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How did you become a fan?

Started by POM, Fri, 2005-02-11, 09:44:00

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kmorse

Lurker,

If you're comfortable shopping on Amazon.com, you can find just about anything Arena at a good price used. I've had 98% success with Amazon, only a couple of bum dealers and I got my money back. I've built up most of my prog collection through Amazon the last couple of years.
I'm falling.....Falling down again!

Deenfan

Quote from: Clive on Sun, 2005-04-17, 17:19:00
I used to keep missing Queen gigs, and argue that I would see them sometime 'in the future'... then it suddenly wasn't possible anymore (I'm talking the real Queen with 'Sir Fred').... Don't wait forever to see Arena... :)

I'll do my best to catch you if you get your asses to Trondheim once more. Still, it's a 700 miles travel, and you were there in wintertime, once... Not altogether agreeable for different reasons. Some times. I think we had a blizzard of gargantuan proportions up here when you were there last. (Barring that "last" was smack in the middle of summer...)

Honestly, I'm gonna walk the extra mile (not 700!) next time. Still, to be on the safe side, don't die on us anytime soon!! You have yet to write the ultimate Arena album. Good to know, eh? ;)

Cheers,
Deenfan

Clive

You do know that we are playing Tronheim on October 1st, don't you?  :)
Better get your walking shoes on  ;) ;)

Deenfan

Why do you choose such difficult dates??? I would like to drive down and watch you. The problem? I'll have to pass over a couple of mountains, and at that time of year, ice and snow is a matter best considered. I could put on winter tyres, but then I'd probably end up driving about 1300 miles on dry tarmac, with studded tyres. NOT desireable! Trust me...

I could go by plane and pray there will be no cancelleation of it because of weather...

Oh, theses woe's... ;D

Hey, I know. I'll locate my vacation to around that date, then I can stay in Trondheim for a while, and be on the safe side!

I trust they have beer there...

psychopomp95

Well, I became a fan because I saw Contagion on the shelf at a CD store, and I had heard Arena's name before in the usual places (I started into prog as a fan of Rush, then Yes, and worked my way from there)... the artwork for Contagion was great, and I felt like trying something new, so I got it...! And one of my strongest memories of ANY song by any band is listening to "Riding the Tide" while I was zooming down the motorway coming home from the beach one incredible summer evening!  ;D And when I heard "The Visitor" (first the song, then the album... ohhhh that guitar solo!!!!), it took my appreciation of the group to an even higher level!

I live in Vancouver, Canada, which is hardly a great place for progressive music, so I've accepted the reality that to see many of my favorite bands, I'll have to travel. Is the band planning to be doing any gigs in England NEXT year, or will it be a year off?? I hope to get the chance to see a show...

JJ II

I think the band plans to do Canada as well, so you might be lucky....

psychopomp95

Quote from: JJ II on Thu, 2005-05-26, 12:38:26
I think the band plans to do Canada as well, so you might be lucky....

Montreal or Quebec City, either of which is several thousand miles away... ;P But never say never I suppose!

pickle

I became a fan thanks to joining the Classic Rock Society in about 1997.  They'd had some bits in about Clive Nolan and Mick Pointer, and as a lapsed Marillion fan, I had to get 'Songs From The Lion's Cage' to see what it was like!  By the way, I also got The Wishing Tree's 'Carnival Of Souls', John Wesley's 'The Emperor Falls' and 'A Blueprint Of The World' by Enchant as i was very anxious to see what Steve Rothery was working on outside of Marillion.

it's been a kind of backwards journey since, with getting 'Pride' and 'The Cry' in quick succession, then 'The Visitor' and 'immortal?' and 'Breakfast In Biarritz'.  Was late coming to 'Contagion' and as I write, I've got a holiday coming up, so I hope to find 'Live & Life' and 'Pepper's Ghost' soon.
Life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?

gelert

Quote from: pickle on Sun, 2005-07-03, 18:49:22
...and as a lapsed Marillion fan...

Yup, guilty as well...
I lapsed into becoming a Marillion fan...


But fortunately, I discovered new "Ayreon"...

"Ayreon" washes whiter...

...er, it sez 'ere...
Internationally Affiliated Member of the Federated Union of Conundrums, Kudos, & Eccentric Dialogue, featuring the Scantily Clad Radii Of The Ubiquitous Meniscus - our motto "Time flies like an arrow - fruit flies like a banana"

Peter

hmmmm, a little English lesson, please:

"as a lapsed Marillion fan"
I'd say that means, you once were but no longer are?

"I lapsed into being a Marillion fan"
And that means that you actually are, right?
Arriving somewhere, but not here....

erik

Quote from: POM on Fri, 2005-02-11, 09:44:00

I just wanted to know how you have discovered Arena...


Pretty standard way... Final year in high school, read a raving review of Songs From The Lions Cage in which comparisons were made with Marillion/Script. I was very much into Marillion and Pendragon, so this review and the line up mentioned did it, bought the album straight away!

Loved it and subscribed to the fan club. Kept following the band and especially the gigs really got me hooked, so much energy coming from the stage. A while before The Visitor was released I switched from being a member to an active Cage team member. I remember the thrill when Clive and John Mitchell came over to let us hear The Visitor for the first time, sheer magic! That album will always remain special to me. I consider Contagion as my absolute favourite though.


We stare at our screens
All our lives
What a waste of eyes..

gelert

Quote from: Peter on Mon, 2005-07-04, 20:12:44
hmmmm, a little English lesson, please:

"as a lapsed Marillion fan"
I'd say that means, you once were but no longer are?

"I lapsed into being a Marillion fan"
And that means that you actually are, right?

Yup, I are, for the earlier stuff what I lapsed into.

But I lapsed out later...along with a few other fans...

Occasionally we have collapsed reunions...  ::)
Internationally Affiliated Member of the Federated Union of Conundrums, Kudos, & Eccentric Dialogue, featuring the Scantily Clad Radii Of The Ubiquitous Meniscus - our motto "Time flies like an arrow - fruit flies like a banana"

Peter

dear, any chance of non-riddled expressions ? :D
Arriving somewhere, but not here....

gelert

Quote from: Peter on Tue, 2005-07-05, 19:20:57
dear, any chance of non-riddled expressions ? :D

Only if you promise not to call me dear in public, sweety...   :-* :-* :-*

I'm actually quite reasonably priced...
Internationally Affiliated Member of the Federated Union of Conundrums, Kudos, & Eccentric Dialogue, featuring the Scantily Clad Radii Of The Ubiquitous Meniscus - our motto "Time flies like an arrow - fruit flies like a banana"

Deenfan

Uuuhhhh... What have we lapsed into here?? :'(

Highfire

In 2003 I went to see Arena at Madrid, and I must confess that it was because of the Pendragon's mini acoustic gig (that was great). I was wondering what kinda music were these Arena guys doing in that days, because I'd listened to Pride some years ago, and sounded great (now is one of my favourite albums).

When the gig ended I was an Arena fan. It's been the best gig ever seen, intense, perfect sound and playing, Rob was a magnetic presence ... they'd impressed me. After the gig they signed me the Contagion copy I bought (I also bought Immortal and The Visitor).

By now I have all the albums, and have created my little spanish web dedicated to Arena.

And I can't wait to live another magic night with Pepper's Ghost and that incredible way of playing they have!!!
We have been chosen...

maddox

This is rather an old topic, but like to answer the question though.
In the mid 90's i was a bit experimental. Every new band that came with a ceedee, i had to listen to it. Only at the retailer of course, not buying them. When i read an article in AARDSCHOK, a dutch magazine, that the drummer was Mick Pointer, and we all know where he came from, i was convinced. I HAD to buy this album. And with the first turns in my ceedee-player, ARENA got theirselfs a new fan.

MAD.  8)
Cause of Injury: Lack of Adhesive Ducks.

gelert

Seedy-player involves fewer letters...

CD even more fewer...er, less...

...er, if you see what I mean...?

Just a thought.
Internationally Affiliated Member of the Federated Union of Conundrums, Kudos, & Eccentric Dialogue, featuring the Scantily Clad Radii Of The Ubiquitous Meniscus - our motto "Time flies like an arrow - fruit flies like a banana"

maddox

Quote from: gelert on Tue, 2005-08-23, 19:24:31
Seedy-player involves fewer letters...

CD even more fewer...er, less...

...er, if you see what I mean...?

Just a thought.

It looked quite funny, though. What do you think about this one: DeeVeeDee? ;D ;D ;D

MAD.  8)

Cause of Injury: Lack of Adhesive Ducks.

Ian Lay

Wow this topic has been for ages.  Not surprising considering the question though.....

For me.... a few years ago I was a t lowish point in my life.  Had some anxiety attacks and depression through work and had taken voluntary redundancy.  I was off for a year trying to get my self back together.  I was looking at the time for what had been doing and bought a couple of his albums plus Misplaced Chilhood (which I only had on tape and hadn't played for years),  I got a recomendation of Amazon that I might like Arena.  So I bought The Visitor and Immortal?

To say I was blown away by the music was an understatment.  It lifted me back up and started me thinking about things in my life.  These two albums and Contagion helped me get back onto the path in my life that I'm now following.

So there you go Arena can restore your sanity.  They should bottle it and sell it as mineral water.  They'd make millions!  ;D

Cheers,

Ian
Worrying is like a rocking chair, it takes you for a ride, but gets you nowhere.

Peter

Quote from: Ian Lay on Fri, 2005-09-09, 19:52:11
<snip>
Cheers,

Ian

Thanx, Ian for that straightforward description. I really appreciate your being round here.
Arriving somewhere, but not here....

Ian Lay

Cheers Peter.  Having re-read my message I wish I'd checked it before I posted!  The "I was looking at the time for what had been doing"  Should read "I was looking at the time for what FISH had been doing".  But then I suppose you may guessed that.

Plus a couple of other grammatical mistakes.....but hey I only got C in English!  :D

Cheers,

Ian
Worrying is like a rocking chair, it takes you for a ride, but gets you nowhere.

gelert

Quote from: Ian Lay on Fri, 2005-09-09, 19:52:11

For me.... a few years ago I was a "t" lowish point in my life. 

Loopy....where are you...?

This 'ole boy "speaks" your language...!


TWO non-existant bar-men, NOT serving free-beer on Northern Railway Stations, eh...?


I'm suddenly feeling seriously P-P-P-P..........Thirsty...  ;D
Internationally Affiliated Member of the Federated Union of Conundrums, Kudos, & Eccentric Dialogue, featuring the Scantily Clad Radii Of The Ubiquitous Meniscus - our motto "Time flies like an arrow - fruit flies like a banana"

Ian Lay

LOL.  I just type too fast and forget to check my posts before hitting "post"!  ;D

Cheers,

Ian
Worrying is like a rocking chair, it takes you for a ride, but gets you nowhere.

Guillermo

  I met the band at the same time i met the internet back in 1997. I think "Well, this is the web and first i wanna find some prog rock info" One of the first results in the yahoo search was "The Dutch progressive rock page" and i click the reviews section. There was some very positive review for "Songs from the lions cage"  by Matijn Albering. By then it was very hard to find the CD in stores in Mexico but when a friend of mine went on vacation to Germany brought me a very rare edition of the disc from american label "Griffin Music".
  The music grow on me so i bought the "Pride" CD on a Mexican store in a very expensive price. Since then, i buy the subsequent releases by mail order with more reasonable costs.
  With those antecedents, the sole idea of meet te band members was an utopia but that became reality in this mexican tour 2005. What a concert!
  Clive, Mick and the guys: Some people around the world really like Arena's music. They can even pay a lot of bucks to get the latest album or drive many miles to attend the concert. Touring is a very important part of this business. I hope this 10th anniversary tour will be a big success, so the band can return to play in Mexico, some day.         
Permite que tu conciencia decida!