If our volunnteers can ignore the thread originator's wishes - perhaps we all can follow this example?

Subject: RE: The REAL Demon Barber Roadshow!!
From: GUEST,Damien Barber - PM
Date: 04 May 05 - 10:55 AM

Hi All

I've just been put onto this thread by a friend.

Whether this thread is a suitable topic for this forum is debateable but as I am a professional musician in the public eye it could be argued that it's fair game to bring such situations to the attention of others. The argument is now irrelevant as it is already in the public arena.

Probably the best way I can talk about what happened on Saturday is to explain a bit about myself. One of the reasons I became involved in folk music and remained involved was the tolerant and relatively placid nature of the people who make up the folk scene, this makes what happened on Sat night all the more contradictory. Ironically though, I've been in a fair number of situations at folk festivals where I've had to calm situations down and stop fights that have occurred through excessive drinking, quite often at late night unofficial parties.

I've had a turbulent relationship with alcohol since I was young and its close proximity to the music industry (especially folk) has always been a concern. Some years ago I moved to Ireland and all but gave up being a professional musician. In those days I couldn't see a way forward without drink and continued on a downward spiral, eventually working up to around 5 bottles of whiskey a week when I was binging. It took me another three years to eventually realise that just to stay alive I would have to stop. Since returning to England I made the decision not to drink when performing and gave up general social drinking, limiting myself to the odd piss up after festival shows and when rapper dancing. Admittedly these have become more frequent.

My memory of Saturday night is obviously blurred as I think it is undeniable that I was in a complete state. Saying that, the guy I hit was also in a bad way. I used to have a brother who was as frightening a man as you could want to meet when drunk although never physically violent to anyone but me. The guy in the shower reminded me of him to the extent that it brought up very emotive memories, at the time all I could see was my brother. My brother was the only person I've had a serious fight with since leaving school and these fights with my brother were not light scuffles but very violent. When (In my opinion) the guy in the shower went for me I reacted in a way that was familiar. I don't believe the reason for using my head had anything to do with protecting my hands (those of you who know me will know that I'm pretty useless at looking after them anyway and it certainly wouldn't occur to me to protect them when drunk) but is because (and this isn't a macho statement) I know how much damage a punch can do. Some of you may have a difference of opinion on this but I speak from my experience mentioned. I also don't believe that I hit him particularly hard as I'm sure there would have been more serious consequences if I had.

In saying this I am not condoning what happened but hopefully offering an explanation of how my actions most likely came about. As for apologies, that goes without saying, I apologise to the guy I hit and everyone I've offended. I've witnessed a lot of violence over the years, by and to some of the people I used to associate with, and although I am reasonably numb to it I can understand how upsetting it must be to those who aren't.

We all make mistakes and we all do it in different ways, mine have usually involved alcohol. Some of us do it more extremely and frequently than others and I've unfortunately done it more times than I care to remember, although this ironically puts me in a position of being able to forgive people for a lot of stuff, especially when it involves drink.

Those of you who understand any of this will hopefully continue to support my music, those of you who don't, probably won't. Unfortunately there is nothing I can do about what happened last weekend other than to apologise, continue making music and to keep off spirits.

I hope that next time I write to Mudcat it will be on a happier note.

Cheers

Damien