Tweet-A-Woo

So it’s taken us a while but The Fly has fully embraced Twitter. Not only is it a good tool to let our audience know as-and-when we’ve got something new on the site, but it also allows us to enlighten our audience with a little bit of our personalities (and humiliate certain members of the team when they forget to put the battery in the mic after doing a 25 minute podcast, for example). We’re following quite a few bands, some we like, some who amuse us and some that are just down right sexy (Paolo Nutini), just so we can keep up-to-date with what’s going on. But sometimes it’s kind of weird seeing a band or artist become totally exposed, humanised, as it were. The constant letting-us-know-what-they’re-having-for-breakfast thing seems to desecrate that air of mystery and allure that, probably; most bands would like to sustain. I mean you wouldn’t have gotten Hendrix letting us know how, “annnoyiiing it is when your fingers get all cut playing the guitar then you eat something lemony and it gets in the cut – aooowowowwooooooo ” or David Bowie exclaiming “Can’t wait for the gig tonight, first stop – lightning-bolt make up – Ziggy Stardust here we come!!!” It’s just not right. 

My favourite from today, not that he had a massive air of intrigue surrounding him before, was Tommy Reilly announcing: “Nachos!!!!!! Yus! Gonna kick @rosscammy’s ass at table tennis wii!! I know I’m supposed to be recording but how good are nachos! X” ‘Do the fans need to know?’ I initially asked. But then maybe they do. When I was in love with Chris Martin as a young girl, knowing a fact like that would make me go to every table tennis/nacho supplier in the country in the hope that we might cross paths. I guess this sort of Tweet takes affect if you are a teenage girl.

In some rare cases, a la HEALTH, we get a little glimpse into the lives of people who make very un-intimate music. It’s quite interesting to see a band so highly-regarded in muso circles, and generally quite stern and dark, be down-right filthy. Here are some recent faves:
 
“One million dollars…..How much would it take for you to blow your Dad?” -Dood wearing fedora overheard at show in Kortrijk”

“What makes YOU shit the fastest? a) Coffee b) Cigarettes c) Beer d) Spicy Food”

“I almost just threw up but I sneezed instead. That could have been a deadly combination-Jake”

Singer John Mayer takes the ‘get to know me’ route a little too far in my opinion. His split with Jennifer Aniston was publically Twittered (not sure if it was @jennifer_aniston you’re dumped – move on” but I think it was something to that effect) and he seems to like showing his sensitive side to woo all the ladiez:

“I can choose to indulge in my frustrations or I can choose to create a habit of happiness. It’s not easy but it’s worth the fight.”

Oh, so insightful! I must buy his new album. Also, I quite like the thought of him being a bit of a wild child, a bit of a dangerous guy who smokes fags and drinks whisky in the morning. Then I found this tweet:

“Drinking always makes my teeth feel soft. Do I like my teeth feeling soft? Results inconclusive: requires further study.”
 
It just suggests that he’s a bit wet and when diddums has a drinkie his toofypegs get funny. It’s hardly snorting your own Dad’s ashes, is it?

However, by far the most amusing and humdrum Tweeter is hip-hop presenter Tim Westwood, who, although not exactly held in the highest regard by all, manages to make his life seem even more of an odd paradox by letting us into everything he does; from shopping for towels, to interviewing Rihanna and assembling flat-packs.

“Got an Ikea flat-pack – my most ambitious DIY project of all time. Its a desk!”
“I have totally over-reached – I’m in serious trouble with this flat-pack!!!!!!”
“the desk in my office is goin to be over 25 foot long!!!! it’s goin to be a real powerful look!!!”
“these tools are useless – I’m talking about Matt who keeps loosing important bits”
“the floor can’t be level”
“there must be bits missin from the flat-pack – bastards!”
“has anyone in the central London got a set of allen keys?”

Tenter. Hooks.

It’s a bizarre presentation of the music industry, all this Tweeting. And although it probably gets the artists a little more press, it’s a bit of a hazardous tool for promotion in my opinion. I’d rather keep my stars at an arms length; let the mind wander and the rumours swirl, rather than hearing the singer in my favourite band negate any allure by asking something like ‘what is a Jaffa Cake? a cake or a biscuit?’. Bore off. Go play some music!