AN EMAIL FROM FISH... PLUS: WE GOT FOLLOWED BY THE POLICE (NOT THE BAND)

Morning, all!

So. Firstly… did you listen to the most recent BYAMPOD? Fish did!

Here’s the email he sent at midnight last night:

Dear Paul

I was pointed at your recent podcast 'orphan of Heartbreak' as a few fans were angry at your flippant and badly researched coverage of the '13th Star' period.

Yes you are correct you do not know me and never will and I don't think you would ever have the nerve to say what you did on that podcast to my face.

If you had bothered to read the sleeve notes of the 2023 version you perhaps would have had a better insight into the period and the lyrics however you took cheap underhand shots at me which were not appreciated

Your mention of the lyric book I blocked was badly presented and did not convey the facts behind the reasons or the background which in the opinion of legal representatives and the publishers were considered valid. The writer was not 'threatened' and after communications between himself and the publisher they acquiesced to withdraw the book from publication.

In the future I would appreciate it if you could show me a bit more respect  and desist from playground schoolboy musings on subjects you obviously know little about and can't be bothered to investigate properly.

regards

Fish

Here’s my carefully worded response, that I wanted to get to him before he did his live Fish on Friday show tonight, and potentially set the dogs on us:

Dear Fish.

Thank you for your email. We had slightly expected it, as I knew the episode would prove divisive, and that somebody would likely flag it up to you. I had hoped in vain that they wouldn’t, and in all honesty I’m sorry you had to listen to it. I know full well that I can be, as you rightly pointed out, cheap and flippant in a ‘playground schoolboy’ way – as I also am about Marillion, and even my own long-suffering wife.

BYAMPOD is as much as anything an evolving document of my emotional experience as a fan, in a roughly chronological manner. It is more about feelings rather than facts, and if how I might’ve been feeling in that episode has in any way angered or upset you, I regret that. You didn’t need to hear it.

I’ve come to realise that being a supporter of somebody’s work, for as long as I have been yours, is akin to a relationship.

As in all relationships there are ups and downs, and that episode is, in isolation – and, ironically, much like 13thStar – a snapshot of one of those downward curves.

I’d come very close to not putting it out, but ultimately, because I knew that the subsequent couple of episodes would be very, very positive – covering both the glorious Aylesbury show in 2007, and one of my absolute favourite albums of yours – that it would paint a very different, much more upbeat, picture once viewed in context.

Of course, it doesn’t help when the episodes are being released one at a time, in order.

In my life, and my work as a writer, I have always tried to be honest and authentic. I wear my heart on my sleeve, which is something you inspired me to do. I’m open about what I’m feeling, to a fault, but consequently I don’t always find that easy or comfortable. I’m open about that on the podcast. It’s both curse and blessing, for better or worse.

Over the past week, since recording the episode, I’ve reflected a lot on why I reacted as I did. Ultimately, as with most things, I concluded that it was about me – not you – and we were due to set up to record today, to dig into that. Something was indeed triggered in me that’s to do with my own baggage, and I fully intend to take ownership of it.

I’m sorry again that you heard the episode. For what it’s worth, I remain a fan.

Regards,

Paul

I mean, I think that says it all really. His email was pretty gentle by his standards. Regardless, I sure as hell won’t be watching Fish on Friday tonight!

Anyhow. We had a great couple of days in Wiltshire filming for Digi. We’re really, really loving doing these videos, and people seem to be responding to them. It’s going to take a bit of time to piece together the episode (or, possibly, episodes), as we recorded almost five hours of footage. Wiltshire is a beautiful county, but man… there’s a really oppressive, bleak, scary side to it. I think the ep (or eps) will be very funny, but it’s also impossible to ignore some of its recent history.

What I can tell you is it probably has the best opening of any of our videos ever. We also got followed by military police.

All in all, it has been quite the week!

I’m knackered now though, and my big toe arthritis is playing up as a result of all the walking. We’re meant to be seeing the Australian comedy group Aunty Donna tonight (their podcast is one of our favourite things), but we’ll see how it goes today.

That’s all the news for now. We still have a Writers Club to get you, and we’ll likely be recording an interesting BYAMPOD today…