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 Post subject: Polly after the shows
PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 9:59 pm 
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Has anyone stayed after the recent shows and gotten to meet PJ? Trying to see if see has been coming out afterwards to sign autographs.


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PostPosted: Sun Apr 23, 2017 3:26 am 
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bardov wrote:
Has anyone stayed after the recent shows and gotten to meet PJ? Trying to see if see has been coming out afterwards to sign autographs.

Polly does not do "meet and greets".

She makes it a point to not autograph any CDs or music items during her book signings (after her poetry readings).

Security is also very tight when she exits music venues in order to minimize the chance of any fan interactions. The Blandford biography indicates that this has been the case for at least 20 years. She apparently had some scary stalker-type encounters early on in her career.

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PostPosted: Sun Apr 23, 2017 4:24 am 
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There were a bunch of fans waiting outside the Richmond show tonight, and I wanted to tell them to go home.

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PostPosted: Sun Apr 23, 2017 9:57 pm 
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2017 8:49 pm 
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Yeah, it's amazing that the 12 people (including myself) at the Detroit show last night who waited almost an hour couldn't get an autograph from her. Instead we get told "the band is coming out now and PJ has already left." I don't care what her reason is, is it that big a deal to come out for 5 or 10 minutes, not to have long conversations with each person, but just to quickly sign autos? All of us in line were talking about how long we've been fans and how much we enjoy her music, not that it seems to mean much. An autograph wasn't really the big deal to me; it was getting to perhaps finally say hello to her and thank her for all the wonderful music she's given us over the years. This, plus the fact that the barely 1.5 hour concert wasn't even that great (7 or 8 songs off Hope Six, a mediocre at best and silly & heavy handed album at worst), left a shitty taste in my mouth. Very disappointing.


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 12:22 am 
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bardov wrote:
Yeah, it's amazing that the 12 people (including myself) at the Detroit show last night who waited almost an hour couldn't get an autograph from her. Instead we get told "the band is coming out now and PJ has already left." I don't care what her reason is, is it that big a deal to come out for 5 or 10 minutes, not to have long conversations with each person, but just to quickly sign autos? All of us in line were talking about how long we've been fans and how much we enjoy her music, not that it seems to mean much. An autograph wasn't really the big deal to me; it was getting to perhaps finally say hello to her and thank her for all the wonderful music she's given us over the years. This, plus the fact that the barely 1.5 hour concert wasn't even that great (7 or 8 songs off Hope Six, a mediocre at best and silly & heavy handed album at worst), left a shitty taste in my mouth. Very disappointing.

You will undoubtedly get flamed for your comments, but before you do, I will say I sympathize with your thoughts. For as personal a connection her music has meant to me (and many others I would guess), it seems bad form that she doesn't acknowledge her fans in even the smallest way. Not signing autographs of music items at poetry events emphasizes the point even more. Her online presence is most likely completely the result of her management. I cannot recall even one item ever personally posted by her. Many other artists write something, anything on their web sites occasionally, for example Patti Smith, Lucinda Williams (ok, it's Lu's manager writing the blog). Heck, Polly's web site doesn't even bother having a link to her management. :neutral:

I can recall H&HW and I hanging out after a show in SF at the Warfield and when she eventually did come out, the 10-20 folks on the sidewalk were cordoned off by at least 20 feet and she walked very swiftly to the tour bus accompanied by a security guy. No waves and no eye contact in spite of people calling out to her.

Now donning flame-proof suit.

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PostPosted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 1:31 am 
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She's a great artist, but still a person with quirks and flaws, not a deity. She or some observers might say that all she owes to her fans is her best art and keeping her integrity in the process. For some fans, that won't be enough and I can respect that too, especially when some other revered artists do provide more "value added" content to their fanbases.

There's no simple right or wrong answer here, I think.

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PostPosted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 2:45 am 
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Artists don't owe anyone their time and it is not part of their job requirement to stay after a show and interact with fans. It's her prerogative and she's made it clear early on that she's not here for that. It's not like she's never signed anything before. There's a right time for everything. She's been touring nonstop and maybe she was just tired? I don't blame you for wanting to express your admiration but it's entitled of you to still expect it after knowing what her stance is about it. She's a person too, and she is shy and introverted around strangers. She is obviously not comfortable with the energy and had some bad experiences. Whatever her reasoning is, for you to trash her and her show is just shitty. You paid for a ticket and got your money's worth. She performed 20 songs - I've been to a ton of concerts and very seldom does an artist perform that many. Also, she's done a million shows already for this tour, were you expecting her to create a special 90's setlist just for you? It's the Hope Six tour for God's sake. If you're disappointed, it's your own fault because you set yourself up for it.

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PostPosted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 9:52 am 
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Strangely enough, this is exactly where a big part of my enormous respect for Polly comes from. And somehow I don't think I would get much self-gratification from being given a chance to say "Oh Polly I love you so much, your music means a lot to me" in a shaky voice, but that's just me of course.


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 10:10 am 
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Okay, this complaint is a bit ridiculous, isn't it?

Apart from the obvious reasons - we all know she's a shy, quiet private person; she's had stalking incidents in the past; she never does meets & greets etc. - you also have to take in consideration that performing a rock show is bloody exhausting and she's not getting any younger. So let the girl rest, especially since she has to hop on the tour bus and travel to the next city - heavy touring schedule can be quite tiring. She needs to let her voice rest and get a good night's sleep if she wants to put on a good show the next day, doesn't she?

I talked to a person who met her a few hours before one of the shows on the European leg of the tour, and she was perfectly nice and even gladly signed the CD. But you can't expect her to be 'on' 24/7, especially after coming off stage. That's some ballsy entitlement.

bardov wrote:
This, plus the fact that the barely 1.5 hour concert wasn't even that great (7 or 8 songs off Hope Six, a mediocre at best and silly & heavy handed album at worst), left a shitty taste in my mouth. Very disappointing.


Why did you even go, then? You knew exactly what you were going to get - the setlists have been pretty much the same since the start of the tour, and many of the gigs have been pro-shot and you can check them out on YouTube with a click of your finger. I understand that you might not like The Hope Six Demolition Project, each to their own, but come on. Did you spend the money on the ticket just because you wanted to bitch and moan afterwards?


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 1:56 pm 
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I've met her twice after her readings and, as she is human, her mood and willingness to talk were very different each time. First time she did sign albums and magazines for the people lingering around, after all books were signed, and she took her time for each person. Second time she was a bit reserved and she rushed off even before all people waiting in line had their book signed. I can see why she'd leave a very different impression on different people, although she probably has her reasons to act the way she does when she's not in a mood to be interactive.

What I really don't understand is why any fan would think they're entitled to getting personal attention. We pay for her music, she delivers that and owes us nothing more. What is it you expect here? Yearning for her to acknowledge your existence? I hope you have people in your normal everyday life who do that for you. And if you don't, well sorry, but don't expect a stranger to do that for you. Because that's what we are to her, strangers. Not everyone likes interacting with strangers all the time, some do but not everyone. I think it's great she's doing these book signings these days. It shows she's not entirely opposed to interacting with fans, there's just a right time for it and clearly after a show is not the right time.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 27, 2017 9:24 pm 
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Personally I would love to find out more about PJ, and to hear of fans' experience of meeting her. But, ultimately, she has to be admired for doing her own thing. She has such integrity and has so much creativity, and we must just accept that a consequence of this is that she is incredibly private. If she was the sort of artist to do meet and greets and appear on BBCs One Show to flog her latest record, then she probably wouldn't be the incredible artist she is.

Sometimes you can't have it both ways. She is who she is.


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 4:59 am 
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I think it's great when artists meet fans after shows (Mark Lanegan does signings after all of his shows and from what I hear is really lovely... I'll see for myself in August), but I also don't hold it against them if they don't want to. I'm okay with seeing them perform and just leaving it at that. Plus, I'm pretty shy myself.


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 5:27 pm 
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Polly signed Rid of Me on the day of release for me in the record shop where Rob Ellis used to work and she was very pleasant and seemed happy to be there. Things have changed since and that's up to her what she does now. On the whole I have no need to meet and greet my 'heroes', i'm generally disappointed. I have no need to know more about her life or the processes involved in her music. Part of me thinks meeting the 'fans' should be part of the job,-a public relations exercise. On the other hand everyone is entitled to a private life. A fine balancing act is required. Perhaps she is a bit too uncommunicative, but that's up to her. I suppose to put it bluntly it's just a economic transaction- We pay money for the music she provides, any more is up to her.

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PostPosted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 8:38 pm 
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I'm fine with someone who has relationships with their family and friends and doesn't need anything else. Of course some of us fantasise fondly about interacting with the person we admire, but we might find out, as others have hinted, that the person we admire doesn't quite exist in the way we think. And as Mr Badmouth says, what on earth would I say to her? 'No, I don't need an autograph, your name is engraved on my heart?' I enjoy the occasional lifting of the veil (in fact we get more of that now than ever before, thanks to her friends sticking photos online for the world to see - and she can't be unaware that's happening), but ultimately PJ's work is what matters.

You can cite instances of great generosity to fans: after all, she knows what it's like to be one. Someone shared here not long ago an account of a completely chance meeting at the British Library when she was, so we were told, very gracious. There are even fans who she ends up working with. But they're all one-to-one (and safe) encounters when, presumably, she's in control and can size someone up.

Bardov, I'm sorry you had that experience and felt so bad about it. But, even if it wouldn't have been 'a big deal' for PJ to acknowledge the twelve of you, we all know that's what the deal *is*. A little while ago I sent her, via ATC, a press cutting about an art project in Dorset I thought might be of interest. This is not something I'm in the habit of doing, I knew I wasn't going to get any acknowledgement, and for all I know they may be under instructions just to throw away all unsolicited mail. But that doesn't matter: it's not personal. As a friend of mine counselled me when I thought I might be getting a bit obsessive, 'just leave her alone and buy the music.'


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