By Jman2112/www.echoesofoldapplause.com
As news of the upcoming DVD/CD release from Frankfurt came trickling in little by little over
the last month or so, some interesting information came forth that I'm now ready
to disclose. Since many official press releases were released on October 12th or so,
I'd figure to wait a couple of days until I wrote something up about the following things.
Of course, it's extrapolated and interpreted from the different sources that I received
the information from, and I'll try to be as objective and fair about it all as I can. It's just
a bit interesting, if not...strange how some things came about.
Personally, I've never really been into all the rumors and other things that fly around
regarding new recording releases, bootlegs and whatnot. I get excited, sure. But I tend not to get involved
in distributing "unofficial information" on echoesofoldapplause, mainly because of my true
journalism roots (and instincts). But with
the advent of the Internet, a huge, open faucet of information from the web and email
and fans...well, it comes to me anyway. But I don't release it until things become official. I think. And
we here try to stay within the bounds of the law so as to avoid the dreaded telephone call or email
from, say, corporate or recording artist lawers. I haven't once received the "shut it down, shut it
down NOW order, and hope to avoid that, ah, forever.
So this is more of...an interesting story, told with words and photos, so I'll act as a humble
reporter, unbiased of course.
Word on the street about the DVD release started with the procurement of a shot of Geddy Lee at
a baseball game, an obvious frame grab from a television set. Rush fans will grab onto just about
anything when there is new "stuff" coming out, and the photo below was one of the first things
that began the "quest for more information about the project."
When little things like this start coming in via email, well, bigger things start coming.
Seemingly the first place to "unofficially" announce the new DVD/CD combo was a website called
www.play.com. I was sent a link to it, but when I clicked on it, it came up blank. Those lawyers sure
do work fast, let me tell you! Well, I was a day or two late in my clicking abilities at the time,
and by the time I got there, well, they must have gotten that dreaded call. Anyway, you can check it out if you
like, but I'm sure the link is still broken or blank. But apparently some promotor or publicist
or retailer got a hold of a pre-release copy or promo and posted up all the tracks and stuff
well before anyone had permission to do so. I'm betting someone lost their job or something over this
because, well, the page loads corporate info but is blank as far as, ah, content! You can see for
yourself.
However, someone DID hack the information off the site before it disappeared, and here it is:
(((Special Features
Limited edition Dunlop guitar picks While stocks last
Rush backstage passes
Interview with John Martin at the Ivor Wynne Stadium, 1977
In studio interview at Le Studio, Montreal during the recording of Signals, released 1982
Interview footage with all 3 band mem bers, Artist of the Decade for the 1980's, 1991
Interview for the release of Vapor Trails, 2003
CBC/Juno Award piece at the bands induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, 1994
Rumour, myth and legend: Rush - R30: Live in Frankfurt is here! The follow-up to 2003's internationally top selling Rush in Rio, Rush - R30: Live in Frankfurt is the definitive live, in-concert rock'n'roll DVD extravaganza.
Celebrating their $21-million grossing, sell-out 30th Anniversary World Tour, Rush - Geddy Lee on bass and vocals, Alex Lifeson on Guitar and Neil Peart on drums - deliver an explosive performance. The set list spans Rush's incredibly diverse 30-year career. Filmed using 14 hi-definition cameras at the Festhalle, Frankfurt on 24th September 2004.
The Deluxe Edition includes 2 Discs: featuring the Frankfurt concert on one; and interviews, rare and classic footage from the late seventies to the Tsunami relief benefit concert in 2005 on the othe r. Also included are two audio CDs of the Frankfurt concert, only available as part of this deluxe package.)))
So much for that.
Then a couple of days later, to the best of my knowledge, Amazon.com was taking pre-orders for the
release. Amazon adhered to all policy and procedure as far as I could see, but when me and a friend
were looking at the listing on amazon.com, we noticed someone had already posted a "review" of
the release as a "comment," thusly thwarting any record company or band's desire to keep the track lists
"hidden" until, well, they wanted them to be "unhidden." Chalk one up to another person who sidestepped
conventionality and went in his own direction, probably bragging to his friends and family that he "was
the first one to post the track list and a review of the DVD up on the web" despite the fact that he or she
probably hadn't even seen a copy juuuuuuust yet. Right. Sheesh. Give me (and Rush) a break! But still,
somewhat amusing nonetheless. And now, the list of reviews and comments on amazon.com is growing
like a leaf on The Trees. All the hoopla over the release, just wait another month or so and all
will be fine and everyone will have it for their greedy eyes and ears to see! But just for kicks,
here's where all THAT started:
And now, for some really OLD news that kinda became NEW news as all this has progressed. Many hundreds if not
thousands of fans in Europe emailed me and sent me photos of those shows, at my begging and request. A few of those
people (and one friend from Los Angeles) who were going to attend the Munich show were bummed because that show
was cancelled. And rumors flew all over the place as to why. And no one, including myself, really knows
why that show was cancelled. And now with the DVD/CD frenzy at full bore, a few people from Munich and a couple
from Amsterdam have emailed me back, asking that same question again. And I thought that the timing was kind
of, well, interesting. So I brought this topic up with my best friend and Rush freak and we threw around some
"unoffical" ideas again.
At first we thought we remembered hearing that "the rigs and stuff were too heavy and the roads and bridges
to Munich would not handle it." So it was a transportation issue, which might have seemed plausible. Then we
thought that ticket sales to this event might not have been very good. But then we deduced the fact that the
entire tour was very successful, especially the Euro dates. Why would one date be cancelled because of poor
sales? Hmmmm. Something doesn't sound right, we thought.
Then while watching a video given to us of Neil's drum kit tour, I asked the question again, and we came up with
the third and most plausible explanation. At least to us. We deduced that the Munich show pre-ceeded the Frankfurt
show, which they were filming for the DVD. And thought that maybe, just maybe, the band cancelled the Munich show
to better prepare logistically for filming in Frankfurt. We also looked at it from a financial standpoint. Cancel
one show, do a really killer show and be "Fresh in Frankfurt" (they should have called the DVD that), and the
reveune from sales of the DVD/CD combo would make up for or even exceed the take for the Munich show. Make sense?
That's all for now....