Belle & Sebastian's new record is about ME/CFS

[Keela Too]

Listening to this now.

He talks about hiding his illness (which is fine up to a point IMO, but it's not always possible to do so).

He's right though about trying to work out how to live a fulfilling life with less energy.

 

[Keela Too]

I notice a sort of speech pattern that is familiar to me.... I have developed a slight hesitation and I think he has it too.

(When I'm in PEM though mine is much worse, but I can just hear the same sort of thing in his voice sometimes here.... )

 

[JAH]

NPR's Fresh Air interview with Stuart Murdoch of Bell and Sebastian from 2006 was great, he talked about CFS towards the beginning. Really liked him - music a little too quirky for me, but I enjoy it still, and him....

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5244680

NPR has some other pieces about them, here's a video of the band performing,

http://www.npr.org/event/music/385279287/kcrw-presents-belle-and-sebastian

JAH

Ps. The best musician/CFS interview on Fresh Air still has to be jazz pianist extraordinaire Keith Jarrett. A classic- moving, heart rending. Terry said they got more response to that interview than to any other up until that time. People inquiring about the treatment he mentioned.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4632979

 

[panckage]

sheesh its quite upbeat in tone considering...

Well that's the best kind of music, isn't it? Depressing music is just depressing. Happy upbeat music is too much. Upbeat music with melancholy lyrics is the perfect compromise for me. Irish Rovers also have some great songs like this too

 

[Snowdrop]

Having a celebrity with ME can be a double edged sword.
If a science type gets ME they start researching. An artist gets ME they are primed to think in terms of the trauma and drama of life.
Obviously this isn't true always and often more to be found among the young.
If only they took some time to investigate. They could be so powerful in terms of advocacy.
Instead we have to deal with Martine McCutcheon recouping her financial comforts by shilling LP.

 

[worldbackwards]

He talks about hiding his illness (which is fine up to a point IMO, but it's not always possible to do so).

Watched about half of it, will finish tomorrow. I thought all this was interesting. I don't have anywhere to hide in real life because I can't go out and meet people, but I do this online a lot. It was interesting when he compared it to being gay, because I've often thought telling people about your illness is a similar thing to coming out - you make yourself vulnerable in front of someone, you have to judge whether to place your trust in them or not (and yes, sometimes you've no choice) and in the end, you are in their power, they can accept you or reject you and you have no comeback at all if you're rejected because, as he says, we're second class citizens.

Having a celebrity with ME can be a double edged sword.
If a science type gets ME they start researching. An artist gets ME they are primed to think in terms of the trauma and drama of life

Yeah, I found "Nobody's Empire" a real disappointment, it felt patronising to me and I always skip it when I listen to the record. But the more I listen to Stuart talk about this himself, the more he does us credit and really nails a lot of the shit that we have to go around with. Interesting that he talks about skirting around it in songs. I always thought this one had a bit of allegory about it.

 

[beaker]

I notice a sort of speech pattern that is familiar to me.... I have developed a slight hesitation and I think he has it too.

(When I'm in PEM though mine is much worse, but I can just hear the same sort of thing in his voice sometimes here.... )

I noticed that too. It's like when my brain is trying to get the words I want to say, and it's lagging in time.

 

[beaker]

ME is not a "physical manifestation of long-term mental stress"

That quote was from 2006. The recent interview on video he seems more knowledgeable. But who knows. One can only hope.

 

[panckage]

I noticed that too. It's like when my brain is trying to get the words I want to say, and it's lagging in time.

That's interesting. When I watched I got the impression that he hasn't talked about his illness much. It sounded like he didn't quite know what to say.

But you are right I get the same thing in real time conversations!

 

[Antares in NYC]

I am very sorry to report that Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian may have had an ME/ CFS relapse. The band has just cancelled their entire European tour due to "undisclosed health issues" by Stuart. If confirmed, this would be awful, considering his improvement and regained health.
Hoping he finds any relief soon.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/belle-and-sebastian-cancel-tour-over-singers-health-20151105
Belle and Sebastian Cancel Tour Over Singer's Health
"Stuart [Murdoch] wants nothing else but to be able to play and sing for you, but has to get better first," band writes in statement

By Daniel Kreps November 5, 2015
Belle and Sebastian have canceled their 15-date European tour this November due to unspecified health issues affecting lead singer Stuart Murdoch. "It is a huge disappointment for us not to make the concerts, and the decision was not taken easily," the band wrote in a statement. "Stuart wants nothing else but to be able to play and sing for you, but has to get better first. We hope you understand." The group did not elaborate on Murdoch's condition.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/n...ur-over-singers-health-20151105#ixzz3qdjqCFes
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook

 

[Jenny TipsforME]

I notice a sort of speech pattern that is familiar to me.... I have developed a slight hesitation and I think he has it too.

(When I'm in PEM though mine is much worse, but I can just hear the same sort of thing in his voice sometimes here.... )

Yes I noticed this straight away when I watched it. His ME seems visible to me, must have been hard to hide it. Perhaps people just didn't comment as people don't when a gay person is very camp but thinks they need to come out. I remember one friend making fun of me talking like that when I was first ill and he was very strongly reprimanded by another friend, so others must have noticed it but felt it couldn't be discussed. I find it easier to write than speak and easier to listen than read which makes most communication stressful one way or another!

Personally I like Nobody's Empire. I've related to Belle and Sebastian songs for years but only recently found out he wrote lyrics while ill. My preference must be upbeat music added to downbeat lyrics! Also, I think it's really important to have ME represented in the arts as most people can relate more easily than science. Did he get flack from the ME community? Is that the reference "if we live by books and we live by hope, does that make us targets for gunfire"?

I'm sorry he's had to cancel the tour. It is emotionally challenging to do better for a while, adjust your expectations of life, and then feel like you are starting over. At least he had the wisdom to cancel though. It sounds like it was still a decision rather than complete collapse.

 

[worldbackwards]

Did he get flack from the ME community? Is that the reference "if we live by books and we live by hope, does that make us targets for gunfire"?

It sounds like a standard B+S lyric to me, but then again if they're all influenced by his illness to a degree then it makes it difficult to separate out what's what, doesn't it. On the point, I've no idea if he got flack for anything but if you say one thing about ME, someone else'll get the face on about it somewhere. I remember someone on this site ages ago talking about "ME political correctness" and I can understand that.

I didn't like "Nobody's Empire" but it was the God stuff more than anything that annoyed me. But I thought his interview video was great and really useful, assuming anyone apart from us watched it. Actually, a friend of mine watched it who said he'd never heard anyone apart from me talk about ME before and he said he found it really interesting. So that's all good.

The speech pattern stuff is interesting. I didn't really think about it when I was watching it, but I know that sometimes I slow over things when my mind won't work properly and often conversations just grind to a halt because I completely forget what I was talking about and have to be brought back to the point. I suspect it's something like that.

Belle and Sebastian are great aren't they. "Girls In Peacetime" is one of my favourite records this year, though ironically I always skip "Nobody's Empire".

 

[user9876]

He has given a message of support to IiME

http://ldifme.org/message-from-stuart-murdoch/

 

[worldbackwards]

Coming round to "Nobody's Empire" now. Feel a bit bad about having spent so much time in this thread slagging it off.

 

[worldbackwards]

Did he get flack from the ME community? Is that the reference "if we live by books and we live by hope, does that make us targets for gunfire"?

Now I'm listening a bit more closely, isn't it more likely that he's talking about not being accepted in society as an ME patient in general?

I probably need to let this song go.

 

[panckage]

Hey was looking at Stuart Murdoch's twitter and he hasn't tweeted anything about the #millionsmissing campaign. He needs our help! haha I'm going to figure out how to tweet him and make sure he is aware of it. If anyone else can tweet him please do I have a feeling my tweet is going to be a bit brain foggy