comment that she was actually talented and had a music degree. I did a quick search (you are right, she isn't a musical slouch-

"Lettice began playing the violin at the age of four, attended the Royal College of Music Junior Department for five years and gained grade 8 distinction at violin with 140 marks.

Lettice won a government music scholarship to Purcell Music School, had lessons at Yehudi Menuhin School and extensive jazz tuition from the Royal College of Music and Charterhouse. She was a music scholar throughout her school career.

Lettice has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, St. John's Smith Square, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square for Remembrance Day and Arundel Castle for Sir David Frost.

Lettice led the Tallis Fantasia in Chichester Cathedral and was invited to accompany on the violin; Princess Caroline of Monaco at the British Embassy in Paris."

It is a tough world, the music industry.

Best wishes,

Andy

[Mike Honey]

nothing personal in this but talent is not enough (never has been), you need personality by the bucketload! and luck by the lorryload!!

sorry

mike

[jimuc]

nothing personal in this but talent is not enough (never has been), you need personality by the bucketload! and luck by the lorryload!!

sorry

mike

Mike
I think Paul Potts blows this theory sky high.
Cheers Jim

[dave robinson]

nothing personal in this but talent is not enough (never has been), you need personality by the bucketload! and luck by the lorryload!!

sorry

mike

Mike
I think Paul Potts blows this theory sky high.
Cheers Jim

Or even Susan Boyle . . .

[Uncle Fiesta]

Let's be honest; the general public are largely uneducated morons who rarely if ever go for talent, preferring looks, image, personality and similar rubbish. Cowell and others of his ilk simply pander to the lowest common denominator of such moronity, if there is such a word. (There is now.)

[Twang46]

Time for a bit of a reality check here.

Alesha Dixon was a founder member of Mis-Teeq & is an accomplished dancer & singer songwriter as well as a business woman with many business outlets,multi M.O.B.O.award winner etc, etc....
Amanda Holden is also an accomplished singer & dancer, appearing in the west end musicals Thoroughly Modern Millie & Shrek amongst others. Also appeared in many tv series including The Grimleys with Noddy Holder, (who can ever forget her as "Miss Titley"). She used her appearance on "Blind date" to get her foot in the door in the entertainment industry & worked up from there.

Both of these women have "been there & done it" as they say so it's ridiculous to dismiss them as "no-bodys"

It's Simon Cowell's show & basically you do what you are told & that's the sad fact in this. I doubt that BGT will appear in the same format next year but I'm sure it will soldier on in some form.

Any complaints about the way Steve was treated should be directed at Mr Cowell as he is indeed the "organ grinder"

There's only one villain here & his name is Simon Cowell

Dick.

[abstamaria]

Good point, Dick. It is perhaps the format of the show - the need to put down and treat badly those who don't make it - that is wrong.

Andy

[Gary Allen]

Hi Steve, you should make the most of this,maybe knock out a version in a pro studio and make a few quid on itunes. folk dont want to change with the times (its not crackerjack anymore). Cowell is a dickhead and thats why people watch the show. regards Gary