we hate it when our friends become successful
so i queried my hubby about why we want the bands we love to remain obscure and not gain popularity. again, he came up with an interesting and sharp reply. he's a smart one, my hubby...he suggested that popularity somehow cheapens the experience of the band for the fan who has loved them for so long. that it makes the music a commodity in some way, whereas before mass popularity it was art. i know, i know, it was a commodity to begin with, but before mass acknowlegement it was an obscure and rare commodity shared among a seemingly chosen few.
it's not that we wish the members of our favorite bands lives of obscurity and poverty. this is not the case at all. i think we want our favorite bands to be treasures shared among only a few who's love and dedication have been tested through many releases, long periods of time between those releases, travelling to remote locations for shows, etc. there is a comradery and solidarity among those fans and when the fan pool is corrupted by the lowest common denominator (read "modern rock" radio listeners, VH1 and MTV viewers) it begins to be difficult to support your band. i don't want people making spoon the flavor of the day. they deserve more, and better, respect than that.
(the nature of the flavor of the day is something i have still to work out)
i am still processing all of this - it's tough to figure, i'd say.
posted by bls @ 3:10 PM
1 Comments:
Anyone with any experience as a music consumer would also appreciate that once the talons of the music industry get a grip on musicians there is often a decline in quality. This is not across the board, but it's very often the case. It's probably like watching your child get swept up in peer group pressure. So it's not just a change in the fan base etc, often the actual product is altered and becomes worse.
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