I have been an accidental archivist of the Sandi Thom saga for four years now, fighting a guerilla war over her Wikipedia pages to correct the more extravagant and lazy claims of her PR company. In the course of doing so, I have learned a little of how conventional publicity works: the sudden stream of 'lifestyle' features that precede any new record release, the positive gloss on any events in which the start is involved, the attempt to promote controversy by being banned from YouTube or criticising Lily Allen, and , underlying it all, a deliberate vagueness about tour dates, audiences and record sales.
What is funny is that not long ago this could have gone on largely unnoticed: if the media picked up on it, it was true, if not, it was forgotten, consigned to wastepaper baskets overnight. But thanks to the Internet, nothing ever really goes away. This means that everything is potentially 'on the record', and potentially therefore a future embarassment.
Just in the last few weeks, Sandi has said that she is:
* writing songs for films
* moving to Brighton
* moving to New York
* planning to marry and have a baby
* concentrating on becoming established in America
* touring Europe
* releasing another single off the last album
* recording a new album
* undertaking a tour of small venues in Scotland
Well, that will keep her busy!
But I won't be watching. If I am going to spend some of my time in monitoring Internet activity relating to an artist, I think I'd rather it was someone whose work I admired. So long Sandi - it's been, well, you know.
1 comment:
your work keeping the record straight and telling it like it really is about Sandi Thom is much appreciated and its sad to think that the outpouring of blatent lies and self publicity that is created by Sandi and her team may now go unchecked.
The latest publicity push is by Alex Salmond and his SNP team spouting out about her successsful carrer while totally ignoring the fact she hasnt had a hit in the top 20 for 2 years but im presuming its because sandi and her family are contributors to the SNP funds she was chosen to represent scotland in its homecoming 2009 promotion. They dont say who else was considered for the honour of singing the song or what other successful scots artists have been asked to appear.
Anyways keep up the good work and please ifyou have time, carry on the editing of the Wilki page.
Alan.
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