View Single Post
  #307  
Old 13-02-2019, 10:40
sim's Avatar
sim sim is offline
I am purity, they call me perverted
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Wolverhampton
Age: 38
Posts: 480
Excuse any typos or frequent edits: I'm writing this on my phone.

So, all of this has really been something of a preoccupation. Admittedly, as I'm on sick leave, I have a lot of time to think about it.

There are quite a few background discussions, and so many interesting points and discoveries have surfaced, I'm loathe to let them remain hidden.

This may be a Sofa-style stream of consciousness, probably without the coherence.

Where to start. Well.

The author, SHR, has had many face-to-face interactions with people who were horrified at her manner: the way she launched spectacularly into a tirade against James without any warm up being a major puzzle.

Now, some thoughts on her accusations. I think we may all be aware, as she has oft voiced the same rant, that she believes James acted less than legally in the past. But here's the thing that gives me a good idea of her morals: if she really believes that James was a perpetrator, then she believes the woman was a victim. And if you believe she was a victim, you have to have some respect for her, if no one else, by not airing her trauma.

More on that: I have heard the woman in the rumoured relationship was 18, living alone, working... an adult.

However, I'm more reliably informed that no such relationship occurred at all.

So, the discrepancies here show that it's not something that is morally right to broadcast, and benefits no one but the accuser.

Now, that is (hopefully) not much to do with the book. But there's the fear, the reasonable concern, that this may be in it. SHR's style seems to be more of the passive-aggressive, loosely-phrased persuasion. So I doubt she'll directly talk about it. Too open to libel accusations.

This style of writing, we believe from reviews, is being used to bring the band into disrepute. We have seen the quote (from Rachel? SHR?) about Martin "seeing" Graham Edwards to "ask permission" for the use of JFPL lyrics. This has been worded so as to make the reader question whether there had been coercion on Martin's part.

Permission had already been given, or at least very heavily implied, by Richey in the way he left and addressed the lyrics. Some lyrics fully formed and labelled as songs ("verse" "chorus"), which was a rarity. Martin was asking as courtesy. Not through necessity. But it makes the band sound bad, which is pleasing to Rachel and SHR.

Rachel, need I say it, will not be financially poor. SHR speaks a lot about how Rachel has no one else in the world. I find it hard to believe she has no friends, she's within a church community, but such a statement makes me suspicious.

SHR has asked, a month before the 2019 release date, for Severn Bridge toll tickets. That's... odd? I don't want to speculate, it just seems odd.

There is much context of the Edwards family that is really required to understand the dynamics. There are truths that cannot be said. The band, despite all the ill will from various quarters, have consistently conducted themselves with grace and dignity. Even at cost to their own truth.

The band were family. That's not to say it was a constant love-in. They could tell their truth and look like heroes, but they won't.

Which leads me onto the release of the book.

Knowing that the book will (at the very least) subtly suggest that the band are liars, we have to ask ourselves some big questions. I paraphrase some excellent points that have been shared with me.

If you cannot believe that the band have contrived to deceive everyone about Richey in every single interaction they have ever had, then the book has no merit at all.

If you do believe they act deceptively, why do you call yourself a fan?

I mean, really, why would you call yourself a fan?

Spend money, spend time, supporting liars?

Wanting to buy the book even after you've been told that it contains dubious material because you want to make your own mind up suggests that you believe there's a feasible chance that the band are liars. Again, odd to like and support such men.

I don't think that there's much room for belief here, only evidence.

The evidence is that SHR has a plan, and Rachel is the way to achieve it. Rachel is wracked with guilt (I'm not suggesting she should be). I speak from experience here: it's far easier to grieve if you can pretend everything was perfect.

The band are the perfect scapegoat. I strongly suspect that something's happening in the background - all these delays? How long does it take to write an opinion piece, and for a major publisher to get it out? - but they will not publicly stand up for themselves.

Well, I'm standing up for them.

The book is dangerous trash. Best case scenario is it is so ridiculous that no one believes a word.

These are good men we're willing to hurt because of our own morbid curiosity. They're not perfect, but we must surely find them to be acceptable recipients of our love and respect? Yet we can disown them for entertainment?

We seem to have forgotten Nicky's recent family grief easily enough, seem to have forgotten that they are humans with stress in their lives. Seem to have forgotten that it's actually a miracle that, perish the thought, they're all still here. I don't need to remind anyone of the biggest killer of young men, and I don't think I need to say what needs to be avoided in order to support them.

Even if the band weren't implicated, my own feeling would be to leave Richey in peace.

Enough.
__________________
Reply With Quote