As you all won't know because we did it behind your backs, is that the Bandstand commissioned a survey of all the brass bands in the UK to get their feedback about the ongoing Registry debate. There is of course a general apathy that plagues the banding movement but of the few who did respond, the official results (and Malcolm has counted them three times so it must be right) is:-
2%
See an opportunity to make money out of brass banding by creating their own Pay-per-View Registry.
3%
Are pompous people who go on banding forums spouting their opinions on this, that and the other. They are better at Googling than us and look down on us. They tell us the precise route brass banding should follow with the Registry if anyone could be bothered, but can't be bothered themselves. All they want is to get off their chests the fact that they are better at Googling stuff than us.
95%
Not bothered. The vast majority only go to an Area Contest because somebody tells them they have to go. They will either be presented with a new (or possibly the same) registration card and told to go to the Area Contest next year, in which case they will be there, or nothing will happen, they will be told nothing, and they won't be there.
It should make troubled viewing for any of the many parties who are trying to force Registration on brass banding in whatever form. With 95% against whatever anybody does, even if they aren't really against it, they just can't be bothered, we can whip this up into even more of a frenzy.
There are rocky waters ahead.
