About This Business of Fans
What musicians need to know about the current state of fan culture.
One of the first signs that your music career is on an upward trajectory comes with the realization that you have developed a following. You’ve noticed that many of the same people are continually showing up at your gigs; and when you’re out running mundane errands, you’re starting to be acknowledged in public by those same folks, as well as others whom you do not recognize. While you’re probably not being mobbed at the local market, or enduring the frenzy of autograph-seekers thrusting pen and paper in your direction, there is a certain sense of pride swelling within at this newfound recognition. You have fans.
Fanciers and Fanatics
A fan is defined as an individual who experiences an intense admiration for an entertainer, sports figure, or other public figure. While it has been thought that the term ‘fan’ was derived from the word fanatic; the actual origin has been traced to the 19th century term, fancy, which was used primarily to identify British followers of boxing matches.
We’ve all witnessed the fictional and media depictions of the adoring fan, the psycho-stalker fan, and all of the variations in-between. Social scientists who examine fan-celebrity relationships have identified three levels of celebrity worship: entertainment-social (ES), intense-personal (IP), and borderline-pathological (BP).
The first of these, ES, is the normal identification with or admiration of a public figure; the individual who attends concerts, purchases music, and seeks out others with similar interests. The next group, IP, consists of those whose veneration has increased to having more obsessive thoughts about the celebrity, possibly to the point of entertaining fantasies that the fan and celebrity could share a life together. Finally, the BP fan is one who has diminishing or no boundaries in regard to their beloved icon, and is generally viewed as a stalker.
Is this stalker type a common problem for those who become even minor public figures by virtue of some success as a musician? Is it actually possible that your fans could go awry? While isolated incidents of criminal fan behavior do happen, the worst behavior endured by the majority of musicians will be more nuisance than pathological.
The best way to deal with this nuisance behavior begins with knowing what you’re up against. Let’s examine the nature of fans from a more realistic perspective; one that cuts through the psycho-babble and presents caricatures of the most common music fan types.
Gary Gear-Head
This is the guy who loves every painstaking detail about his music hero’s rig. Gary’s time is spent interacting with other gear-heads; trying to figure out how to create the same sounds as you (generally on the cheap); and researching the minutiae behind every piece of equipment you’ve ever touched. When he has the opportunity to talk with you, this guy bends your ear asking how you achieved seemingly trivial effects. If you find yourself with a lot of these guys (and they are usually male), consider offering clinics to demonstrate your style, and supplement your gig income.
Carl & Colin Collector
Carl can certainly discuss your music with authority, but you get an odd vibe of detachment from the guy. Because he’s such a huge fan of yours, he’s constantly at your elbow asking you to sign anything and everything you’ve ever produced – claiming to be your ultimate collector. Carl is definitely a dedicated admirer, of yours, and of every other hot musician who can make him some cash. Your autographs and memorabilia are for sale at hefty prices on Carl’s online marketplace.
Carl has a fraternal twin, Colin, who is also a collector, but not for entrepreneurial purposes. Colin has a need to fulfill. By “collecting” musicians, Colin is able to feel important when he extolls you as a friend. While you might not consider Colin part of your inner circle, he will certainly add you to his collection as soon as you’ve acknowledged his presence with a casual “Hey, how’s it going? Thanks for coming tonight!” Colin lives to have his photo taken with you, wherein he will wrap an arm around your shoulder, press his face against yours, and with his free hand, throw a sign, just to show how freakin’ awesome he is, hanging with his main man.
Sam Schadenfreude
He claims to be a HUGE fan, but he is one nit-picking pain. Sam constantly scrutinizes every aspect of your music, your rig, heck, even the way you wear your clothes. He expects you to embrace his criticisms, which he condescendingly cites as being purely constructive in nature. If you don’t take the time to listen to his complaints, or you don’t incorporate his guidance, he’ll take it to a larger audience – your online forum, or better yet, one that’s more heavily populated.
Sam is especially gleeful when others write mediocre or poor reviews about you – this gives him the opportunity to tell you, and anyone else who will listen, that he told you so. If only you had heeded Sam’s omnipotent wisdom, you would not find yourself in such an unsatisfactory position.
Ursula Unrequited – (hyphenate with your last name)
She will go to great distances (literally and figuratively) to be near you. Ursula possesses such unconditional love for you, that initially, she is a major boost to the ego. But, she has another side – Ursula is a disaster magnet. You can’t help but feel for her when she’s down on her luck. She is, after all, such a dedicated fan. You offer her kind words, toss her an extra t-shirt, and she’s so broke – a free pass is nothing, right?
But after a while, your undivided attention doesn’t seem to be enough. Ursula’s behavior alternates between wanting to have your baby and hurling derogatory epitaphs in your direction. And, when you’re just about to ask her to move along, she tearfully apologizes and declares her unwavering devotion to you and your music (of course, Ursula is unable to correctly name three of your songs). Your band mates and crew have taken to making sucking sounds instead of referring to her by name – a gentle reminder that your number one fan is a sucking black hole of doom.
Nigel and Nina Normal
They regularly attend your shows, and they bring friends with them. They buy your CDs, pick up a couple extra copies for friends, and would never ask you to comp them at gigs or give you free tunes. They’re friendly, but not pushy; you enjoy chatting with them between sets, or after the gig, and you find yourself discussing topics other than your music.
They may occasionally snap some photos or videos of you performing, which they forward to you, along with uploading them to their own web pages or social networking sites. They rarely ask you for favors, except for an occasional photo taken together, or a song request for a special occasion. You know their names because you enjoy their company, and their continued support. These folks are great, and you tend to view them more as friends than as fans.
If you’re lucky, the majority of your fans will fall into this latter group, and you will be blessed with a very limited assemblage of Ursulas, Sams, and the Collector twins.
Author's biography:
Lenore Colacion Hayes spent roughly a decade-and-a-half of her life in the music industry as a manager/publicist of local bands, and as an assistant and publicist to major music acts; a similar number of years were spent in the study and practice of psychology. Taken together, these two seemingly disparate fields have provided her with a unique perspective into the culture of fans. Approximately three years ago, she began a fan project observing interactions, primarily in online settings, but also through interviews with a number of fans, musicians, and others whose careers intersect between these two groups.
