unforgettableFOXfire
I serve MacPhisto
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2001
- Messages
- 2,053
I'd say that to consider yourself a fan of a band's work I'd say you should:
Appreciate the band's music. Not just the singles, but some of the deepcuts. I don't want to suggest that you should like everything they've ever done, nor that you have to know the lyrics to every song (especially the ones that aren't quite so good), just that you genuinely enjoy listening to them.
I'd say, though, that you don't have to live and breathe everything they do, that you don't have to preach how earthshakingly significant everything they've ever done is to everyone around you, that you don't have to own everything ever produced related to them, nor do you have to go to shows. Aspiring to go to shows should be enough, even if you never end up going. Willingness to spend your money on them, if you have money to spend, should be enough -- even if you don't. Owning your enjoyment of their music without necessarily telling everyone about it, but just enjoying it for the experience that it is. Those might be things that some fans do.
You can't recognize a fan just because they're wearing a tour shirt or are attending a concert. I offer you this experiment: ask people on the bus to name band members or albums if you see them wearing a band shirt (if you're in the ball, songs from an album). In my experience, the fan amongst them is often hard to find, as many people like to have the appearance of being music fans without actually being music fans. Just because you've heard of Dark Side of the Moon and someone's bought you a shirt doesn't necessarily make you a fan. Owning things is not the same as owning a love of music (the thing that makes a fan).
It's important to keep in mind that concert attendence and merch collections require disposable income, and not everyone can afford to follow a band around on tour or buy horribly-over-inflated rare products online. Just because you have money doesn't make you more of a fan than someone who can only afford the occassional cd, it just makes you a better consumer whore. And again, just because someone can afford merch and brand themselves as a Pink Floyd fan walking around the streets doesn't mean they love Pink Floyd.
Appreciate the band's music. Not just the singles, but some of the deepcuts. I don't want to suggest that you should like everything they've ever done, nor that you have to know the lyrics to every song (especially the ones that aren't quite so good), just that you genuinely enjoy listening to them.
I'd say, though, that you don't have to live and breathe everything they do, that you don't have to preach how earthshakingly significant everything they've ever done is to everyone around you, that you don't have to own everything ever produced related to them, nor do you have to go to shows. Aspiring to go to shows should be enough, even if you never end up going. Willingness to spend your money on them, if you have money to spend, should be enough -- even if you don't. Owning your enjoyment of their music without necessarily telling everyone about it, but just enjoying it for the experience that it is. Those might be things that some fans do.
You can't recognize a fan just because they're wearing a tour shirt or are attending a concert. I offer you this experiment: ask people on the bus to name band members or albums if you see them wearing a band shirt (if you're in the ball, songs from an album). In my experience, the fan amongst them is often hard to find, as many people like to have the appearance of being music fans without actually being music fans. Just because you've heard of Dark Side of the Moon and someone's bought you a shirt doesn't necessarily make you a fan. Owning things is not the same as owning a love of music (the thing that makes a fan).
It's important to keep in mind that concert attendence and merch collections require disposable income, and not everyone can afford to follow a band around on tour or buy horribly-over-inflated rare products online. Just because you have money doesn't make you more of a fan than someone who can only afford the occassional cd, it just makes you a better consumer whore. And again, just because someone can afford merch and brand themselves as a Pink Floyd fan walking around the streets doesn't mean they love Pink Floyd.