James!! I still love you! I posted my disagreement with your opinion hopefully in a friendly fashion and I really don't understand why others need to be so abrasive...

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion... Though perhaps it would be better to restrict talk of SVIIB to one thread, given the strength of feeling they provoke in us TSM fans!

Now, please no fighting. We are all friends.

School 7 Bells upsets people a little because we miss Benjamin. I know several of us were hoping that Benjamin would stop by and make any annoucements himself instead of making Baby Silvertooth do it. You know, it's like breaking up with dedicated partner, but having your friend to tell them.

You know we all like and respect Benjamin a lot, or else there wouldn't be so many strong reactions.

Guys, please make a School of Seven Bells thread. This thread is an announcement for the departure of a very loved SECRET MACHINES MEMBER.

Have some respect.


TSMFOREVRRRRRR.

I guess if SVIIB talk is going to be unilaterally banned or bannished because it "upsets" people who can't come to grips with reality or accept change, then this board really isn't the place for me.

I know some people don't like/want/accept change, SVIIB shouldn't be 'banned' though! it's still Benjamin and we all still love and respect him!

Yes.... I don't mind the sviib talk but think about it, this is a message board for The Secret Machines, and Benjamin isn't a member of the band any more, so it's not like we're discussing his side project now, we're discussing the band he left TSM for. I can see why people don't like it.

I don't mind the talk about it, TSM are my 2nd favorite band. I've seen them 3 times and am pretty sad that I will never see the 3 of them like that again, but if people want to talk about sviib then let them. I support benjamin.

It's not the SVIIB talk in general that bothers us, or at least me, it's the fact its in the thread which was made to alert us of Benjamin's departure. I think SVIIB talk is fine, just not in this thread really. Please understand people are very sensitive still.

wow i'm late but wow. i'm dissappointed in ben. not because i want this band but because it was a band of his brother and josh who could be like a brother. 7 and 1/2 years is a long time to call it quits now when you are going at a nice pace. they were innovative with everything they were doing.

I agree that it is still upsetting to think that I won't see this band play again in its orginal form...at least not now. I've seen TSM 4 times in the past 2 years and there was such a great community feeling about the whole thing. And although I have some thoughts on this subject which I prefer to keep to myself at the moment, I am still puzzled as to how this break-up came about - there's a lot we don't know. It really seems like they were just really getting going - maybe they weren't selling billions of CD's, but who is these days. In trying to forget about this miserable break up, I've been going to see all sorts of bands - Saw Jarvis Cocker (of Pulp fame) the other night who was absolutey great, but I was seeing the show at Webster Hall and TSM just seemed to be haunting the place and for a few moments I felt quite sad.

Oh Benjamin, I remember the day I took this picture of you. It's kind of a scary picture. Please come back.

sigh... i remember that day too.

I'm absolutely gutted!

They have a new (Benjamin-less) Myspace picture....

Very good move!

i'm being forced out of denial.

no, but this is good. brandon and josh are awesome!

wow awesome picture! its good to see those faces again, in current times. the hairs are getting long. and the picture kind of sets me at ease about the whole thing.

to quote tristitia

"And although I have some thoughts on this subject which I prefer to keep to myself at the moment, I am still puzzled as to how this break-up came about - there's a lot we don't know. It really seems like they were just really getting going - maybe they weren't selling billions of CD's, but who is these days."

I agree. I don't know why they would have broke up because they did seem to just get going. I wouldnt see ben or any of them leaving for bigger and better things.

The new pictures on myspace are pretty sweet. Simple yet great.

I just showed my mommy the new picture, because we were talking about how Brandon looks like my little sister's boyfriend.

Anyway, my mom just said this, I swear- "Where's the little bro? Oh, he's with his girlfriend. Just wait until that ends, he'll be crawling back on his little bro legs. The prodigal bro."

That's like an exact quote. Hahaha. Little bro legs! I love my mommy.

I see it all now....

A red-head walks the street
with a guitar in his hand
oh the prog weighs on his mind
Ben is looking for a band!

Oh, I'm just kidding. I'm sure School will do very well.

Eh, sorry, Benajmin.
We just miss you.