Planned project: Ode to Music Banter

[Trollheart]

I'm sad as any of you (stop that laughing, Tore!) to see the demise of our old forum, but I think we all knew it was coming. Whatever we think of what the place became in its last year or so, I think it's fair to say we all have fond memories of it, some good, some bad. To that end I'm going to compose an EPIC poem (and you know me: when I say epic, well, let's just say the Scandinavian poets better look to themselves!) celebrating and bidding farewell to the forum we all loved for so long. An ode, basically, to Music Banter.

If you'd like to be mentioned - or if you'd prefer not to be - have any specific notes about journals, threads, knock-down rows, people you met there, music you discovered, anything at all (even the infamous RockGuitar101, who will of course be immortalised in a stanza or two) please let me know and I will do my best to include this.

I would ask everyone to be respectful, but at the same time I know the fact that MB is now a wasteland upsets and even angers a lot of people, so by all means let fly, but let's try to keep it friendly as we can. I will of course have the final say on what gets included, but I'll try not to leave anything, or anyone out if this is desired.

I intend this to be a funny, bittersweet, sometimes fond and sometimes not so fond lookback at MB, and it's not my intention to run it down (not that such a thing is possible now anyway) or make fun of it, but to remember and recall the good times and the bad. By all means, if you have or had a beef with someone - myself included - or miss someone or even lost someone there - we all know there were one or two deaths of members - let me know how you'd like to refer to these. If you'd like to be a particular character - Tore as John the Baptist shouting unheard in the wilderness comes to mind, or maybe as Cassandra, though I'm not quite sure he has the legs for that - give me an idea and I'll fashion something for you.

Basically, it's just a big stupid poem but it's kind of your chance to say what you want to say about the old forum, and our chance to lay it to rest and move on. So throw your ideas my way, and I'll try to do the old place justice.

[Lexi Darling]

I love this idea!

I wouldn't be so forward as to propose my inclusion in the poem of course, as I was never truly a participant in the MB community. I think it would be funny if you tacked me onto the very end, like "oh and Mrs. Waffles was there the whole time too, watching, waiting..." haha.

My only true request is that you include Howard the Duck.

[Trollheart]

Oh now don't put yourself down. You were as much a part of the latter end of MB as you are here. Um, no, that's not meant to be an insult. Surely you don't expect me to scrap section 34, "The Ballad of Synthgirl, Parts  I - IX"?

And yes,  Howard will of course be remembered. Who could forget him, after all?

[Trollheart]

Okay this is beyond terrible, but just an example.

Music Banter, We Hardly Knew Ye!
Requiem for a Music Forum

Prologue: The Dust Settles (With apologies to Kansas)

Dust in the wind, dust in the wind;
All that is left now is dust in the wind.
Used to be a place resounding to the din
Of the treasures you'd find in the bargain bin
And folks would tell you what records you should spin.
But now it's just dust in the wind.

You need a new band to follow? Hey, just listen in
While people discuss Snoop, Nas and Lil' Kim
And Batty on metal bands - we remember him!
Frownland: "Trout Mask Replica you must not skim.
Listen to it forty times - you'll see it's a win."
But it was never something to which I could get in,

Janszoon would worry what would happen when the moon hit the Earth;
Rubber Soul would champion the Fab Four for all he was worth;
And threads about your favourite bands would be met with a curt
"You must be joking! Hey, listen to him!"

The forum equivalent of a custard pie fight:
You're definitely wrong and I'm always right!
And Bon Jovi? They're just a pile of old shite!
Prog rock was the ultimate sin.

Put my  music down? Well god damn you Frown!
You think your bloody free jazz is the only game in town?
I'll like what I like, so just get on your bike!
Leave me alone will you? Just take a hike!

And no, Bats, grindcore is just not my bag.
So what if you think that prog rock is a drag?
We must work together - we have to begin
Or all we'll be left with is dust in the wind.
Now all that we're left with is dust in the wind.

I know, I know! I'll do much better, I promise. What do you mean, wouldn't be hard?

[Guybrush]

@Trollheart , that's brilliant! I hope you'll add more to it.

This reminds me a bit of The Minstrels Lament, an illustration by Paul Kidby for a Discworld illustrated novel where, towards the end, the bard (an unwilling participant at first) sings, with fire in his belly, the saga about The Last Hero.



With your poet's tongue and good MB memory, you're just the right person to take on the role of bard (or "skald") and write an epic poem.

I applaud thee

[Trollheart]

Thanks Tore! Oh that's just a scribble, and if it makes it into the ballad it's just the prologue, so once I get writing properly it'll be pretty huge.

Hmm. I may consider selling copies in luxurious leather bindings with gold lettering and proper monk-like illuminations. Or not.

Maybe the first six volumes?


Like the idea of being the SCD Skald though. Perhaps I can get that on my icon?