Hating the Bands We Love
What is about some bands and musicians seeming to do all they can to turn fans against them? We've all witnessed moments when we really hate, or at least cringe about, some of the things they do. If you've ever been up-close-and-personal with some stars, you may have had the misfortune of witnessing firsthand how the fine line between rock star god/dess and tepid louse can be all too easily crossed.
I'll never forget the day my bubble was burst when Toni Halliday, aka the lead singer/goddess from Curve, walked into Albums on the Hill in Boulder, CO for an in-store performance/autograph signing and had the gall to proclaim, "Let's hurry up and get this over with" in front of everyone who had been waiting for more than an hour for her to show up. With my young and naive perception of the bands' perfection wasted in tatters, watching them play live that night at the Fox was a major let down.
And so, with that moment of disillusionment forever seared in my brain, I thought that MuchMusic.com's list of 10 Ways Musicians Piss Off Their Fans was missing one item in particular: Being Too Arrogant or Put Off for Autographs. When artists can't stop to recognize and reward the fans who helped make them successful, it only diminishes their already scant time in the limelight and hastens their downfall.
But even though autograph-avoidance didn't appear on their list, there are still a few others that have me nodding in agreement:
- Money Grabbing
- Becoming Uselessly Drunk or High Before a Show
- Becoming Wussies
- Be Metallica (my personal favorite of their list, click to see why)
I could go on and on explaing why these get to me, but really I just want to hear what else pisses people off about bands today. And, going one layer further, is it the band itself behind the misdeeds, or could it be the arsenal of managers, producers, and lawyers around them that are inviting the trouble? Do tell.
keb on July 04, 2008 at 09:17 AM
is this blog run by a group of high school interns?
Sarah Hilbert on June 24, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Re: Becoming Uselessly Drunk or High Before a Show
Shane MacGowan ... His behavior at a Seattle show circa 1995 - two hours late and then could hardly stand up during the performance (and obviously far more frequent than just this Seattle performance) - made me realize that anything resembling The Pogues circa-mid-80s would never materialize again. I felt so bad for MacGowan's bandmates.