Why the silence lately?
Some Asian fans will know about the sax/2nd bass player from Van Credenza’s disappearance and suspected death in the Far East. Early in June, while making a documentary about his childhood hero Paul Gadd, Hilton Coldstream was abducted at knifepoint close to the Laos/Vietnam border: later that week the rest of the band were individually sent fingers from what we believe to be Hilton’s left hand, and asked by note for a ransom set at 5million Vietnamese Dong.
Clearly this was a shock to us all, as it is unlikely we would be able to find another band member as versatile as Hilton Coldstream: at least not as quickly as we might like to keep up the prodigious output of songs. However, we clung to the hope that the fingers belonged to some other random victim. Further, the band has a policy not to pay any form of ransom over the figure of $50000 in such an event.
Gradually, over the next few days, further body parts were delivered to us. First a few toes, then a knee, a couple of ears and a tongue. Having no way of knowing whether these bits and pieces were actually from Hilton Coldstream, we stood fast in refusing to pay any liberation fee.
Last week, the left hand side of Hilton’s tattooed skull was sent to our management offices. Gradually the realisation came that we have perhaps lost a talented musician, and that 5million Vietnamese Dong is not much more than $300.
Coming soon: our tribute to Hilton Coldstream.
~~~~-----~~~~~-----><-----~~~~~-----~~~~~
Some Asian fans will know about the sax/2nd bass player from Van Credenza’s disappearance and suspected death in the Far East. Early in June, while making a documentary about his childhood hero Paul Gadd, Hilton Coldstream was abducted at knifepoint close to the Laos/Vietnam border: later that week the rest of the band were individually sent fingers from what we believe to be Hilton’s left hand, and asked by note for a ransom set at 5million Vietnamese Dong.
Clearly this was a shock to us all, as it is unlikely we would be able to find another band member as versatile as Hilton Coldstream: at least not as quickly as we might like to keep up the prodigious output of songs. However, we clung to the hope that the fingers belonged to some other random victim. Further, the band has a policy not to pay any form of ransom over the figure of $50000 in such an event.
Gradually, over the next few days, further body parts were delivered to us. First a few toes, then a knee, a couple of ears and a tongue. Having no way of knowing whether these bits and pieces were actually from Hilton Coldstream, we stood fast in refusing to pay any liberation fee.
Last week, the left hand side of Hilton’s tattooed skull was sent to our management offices. Gradually the realisation came that we have perhaps lost a talented musician, and that 5million Vietnamese Dong is not much more than $300.
Coming soon: our tribute to Hilton Coldstream.
~~~~-----~~~~~-----><-----~~~~~-----~~~~~
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