A Message From Robert John Godfrey

Written by Robert John Godfrey | 10 November 2010

2011-12 will be the apotheosis of my life with The Enid – the summit of a life's work.

A life I have led at least as much for all of you as for myself. For if it wasn't for all of you there wouldn't be a "me" would there?

So I love you all because I have to. I want you to know that my heart is strong and the desire to strive for perfection undiminished. The big questions of life and death are, for me at any rate, now settled and the long dialogue with my other self(s) is over.

The band is happy and Enid HQ at The Lodge is full of activity and optimism. Although I have tended to leave communications to the other members of the band, rest assured I am being very busy and creative behind the scenes. I now want to bring you up to date personally.

Specifically, I am busy with:

• Getting ready for The Union Chapel show and The Christmas Tour
• Recuiting and training The Northampton Decibelles (our very own ten piece choir)
• Writing the scores for The Seraphim Trompetiers (our very own bright Seraphim) and the new stage production.
• Getting Fand into shape with Nic Willes playing guitar alongside Jason and Francis Lickerish.
• Rehearsing music from The Spell not heard since the late 1990's
• Preparing the Christmas Carols.
• Learning how to play and sing Golden Earrings at the same time!
• Planning the promotion of these shows now only a few weeks away. Stickers, posters, flyers, radio interviews, advertising and the rest of it.

I must do all I can to secure the band's future, in particular the promo for this forthcoming Christmas tour. If that is a damp squib, it will make things much harder down the line – ensuring our success at Christmas ensures the future.

Remember! Not only can all Enidi members bring in under twenty-five year olds to this show free of charge they can also bring in other guests at half price. We need to get this venue full. The world's press will be there and I want them to see something marvelous.

On top of that:

Journey's End – International Release
There is the extensive remixing and remastering of Journey's End in preparation for an international release early next year and a major push.

This release will be a remixed version with many enhancements and 6 minutes of extra music and will appear on vinyl as well as CD.

And:

• Preparing the work for a new creation of The Spell (Redux) and getting some of it ready for live performance.
• Building the new computer driven lighting rig and working closely with Matt King, the band's new lighting designer.
• The restoration and digitization of the "slide show" film I made with Giles Wadsworth in the 1980's to work with Something Wicked This Way Comes.
• Planning the work taking place at Martin's Yard – structural, roof, windows, electrics and plumbing.
• Helping with the expansion going on at The Lodge to make more office space for The Enidi, the post and stock room for Operation Seraphim and Band Therapy the band's touring company.

Briefly:

There is, of course still the nuisance of Palmer in the background taking up time I could be spending on other things.

Palmer & The Enid's Trademark
Piercing The Corporate Veil?
With legal fees expended now at more £60,000.00 and rising, Gerald Palmer (the boss of Inner Sanctum Records) has more or less run out of road. He is either going to have to explain his conduct in relation to his attempt to register "The Enid" trademark personally in his own name behind my back and against my express wishes or walk away.

Fortunately, these fees although large are much more manageable than they were a year ago when I wondered whether the band was looking into the abyss. I suppose this must have been in some measure how Churchill felt in 1940 before the Americans entered the war.

Now the band is in an altogether different position; still struggling but definitely winning. As the last chapters of my life unfold, these seemly large sums will in time just become a tax deductable expense of running the band.

On The Back Burner:
EnidiTunes? I dreamt up this scheme to raise money for my legal costs. Now the pressure is off, I have no incentive to continue with these, being mindful that I have priorities. What I will say is by doing the ones I did manage to complete has helped me enormously as a composer and I will complete the long list of EnidiTunes "to do" eventually. But after this month the list will close.

Tails From The Bottom Drawer – evolved into Dreams & Themes [WT] is now a major new project aimed at Classic FM and has had to be shelved for the time being. The irony of it is that if I dropped everything and concentrated just on that, I would probably end up being rich – I could just give up The Enid and do this instead. – No – That is not the way ahead. In the end, provided I do the right thing and I live long enough, I will probably end up having it both ways.

Yours

Robert John Godfrey