a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'

Subject: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: open mike
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 12:38 AM

I just found a song called "My Name is Martin Gibson" do you suppose
that the singer and composer (Steve Parry) is Mudcat's Martin Gibson?

http://www.reverbnation.com/steveparryaslovacoustic
http://www.stevenparry.com/fr_lovacoustic.cfm

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: michaelr
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 01:42 AM

Is it a filthy, nasty, expletive-laden song? That would be a clue.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 03:00 AM

No its a pretty decent sort of a song. i was sorry when Martin left Mudcat. It was a different sort of era, wasn't it, back then?

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: Art Thieme
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 05:12 AM

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 06:09 AM

I agree with you totally Art!

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: michaelr
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 11:45 AM

You were sorry, Alan? The man was a complete sociopath, at least in the persona he chose to put forward here.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: PoppaGator
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 01:08 PM

After he retired the name "Martin Gibson," he continued posting as "Almost Famous." (It was easy to tell because he just did a name-change, and all the old "Martin Gibson" posts were re-labeled with the new name.)

I kinda miss him (although I, too, am not around here all that often lately). When he stuck to music rather than rabblerousing, he actually made a contribution.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 01:12 PM

I always felt there was a troubled soul beneath all the bluster.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: Bobert
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 01:47 PM

I miss him like I'd miss a bad case of the crud...

Pass...

B~

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 02:41 PM

I liked him about as much as I like Margaret Thatcher, maybe even less/

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: Don Firth
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 03:43 PM

I dunno. I thought of him pretty much the way one thinks of a bad case of toenail fungus.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: Charmion
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 03:51 PM

He was always a good reason to bop out of a thread and go read something else. Things are better now.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: Jeri
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 03:54 PM

You must spend a large percentage of your time talking to, and about toenail fungus.

Steve Parry is, I'm sure, not the guy that was on Mudcat.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 04:19 PM

I've noticed that since he left, things are much duller around here - and it has become very UK centered. I check in only once or twice a week now, not much happening of interest.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 05:28 PM

Sorry Ron, we'll try and be more interesting. But you've heard British folk music. It is very boring indeed. We lead lives away from the great plains and the frozen tundra - our idea of excitement is if theres a new brand of chocolate digestive biscuit to have with our tea, which we generally drink very weak - to avoid excitement.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: Bill D
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 05:28 PM

". I check in only once or twice a week now, not much happening of interest."

"Nobody goes to that restaurant anymore...it's too crowded."
                   Yogi Berra

One way to MAKE the place interesting is to pop in and say something interesting from YOUR point of view....start a new thread on a topic.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: Bobert
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 07:22 PM

Yeah, poppin' in to call women c**ts, ain't interesting at all... It moronic and rude...

B~

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 07:55 PM

"One way to MAKE the place interesting is to pop in and say something interesting from YOUR point of view"

well...

"Sorry Ron, we'll try and be more interesting. But you've heard British folk music. It is very boring indeed. We lead lives away from the great plains and the frozen tundra - our idea of excitement is if theres a new brand of chocolate digestive biscuit to have with our tea, which we generally drink very weak - to avoid excitement. "

Do I detect sarcasm?

I did not say that there is anything wrong with the UK, their music, or their discussions. I hope the music that I share on my radio show reflects the profound respect I have for the tradition. I just have very little interest in reading about upcoming sessions in local UK pubs or "inside" discussions that have interest among "other" folkies. I'm glad this forum works for many people, but the interest that existed 10 years ago seems to have faded among people here in the U.S. who loved Mudcat. Sure, the regulars are still here, but it seems that widespread discussions on topics related to U.S. interests have disappeared. Nothing wrong with the discussions that do take place, but there seems to be little of interest to others.

I hope I'm proved wrong.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 05 Apr 11 - 10:28 PM

As an Aussie parochial discussion of both UK & US areas are minimally interesting, but there is a wealth of internationally interesting matter. And I exclude all the BS 'crap by anon trolls' stuff...

Mr MG will not be missed by me. Abuse sprays must be amusing to those of feeble mind, mustn't be one of them....

But then again some can do it with class and wit, which I do find mildly amusing... but Mr MG lacked that talent.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 06 Apr 11 - 02:57 AM

Poor Martin.....gone and apparently remembered on Mudcat rather like Oliver Cromwell in Ireland.

Friendship is a funny thing though. Every frienship has its limits, and life being what it is, and us humans being what we are - we generally test friendships limits, usually without meaning to.

For a while we were Martin's friend - just by being here. It wasn't perfect - but which friendship is? Imperfection is written into the blueprint somewhere.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: GUEST,999
Date: 06 Apr 11 - 03:53 AM

"We lead lives away from the great plains and the frozen tundra"

God damn, no shit Al!

The USA has great plains to our south and frozen tundra to our north-west. WE got it all the time. Don't cry for us Argentina.

I hope someday you get here so you can see it for yourself, and if it's possible I'd be proud to show you around.

BM

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: GUEST,999
Date: 06 Apr 11 - 03:55 AM

BTW, MG lost my respect when he slagged off Mr Firth. He was wrong to do that, imo.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 06 Apr 11 - 04:07 AM

Yes it used to piss me off when he referred to my Yamaha guitar as a sushi board. he hadn't even heard me play it. Still that was the nature of the beast - he could be beastly.

Never mind, i bet he's found someone new to piss off and cuss at, and I sort of envy the person.

silly old bugger!

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Apr 11 - 05:08 AM

Well I must confess to having a few laughs at some of the more ridiculous arguments that could ensue following a Martin Gibson pronouncement.
Similarly with other, more recent trollers. It's the desperate need to have the last word on the matter, which is manna from heaven for the baiter and is clearly getting between the poster and his/her wits, which I find funny.
I know I shouldn't, because it's clear that people are in the process of being hurt/offended/irate/etc, but reading whole threads in a dis-passioned way and watching them degrade into playground slanging matches between otherwise intelligent people never ceases to surprise and amuse.
Martin Gibson never bothered me, but then I never got into a fight with him.
C-flat

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: C-flat
Date: 06 Apr 11 - 05:11 AM

Yes it used to piss me off when he referred to my Yamaha guitar as a sushi board

But Al, you must admit, that's quite funny?

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 06 Apr 11 - 05:35 AM

Well, no C-Flat, it isn't. There used to be and there maybe still are some crap Yamahas but Gobson's racial prejudice theory of guitar quality was not even mildly amusing - and I expect Al's isn't.

Regrettably, I fear that Al is serious in his view that English folk music is boring. He and I have fallen out over this before and will probably do so again. It is only boring if poorly delivered or if the listener is too stupid to contemplate anything but sound-bites, and the nature of folk music (if correctly understood) allows almost endless variations of editing, collation, and arrangement which ought (if well done) to keep anyone who appreciates music quite sufficiently stimulated.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: C-flat
Date: 06 Apr 11 - 05:45 AM

OK Richard, you seem to have lost your sense of humour where this is concerned and it's easy to see how a comment like the one quoted, in isolation, can be percieved as mildly amusing to me, when in the context of whatever else was said, may cause offence to others.
I'm not going to fall out with you about it and nor should you fall out with Al because he feels differently about English folk music than you'd like him to.
We're a mixture of types with some common ground between us, but it would be dull if we all held the same views.
Cheers
C-flat

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 06 Apr 11 - 06:00 AM

The annoying thing is that Al is such a fine musician and creative writer!

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: C-flat
Date: 06 Apr 11 - 06:34 AM

Being in possession of some of Al's material I can certainly agree with you about that!

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 07 Apr 11 - 06:06 AM

Remarkable how the man can stir up a fight without even being in the neighbourhood...

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 07 Apr 11 - 10:17 AM

Good point, McGraw.

(I came to suspect that 'martin gibson' was one of the pseudonyms of a person who gets on the net and starts fights with his other pseudonyms.)

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 07 Apr 11 - 09:16 PM

Many thanks for the nice things you have said about my guitar playing - Cflat and Richard. I'm afraid that compared to people like Carthy, Jansch, Jones, Ken Nicol, Tony Rose, Paul Downes - I'm a bit nothing. Uninspired, shall we say. Hardworking, but uninspired.

As for the other thing Richard - you make me feel like I've turned into my Dad - I remember with affection him walking round an artists studio in St Ives when we were on holiday declaring - Childish daubs! A child could have done this!

I suppose the difference is that at least I've read books and articles about English traditional music, I've heard many of the best revival singers, shared the stage with most of them. In truth the way i feel about it is a bit of a joke even to me - I really don't get it.   My father was wrong, I suspect I am. very sad, but there it is.

i regard myself as a bit of an Autolycus character - a snapper up of unconsidered trifles. The folk clubs fell to the charms and wiles of you lot. So I had to work on the interstices of the music scene - football songs, country and western in miners welfares and pubs, old peoples homes. I worked with integrity in these places as a jobbing musician. discovering all kinds of virtues and strengths in the music that most of the folkscene despised.

And I feel that way about my online relationship with martin Gibson - there was something there. It was a trifling, but some wouldn't have considered it possible, or desirable. I think deep inside, he was hurting. Perhaps there was someone who had been ignored and hurt behind his need to affront. But there was substance and knowledge, and occasionally wit behind some of his pronouncements. I didn't mind him calling my beautiful guitar a sushi board.   I guess other things he might have said are harder to forgive - but by the time I happened on the scene - he wasn't getting away with too much. People were on his case every time he opened his mouth.

Anyway, thankyou for your kind words once again.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: GUEST,Skivee guesting in
Date: 07 Apr 11 - 09:59 PM

I simply don't understand how folks can recall him fondly. He did an enormous amount of damage here. He scared off promising newcomers, sidetracked worthy discussions, insulted respectable contributors, and made the place a lot less fun for an extended period of time.

While Mudcat isn't some kind of holy shrine, he certainly disrespected the friendship and hospitality of people who welcomed him warmly.
I hope, wherever he is, that he is suffering from several forms of fungal infections.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Apr 11 - 10:07 PM

He was a truculent sociopath - but he actually sent me a PM apologizing one time. An odd occasion, and remarkably touching, given his usual demeanor. But his general nasty behavior, especially, as is mentioned above, to sweet souls like Don Firth was just too much.

His understudy, Clinton Hammond, is still around out there on facebook. I read his remarks every so often. I wonder if he's a reformed character?

SRS

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: Rapparee
Date: 07 Apr 11 - 10:21 PM

Well, MG was always nice to me. Possibly because he knew I was interested in Judaic studies or perhaps because he knew that I know people in Chicago who could "take and interest" in him if he wasn't. Besides, he REALLY appreciated the Chicago hot dog.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 08 Apr 11 - 03:06 PM

Can't be all bad then.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 08 Apr 11 - 03:52 PM

After he retired the name "Martin Gibson," he continued posting as "Almost Famous."

If he did, then he changed it again to "Once Famous".


DC

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 08 Apr 11 - 11:36 PM

3 observations of one who has come late-ish to this thread ~~

1. Peter Bellamy used to write features for Folk Review back in the 70s under name of Martin Gibson; so whoever this was you are all on about* was not the first to have the bright idea of combining the names of two of the best-known guitar-makers to provide a pseudonym ~

2.~*~ and whom I regret having joined Mudcat too late to have experienced the clearly somewhat controversial contributions of.

3. Al's above story of his dad on the artist's 'childish daubs' reminds me, quite mnemonically and driftily so please excuse, of the woman who said "Why, Monsieur Picasso, my 4-year-old daughter can draw just like you!"; to which Picasso replied, "What a clever child. Why, when I was her age I could only draw like Raphael."

~Michael~

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Apr 11 - 11:44 PM

You know, I really hate threads like this. Yes, we've had a few infamous Mudcatters in our 14 years of existence. I see no value in reviving their memory.
In general, we haven't allowed threads or messages that attack individual Mudcatters, even if the majority of Mudcatters don't like the individual in question.
That's it. No more Martin Gibson threads.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: GUEST,Martin Gibson
Date: 21 Oct 12 - 06:20 PM

Hi! My Name is Martin Gibson. But not the one you are talking about.
I have met Steve Parry on the net, because of his song. Sometimes I play it live.
Sounds like you may have an impersonator tho. Steve was a pretty nice guy to me.
Sushi Soundboard? Yu gotta love that.

Playing Japanese guitars feels good till someone sees you do it..

J/K I have a lawsuit Tak too..lol

http://www.youtube.com/user/martingibsonusa1

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Oct 12 - 09:46 AM

It's a shame when someone has spoiled your good name - and it wasn't his name at all, it was a combination of guitar brands. If you stick around mudcat you'll have to think of a moniker that doesn't set people off.

SRS

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: GUEST,Stim
Date: 22 Oct 12 - 10:44 AM

"Martin Gibson" said a few things that no one should say, it's true.

Mostly, though, he said things that were simply annoying, and, often as not, directed them at people who were being annoying too. He definitely had axes to grind, but those axes were collected through years of involvement in the "folk world", which often seems to be dominated by pettiness, backstabbing, cronyism, jealously, and such. So as much as we might have protested his manner, most of us had been there too.

Someone once suggested (in jest) that, "Martin Gibson" had been created by Little Hawk. Because Mudcat is Mudcat, there was some serious discussion about it.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 22 Oct 12 - 11:07 AM

Sometimes a captious person creates several online personas and starts pretend fights. This idea is to get other people upset and gloat over the deception. Such a person has the power to cause a lot of furor and worry, but in my opinion he is is a few bricks short of a load.

I came to think that Martin Gibson was merely the creation of a person of that type. (I've never thought Little Hawk was that person.)

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 22 Oct 12 - 11:19 AM

I met a 'Martin Gibson' on concertina.net. He clearly was a person already banned for life there (and was subsequently removed, again).

The man is viewed by many as someone running a number of identities on other sites to do what Leenia described. Go figure.

Subject: RE: a song called 'My Name is Martin Gibson'
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 22 Oct 12 - 12:34 PM

I had several run ins with Martin Gibson and I guess, like many others, I wondered at his level of sanity for some time. However, I had a few PMs with him and found out a bit about his personal life... his wife collecting Shelley China etc etc... and he appeared quite normal in PMs..... I think maybe he just enjoyed winding people up.. maybe because his life outside was a little boring and winding up 'Catters' was exciting for him.... That doesn't excuse his behaviour and expletives of course..... but perhaps he's not such a bad guy!