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UK Funky Live: my response to Twitter

Alright, alright, alright, I'm getting messages from people about people cussin my review, but sadly I'm not following most of the people to see what's being said. Twitter only allows 140 characters so I couldn't respond properly anyway. The aim of this is to clear up some misinterpretations behind my post.

Firstly, I may not be a UK Funky Junkie but believe I listen to it. I don't like some songs, I like some songs, same with any genre. And as with a lot of urban genres I endorse it here - more than I do hip-hop and R&B. I've given Funky Dee ratings for Are You Gonna Pass Doe (someone many don't like/rate), recommended Fuzzy Logik and big'd up Funk Butcher, I even wrote "Once again they neglected the UK Funky movement" in a blog about the MOBO's (click to read) but I've also said when I don't feel it's good (only time I remember is this Hotsteppa tune). Hater = someone who criticises without substance or logic. Can't hate yet rate at the same time. Can't hate yet state reasons why you didn't like it. Hater is an easy way to dismiss someone whose opinion isn't to your liking.

Not sure if you read the top of the page but it says all opinions are mine. I called it how I saw it through mine but mostly general feeling amongst the crowd. If you disagree, fair-do's. Tell me what you disagree with? I don't even think I went in harsh, more comedy than harsh.

The amount of positive feedback far outweighs the negatives anyway (check the comments on the post), but I take on board the criticisms hence this somewhat clarification post.

Queen of MTV Base: jasmine dotiwala luv this review of UKFUNKY-felt like i was there!LOL! at his observations http://bit.ly/QyJWq


Overall conclusion (maybe I never explained it, maybe you never understood it): I said in my conclusion the show was alright - never cussed the artists performances. It's a very big look for those involved to perform where legends before them have trod, but is now the time? The genre is in an infancy stage. Where does the Funky Live go from here to match the growth within the scene? I was blaming the promoters and whoever came up with the idea moreso than the artists, hence the conclusion was mainly aimed at them. Many who didn't go, didn't and still don't think now is the right time for this type of event for UK Funky especially in such a prestigious venue. People in your own scene said it was a money-making thing, pointing out no one from the scene was involved in organising it. I can't confirm or deny if that's the truth but a reliable person in your scene tweeted it. I'm all for celebration, but there are ways of doing it where it's more of a memorable occasion for the fan and for the right reasons. Heck, I posted 1Xtra's Funky Live Sessions, so I rate the idea of a live band. Venue should have been a bit more intimate and more dance-oriented.

There are positives and points where improvements can be made in everything. Wouldn't even say the comments were negative, most of the post was actually observations (eg. points when crowd were sitting down/skankin) and very little in way of opinions (what clothes looked good/hood) apart from the conclusion. I never actually said the performances were dead, merely stating which songs were.

I didn't even think the show was terrible, I was MAINLY confirming what many people thought, it was too early.

From a quick Google search of "UK Funky Live Forum" to see what forums are saying I found this forum called ViP2. The initial post was just a normal advert (http://vip2.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=38877) so I went about to see if they commented on it where I found this:

http://www.vip2.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=38753

There are comments such as:

"All of these artists perform week in week out at clubs, the average funky fan will see most of these acts for "free" when they go to a club. Also, most funky tracks are "faceless" so the average punter might like "that song that goes in the morning" but won't know it's Egypt that sings it.If they manage to get this arena 1/3 full, it will be a success in my eyes."

"£25 a ticket?joketing "

"The idea of watching funky acts perform on stage is dead to me, Live P.A's in the club = going to the bar/or the toilet time."

"can funky really hold up at wemble arena?"

In response to the above:

"Doubt it, will start gettin annoying mid way through when your hearin the same tunes each time (granted there are djs) "

And about it:

"was air

lol at dj Quincey winning the best funky dj award "

While over at Grimeforum http://www.grimeforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34665:

"sounds like a good idea in theory, but im not sure if they can pull off a live show in such a big venue."

So my comments aren't hating, coincidentally mirror what other neutrals (people who aren't funky junkies) think.

Everyones latching on to the negatives, but fail to realise I commended all the females vocal ability! Donae'o performance being the shit! Gracious K absolutely bunnin it down! Zest & Coldsteps rippin it! On the flip I put in where improvements should be made. I didn't put that Gracious didn't appear to have a LIVE band back him at a UK Funky LIVE event because I didn't notice - it was that good a performance.

Let me address some of the things that I have read on Twitter:

@Yondie, I didn't cuss her clothes personally, merely passing on the opinions of what the girls behind me said. Mi name man, so I care about what the body's saying in the clothes. For me it was a win, hence "she wore tight skirts which accentuated her Jah-blessed back-and-thighs combo" followed by "but from the criteria of tight skirts was met, mi nuh care!" after what the girls behind my said. I thought she held her own next to Eddie Kadi but her voice sounded a bit too high (maybe she was just excited/nervous *shrugs* I don't blame her I'd be) and she said "Dun know" a lot. No lies there just mine and someone else's opinion

I see @BigManZest complaining, but I thought you did well mate. You and @Coldsteps made the most effort in what you were wearing. Didn't like the dancers too much but I said you were one of the highlights! I've posted your vid for Jump In The Middle and Skank and I only post vids that I'm feeling or songs that I'm feeling.

Shea Soul hit me up; all now she hasn't said what she felt was wrong but know that you can email me baby!!! Set me your pin while you are at it and we can go for a couple pints, my treat *wink* Posted your video here before too Make It Funky For Me called it top 3. *UPDATE* she replied, saying it was the wig thing that annoyed her. My apologies for my mistake.

@Shaun White from Fr3e, you didn't really cuss it, thought I'm looking for attention but you guessed it, I posted your video before Tribal Skank calling it top 3 as well.

See the pattern here? I rate you guys tunes so don't get it twisted like it's hating. I just don't think funky artists have enough material for a big showcase like that. How many times did I repeat it in the post?

What makes them one-hit wonders at the mo? No performer who performed more than one song by themselves (except Katy B), got the majority of the crowd moving.

Why did I say Donae'o is the scene's only star? He has produced and released a solid album, and had 3/4 songs abosutely dunnin' dances since the scene begun. How many others can claim that? He is the only MOBO nominated artist from the scene. KIG is for their song.

I never wrote the blog to get hype, that's foolish talk. Read through other posts in my blog and you'll see they are all the same eg. frequent use of sarcasm 'cos that's just me. There are many comments that were made tongue-in-cheek (granted; how something is said doesn't really come through your screen). I hardly ever promote my blog on Twitter apart from Flashback Fridays really. The rest is a release of thoughts so if anyone bucks up my blog they can read something.
For the record: I'm not a blogger, I just blog a lot!!!

I posted it for my Twitter followers to read what I saw and was tweetin the day before. Never begged or expected a RT or nothing so it really isn't that. Had I known it would get this much attention I would have been a bit more serious and left out the jokes. It was purely entertainment.

JuiceBlackHaha check this HILARIOUS review of UK FUNKY LIVE (at Wembley on sunday)!! http://www.marvinsparks.blogspot.com/ thanx @toyaberry)

Negatives mostly come from people within the UK Funky scene (not everyone in the scene ang tite people like @FunkButcher who know's it was just my opinion and took my sarcasm for what it was & @QoSFunky who has been putting things into perspective) or associates.

"FunkButcherEveryones going in @marvinsparks blog....its the nature of the beast in entertainment that people might not like what u do.....be tuff! Lol"

Maybe some of you are too used to hearing your tunes sick from everyone! If you want everyone to say everything's fine and dandy until the scene becomes so engrossed in bullsh*t you fail to see what's going on is fukry, then fair-do's, I'm not in your scene so as Gracious K put it "It holds no weight".

I leave it on: look at artists who surround themselves with yes men, then realise that is what your scene could become. STALE

As this person tweeted:

d4maja@QoSFunky Good point - I think @MarvinSparks gave an open review that like you suggest is there to enable the scene to progress

And that's where points where the show could improve come in handy. Instead of takin me for a hater, look at what I said, think about it without gettin defensive, if you still disagree then cool, if you feel I may have a point then adjust it. It's better I'm honest and you guys come back with a better show next time than me saying "Yeah it was sick" for every year until it turns like what people think of the MOBOs.

p.s. @Graciouskisay That "logic" of "Until you do what I do, you can't complain" is bullsh*t. Most of the fans buying your records can't do what you do, why not say "You can't tell me my music's good until you can do what I do?" to them? You see what the "logic" is flawed? And guess what? your video here.

I repeat, I'm speaking for the neutrals as this person understood:

DiggydashRT @marvinsparks http://bit.ly/QyJWq

And a journalist who went wrote:

ToyaBerryEverything I wanted to say about UK funky live but didn't (yes I'm chicken) http://www.marvinsparks.blogspot.com/ its FUNNY + so real! Lol

End of the day, it was just a bit of fun. Many people found it hilarious - reason why it spread like wildfire - and that was my intention. I was mainly bussin jokes. Shame if you never felt that way.

Comments

  1. Well said Marvin. I would hazard a guess that you didnt receive many "Thank you's" and RT's when you were posting these artist's videos on your blog, bigging them up and saying how good their tune is...

    I really didnt understand why there was such a fuss?!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Toya. You know what I'm saying? Come like praise is expected so goes nowhere.

    Fuss from them was over-the-top for real. As I said in this post most neutrals people who commented on the post itself, RT'd it on Twitter and replies on Twitter were positive so it's whatever really lol.

    Thanks for the mention on the blog as well!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm not the biggest fan of uk funky music at all, and didn't even think about going to UK funky live, but when I read your blog, I knew exactly why I didn't go, because it was all proved to me what I originally thought.

    Plus your blog is your open mind and your thoughts, if people can't handle it they need to reconsider whether they can handle the industry!! time to get tough skinned!!

    I'm not a blogger..I just blog alot!! love it!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. at the end of the day any scene has to move forward to progress, and that's what happened here, which will ultimately be to the benefit of everyone involved. i don't know who organised it but props to them for takin the financial risk of doing it in the first place. everyone will have learned from this, organisers, performers, etc & that's a good thing. oh, and it's rare to read an honest review that makes me laugh out loud too! keep up the good work man!

    G

    ReplyDelete

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