Steps - General Discussion + Hard 2 Forget

1st - 3 fans 4x M&G tickets
2nd - HMV Signings
3rd - Solo Covers
4th - Video Call from Claire
5th - One For Sorrow live at Wembley
6th - Tour Programme
7th - Living In A Lie Preview Clip
8th - Radio 2 gig
9th - BTS of Take Me For A Ride
10th - Album
11th - Faye on James Martin
12th - Video Call from H & Lisa

 

And the battle begins... Chalkys standard edition with poster (and I use the term 'poster' very liberally being a folded up A4 size akin to the old CD2 style posters...!) down to £4.99 delivered.

https://www.chalkys.com/products/st...-sameday-audio-cd?_pos=5&_sid=e3e451632&_ss=r

 

That's been available for a week or so, its just an A4 "poster"

 

It was a tenner before though?

 

It was £9-something, wish I'd waited now! Ah well.

 

Crazy. If they'd have don't this from the start they'd have gained more sales.

 

Was it suggested that Steps will perform two of their classic hits on This Morning tomorrow?

I know they've plugged new singles before on this show, but I feel like I've seen them perform "Tragedy" and "Deeper Shade of Blue" (as much as I love it) enough times now to last a lifetime. I feel like they should be performing "Take Me For A Ride" for sure, to promote the album, or even "The Slightest Touch", and possibly "Stomp" as an alternative classic. It feels like it could be more of an exercise to shift tour tickets than to sell the album though? I was also intrigued/irked by the changing of branding for the recent tour poster, that made them look like a more obvious nostalgia act "performing the hits", but I guess it's a clever way to sell tickets to the Huns and Mums. Do we know how tickets are selling actually? Just two dates sold out, right?

 

Unless it's out-of-this-world, I would argue that generally ballads (or even mid-tempos) don't 'win' new fans, or convince casuals. An upbeat track will likely appeal to a greater number of people. They're not going to convince any casuals or the General Public to buy the album, or fork out money to come and see them on tour, by promoting/performing Take Me For A Ride; even less so A Hundred Years of Winter! Not when The Slightest Touch, or, Living In A Lie are begging for attention.

I have sang the praises of their management team in the past; I think they have got so much spot on and 'get' Steps perfectly. That said, I feel that their single choices for Part 2 are questionable. Perhaps Slightest Touch would have been a better lead single followed by Take Me For A Ride and one of the other mid/up tempos. As much as I do like A Hundred Years of Winter, it is a questionable choice to follow Take Me For A Ride.

 

Kinda tempted. Not gonna lie

 

My letterbox is going to break at this rate. Just bought a copy for the dog.

 

Manics leading by 3000 copies

 

I think the thing we need to remember is that they released four certified bangers of an uptempo nature in a row for Part 1, an album which they described as having more variety in terms of song styles, getting the two only slower songs out of the way as instant grats. While I agree "The Slightest Touch" should have got a video (they love it, the fans love it, what's the problem?), I think it was wrong for lead. Would have been perfect though to have it come out right before the album, after "Take Me For A Ride", which could have been rolled out quicker. I'm fine with a cover for the second single, but I do like them to bring an original song for the lead, and I think "Take Me For A Ride" isn't getting the credit it deserves from the inner fanbase.

I guess though, the acoustics can be quite shocking on This Morning, so as long as they pass off whatever they perform, I'll be happy enough.

 

Come through with the Night In/Night Out bundle!!!

 

3000? Wow.

With another couple of formats, maybe?

 

I bought the Chalky’s poster + CD

 

Do we know what sort of numbers Night In/Night Out did the last time? I always feel like it was just the die-hards who bought them. I just can't think what they could possibly have left in the tank to give us, I feel like they emptied it with this Part 2 given it was meant to be a deluxe originally. Would love to be surprised yet again though! Thank God (or Fascination & BMG) that we actually had as many formats as we did though, or we could be looking at a much less impressive entry!

 

"Steps currently have the most downloaded album of the week" so basically it's the 78 different LP formats the Manic's are winning with.
I'm shocked we've not got a new format dropped - surely a signed vinyl would get them a couple of thousand, or maybe they've had enough of signing everything and anything.

 

At this point I think owning something unsigned by Steps is probably a novelty.

 

Is anyone else a little big gutted that it's so close yet so far again.

 

Yes, particularly as it seems we might be watching them close the gap as the week goes on. How agonisingly close are they going to be?

On the subject of This Morning, I'm not pinning my hopes on anything amazing. I fully expect either Tragedy and Deeper Shade, or a medley and Take Me For A Ride. But it's such a shit set up in that studio, the performances are usually not great.

I'm getting flashbacks of their really rough Dancing With a Broken Heart performance.