Thanks for re-opening it.

 

It's bad enough that you can't just discuss someone without it turning into an arguement, but it's better not being able to discuss them at all! Hopefully people can stay on topic now. :D :D

 

The documentary was repeated, but just once - as part of a re-run of the whole of the previous series. It was a couple of months before Gareth released his single, so hardly a tie-in. The original documentary followed him dealing with his stammer within the music business and so followed him as he made his video, and so the timing was bound to coincide with the release of that, but as it was a charity single it still baffles me that people got so worked up about it.

 

At the end of the day, when Gareth is back, it will be a subject that people will want to know about and as Gareth is now something of an expert on it all, he's hardly in a position to refuse to talk about it. I wouldn't want it to dominate interviews to the extent they neglect the music, as happened in the past, but I hope now he's able to do proper, serious and lengthy interviews, they'll ask all those questions then move onto other areas. I don't know if the rumoured documentary will focus on how Gareth has progressed with his speech, but it's a strong contender as the Tonight With Trevor MacDonald team have expressed an interest in a follow-up. If there was such a follow-up, then that might address many of the questions on the subject so free up the other interviews to tackle those subjects, or if it's interesting enough, they might just want to ask even more questions.

 

If Gareth were to do a documentary regarding his speech from cold, then certain people will just say that he's got nothing else going for him and he is doing it to make himself famous again. If he does it when his profile has been raised through traditional promotion, then certain people will say it's all a crass publicity stunt. I don't think he should let those sorts of people dictate his schedule for him. I certainly don't think those people have any regard for who might be helped by such a piece.

Edited August 23, 200618 yr by Nosey

Oh, Trevor MacDonald was repeated alright.

Twice.

I've got a great memory even if you haven't, val4jadan!

Edited August 23, 200618 yr by LisaP

Oh, Trevor MacDonald was repeated alright.

Twice.

I've got a great memory even if you haven't, val4jadan!

 

Now now, don't resort to personal remarks otherwise I'll be forced to close this topic and if I see necessary, increase your warn level.

Oh, Trevor MacDonald was repeated alright.

Twice.

I've got a great memory even if you haven't, val4jadan!

 

Well I thought I had an excellent memory where Gareth was concerned :wub: . But perhaps I was away when it was repeated.

 

We do seem to have two conflicting opinions as to whether it was once or twice here though.

 

Are you meaning in this country LisaP or have you perhaps seen it in another country?

 

Can't you just delete the offensive posts and let the rest of us get on with things?

 

I was only aware of one repeat of the Tonight With Trevor MacDonald, but maybe they did a late night one, or one when I was on holiday. Either way, it's hardly Gareth's fault if ITV want to repeat a show that presumably got them good ratings in the first place. I don't understand why people get so upset about something that helps the general public understand a much misunderstood disability.

Can't you just delete the offensive posts and let the rest of us get on with things?

 

What would you say is more effective, dealing with the problem head on to stop more offensive posts happening, or deleting all offensive posts only for more to keep being made?

It's my opinion that a few are trying to wind up Gareth's fans by being as obtuse as possible, making it as hard as possible for us to have a sensible discussion and to keep it on topic. I believe that locking topics punishes the fans and anyone else who is trying to have a sensible discussion and rewards the ones who want to cause trouble.

I won't lock the topic unless it gets out of hand again or I recieve any complaints, but this warning goes to EVERYONE:

 

Kelly kindly re-opened this topic for you all, and I will not tolerate certain individuals resorting to more personal remarks and digs and so forth, so if ANYONE steps out of line, I will clamp down on you.

:rofl: Shoot every bugger that has posted in this thread :P

:rofl: Shoot every bugger that has posted in this thread :P

 

Does that include you? Okay then, down you go. :P

Does that include you? Okay then, down you go. :P

:o You would never shoot me .. or would you? :P

:o You would never shoot me .. would you? :P

 

Not if I only have a limited amount of bullets for people in this thread. :arrr:

Not if I only have a limited amount of bullets for people in this thread. :arrr:

 

:rofl: Now that's favouritism :dance:

 

Not if I only have a limited amount of bullets for people in this thread. :arrr:

:lol:

I better buy myself a bullet proof vest. :D

Edited August 23, 200618 yr by hasso

And to answer your question Baytree, yes indeed one of Gareth's fans who waited very patiently until he'd finished his duties on the first day of his course (after a 13 hour nightmare journey, I may add) had a lovely picture taken with him.

 

Edit: Sorry took me so long to type this due to interruptions, someone got in before me :dance:

 

I can't believe I'd forgotten about that one, which is a different one to the one I posted!

 

Omg I actually can hardly breathe right now let alone type. OMG!!!!! Here's my report & I apologize in advance for the length!

 

So Sue (oconnorsu) was staying at my house because we’re good mates. (We had a brilliant time by the way, she’s so lovely and it is so great having someone to talk about Gareth to in person!) Anyway we went up to Galway because my mother was going shopping & we thought we’d get a chance to do some shopping as well.

 

Sue & I knew obviously knew that Gareth was doing the Mc Guire course up there, but we never really expected anything. I mean we joked around about it… “imagine if we bumped into Gareth!†That sort of thing. Nothing serious! I mean we didn’t even know where the course was on and we wouldn’t want to intrude on it either.

 

Anyway we got up there and we decided to go in somewhere for breakfast. So Sue & I were there eating brekkie… when I overheard someone mention that Gareth Gates was gonna be arriving at 4. We were in his hotel! :shocked: We decided to wait for him & that if we met or saw him outside that it wouldn’t interfere with his course! Being irish fans, this was our only chance to meet him & I don’t care what anyone says: we were gonna take it! (without interupting his teaching in any way. We would never do that, we admire him and the work he's doing with the mc guire program too much.)

 

That was at 10 or 11am. The hours went by, we spent most of them talking about Gareth of course & then 4pm finally arrived. 5pm & he still wasn’t there. 6pm & he hadn’t arrived. Then we overheard someone on the phone saying "Hi Gareth." I was going loopy then saying "Oh My God, that guy's on the phone to Gareth!" :P Eventually he arrived at 7.35pm in a big white taxi. When we heard he had arrived we ran out of the hotel lobby outside, we wanted to meet him out there so we wouldn’t get in the way of the course y’know. As we made our way out my heart was pounding so hard, it was totally surreal!

 

When I saw him I went into shock! I felt like I was going to pass out and my hands actually started to shake really badly. I actually plucked up courage and said “Hi Gareth!†really loudly. Sue was standing there, probably in total shock too, staring at him. He was pulling a suitcase type thing behind him into the hotel. He turned back to look at us and said hi. He looked right at us and he said that he was running really late, that he was very sorry but had to go inside and that he’d talk to us later! He seemed really genuinely sorry that he couldn't stay longer, which I thought was dead sweet of him... there was no need to apologize, we were chuffed just to see him!!! :)

 

We were both over the moon whatever happened after that! We had seen him in the flesh proper close… I was so close I could have probably reached out and touched him!!! His hair was quite short, he was really tanned & was wearing a white t-shirt with grey pants. OMG, it all looked REALLY good on him. His face was beautiful, his eyes were just as gorgeous in real life, he had freckles which were cute & what I noticed most of all (which surprised me!) were his ears! They were so adorable.

 

Anyway after he went in Sue & I started saying “OMG!†etc, talking about what had just happened, hardly believing that we’d just seen Gareth!! We were sitting outside when this guy came out, the regional director for the mc guire program, and he talked to us for a while. He said he knew that we were waiting for Gareth, he seemed to think it was great. He also said that he knew Gareth pretty well and that he was a “lovely guy†and “very mannerly.†It's always great to hear things like that from people that know him well so I thought it was worth a mention. :grin:

 

We went back inside. Gareth was upstairs giving the introduction to the course. We obviously wouldn’t dare go up and interrupt him so we just waited inside, thinking that since it was Gareth he probably would come back down since he promised us. However we didn't expect him to really- we wouldn't be disappointed because he obviously would have had a very long & tiring day, it wouldn't have surprised me if he had wanted to go straight to bed after giving the talk. Sue waited with me until 9pm and then she had to go home with her brother. :(

 

My mother had been sitting in the car since like 12pm when she finished shopping, bless her, and she was getting really impatient! Then at like 9.45pm… all the people from the course started to come downstairs. I knew that Gareth would be out shortly and I just couldn’t leave. My mother even threatened to drive home without me but I wouldn’t have cared… I always said I would do whatever it took to meet Gareth & I just wasn’t going to give up this chance. Then at around 10pm he came down the stairs and appeared in the hotel lobby. I nearly lost my life when I saw him walking across the floor! He went over to the course director and started talking to him, I didn’t want to interrupt them, so although I had gotten up out of my seat I wouldn’t approach him. I didn’t want to be rude or get in the way, he’s here for a purpose & I respect that the course comes first.

 

Then he went and stood in the corner & I couldn’t pluck up the courage to go up to him… after that he ran upstairs. I was so mad with myself & so very upset, I thought I had blown my chance to meet him properly. Words can’t tell you how devastated I was. Then some people told me that he would probably be back down in a minute & not to give up… they also said I was a very dedicated fan to wait so long for him and that I deserved to meet him, which was really nice to hear! :lol: :lol:

 

Then at about 10.15pm, maybe 10.20pm he came down-stairs again. He went up to the reception desk and I thought to myself “It’s now or never! You always said you‘d do ANYTHING to meet him, so do something!†I walked up and stood behind him…. I was so nervous!!! I saw him look behind himself and see me out of the corner of his eye, he smiled a little but continued talking to the receptionist.

 

When he was finished he turned around and looked at me expectantly. He said “Hiya†and looked at me with those gorgeous brown hypnotizing eyes of his. AHHHHHHHHHHHH! I felt weak at the knees! :o Then I said “Heya Gareth. Can I get a picture with you, please?†I’m surprised I was able to form a sentence in his presence, lol! :grin: But something about him just soothes you and helps you to relax... being around him is totally surreal and amazing. Then he said “Yeah, sure of course.†I gave the camera to one of the people on the course & while the guy was figuring it out Gareth asked me my name & where I was from. I also managed to ask him how he was & how was his trip. His flight from London had been delayed & his train to Galway had broken down… so not too good, lol. I also said that he was nice and tanned & turns out he was just back off his holidays in Spain.

 

Then the guy was ready to take the photo & Gareth put his arm around me!! Pure Heaven I tell ya! :grin: I put my arms around him too so I was hugging him, then let him go for the photo, but kept one of my arms around him. When the guy didn’t press the button hard enough Gareth told him “to press it harder so the picture will take for her.†& to “keep it pressed, that’s it.†He didn’t stammer at all, his speech was amazing and his accent was so gorgeous! I was sort of happy the picture didn’t take straight away so I had his arm around me for longer, Lol!!! :P Anyway the picture got taken eventually & as soon as I get it uploaded I’ll post it. :grin: After that we let go & I held his hand and said “Thanks SO much Gareth!†& he said “No problem at all, you’re welcome.†Something like that anyway, but he was soooooooo nice and a total gentlemen.

 

All the people in the lobby were all looking over and smiling btw & some clapped afterwards cos they knew how long I had waited. The course director said “Are you happy now you met him?†I replied “VERY happy!†& Gareth was smiling. He apologized as he had to go then… I couldn’t really hear properly… I think he had to get a taxi or something?

 

It was a very brief meeting I guess, but I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences of my entire life! Anyone who knows ANYTHING about me can tell you that ever since I first laid my eyes on him, ever since I heard that amazing voice, I’ve dreamt of this moment. I would have done anything to meet him, you name it, I’d have done it!! (& after meeting him that still stands, lol). The man changed my life and I adore him. Words simply can’t explain what it meant to me. After the meeting him I left the hotel with the biggest smile on my face and I didn’t make it to the car before the tears started to flow down my cheeks with the pure emotion of it all. I cried so hard on the way home, it just meant SO much to me meeting him.

 

I think… I think I can die happy now. :grin: This was a dream come true. There was so much more I wanted to tell him… I wanted to tell him how much I loved him & I wanted to ask him when he was coming back and about his music… but I was too overwhelmed, you know? Plus he was short on time. I was just glad that I didn’t interrupt the course or anything, I would have hated that.

 

But trust me everyone, this man is worth the wait. I’ve always known that of course, but after meeting him… it becomes even clearer! All I’ll say is that his wonderful personality and charm shines through even more in person, he truly left me craving more and knowing that the relentless support we're offering him is not only well deserved, but appreciated. Love you Gareth Gates!

 

And the photo taken by the shy, but very excited fan (bless).

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/willowmybaby/meandgaz.jpg

It seems to me that the music market has moved on a lot since Pop Idol 1. The demand is for 'real' bands or solo artists that have sort of emerged via gigging/supporting bigger names and internet. There's a long list at the moment, James Blunt, James Morrison, Paul Nutino, Sandi thom, Lily Allen etc, etc.

 

I am a Will fan, but that has nothing to do with my opinion on Gareth, or Shayne. I just think the demand for 'manufactured' artists - (or those perceived to be manufactured) is not there anymore - not for the over 12s anyway. The ones hanging on or even thriving are those who have a large and loyal fanbase, like Westlife, Robbie, Will, Kylie and at the Girls Aloud are still around. The successes have to have tons of X factor, genuine talent and lots of fans. Look at the number of failed solo acts recently - Duncan James, Lee ryan, Steve Brookstein, Anthony Costa - to name only a few.

 

So............my point is - does Gareth have what's needed in today's music world? He has an OK voice, he's nice looking - he has musical talent, If he does put out some good music he deserves to do well. Where I see him failing is in his fan-base - I just doubt very much he still has enough loyal fans left who are still interested enough to buy into him. Pop Idol was 5 years ago - 12 year olds then are now 17 and into dance etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am a Will fan, but that has nothing to do with my opinion on Gareth, or Shayne. I just think the demand for 'manufactured' artists - (or those perceived to be manufactured) is not there anymore

 

You've hit the nail on the head there, except I'd say that it's been true for a few years. In particular, it's essential to demonstrate that you too are a music fan.

 

Unfortunately Gareth was perceived to be 'manufactured' pop star who was assumed to be stupid, do what he was told, and wouldn't know one end of an instrument from the other. The reality has always been that Gareth has a genuine passion for music, but instead of being promoted as someone who had studied music for years, got top grades in music exams, who enjoyed a wide variety of music and who had contributed to the style and content of his album (at least one CD of it), in his wisdom, Mr Cowell saw fit to promote Gareth as nothing more than a good looking teen idol who wanted to sing Westlife songs. :blink: Looking back, I don't know if he genuinely thought that was a good way to promote him, or if it was his sheer pig-headedness at trying to go against the tide of what was happening in the industry?

 

Thankfully Gareth is now clear of that Simon, so the whole of his new album will reflect his personality, and hopefully the promotion will be focused around who Gareth really is. If so, and if people aren't too proud to admit it, he can fulfil all the requirements of what is expected from a 'real singer'.

 

(except he wasn't discovered in the back room of a pub/on the internet by a trendy music journalist, but there's not a lot that can be done about that now. :P )

 

The right song will always be important, but despite the supposed move away from 'manufactured' music, the role of the PR machine to do a good job of convincing everyone that your music is 'cool' has never been more important.

Edited August 23, 200618 yr by Nosey

I watched the program last week which was looking back at the history of Light Entertainment, I think. Can't remember what the program was called now, but I found it very interesting to hear Simon Cowell talking about the fact there is so much emphasis put on `manufactured' artists these days. He went on to say that all artists to a certain degree are `manufactured'. Even `Take That' were manufactured apparently. I believe he said there had to be one cheeky one, a couple of dancers, someone to write the music etc. He did go on to name a few others artists which I was quite surprised at, but I can't remember who they were now.

 

Perhaps someone else watched and can recall a bit more than I can :unsure:

I didn't watch it, but all music is manufactured to a certain extent. Take That would definitely fall into the category of manufactured as they weren't friends from school who decided to sing, but rather put together after doing auditions. A large chunk of their latest tour draws attention to this and makes a big joke out of the fact that they all had their role to play in the 'boy-band' machine. You simply cannot have that with a solo artist, and being 'discovered' on tv makes you no more or less manufactured than being discovered in the pub!

 

But things were different when Take That were launched. Everyone knew they were manufactured, but no-one cared, because people weren't so snobby about it then. People are snobby about it now, to the extent that most PR people go to great lengths to demonstrate their artists are "real". Whatever the rights and wrongs of that snobbery, it's a fact of the modern industry that is ignored at the peril of the labels.