Post by yiannis on Jan 11, 2014 12:23:41 GMT -8
Whilst reading the Vitamin Enhanced booklet for a second time, I started wondering about Richard Allen's background. I first read the name in the early 00s when I picked up the Snapper reissues of Erpland, Strangeitude and Jurassic Shift - having forgotten that I'd read his interview with the band that is included in this site. I was aware of Delerium Records a little before that, having bought Up the Downstair, The Sky Moves Sideways and Signify by Porcupine Tree, but I wasn't aware of the connection. Anyway, when Brandi said that he was (is?) supposed to write the Ozrics biography, I realised there must be a special bond between him and the band, but I never bothered to look him up online - until now.
I am amazed by the man's dedication to the cause of underground music. In this interview he talks about his involvement with music -and not only- throughout his life up to the present. I have to quote this bit:
I managed The Steppes, Porcupine Tree and Josiah and also helped many of the Delerium bands get gigs and publicity. The amount of time I spent on PR with Porcupine Tree was crucial to their later success. It took 10 years before we got any serious interest and it was essentially a war of attrition. If you know the music is of a good quality and keep going long enough someone will eventually take notice. Music does not promote itself and it has to be hung on some PR hook in order to get exposure. With Porcupine Tree getting them onto that major label in 2003 finally broke the band to a bigger audience. They would not have made it on to a major label though, if it hadn’t been for the 10 years work prior to that point. The last thing WEA asked to see before they signed the band, in 2002, was a breakdown of sales. If they had not already sold a couple of hundred thousand records and toured Europe and The USA - with my help - I’m sure WEA would have shown no interest in a band that, commercially, was out on a limb. Looking back I don’t know how I managed to do all the press for all the Delerium bands whilst also managing Porcupine Tree (often going on tour) and running the Freak Emporium mail order. At one point we had bands coming in and out of the office; amplifiers drum kits and instruments clogging up the entrance hall, deliveries of records and studio tapes arriving. On top of that I had to constantly locate new stock for the mail order, keep the website up to date, deal with band politics and do all the kinds of tedious things businesses have to do, simply to keep going. It was crazy. I was in the office 7 days a week at one point! I’m surprised I’m still alive to be honest but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. It was very hard work and stressful but when you do something you love - and you can see a result that people enjoy - it’s the best feeling in the world.
Having read this, I now have a huge amount of respect and admiration for the man and I realise that he was one of the -if not the- key figures who promoted underground psychedelic music in the 80s and 90s, not only in the UK but the whole world. And I simply can't see anyone more appropriate for the task of an Ozrics biography.
I am amazed by the man's dedication to the cause of underground music. In this interview he talks about his involvement with music -and not only- throughout his life up to the present. I have to quote this bit:
I managed The Steppes, Porcupine Tree and Josiah and also helped many of the Delerium bands get gigs and publicity. The amount of time I spent on PR with Porcupine Tree was crucial to their later success. It took 10 years before we got any serious interest and it was essentially a war of attrition. If you know the music is of a good quality and keep going long enough someone will eventually take notice. Music does not promote itself and it has to be hung on some PR hook in order to get exposure. With Porcupine Tree getting them onto that major label in 2003 finally broke the band to a bigger audience. They would not have made it on to a major label though, if it hadn’t been for the 10 years work prior to that point. The last thing WEA asked to see before they signed the band, in 2002, was a breakdown of sales. If they had not already sold a couple of hundred thousand records and toured Europe and The USA - with my help - I’m sure WEA would have shown no interest in a band that, commercially, was out on a limb. Looking back I don’t know how I managed to do all the press for all the Delerium bands whilst also managing Porcupine Tree (often going on tour) and running the Freak Emporium mail order. At one point we had bands coming in and out of the office; amplifiers drum kits and instruments clogging up the entrance hall, deliveries of records and studio tapes arriving. On top of that I had to constantly locate new stock for the mail order, keep the website up to date, deal with band politics and do all the kinds of tedious things businesses have to do, simply to keep going. It was crazy. I was in the office 7 days a week at one point! I’m surprised I’m still alive to be honest but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. It was very hard work and stressful but when you do something you love - and you can see a result that people enjoy - it’s the best feeling in the world.
Having read this, I now have a huge amount of respect and admiration for the man and I realise that he was one of the -if not the- key figures who promoted underground psychedelic music in the 80s and 90s, not only in the UK but the whole world. And I simply can't see anyone more appropriate for the task of an Ozrics biography.
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