The Brass Band Forum

As a consequence of what was written in this week's British Bandsman, I feel I have to write something in defence.

Firstly, I must emphasize THESE ARE MY OPINIONS AND NOT THOSE OF MY BAND, I AM IN NO WAY REPRESENTING ANYONE OTHER THAN MYSELF AS AN INDIVIDUAL.

Simon Phillips, whoever he may be because I don't know him and neither does anyone else I have spoken to, commented that the only sour note of the day was the comments the winners were making concerning the other bands. Firstly, I find part of the article personally offensive, and also I would go as far as to say possibly even libellous through it's careless wording. Defamation of character is not a term I would throw around without caution, but in this case I come close to using it.

The wording of the article suggests that the entire band was snubbing everyone else's efforts. I am part of the entire band, and I did no such thing. I'm sure everyone else put in as much work as we did, and I would never EVER criticise another band simply because of their position on a particular day. Next contest is a whole new slate.

Secondly, not only did I myself not make any comments whatsoever concerning any of the other bands (except congratulating Camborne players and commenting it was a good show for Cornwall, which lets face it, it was), but I didn't hear anyone else making any comments either - and I was the last member to leave because I travelled by car and the bus left before me.

I don't know who Simon Phillips is, but he seems to have made some unfounded comments which he aimed at the band as a whole in a seeming attempt to blacken our name. Aiming them at the entire band means he aimed them at me as an individual also, and I challenge him to come forward and tell me exactly what he thinks he heard from whom, because he didn't hear anything from me.

I am one of the winners he was talking about as making comments about the other bands. So come on Mr Phillips. Tell me what I personally said. If you can quote anything I personally said at the contest following the results that was a snide comment against any other band, and prove that a) it was said, and b) that I said it, I'll publicly eat my part of Tristan Encounters at the Albert Hall in October.

Come on Mr Phillips. I challenge you.

Miss T. Osborne

PS, When you lose, you get to publicly eat the score.

If anyone out there is unfortunate enough to know this sad individual, Simone Phillips, socially - I'm pleased to say I don't - please alert them to my challenge since they don't appear to frequent this forum...

Oh, and also tell them, "I now know who you are and I look forward VERY much to next time we meet!"

Today, after all this time, I met Mr Phillips. I'll be honest I feel sorry for him. I mean, he was thrown in at the deep end to do the article for the Bandsman covering the South West Area finals last minute and to be completely honest that's not a job I'd like to do with nearly 18 years playing experience under my belt, much less his experience of approximately 3 years.

I mean, you can't say everything is a bed of roses or the article's a drag, I can see where he's coming from. With his lack of experience meaning that he was unable to criticise the playing he was forced to make something up to liven his article. Who can blame him, a lot of people have become rich and famous for being controversial in their approach!

Although this does not make his article in any way accurate - it was still a nasty work of fiction, whichever way you look at it - I now see that his lack of experience was the reason for his approach. The bespectacled geek that I was faced with today obviously had no thought for the consequences of his actions, if he indeed had any thoughts at all.

If however he would wish to argue that this is not the case, that it was not ignorance which led to the insults and lies he submitted for publication, I would suggest that it was either that which I have outlined above, or he was perhaps a little jealous of the young band heading off for the Albert Hall (we have players in their early teens, and in fact one pre-teen), when he a 20-something nobody isn't even a has-been. In which case I would say that jealousy is a terrible thing, get over it!

I would also like to add that following a telephone conversation with Phillip Morris, he contacted the officials of the contest and the other bands concerned in connection with the allegations and was told that there was no problems with behaviour or comments from the band - Camborne Band even sent a letter in our support (for which I would like to personally thank them). According to officials there wasn't even as much as bad language from the winners.

So, for the record, Mr Phillips is either a liar, or thought he heard something that no-one else did (and perhaps if it's the latter he should get that checked out, I mean hearing voices that no-one else can isn't usually seen to be very healthy now, is it!). On that note, I let the matter rest.

A tad harsh, i think.

Well I don't. When everyone present at the contest said that there was nothing said or done by my band that in any way could have been construed as "slagging off" the other bands, then it is completely obvious that he is a liar. As I said, officials - according to Phillip Morris - stated that there wasn't even as much as bad language from the band.

Simon Phillips therefore blatantly lied in order to tarnish the name of my band. There's nothing I could say that would be too harsh. There is no excuse for his behaviour. We worked very hard in the lead up to the contest, we played well, we deserved the place we got. We didn't aim any comments at any other band as he claimed - except congratulations to Camborne, and if that's derogatory then I plead guilty.

If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a liar, and Simon Phillips is most definitely a liar.

Tracey Osborne

Actually I could go on to attack the Bandsman concerning having actually printed his pack of lies, but as yet no apology - unless it was of course one of their usual ones about a sentence long and tucked away in a corner where it goes unnoticed... Then I may get a tad harsh...

Believe me, none of what is written above is anywhere near a tad harsh as far as I go!! Above is as quiet as I get when someone makes false accusations against myself or my band. I'm not a very forgiving person when it comes to the sort of thing he's done.

A liar is a liar. He is a liar. There's nothing that could be even the tiniest bit harsh in his case because there's nothing that could be anywhere near harsh enough.

Talking of the Bandsman, did anyone notice the "deliberate" mistake regarding JAG Mount Charles in last week's edition? Lovely picture of our front row cornets... Well, it would have been if it wasn't the horns and BBb basses... It may be just me, but I'm not sure where that confusion came in. I just don't see the similarity between a cornet and a bass...

Welll.... im just back in the brass band world after many years of 'not being'
I have to say, I missd the fire and passion!!

*hides behind stone*

oh the fire's still there... I have to say I must apologise... I didn't mean to tell him it's not his fault he's a *bleep* in the middle of his workplace in front of his boss... Honest.

Actually I'm still waiting, I need to know if I need to take the score to London with me or whether he's providing his own...

I'm very sad to inform everyone, that with less than a week until the big day it has come to my attention, via one of his colleagues, that Simone has declined my "kind invitation" to participate in this challenge. Such a shame, I was wondering how he would go about swallowing all that binding... Never mind. It might not be an apology, but it proves he knows he was wrong.

Simone: Just in case you change your mind, however, I'm prepared to compromise... By just letting you eat your words in the form of the copy of the bandsman in which your article was printed. I'll have a copy on me all day on Saturday, just in case I get the opportunity to ram it down your throat.

Just in case anyone wondered what became of my challenge... I carried that copy of the Bandsman around all weekend at London - I kid you not. Didn't see hide nor hair of the coward.

Still haven't received an apology either... Apologies go a long way towards resolving problems. He's too much of a coward to even apologise for any offence caused, even if he feels a misguided urge to stand by his lies.

I was asked by his boss today when I plan on dropping the issue. It's quite simple, really. When he admits he was wrong. I know he reads this, I was informed of that today. I was informed that he has read my views and has taken them on board. I said in response to this; if he hasn't apologised or admitted he was wrong, then he has not taken my comments on board.

He is a COWARD and a LIAR.

And as I told his boss today, I will let it drop. When he apologises for the offence his lies have caused. He wouldn't accept my challenge, but I won't let the issue drop until the words "I'm sorry" pass his lips.

Today; a devlopment.

No Mr Phillips, I will "drop it" when you apologise, not when you phone my band's chairman to ask him to "call me off". You are pathetic.

What I say and believe as an individual in no way implicates my band. I've made that very clear. The wording of that article insulted me as an individual and as such I wish to receive an apology.

I understand that what you wrote was aimed at my band, maybe a better writer would have thought more carefully about the wording used. Or maybe a better writer wouldn't have written a pack of lies in the first place and would have instead depended upon their skill to make the article interesting.

Oh sorry, was my signature confusing the issue? There you go.
From
Tracey