Anyone that knows me in a professional or personal sense will know I am passionate about music. It doesn't matter whether I am listening to it, going to gigs, or writing about it for the press, it's a big part of my life. So there is plenty I love about music, and occasionally some things I don't, and sometimes I feel I have to share a 'dislike' style post. This one is about music fans. Here is my list of things (in no particular order) I dislike about music fans.
- Fans who label other fans - when I was younger female music fans, particularly those who supported boybands, categorised other fans as 'fans', 'followers', or 'cravens'. Fans were the ones quite happy to sit at home and buy a CD and maybe go to the odd gig, followers were at the top of the food chain and considered themselves a higher species than everyone else, because they bought every format of every release, travelled the country to gigs, and spent countless hours hanging around outside hotels and airports, so one day xyz popstar will remember their name. Cravens could fall into one of the other two categories, but be the sort that were obsessive (and followers aren't?) and very excitable if they came into touching distance of their favourite singer. Music is universal, and fan support is valued wherever it comes from. It's not about labels, one-up-man-ship, bitching, jealousy, or who has been to the most number of gigs, it's simply about enjoying the music, the artists and songwriters behind it, and showing support whichever way you want to. So no, you are not better than anyone else if you have 15 copies of a CD!
- Festival snobs - It won't be too long before the V Festival arrives in town, and the festival snobbery kicks back into action. Popular music is popular for a reason, if it wasn't we wouldn't have the music industry we have today, or the thousands of happy festival goers that flock to V Festival, and other events each year. So why is it that as soon as a festival line-up like V is announced, the festival snobs are (with lightening speed) so quick to deride it. If they genuinely don't like the acts then fair enough, but the hating is the same every year, and gets pretty damn boring to read! It's almost like there is a select group of people that feel they have to automatically diss anything relating to commercial chart music.
- Fans who get personal - As a music reviewer, with over 12 years experience reviewing music on and off, I have experienced a variety of reactions from both the bands, and their fanbase when I have published reviews. I don't expect anyone to necessarily agree with me, and the artists I am writing about can take my reviews or leave them, but I don't think there is any need to get personal. Some people have reacted and been almost nasty about it when I have said anything negative. All this does is make them look silly, and it achieves nothing. When I do review I am always open and honest, and try my best to give a balanced opinion on an act. I'm not afraid to say when I don't like something, but I will do it in a constructive way, and that, is what I think makes a good review.
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