Good of you to post your comments on this Neil - talk about raise your head above the parapit! You really are as they say, between a rock and a hard place, trying to look after Alfies interests as well as his many fans. I was hoping for a meet and greet at Southend in June, last date before a break, but it seems that won't be happening so thats pretty disappointing, especially as those in other parts have had a chance to meet Alfie. Maybe some kind of compromise could be reached, watch the soundcheck and ask questions?
What people forget is that this is all new ground to you all, running a big concert tour and lessons are bound to be learned. Your duty is to look after Alfie so he can sing with that wonderful voice of his -they'd soon be complaints if he cancelled concerts. You can't protect him from everything - germs are after all airborne -and I guess sometimes you can't protect him from himself! But that's the Alfie we have all grown to love and its great we're now seeing so many different sides to him. He really does give of himself to us all. So just carry on being you Alfie, and you too Neil - look after him as best you can. We do appreciate what you do xx
Message from Neil re: Meet & Greets
Dear All
I am writing a quick note as I get on the road to Northampton today to try to explain about the meet & greets - I'm so sorry that some of you are disappointed that we are trying to protect Alfie's health but please, please let me try to explain - I notice a lot of you are also talking about the cost of the meet and greets, so firstly let me address this - You are all correct, we are virtually doing this at cost price - essentially we made it as cheap a price as we possibly could - the tour programme, the limited edition, laminate and the limited edition T Shirt, the postage and the administration (people at firebrand arranging and running the meet & greet, sending out the emails, putting the package together, arranging the right size T shirt to be made etc etc) cost us over £30 each, then we pay VAT and so in all it gives us about £3 per person to help towards our tour costs. We could, of course, make it more expensive, but we never wanted to do that. We only did it for the fans, not to make a profit.
We started to get worried a few days ago, when a number of people at the meet & greets mentioned to Alfie and myself, they either had colds or tummy bugs and were feeling better simply because they were meeting Alfie - That worried us all and we took the decision to try to protect Alfie - We have 10 more shows, the most he's ever done in such a short time, in 13 days and I have to help Alfie get through to the end.
I know how disappointed people were when we lost shows in Les Miserables - this would be so much worse, plus if he picked-up an infection, because he's a singer, it would immediately target his voice - with someone as highly trained as Alfie, its always his vocals that suffer if he get's ill. When we lost shows in Les Mis, so many people complained bitterly to me that I should look after his health more - hundreds of letters and emails telling me to take control and manage his health, I should stop him going to the stage door because he was too tired and he was inevitably going to pick up colds out there.
Finally, I have to consider that we would probably lose more than one or two shows and that would be such a nightmare for everyone, the fans, the team and so on - Can I also explain that we have so many people that I'm responsible for on the Alfie tour - the Tour Management team, my orchestra, sound crew, lighting crew, merchandising people, catering staff, truck drivers, car and support team - we are probably 60 people relying on Alfie every day as well as the concert hall staff, riggers, security, front of house etc etc our Agents, promoters, Record Company - its a huge responsibility and it all relies on Alfie.
We always said that the meet & greets would be a chance to say hi, have something signed, have a photo taken, see the soundcheck, get a limited edition T-Shirt, a programme and a special limited laminate and as a lot of you know, I'm always happy to answer questions about our plans and so on at the meet & greet, when Alfie goes back to his dressing room. We won't be doing these at the summer dates so this is something I hope everyone enjoys, whilst we can still do them. We will, of course, do our best to make sure this happens at each show, but can I ask for all your help and understanding, to help me, to look after Alfie.
Thanks all,
Neil x
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Comment by Amanda Denise Freund on January 23, 2012 at 2:12pm -
I hope to see Alfie tonight in my home town of Northampton for the meet and greetx
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Comment by tracey smith on January 23, 2012 at 2:45pm -
please read my blog to Alfie have tried everything to get an extra ticket for tonight for my 75 yr old mother in law. my blog explains all the details. Have tried the venue no sucess and now see you have another 30 tickets please im begging xxx
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Comment by Elizabeth Challis on January 23, 2012 at 6:56pm -
Thanks Neil..... quite right too!!!
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Comment by Lesley Somerville on January 23, 2012 at 8:41pm -
Amazing evening in Plymouth, can't wait to go to another Alfie concert, absolutely brilliant
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Comment by Sue Kadwill on January 23, 2012 at 9:15pm
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Comment by Sheila Margot Thomson on January 23, 2012 at 9:45pm -
Neil, You have totally made the right decision that Alfie's health comes first and foremost. A singer's vocal chords are the tools of their trade, their instrument gets damaged and the career goes and you can never risk that. Alfie's voice id a God given gift. Counting the hours until Sunday inGlasgow x
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Comment by Angela Horton on January 23, 2012 at 10:45pm -
Well said Neil and thank you for your honesty and taking the time to explain. I absolutely loved the concert in Birmingham and would have been bitterly disappointed if coughs and colds at a Meet & Greet had prevented Alfie from appearing. At the end of the day you need to ensure that Alfie is fit and well to perform. He interacts so much with his fans on stage anyway.
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Comment by Amanda Denise Freund on January 24, 2012 at 7:57am
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Dear Neil Thank you for such a wonderful time yesterday in my home town of Northampton I got my programme skigned plus had a nice picture too it was really nice to meet you and talk with you yesterday Kind regards Amanda from Northampton
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Comment by Wendy Diprose on January 24, 2012 at 9:57am
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Hi Neil. I was at the meet and greet in Bournemouth on Saturday and although disappointed I could not get a photo with Alfie (I wanted to replace the one I had taken in the summer after Les Mis where my face is all over the place and it looks like Alfie has his arm around an alien!!) I totally understand and respect the decision you made to keep Alfie safe and well. He is working to such a huge schedule at the moment his immune system is bound to be low as he will obviously be shattered. Just to say the concert was fabulous, I went to see Alife Boe and that is what I saw, the real person performing the way he wants to perform. His desire to join the divisions in music is like a breath of fresh air and his interaction with the audience and beautiful way with the children showed what a genuine, warm guy he is and the reason why he has stolen so many hearts! You are pure gold Alfie and I can not wait until Dartford, Kent in May to do it all again. Take good care of yourself. x
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Some lovely comments Wendy. I know what you mean about bad photos - sis and I were going walking the London parks and when we met Alfie looked like a couple of refugees from the marathon, in track bottoms! I wish i could change that photo too! But how charming he was and what a gent.
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