Posts: 215 |
Fran Posted Fri 26 Oct, 2012 2:29 AM |
I was just thinking that it's been about 13 years since we put up the Travisonline Messageboard. Back then, the internet was a toddler. Mark Zuckerberg was programming computers games in his bedroom, Steve Jobs listened to music on a diskman and only tweets we heard were the winged variety.
Travis were just about to release their second album The Man Who and so our artschool friend Edd (Michael) built this website as a place to come for all matters Travis. There would be a news section, a discography section, each member would have their own little section where they could post whatever they were thinking about. There would also be a messageboard where everyone could come and blether about the band or just blether about the weather. It would also be a place where the band could speak to people, answer questions, debate, have a laugh.
I remember our first little posts saying hello... and each week, month and year, as more and more people came online for the first time, some would find their way here. It became an addiction for many, including me. There were some memorable posters. Bombus was one. A kid from the US. I dedicated Peace The Fuck Out to him on 12 Memories as this was how he always signed off, but got his name mixed up with the character in The Fugitive! Subsequent copies of the record were changed but the first couple of million bare the wrong name. There was Amy Mac, a teenager from Scotland who became Amy MacDonald 8 years later. She always spoke kindly of us and her messageboard years. I remember hearing her afew months before she broke and thinking SHIT she's amazing... and feeling proud she'd spent probably thousands of hours on here while all those songs were growing. There was Musicgirl, there was HarryPotter who always managed to get a rise out of me, especially during the Iraq War, but you couldn't hold a grudge for long with Harry for as big as his mouth was, his heart was bigger.
When 911 happened, we came here to ask our fans in New York if we should come to do the Radio City show. The resounding reply was "Yes!". Our families were not enthusiastic about us getting on a plane so soon after that awful day but we did it, and to this day I will never forget the night we played. I sat in my hotel room after the show and cried me eyes out. It was such a heavy heavy emotional night for everyone, least of all me.
There was a messageboard redesign in 2001. We begged for a chatroom which we got and had many a drunken night having those funny "It's not really you" "It is me!!" conversations. During the recording of The Invisible band, we installed a web cam so people could watch us faffing about. Internet speeds were still super slow... I think 56k. Mass Broadband was still years away but every 30 seconds you would get a new picture from our fly on the wall installed in Oceanway Studios in Hollywood and at Air Studios in London. It was the first time a band had allowed this to happen as far as I remember. We had a lot of fun fooling around for those who tuned in.
The past few years have seen us put Travis on ice while we concentrated on "being normal" and by that I mean not sleeping in bunk beds on Prevost tourbuses and talking in soundbites to our parents. I have stayed away from the messageboard. It began to get boring and sometimes got a little mean. Afew bad apples etc...
So now we're here, and now is fine. We are fathers. We are men. We are boys. We are many things and, having spent the last few weeks breaking open the seal on the box marked DO NOT OPEN TILL YOU HAVE SOMETHING DECENT TO SAY, I have discovered that we are most definitely still Travis. And this is our messageboard. So as the song goes "Welcome in Welcome in..." I'm glad it's still here. Glad you're still there. Please leave a message after the beep...
Much Love
Fran
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Posts: 9 |
infragilis Posted Fri 26 Oct, 2012 2:37 AM |
| Thank you guys so much for putting out music that has gotten me through some tough times. You all rock and I can't wait for the new album! |
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Posts: 6 |
halfsicilian Posted Fri 26 Oct, 2012 2:41 AM |
| So happy you guys are recording again and loving having a place to come and lurk/dote on my fav band! You guys are the coolest band in rock and roll. I love that you can still be so humble and honest after all these years. Looking forward to your next album/tour! Cheers! Karla |
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Posts: 6 |
FfeyaD Posted Fri 26 Oct, 2012 2:42 AM |
We ain't never gonna leave :)
Travis songs have always been there during my ups and downs and I thank you guys for that. |
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Posts: 8142 |
minnmess Posted Fri 26 Oct, 2012 2:43 AM |
This is a weird and wonderful place, where I have met a bunch of weird (and mostly) wonderful people and somehow managed to go on a few great and completely random adventures in several different countries.
Completely by accident, when I just came to look up some tour dates one day!
Thanks boys! it's been...interesting :)
~Kristy |
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Posts: 32 |
doisneau7 Posted Fri 26 Oct, 2012 2:49 AM |
| It's so funny that you posted this. It made me think of the luck I had in finding you guys. I was a latecomer to your music having found you all in 2007, but have found it to be some of my favorite in a long time. I've met you all several times over the years at various concerts but never really told you how much you and the music has meant to me. I listen to it daily and no matter what is going on in my day, it makes me smile. It brings me back to moments at a show that only someone who's been to one can understand. Thank you and the guys for what you do and I can't wait to hear the new stuff. I will be one of the ones up front doing the pogo, singing along to every song and smiling with the knowledge that I am lucky enough to live in a time where there is still great music being made. Keep up the great work! |
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Posts: 350 |
cornax Posted Fri 26 Oct, 2012 2:49 AM |
| Gosh...that last part brought a tear to my eye. It means so much to have the band back and sounding so energized. Every time we go to the 9:30 Club in D.C., my husband and I talk about the first time we saw you there. I know it probably won't be too long before you're back again. |
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Posts: 1382 |
jesusaremus Posted Fri 26 Oct, 2012 2:50 AM |
So many memories, though i didn't get here in the beginning of this site, but so much later. But it's always been nice to been in touch with Travis fans, and of course Fran, and sometimes Dougie, Neil and Andy.
Also it's been great that we have met great people, some of us now follow us on Twitter or friends on Facebook.
So, this space has been great all this years. And now with the new record i think there will be more chatting around.
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Posts: 2545 |
SamuraiSandy Posted Fri 26 Oct, 2012 3:13 AM |
This messageboard has such a special place in my heart. I saw the old one and the new one, and I've seen many people come and go, and then come around again. And I've also become friends with a lot if people on here. It was always fun to meet up with boardies at different shows.
Reading these new album blog entries brings is so much fun! It's just as exciting as having read those from the previous albums!
Thank you, Travis, for bringing us all together! It's been a lot of fun! |
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Posts: 1 |
girl_with_no_name Posted Fri 26 Oct, 2012 3:16 AM |
My English is horrible. But I think now it's some kind of situation, when my native Russian sounds not good enough too. Every time I thought of writing something nice here, I felt like I'm in love with the guy and trying to tell him about it. Time passes, but I'm still hangin out with that guy. Sometimes this admiration becomes warm and happy feeling, like friendship. Sometimes I have casual and really simple talk with him, like I'm in conversation with my mom or sister. But now I'm quite shaky, because I'm finally telling this guy how I really feel about him.
Well, Travis, I love you so so SO much. I hope you'll read this. And I'm really sorry for the stupid metaphor. So happy you're back |
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Posts: 1 |
dmaher Posted Fri 26 Oct, 2012 3:20 AM |
| Like returning to your childhood home, it must feel comfortable yet different all at once. You know how much it changed who you are, and hopefully, you all know how much what you gave to the world changed others. Welcome back home. |
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Posts: 1129 |
mozman68 Posted Fri 26 Oct, 2012 3:22 AM |
| I still have to submit my Flat Travis pics and video...maybe I should get on that.... |
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Posts: 2092 |
hennypenny Posted Fri 26 Oct, 2012 3:33 AM |
Because of this messageboard, I have made some great friends. I've been able to travel and see them and experience things I never thought I would, all because of the band. Travis is a big part of my life, and I hope it continues for many more years. Thanks for all the great music, and look forward the new album!
-Lindsay :) |
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Posts: 7404 |
Turtleneck Posted Fri 26 Oct, 2012 4:06 AM |
One day I heard a song on the radio called "Why Does it Always Rain On Me." I liked it. I wondered if Travis had a web site. I found the board and was welcomed in.
As a stay-at-home mother of young kids, the board was my window into the world for quite a while. And I do mean the world. I now have acquaintances all over the world, and that is pretty darn cool. We've learned a lot about each other, other countries, other languages, cultures, holidays, food, local slang...you name it, we've probably discussed it on the board!
We've had Christmas gift exchanges, cookie/candy exchanges, a Flat Travis project (which has come to a successful conclusion), shared joys, sorrows, people have graduated, gotten married, had babies, been hired, fired, been up and down, and we've shared it all in our little global Travis community.
The best thing is that several of my boardie friends have become real-life friends. We all met up in Chicago a few years ago and have been meeting (in different cities) at least once a year, sometimes more, ever since. We've become quite close and their friendships have enriched my life.
I'm so glad I wondered if Travis had a web site.
Someone...hand me a tissue.
Kayte
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Posts: 270 |
Trixi Posted Fri 26 Oct, 2012 7:29 AM |
Aww man...that was lovely to read! =)
I remember when i discovered the old-old message board back in 2000. I had no own computer back then so i had to go to an internet cafe whenever i wanted to check Travis news. (...and internet was totally virgin soil for me then!) I also remember the "newer-old board" and how I became addicted to travisonline's messageboard AND your concerts and I remember the change to the new (current) messageboard and how the "Travis" and "General Chat" sections confused me in the first times. Then it became quiet about Travis the last couple of years, the message board seemed to hibernate and nobody knew for how long and if Travis come back at all. I kinda lost interest in checking this site and it became less and less and even though there was a Fran Healy - Solo album between...it was not the same enthusiasm for me as for a Travis album. I started wondering if I'm still a fan but I couldn't stay away from the board completely either. I still checked the board for some news continuously and now you're back I'm getting more and more excited about the new album. Looking forward to it!
Welcome back!
Trixi =) |
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