I have an angry stalker. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Along with all of the people who have been so warm and complimentary of DO IT AGAIN, there’s a small segment of the viewing audience that has responded with hostility. The main gripe seems to be the idea that I think it’s okay to pick up a guitar and play a song with Sting. Or to talk about high school. Or to be on camera at all. Director Rob warned me there would be people like this. What he didn’t tell me is that some dude giving out a fake address would write a five-page, typed “open letter to Ray Davies” begging him to block DO IT AGAIN and that this same guy would send the letter to every public television programmer in the country and Ray’s London office.
My favorite part of the screed is when “Marc” attacked Carlene for her supposedly bombastic behavior while photographing a Vanilla Fudge concert at the Regent Theater in Arlington. Never mind that Carlene’s a teacher, not a rock photographer. I can also promise you we weren’t at that show. Vanilla Fudge?
I bring this up in my typically long-winded manner because yes, I’m going to the fundraising well once more. I’m asking for help to pay for DO IT AGAIN’s TV costs. And I ask for help not long after a comment rolled into this website filed from a man purporting to be Ian McLaren. I knew it was a bogus name because, well, it’s Ian McLaren. The messager also provided an Internet address belonging to one of the longtime workers in Ray’s London office. This, despite the fact the IP address can be traced to the States. I suspect this person is “Michael,” my angry stalker.
“Hey Geoff,” Ian writes. “I think both you and your pseudo “Kinks documentary” are full of shit, the way you panhandle money from fellow Kinks fans just so you can tell us all why the Kinks are great.”
There’s more. Such as “Enjoy your little PBS airing, but take heed: the average PBS station janitor has a better chance at getting an audience with Ray Davies than you do” … “Your film will eventually achieve the status it deserves: a forgotten home movie about an embarrassing middle age crisis–and you cheapen the talent of real musicians in duets with your Karaoke-quality guitar playing. Keep it to yourself, mate!”
I told you the dude is angry. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me at all. Is it too much to ask for more? Maybe. Then I think about the fact that “Ian” is right about one thing. We haven’t been able to get an audience with Ray. And because of that, we haven’t been able to get our film approved for DVD. That means these PBS screenings, while fantastic, will not come close to recouping my costs.
So be it. I never did DO IT AGAIN to get rich. I did it so more people would know about my favorite band. Granted, the movie shifted after I found myself unable to get even the slightest bit of cooperation from Ray. But in the end, I did the best I could. If Ray never acknowledges DO IT AGAIN and all I’ve got is the completed film, the warm memories from the festival circuit, and our PBS screenings, I’ll be good. I’ve got a pretty blessed life… a beautiful wife, two fantastic children, a great, new neighborhood and a writing gig that’s fascinating and also pays me enough to pick up the new set of Kinks reissues without guilt. I wonder what Ian/Marc/angry man has.
I am truly sorry he’s pissed. The reality is, I wish I could meet him for a beer or coffee and explain just why I did it. I’d like him to see I’m not trying to make a name off Ray or the Kinks, that I am a true believer who simply let a crazy project get away from him. But as far as I can tell, angry man has used a fake name and fake address, making such an approach impossible. Leave it to me… I get attacked and I contemplate the best way to win him over…
So here’s our last campaign, I hope! Thanks, as always, listening. And as they say… God save the Kinks.