This is really sad. I'm upset for Nicky now. I have been angry over it but now it's turning to sadness.
Nicky especially has been close to tears publicly and was devastated by Richey leaving.
Is there a picture of the toll ticket in the book?

Tonnes. Sorry, I’m struggling to process it all. It’s terribly written, constantly self- as well as band-contradictory, gives huge weight to questionable sources and ideas, picks and chooses what to include/focus on/interpret with astonishing blinkeredness, exposes Richey in deeply troubling and unnecessary ways, and throws everyone and everything under the bus in the name of him and his family.

It’s very hard to work out what might be genuine anecdote or insight from poor writing and narrative intrusion, and takes from sources who may have agendas, will of course have prejudices (everyone does), are recalling things that happened decades ago, were young/possibly being manipulated at the time, are being granted undue gravitas, are confused in their recollections, etc etc etc.

It has several very obvious agendas and ignores any evidence it throws up that doesn’t suit them - and that’s just the evidence they clearly didn’t realise worked against them and didn’t cut out. So much the band is accused of, this project has actually done itself. It is not humanising or reclaiming, it’s exploitative and forcing a story like a straight jacket, destroying the person in the process.

The band essentially can’t do anything right, Nicky especially. Everything they say and do is twisted against them or made out to be untrue for no goddamn reason. They used Richey up when he was around, didn’t do enough for him, haven’t done enough to find him since, capitalise off him endlessly and just don’t give a fuck, apparently.

I cannot tell you how angry and upset I am. That anyone would do this to him, to them, but that it would come from this source... I hope he somehow hasn’t seen it. I can only imagine it would absolutely break him, regardless of how strong he may be in his entirely correct convictions.

Yes, looks like the same picture we’ve seen online.

Can you not provide a short summary (pointform) of the more egregious allegations, when you have a moment?

I just wanted to support Sofarsideways' comments about this book. It's exploitative of Richey privacy in the saddest ways, and dedicated to making a case that the band were not his friends.

Will do if someone doesn’t beat me to it. There’s... a lot. I hope they sink this thing in court and then some. To absolute hell with it.

Patience, all. I absolutely appreciate everyone's eager to know, goodness knows I was too.

But it's actually been more shocking than we envisioned from what we already knew.

The people who have been mentioned as hastening Richey's illness are not powerless. It's surprising how far above her weight SHR is punching.

It's key mentions like that that further raise suspicions about action being taken, and by whom.

Anything shared must be carefully considered.

It must also be understood that this edition of the book seems to have been released by mistake, and perhaps not the final edit. That may implicate booksellers.

All that said, it must be mentioned that the book is not well written or well edited.

There are many opinions, and the vaguest theories are taken up with gusto.

Rachel has been more heavily involved than anticipated.

Ethics have been disregarded.

Sofa will figure out how best to share main points without implicating further innocent people. That will take some time and thought.

Thanks again all for providing such respectful and considered discussion .

We all knew already she'd be going after the band. I think we all assumed James would be on the receiving end of most of her ire. But it's actually Nicky she has it in for? Mind you, she has Richey on such a pedestal she's probably ragingly jealous of the close friendship they had.

The only reason I can see for targeting Nicky is his and Richey’s closeness. Going in all guns blazing trying to discredit their relationship only shows that the attack is driven by jealousy and resentment, and proves that R&N are bulletproof. I hope Nicky feels that way. :heart:

In lieu of something scandalous, is there any fun revelations from Richey's archive?

This book makes me feel physically ill. The people behind it are not only toxic, bitter and jealous, but also clearly completely delusional for thinking they can just push this kind of content out and call it the truth. Or, sorry "a fresh perspective"!

I've probably written this earlier, but I hope they get crushed. The authors and everyone else involved.

If (and I pray) this book is eventually cancelled, I dread to think what accusations they will spit out next, about how you get to read only what the band wants you to read.... Well if the publication serves a single agenda and is completely based on lies and exploitation, what can you expect? Again, delusional people thinking they have the right to throw shit in public in the name of freedom of speech. They've taken this entire "This is my truth tell me yours" thing a bit too seriously. Populists.

There's a photo of Richey's desk in his student hall of residence, with the following wrote across is:

"BIRDLAND FUCK OFF
I'M GOING DOWN TO SUICIDE ALLEY <3"

and also they published private letters richey sent to a girlfriend in the 80s, as said earlier it's a massive invasion of privacy, by richey's pesonal archive i didn't want to see school reports, hospital notes, private love letters. Personal archive I (dumbly) presumed was ONLY going to be his art and thoughts on culture.

I did have a feeling all along that Rachel would be heavily involved in this. Just allowing access to such personal items meant she was a driving force at all times.
The utter ridiculous claims that she wants to reclaim Richey, as I've stated before, make this whole thing pathetic and unnecessary, if this was the case then she has the memories, why feel the need to share his very personal thoughts with the public?
The authors mention getting people to see him as a poet, ffs this is what Nicky Wire has always said. He even says it on the Leaving the 20th century DVD for all to hear! It's not a new way of looking at Richey is it?!
This is making me so frustrated at the utter hypocrisy and stupidity.

Yeah I get that people don't want to attack Rachel and I am not, I just want to know if there is something that led to an attack on the band, a catalyst for it?
There must have been an argument over something and even though we will probably never know I feel that if she and SHR are going to publicly go after the band then we have a right to know why.
If it is just historical opinions about how the band could have treated Richey then it is outrageous.
There will be no actual evidence other than peoples views and a lot of conjecture.
If it is the case that SHR has pushed her narrative on Rachel and then gone and found people willing to talk bad about the bands treatment of Richey then Rachel needs to take a good look at herself.
Otherwise this has to be about money somewhere along the line.
Nothing much has come from Rachel in previous years, maybe the odd little comment but nothing I can see that has led us fans to get upset before.
So it proabably is a posionous SHR polluting her mind.

Of general forum interest: did we know Richey’s grandmother was named Kezia?

*casually sips tea*

That sip of tea should leave a bad taste in number of peoples' mouths...