It seems this is as old as music criticism itself, and some fans (Belle & Sebastian, Lynard Skynard, Metal fans esp Iron Maiden, Queen fans, Yes fans) have been targeted far more than others (say the too- cool-for-school consensus surrounding say Stooges, Television, The Clash, Sex Pistols). Needless to say Morrisey fans are always fair game ;)
― Omar, Thursday, 19 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― The Wire, Thursday, 19 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― my fool name, Thursday, 19 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― james edmund L, Thursday, 19 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
Maybe I'm a bit touchy about the whole thing, because several bands I like are victim to this sort of "criticism", and quite frankly I don't think *I* fit the mould of any of the bands in question's "stereotypical fan", and if *one* person doesn't, then you know a *lot* of people don't. I just fail to see what Gill Armstrong being a bit psychotic has to do with "Motown Junk" and I fail to see how that's a criticism of the band, just like if I try to actually review B&S's music (which I rarely do) I avoid mentions of the fans because they don't have anything to do with what B&S are doing.
Then again, Fred *is* the ex referenced on my blog as the one who said I "didn't look like a Pavement fan", so I expect this sort of thing from him ;)
― Ally, Thursday, 19 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
i don't speak of weezer fans until the last paragraph, after i'm through listening to and talking about the song. when a band has a fanatical fan base, and when i just totally DON'T get that band, i don't think it's wrong to put out some kind of appeal to them to tell me what is good about the song or if even the song is good at all. (i've received e-mail from one weezer fan we all know and love who says that the song sucks. i feel a bit more justified.) i don't hate weezer fans -- they just kind of are, as opposed to your belle & sebastian fans, morrissey fans, etc. more than anything, i'm perplexed by them, just like kate is puzzled by people who love abba and tom with gybe! devotees. ;)
― fred solinger, Thursday, 19 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
who needs the fans as an excuse to hate a band when the band more than accomplishes the task on its own?
― Tom, Thursday, 19 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
The thing is, you weren't discussing Weezer as a whole or Weezer as a myth or Weezer as a corporate entity in need of a new bank account (sorry, irritating day at work so far). You were discussing Weezer's new song. And fuck me if I know anything about it after reading what you wrote, other than that you, for some reason, didn't like it. That's not a successful review of the *song* to me, whether it's a good piece of writing or not.
Why would anyone want to listen to such a station? - as for 3 doors down and eve 6 - I am aware of their names from adverts in Alternative Press / CMJ - thankfullly I have avoided them in Britain.
― DJ Martian, Thursday, 19 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― PihkalBoy, Thursday, 19 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Geordie Racer, Thursday, 19 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Geordie went for a slash, Thursday, 19 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
DJ Martian, have you heard of XFM? They play a really good selection of indie/alternative/alt-indie/pop-punk/punk-pop/independent/rock/indie rock/alternative indie music. I think you'd like it.
― Greg, Thursday, 19 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Steven James, Thursday, 19 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 19 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
Someone wimpier than Belle and Sebastion fans, will wonders never cease!
― Chewshabadoo, Thursday, 19 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Ally C, Thursday, 19 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
I guess what I'm saying in the end is that certain bands and their music are far more defined by their fans and what their fans are like than certain others, so it only makes sense that in some 'music' reviews, inclusion of the fanbase is really quite relevant. This also makes the other extreme sometimes worth commenting on also - there are those musicians who deliberately fuck over their own fans routinely in the name of art. Maybe it's just a 'c'mere, go away' routine, a reverse angle that will trick the non-consumer into consuming. If it stinks of this and the fans buy into it as they were meant to - I think that might be noteworthy in a critique. On the other hand, I do think it's possible to have this kind of band who *are* sincere rather than manipulative, but then they have legions of fans who are there simply because they are total twats who always did what their mothers told them not to do. In this case I'd lean towards leaving fans out of the reviews since it ain't the musicians fault that they're so twatty, but I'd mention their lameness every other chance I got.
This reminds me of the Sloan line in 'Coax me' that goes 'and I think Consolidated's Ok, It's not the band, it's their fans I hate.'
Um.. yes...quoting song lyrics - how embarassing. A first for me on ILM. So sorry...better get my butt to bed.
― Grim Kim, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Kim is Grim, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― DG, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Robin Carmody, Saturday, 21 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― DG, Sunday, 22 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link