Journey's Poor Public Relations

[Voyager]

I often wonder if Journey's singer replacement phases wouldn't go much smoother if they had someone who was good at PR? For example, what if Neal Schon had a press conference and told Journey fans something like this:

"Hey, we love Journey as much as you all do. We miss playing music for all of you. Right now, Steve Perry does not want to tour with us. We respect his decision, however, we are really passionate about our music and would like to continue. Therefore we have hired a new singer who is going to sing for us. Everyone in the band knows that this guy is not Steve Perry. But we ask that you embrace him as a fellow Journey fan who loves our music as much as you do. If Steve Perry ever decides that he is ready to share the stage with us, we will welcome him with open arms. Until then, we are just trying to do what we do best - and that is playing Journey music."

Instead of pleading with the fans along these lines, the opposite occurs. They stuck Steve Augeri in the band and boasted about how great he was. They dissed Perry and put him down. They didn't allow any Perry fans to defend their favorite singer on the BackTalk forums (now defunct). Then they toss JSS to the wolves and give him big promises. JSS gets canned and the new "better than Steve Perry" singer Arnel Pineda is hired. Instead of Journey members asking fans to embrace him, Arnel's Filipino fans get on forums and start boasting about Arnel being better than Steve Perry.

It all makes for interesting reading and some very spirited debate, but man - a little PR could have gone a long way to getting Journey's fans to rally around the one thing they all have in common: Their love for Journey's music.

[Rick]

I often wonder if Journey's singer replacement phases wouldn't go much smoother if they had someone who was good at PR? For example, what if Neal Schon had a press conference and told Journey fans something like this:

"Hey, we love Journey as much as you all do. We miss playing music for all of you. Right now, Steve Perry does not want to tour with us. We respect his decision, however, we are really passionate about our music and would like to continue. Therefore we have hired a new singer who is going to sing for us. Everyone in the band knows that this guy is not Steve Perry. But we ask that you embrace him as a fellow Journey fan who loves our music as much as you do. If Steve Perry ever decides that he is ready to share the stage with us, we will welcome him with open arms. Until then, we are just trying to do what we do best - and that is playing Journey music."

Instead of pleading with the fans along these lines, the opposite occurs. They stuck Steve Augeri in the band and boasted about how great he was. They dissed Perry and put him down. They didn't allow any Perry fans to defend their favorite singer on the BackTalk forums (now defunct). Then they toss JSS to the wolves and give him big promises. JSS gets canned and the new "better than Steve Perry" singer Arnel Pineda is hired. Instead of Journey members asking fans to embrace him, Arnel's Filipino fans get on forums and start boasting about Arnel being better than Steve Perry.

It all makes for interesting reading and some very spirited debate, but man - a little PR could have gone a long way to getting Journey's fans to rally around the one thing they all have in common: Their love for Journey's music.

I totally agree bro. They handle stuff in the worst way. If they would have done something along the lines of what you typed in that quote, I'm sure everyone would have more respect for them and that organization.

[Saint John]

Journey doesn't need to explain anything to me or terminate their singers in ways I deem appropriate. They just have to tour and throw me some new music every now and then. Everything else is their business.


Edit: And play LIVE.

[Rockindeano]

It's sort of hard, no, in fact real hard to do good PR when you are constantly lying about everything. Look around you, in all matters of life. Look at Roger Clemens? Dude is hurting in the eyes of public view because he is a lying douche. Look at Orenthal? See my point?

Journey does NOTHING right, and in return, shouldn't be treated right. End of story.

[Saint John]

It's sort of hard, no, in fact real hard to do good PR when you are constantly lying about everything. Look around you, in all matters of life. Look at Roger Clemens? Dude is hurting in the eyes of public view because he is a lying douche. Look at Orenthal? See my point?

Journey does NOTHING right, and in return, shouldn't be treated right. End of story.

HOWEVER, if you're just a fan of the music and not all of this other bullshit, with the exception of not playing live for a while, I don't see what they've done wrong. And neither has 95% of their concert going summer crowd that will again be there this year. We're that other 5%.

[Rockindeano]

You have got to be joking, right?

[Saint John]

You have got to be joking, right?

Poll 95% of Journey's concert audience this summer and I guarantee they won't know or care that Schon and Cain act like assholes, they fired Jeff in a shitty way, and they made Augeri walk the plank. You act like they're gonna say "They did?!?! Fuck them, I'm outta here!!!" They'd turn to me and say "Get a fuckin' life, dude." And rightly so.

[Rockindeano]

You have got to be joking, right?

Poll 95% of Journey's concert audience this summer and I guarantee they won't know or care that Schon and Cain act like assholes, they fired Jeff in a shitty way, and they made Augeri walk the plank. You act like they're gonna say "They did?!?! Fuck them, I'm outta here!!!" They'd turn to me and say "Get a fuckin' life, dude." And rightly so.

Why the Hell would I A) poll a Journey audience and B) why would I care?

Fact is, I don't care who the fuck knows what, I and many people do, and I won't be a party to it. Dude, they are scumbags, all of them. Every single one of the four(not AP). I wonder how the Hell they sleep at night?

[RedWingFan]

You have got to be joking, right?

Poll 95% of Journey's concert audience this summer and I guarantee they won't know or care that Schon and Cain act like assholes, they fired Jeff in a shitty way, and they made Augeri walk the plank. You act like they're gonna say "They did?!?! Fuck them, I'm outta here!!!" They'd turn to me and say "Get a fuckin' life, dude." And rightly so.

Why the Hell would I A) poll a Journey audience and B) why would I care?

Fact is, I don't care who the fuck knows what, I and many people do, and I won't be a party to it. Dude, they are scumbags, all of them. Every single one of the four(not AP). I wonder how the Hell they sleep at night?

Dude, how's that asskicking the Wings are giving the "pretty city" team treatng you?

[Saint John]

You have got to be joking, right?

Poll 95% of Journey's concert audience this summer and I guarantee they won't know or care that Schon and Cain act like assholes, they fired Jeff in a shitty way, and they made Augeri walk the plank. You act like they're gonna say "They did?!?! Fuck them, I'm outta here!!!" They'd turn to me and say "Get a fuckin' life, dude." And rightly so.

I wonder how the Hell they sleep at night?

Booze and drugs is my guess.

[Voyager]

I wonder how the Hell they sleep at night?

Probably by counting the sheep who are buying their concert tickets.

[larryfromnextdoor]

I wonder how the Hell they sleep at night?

Probably by counting the sheep who are buying their concert tickets.

oooooooooooohhh.. nice pic... green is killer color..

[ohsherrie]

It's sort of hard, no, in fact real hard to do good PR when you are constantly lying about everything. Look around you, in all matters of life. Look at Roger Clemens? Dude is hurting in the eyes of public view because he is a lying douche. Look at Orenthal? See my point?

Journey does NOTHING right, and in return, shouldn't be treated right. End of story.

When you're right, you're soooooo completely fuckin' right.




Voyager, if they'd done what you suggested back in '97 I believe it would have made a huge difference in the way Augeri was received. I probably wouldn't have liked Arrival any better, but I wouldn't have resented Augeri so much if they'd been a LOT more respectful to the man whose voice gave them the legacy they live on.

[Rockindeano]

Dude, how's that asskicking the Wings are giving the "pretty city" team treatng you?

Gee, thanks for at least selling the building out. Hockeytown is a fraudulent name to Detroit.
Vancouver is the hockeytown nowadays.

[RedWingFan]

Dude, how's that asskicking the Wings are giving the "pretty city" team treatng you?

Gee, thanks for at least selling the building out. Hockeytown is a fraudulent name to Detroit.

Dude, unemployment's up over 7% here. I haven't been to a game in 3 or 4 years.

[Rockindeano]

Dude, how's that asskicking the Wings are giving the "pretty city" team treatng you?

Gee, thanks for at least selling the building out. Hockeytown is a fraudulent name to Detroit.

Dude, unemployment's up over 7% here. I haven't been to a game in 3 or 4 years.

Yeah, I know. Maybe you all need some more tax cuts?

By the way, 2-2. You spoke about 30 mins too early.

[conversationpc]

Yeah, I know. Maybe you all need some more tax cuts?

Actually, that'd be a great way to stimulate the economy there in Michigan. Tax cuts work, especially when coupled with reduced spending. For instance, Ireland is currently experiencing a major economic upturn, due mostly to large tax cuts.

[Rockindeano]

No. The country needs exactly what Hillary has said. Economic stimulus package. The top 1% are pissed, because they know their free ride is all but up. Hahaha. Bush and his ridiculous tax cuts have brought on this recession. You do not give tax breaks and fund a war at the same time.

[RedWingFan]

No. The country needs exactly what Hillary has said. Economic stimulus package. The top 1% are pissed, because they know their free ride is all but up. Hahaha. Bush and his ridiculous tax cuts have brought on this recession. You do not give tax breaks and fund a war at the same time.

The idiot Dems here just raised taxes again, and gave early releases to convicts in state prisons. I don't know how they got the reputation of tax and spenders, and being soft on crime.

[Saint John]

No. The country needs exactly what Hillary has said. Economic stimulus package. The top 1% are pissed, because they know their free ride is all but up. Hahaha. Bush and his ridiculous tax cuts have brought on this recession. You do not give tax breaks and fund a war at the same time.

The top 1% pay 29% of ALL taxes and the top 5 % pay 50%. Free ride? That's a moronic statement. The people getting the "free ride" are on the other end. I'm for a flat tax. You make $5 an hour you should pay the same percentage as the guy that makes $10,000 an hour. We punish success and it's unfair.

[Rick]

I wonder how the Hell they sleep at night?

Probably by counting the sheep who are buying their concert tickets.

Damn dude, that was good.

[conversationpc]

No. The country needs exactly what Hillary has said. Economic stimulus package. The top 1% are pissed, because they know their free ride is all but up. Hahaha. Bush and his ridiculous tax cuts have brought on this recession. You do not give tax breaks and fund a war at the same time.

The top 1% pay 29% of ALL taxes and the top 5 % pay 50%. Free ride? That's a moronic statement. The people getting the "free ride" are on the other end. I'm for a flat tax. You make $5 an hour you should pay the same percentage as the guy that makes $10,000 an hour. We punish success and it's unfair.

Correct. The tax structure actually inhibits success. The Fair Tax would be the best way to reward success and encourage growth, while at the same time making the U.S. into a tax haven for businesses. It's also the only major tax plan that eliminates the tax burden on the poorest Americans.

[Rockindeano]

Flat tax is horrible. The middle class shoulder this nation and get buttfucked the hardest. The top 1% should pay the majority of the taxes. Hey, don't argue with me, but do get used to it, cause it's comin next January

You had your 8 years of bullshit incompetent government. Those days are in countdown mode, thankfully.

St John, you can thank me next year.

[conversationpc]

Flat tax is horrible.

I agree. That's why I support the Fair Tax.

BTW, who's that gay-lookin' dude sittin' on your lap, there?

[Rockindeano]

We don't punish success, we glorify greed. America is only as strong as it's weakest link.

[Monker]

Yeah, I know. Maybe you all need some more tax cuts?

Actually, that'd be a great way to stimulate the economy there in Michigan. Tax cuts work, especially when coupled with reduced spending. For instance, Ireland is currently experiencing a major economic upturn, due mostly to large tax cuts.

Tax cuts nowadays work so well that we are heading into a recession after W's tax cuts. It's simply BS politics to get your vote...and THAT is the only part of it that really works.

The bottom line is that Bush's 'cut taxes' policy failed. It failed because he (and nobody else) can do what Reagan already did...fundamentaly change the tax code.

[TRAGChick]

Neal's not helpin' none, in the PR Department:

[conversationpc]

Tax cuts nowadays work so well that we are heading into a recession after W's tax cuts. It's simply BS politics to get your vote...and THAT is the only part of it that really works.

The bottom line is that Bush's 'cut taxes' policy failed. It failed because he (and nobody else) can do what Reagan already did...fundamentaly change the tax code.

You're full of crap. Tax cuts almost always result in increased revenues to the federal government. The reason we may be heading into a recession is because we continue to overspend in ALL areas of government.

I do agree that, overall, Bush's tax policy could be much better.

[Saint John]

We don't punish success, we glorify greed. America is only as strong as it's weakest link.

Not even close. We take money from hard working people and give it to those that sit around in public housing complexes eating food they bought with food stamps. They'll NEVER work an entry level job at McDonalds or the equivalent because it pays about the same. What these dumbfuck leeches don't understand is that you can actually move up within a corporation or any other job if you work hard. Something that 3rd and 4th generation government dependent scuzz-fucks will never understand so long as they get everything free. I suppose our country's new motto should be "Don't glorify greed, be mediocre."

[RedWingFan]

We don't punish success, we glorify greed. America is only as strong as it's weakest link.

You mean greed like that guy in you av displayed a few years back when Room Service came out? Dude records outside of Canada to escape paying outrageous taxes the avg. joe can't escape. Then cries like a stuck pig when the socialist gov't sees his music as an "import" and taxes dj's when they play it. If he was a conservative I'd be sympathetic to him. But he's not, screw him!!! Pay like everyone else, huh Dean! Greedy bastard!
Red Wings 3 Canucks 2.