Friday, November 20, 1998 <br>

<p align="center">Watchmen online with fans <br>

                  By JOSHUA OSTROFF -- Ottawa Sun<br>

                 "Who watches The Watchmen?" <br>

<p align="left"> That intriguing tagline of the ground-breaking 1986
               comic book/graphic novel could apply just as easily
               to the decade-old, Winnipeg-based band of the
               same name.<br> 

               And the answer would be "anyone with a computer
               terminal." <br>

               You see, The Watchmen -- who play the Congress
               Centre tonight -- have taken the relatively new
               medium of the Internet to new heights with their
               elaborate band website (www.the-watchmen.
               com). <br>

               "The whole computer world is (about) trying to
               outdo somebody and trying to be the first to do
               something and trying to stay on the edge of it all.
               But for me, it's just a fancy way of keeping in touch
               with people," says lead singer Daniel Greaves,
               admittedly not the most computer literate of the
               bunch. <br>

               Instead of the standard record label-based sites
               that let fans read a bio, see a few photos and buy
               stuff, The Watchmen have created a three site
               spectacular that includes their old website (done in
               a traditional fashion for their previous LP, Brand
               New Day), a site dedicated to their new record
               Silent Radar and a main site which includes WAG,
               the band's official "magazine." <br>

               It's that webzine that sets The Watchmen's site
               apart from their contemporaries. Filled with writing
               from the various band members, it enables fans to
               see the world through their eyes. You can peruse
               digital photos taken by the band, read their tour
               diaries and feature articles (like guitarist Joey
               Serlin's Surviving The Road) or analyze the band's
               reviews of concerts, books, records and gear. <br>

               "It was (bassist) Ken (Tizzard)'s idea, he used to
               work at a magazine and he thought it was sort of a
               neat framework. I guess with the (other band)
               websites it's generally the same sort of information,
               frequently asked questions, blah, blah, blah.<br> 

               "It was a neat format that allowed us to give people
               a little taste of who we are when we're not on stage
               and what we think about. <br>

               "It gives us a chance to stay close to the fans
               without whom we would be washing dishes." <br>

               The closeness comes from the fact that, along with
               both career and personal information on the band,
               fans can get letters published in the webzine or get
               e-mails answered by the band itself. <br>

               Greaves relates a tale of a Cleveland fan who, after
               seeing the band live, bought all four CDs and
               e-mailed them when he got home. <br>

               "We got it that night, e-mailed him back and
               chances are we have a fan for life now. The pure
               speed of the conversation is sort of a cool thing."<br> 

               But Greaves is also aware of the downsides
               inherent to any new technology. The advent of
               music videos, for instance, reinforced the system of
               hit singles and one-hit wonders. <br>

               "For us, we're a live band and we've been a live
               band for a lot of years and this is an added thing."<br>  


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