Tag Archive for "ebay" tag

The Blu-ray version of ‘Remember That Night’ is now out in the US. If you have a copy, do let us know what you think of it.

It will be out in many parts of Europe next week: on Monday 26 November.

As it’s only being released in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Sweden, the UK and the Ukraine, we’d like to remind you that there are only three regions on Planet Blu-ray (click here for a helpfully-coloured map):

Region A covers North, Central and South America; North and South Korea; Japan and South East Asia.
Region B covers Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East.
Region C covers China, Russia, India… and pretty much everywhere else.

So, just because there’s no local release in, say, France or Italy, this does not mean that French and Italian fans cannot play a disc from neighbouring Austria or Germany. It’s still Region B.

Likewise, just because there’s no local release in Brazil or Canada, this does not mean that the discs on sale in the US are of no use. They’re still Region A.

With your help, I’d like to compile a list of shops and sites where you can get a copy of ‘Remember That Night’ for your region, albeit through the post. If you can recommend any retailers, please do.

Anthill, providers of David’s official merchandise, say they will be stocking both Region A and Region B Blu-ray discs soon, but consumer choice is never a bad thing.

Here’s more from Phil Taylor, whose book you shall be able to purchase in the larger UK Borders stores from next week. Please contact your local branch to check that they stock it before venturing out.

Don’t forget that the items donated by David for Crisis to auction off on eBay will be sold to the highest bidder on Saturday from 5PM (UK).

Good luck if you’re hopeful of winning and thank you very, very much for all your bids.

Has there ever been a major catastrophe that you have been blamed for when, in actual fact, it was human error? (Ripper)

Are you suggesting that I am not human?

Has David ever gotten/been given, the ‘wrong’ guitar during a gig? (Penny)

Not that I recall, but I have gone on stage to give him the correct guitar for the next song and he has decided to keep using the one he already has.

Thinking along the lines of outdoor concerts such as Knebworth ’90, has the rain ever caused any serious damage to any of David’s guitars? (IMcK)

No, I dry them off immediately before putting them away. The only one I can think of is a Baby Taylor acoustic that David left out in his garden overnight in the damp after a campfire party that rather changed shape.

A reminder, as promised.

The items donated by David to Crisis, the leading UK charity for the homeless, will all be here, on eBay, by 9PM (UK) tonight.

If you haven’t seen all the items yet, please click here to have a look.

We’d greatly appreciate any effort you can make to help bump up the final price.

All items have been added to eBay at 15-minute intervals, so that they end at staggered times.

The items run for five days, so all auctions will close on Saturday 24 November.

Please note: it is clearly stated that these items will only be posted within the European Union. This was not my decision, so please don’t ask why this is so, or if there are any ways to get around it. It’s (disappointing) news to me, too.

Here’s a little more from Phil Taylor to finish with.

David bends his strings further than any other guitarist I have seen. Do you do anything special to them to keep them from snapping? (Mat)

Just change them for every show.

What do you do to David’s guitars so that they don’t go out of tune easily, considering David’s liberal use of the tremolo arm? (Bryan)

Stretch the new string properly and check all the relevant parts are secured and lubricated as necessary.

Do you use any type of lubricant on David’s guitars to help them stay in tune? (Paul Sexton)

Yes, KY Jelly! Just kidding. Sometimes I sparingly use oil (too much deadens the sound) or graphite powder.

As I mentioned a few weeks back, David has very kindly donated some rather interesting tour paraphernalia to Crisis, the homelessness charity of which he is vice-president, to auction off on eBay.

Bidding starts next Monday at 5PM (UK time). Of course, I’ll remind you before then.

Items include signed proofs of the ‘Remember That Night’ DVD artwork, as well as a signed photograph of David with David Bowie.

If you’d like to see these items (minus the photo, that is), and perhaps contemplate placing a bid for any of them, please click the (slightly fuzzy) scan above. We would all greatly appreciate any effort you can make to help boost the final price.

It goes without saying that these items, unlike much of what you see on eBay, are completely authentic – not to mention original and highly collectible. Whilst we hope that they go to a good home, our main hope is that their sale will help those unfortunates who have no home.

Here’s a little more from Phil Taylor to finish with.

David used many different types of guitar on his last tour – more than previously, I think, and more songs with guitar changes. Is this a headache or a pleasure? (Kieran)

There is always a challenge in both putting together everything that I am responsible for on stage, and making it all work perfectly, every time that David and/or Pink Floyd do anything. It is just normal for me; it is what I like to do. So, in short, a pleasure.

David and Phil Manzanera have been playing some interesting Gibson Jumbo acoustics on this tour. Can you tell us more about the models and vintages? (EchoesBob)

They are both Gibson Country and Western models. One is 1958, the other is 1959.

Can you tell us a bit about David’s “new” blonde Telecaster (the one he started playing during the US leg of the ‘On an Island’ tour)? (Henning)

We were in Oakland and, during sound check, David decided he wanted to play ‘Astronomy Domine’. I was not carrying a Tele on the road. A quick call to Billy Siegel at Fender, who responded magnificently and instantly (he made the FedEx man wait until he had found a suitable guitar, it was late Friday afternoon). It arrived the next day and it required a little work to be at its best. David then used it during the rest of the tour. He later gave it to Charlie, his son, for Christmas.

I’ve happily given away some programmes commemorating the two cinema events at the Odeon and Ritzy. Now I’d like to give away some more, and David has very kindly signed some of them.

If you’d like one, all you have to do is tell me why you want one, using no more than five short sentences.

Only trusted regular contributors will be considered eligible recipients of such a rare, signed item.

Runners-up will receive an identical, non-signed programme.

These were only available in the UK, don’t forget: at the two London premieres, as well as the 14 participating cinemas.

If you attended either Odeon or Ritzy premiere, we know that, chances are, you already have a programme (or two, three, four, five…). And I know who attended, of course. The same goes for anyone who attended any participating UK cinema on Thursday 6 September.

Therefore, I’ll only send the non-signed ones to addresses outside the UK, due to the fact that these are still being auctioned at ridiculous prices by UK fans. I have no desire whatsoever to assist anyone with their shameless profiteering.

Furthermore, David has given some signed items to Crisis, the homelessness charity, to auction on eBay. Unlike the people trying to make a quick buck, any money raised from these auctions will assist Crisis with their work. I’ll let you know when they’re up and running, should you wish to place a bid.

So, tell me why you think you should have one, include the name of your country, and please do so by 12 midday (UK) tomorrow.

You have exactly 24-hours, so please put some thought into it. Don’t be boring. Sincerity is good, honesty is always a delight (believe me, I know) and it’s also good to laugh. Your entry has to stand out to stand a chance of winning.

Only one entry per person, please. Good luck to all of you.

The chatroom has just opened, should you wish to call in. Closing time today is at 2PM (UK time).

I hear there are some awesome Gilmour-goodies knocking about the DG Management office, looking for a good home, so what better way to dish them out than to run a completely random contest?

I’ve got a copy of the awesome exclusive DVD package that’s currently available in Borders stores (available only in the US, containing a rather nice Abbey Road mini-poster); the US-only DVD exclusive from Best Buy, complete with awesome three-track CD from the AOL Sessions (I’ll ask that someone checks that the DVD actually works first, don’t worry); an awesome programme from the UK & Europe premiere – as seen regularly on eBay (this was available in UK cinemas only, it seems); an awesome (well, that’s a huge exaggeration, it’s pretty dull) ‘backstage’ pass from said premiere; and a rare (and truly awesome) promo CD, issued only to radio stations in the run-up to the DVD’s release.

Five prizes, five winners, so all we need now are five adjectives, as used by you, to describe the awesome ‘Remember That Night’ DVD.

As you are likely to come up with the same ones, especially if you cheat and look back over recent posts, names will be pulled out of an imaginary hat. Whoever matches the most adjectives to my list of five will go into this awesome ‘hat’.

They can be the most over-used, the most annoying, or the most unusual. You have to guess.

Please get your entries in by 3PM (UK) tomorrow, no excuses. Only one entry per person, as always (that’s one list of five adjectives, please). I’ll let you know who has won what tomorrow.

Good luck, all.

Quick update on the position of ‘Remember That Night’ in the Music DVD charts… It’s now Number One in Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United States.

Awesome, I’m sure you’ll agree.

With David’s triumphant 32-date tour done and dusted, I wondered: what are your stand-out memories from the tour?

I’d like to compile your thoughts into a poll so that we can vote on a short-list and see which the fans consider to be its best, and worst, moments.

So far, the best moments for me are (in order of date):

- Realising that ‘Echoes’ was being performed
- The live version of ‘Take A Breath’
- David and the band appearing on Jay Leno
- The Royal Albert Hall fighting eBay
- David Bowie singing ‘Arnold Layne’
- The wine glass intro to ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’
- David’s surprise rendition of ‘Dark Globe’
- The great honour and significance of being invited to Gdańsk

Perhaps we could do one for the worst moments of the tour, too. The incident at JFK airport, the postponement of the Venice shows, endless ticketing confusion, people constantly flashing their bloody cameras, venues selling alcohol to people who clearly couldn’t cope with it…

Whatever sticks out in your mind, let us know. No long lists, please. We all want to know why, not just read through long, boring lists.

The most common suggestions will be included in the two polls, which will run over the next few weeks.

Following on from Monday’s blog entry, we’d like to address your concerns about being denied entry into the Royal Albert Hall if you have a ticket you swapped for another, received as a gift or purchased from an unauthorised seller.

Although we have been strongly discouraging all dealings with unauthorised sellers (such as eBay) since December, we acknowledge that many people still went ahead and purchased tickets against our advice.

This made our task of challenging the profiteers even harder.

The Royal Albert Hall staff have diligently monitored online auctions for months and have forced a great many to close early, meaning that the would-be seller’s only option was to return his ticket to the RAH for a refund, making an extra ticket available to the public at a fair price.

This was, clearly, to stop touts from profiteering and fans from being exploited. We did not want you to obtain tickets in this way and at this cost.

If you purchased a ticket from eBay and are now in receipt of it (assuming it’s a genuine ticket, which we cannot confirm – you’ll have to take your chance on the night and see what RAH staff have to say), then you’ve slipped through the net. In this case, you will be admitted. The seller has made his profit, you are, quite likely, out of pocket, but you will be able to see the concert.

In part and in principle, we would like to deny you entry as, by bidding on eBay, you have exacerbated the problem of ticket profiteering. But this would seem unfair. We have always understood the desire to obtain tickets by any available means and have no wish to deny the fans from seeing David in concert.

As you can imagine, this has been a real dilemma for some of us.

Our concern has always been to stop people from selling tickets for personal profit at the expense of David’s genuine fans. We do not want fans to have to miss out.

The same applies to anyone who has purchased a ticket from an unauthorised seller, such as a ticket agent or broker. Assuming that your ticket is legitimate, you will be allowed into the venue.

If you were given a ticket as a gift, you will not be denied entry. We have not stopped people from purchasing tickets on another person’s behalf, so you have nothing to worry about.

If you have arranged ticket swaps with other fans and have concerns over being refused entry, then you are also safe from threat of being turned away.

Lastly and very importantly, if you have tickets that you do not want, then by no means should you consider selling them as an option. As we have said all along, please return them to the point of sale for a refund so that other fans – the fans who have played by the rules all along and patiently contacted the authorised sellers, as we advised, to enquire about returns – may be given the opportunity to purchase them at a fair price.

By selling tickets privately, you are exacerbating the problem of ticket profiteering.

And yes, we’d like to see lots of appreciation and gratitude for making this difficult decision…

I’d like to clear up some confusion regarding the way your comments are displayed.

I’ve received many messages informing me that your messages have being incorrectly credited. Please note that this is not the case. Your name appears after your comment. You’ll notice that the first entry shows the daily blog, which is underlined, with the name (in this case, Features Editor) appearing afterwards. This trend continues for all your comments.

I apologise for any confusion that this may have caused you and am happy to clarify this matter.

There were some very interesting comments yesterday with regards to eBay, with a mixture of views expressed.

It seems that many of you support the sale of tickets on eBay and raised several valid points to support your stance.

Thanks to everyone who stated their point of view on this controversial topic. I appreciate both sides of the argument and enjoyed reading your opinions.

We will also be considering your points about the sale of tickets to see David in concert. Thank you for letting us know how you found this experience. This is important to us.

One of Polly’s photographs will be here tomorrow and I will also be revealing another surprise contributor to ‘On an Island’, so don’t miss that. Feel free to hazard wild guesses if you want to. They might make me laugh.

I’ll leave you with another instalment in the seemingly never-ending ‘Five favourites’ chart.

061. Sheep
062. What Do You Want From Me
063. More Blues
064. Cry From The Street *
064. The Dogs of War *
066. Obscured By Clouds *
066. Welcome To The Machine *
068. A Great Day For Freedom
069. Smile
070. Atom Heart Mother
071. The Gold, It’s In The… *
071. The Great Gig In The Sky *
071. Is There Anybody Out There? *
071. See Emily Play *
071. Terminal Frost *
076. Signs of Life *
077. Arnold Layne *
077. Embryo *
077. Interstellar Overdrive *

* Equal number of votes polled. Alphabetical order, not preference, dictates a song’s order in the chart.

It’s good to see ‘Smile’ listed so highly as a new song among so many established tracks. ‘Smile’ will be on David’s new album, although it sounds quite different to how you’ll remember it from 2001′s Meltdown and the 2002 shows in London and Paris. If you saw David’s appearance on ‘Three Men in a Boat’ recently, then you got to hear a brief snippet of it.

There are lots of instrumentals in this chart, you surely will have noticed. ‘Atom Heart Mother’ is an intriguing prospect, as is ‘Interstellar Overdrive’.

Do let us know what you think of the list so far. Is there anything missing?

Well, it seems that the remaining tickets to the New York, Toronto and Chicago shows sold out in record time.

From your comments, it seems that many of you were left disappointed, not least to see many of these tickets being sold on eBay moments later.

For what it’s worth, we share your irritation. We are annoyed by the fact that this is allowed to happen, and your views on this issue are important to us.

It is doubtful that eBay could be forced to alter their policies on the sale of tickets unless there was a great enough response to it. In the case of London’s Live 8 concert of July 2005, these tickets had been won through a text contest and so, technically, were free.

The uproar was that, as Sir Bob Geldof put it, "The weakest people on our planet" were being exploited, as the show was, of course, designed to raise awareness of global issues and to put pressure on the G8 leaders to do something to help the world’s poorest nations.

We still feel that selling any tickets on eBay to make personal profit is, as Sir Bob put it, "sick profiteering" and we encourage you to have your say. Judging by those of you who have passed comment on eBay so far, it seems that you despise the idea of anyone making money off the back of David’s popularity and the desperation of his fans – who have been unable to acquire tickets by regular means – to see him in concert.

What’s left of the Oakland and Los Angeles tickets will be going on sale shortly (the Oakland box office opens at 10AM and the Los Angeles box office at 12 Noon). Good luck. Let us know what it’s like trying to snap up the remaining tickets. We hope you will be successful.

Meanwhile, here is the next section of the ‘Five favourites’ results chart:

042. Yet Another Movie
043. Love On The Air *
043. Pigs *
043. Young Lust *
046. Astronomy Domine *
046. Let’s Get Metaphysical *
048. Raise My Rent
049. All Lovers Are Deranged *
049. Blue Light *
049. Cruise *
049. I Can’t Breathe Anymore *
049. Mudmen *
049. One Slip *
055. Mother
056. A Saucerful of Secrets *
056. You Know I’m Right *
058. Money
059. Burning Bridges *
059. Careful With That Axe, Eugene *

* Equal number of votes polled. Alphabetical order, not preference, dictates a song’s order in the chart.

Interesting?

Please note that, for obvious reasons, we cannot include new votes in this chart. The results have now been counted and, short of completely altering the chart every other day and posting it in its entirety, we cannot include your latest suggestions.

Yet still feel free to have your say in the ‘Five favourites’ blog (29 December). There has been great debate over this and we hope that similar polls can generate such a positive response.

Thanks again to everyone for chipping in and helping to create a really interesting list of songs.

We have noticed that many so-called ‘fans’ are selling tickets to David’s shows on eBay – and making considerable sums of money by doing so.

Now, some might say that the people who do this are shameless profiteers who ought to be deeply embarrassed by their greedy actions. If sellers choose to donate anything over and above the ticket price to charity, however, that’s one thing. Keeping the profit for themselves is another thing entirely and is a source of annoyance to the many hard-working people who are making a great effort to put this tour on the road.

Although one legitimate ticket-seller’s ticket allocation might very well be "sold out", this doesn’t necessarily mean that the concert itself is a sell out. A limited quantity of tickets to some venues will become available in the New Year, which means you still have a chance to purchase tickets at a fair price. You can keep contacting Ticketmaster or your preferred venue – not us! – and ask if there have been any ticket returns right up until the day of the show. Details on the Live Dates page.

Furthermore, all tickets are numbered, so we know which ticket belongs to which person. In 2006, it may well be that arrangements are made that make it very much harder to sell tickets on eBay, so our advice is not to bid unless you are prepared to risk being refused entry to the show. It’s your choice.

We have received a great number of messages from fans expressing their sadness at having missed out on tickets. It is their disappointment and desperation to attend that eBay sellers are cashing in on.

People who feel strongly about this issue occasionally make their feelings clear in a number of ways – although we couldn’t possibly condone anything that might disrupt eBay’s business operations, of course. Fans sometimes choose to contact the sellers and tell them how they feel, or place unrealistically high bids, to express their strong disapproval.

If you care about David, his music and this tour, then we sincerely hope that you will not entertain the idea of selling your spare tickets to make personal profit. Likewise, we hope that you will not line someone else’s pockets by paying ridiculous amounts of money for tickets.

If you are selling tickets on eBay, then you might like to know some of David’s preferred charities:

Crisis – Fighting for hope for homeless people. David is proud to be the charity’s vice president.
Amnesty – The worldwide independent movement that campaigns for internationally-recognised human rights.
Oxfam – Oxfam works in more than 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty, suffering and injustice.
The Environmental Investigation Agency – An international campaigning organisation committed to investigating and exposing environmental crime.

Today’s exclusive photograph is of Robert Wyatt. There’ll be another of Polly’s fine photos tomorrow.