When did it become the norm to worship your favourite band as god? It increasingly appears that the more obsessive your fans, the greater your sucess.
Marilyn Manson tells of 'The Slashers', two girls who would carve his name into their chests before every show - their immitators were out in force when I saw him (and other random people who seemed to be under the impression that they were in the band too) on the Mechanical Animals tour. Very scary, and that is before you realise that it is impossible to tell the gender of the vast majority of the audience.
On a similar theme is the now infamous Slayer cover photo of someone's arm with the band name freshly carved in. I feel that this would count as bordering on obsessive.
Then you get the those people at shows who despirately seek to touch, grab, grope or steal band members. Then post-show they covert torn set lists and discarded beer cans thrown in to the crowd by the band, or more frequently begged off a bouncer/roadie. I recall seeing two girls engage in a cat fight over half a set list and wondering why they bothered, especially given something similar will no doubt turn up on ebay - at a price of course.
Rachel Stamp fans have growing noteriety as being a little too enthusiatistic in their support for the band. When Rachel Stamp last did an instore there were scary requests for junk to be signed - going WAY beyond shoes. Although I am assured that Slipknot fans are far sicker in their 'treasures' that they bring to be scribbled on by some semi-literate 40 year old. Barbie dolls given a 'punk' make-over are too populist and trashy for words.
Papa Roach and the 'urine incident' is an example where the obsessiveness of the fans (combined with the stupidity of the band members) resulted in the loss of what would have been a lucrative marketing contract with Pepsi.
Contrastingly, AntiProduct have used the psycho tendencies of their fans to sell various 'body fluids' from band members on their website, proving that as a last resort bands can exploit those who proclaim everlasting alliegence.
I was being backstage at a recent Rachel Stamp show and the band were terrified of the 'fans' - personally I was scared of the 14 year olds in the second row who were doing poppers until their noses would not stop bleeding. The obssesive fans were begging items of clothing from the band and in an attempt to impress them the following exchange took place...
Stamp fan: "I've seen you 27 times on this tour!"
David: "Really? Get a life!"
It ended with the entire band making a run for the back entrance clutching their hotel key ready extended to slide straight into the lock and thus afford them temporary relief from the freaks, I mean fans.
Band message boards and mailing lists are also a source of fanaticism.... how many people would bother starting the following thread?
Wes Havok says: "I don't know if im the only one who has evr noticed this about Black sails in the sunset. I was looking at cds the other day and just 4 the hell of it i looked through the AFI albums. I picked up 2 black Sails and there was a slight difference in the color of the sky one is more red and one is orangeish. I looked at others at other record stores and ive found this know were. Is one special or something ? Go check and see which one u have."
No. I think one just left out and it got sunbleached. I also think you are scary and are yet another reason to avoid the Offical AFI message board.
The Rachel Stamp message board has it's fair share of loonies too...
"I still haven't seen ST either! Eek everyone must go this tour! The Xmas date in London - everyone must go there too.. not that thats no tont his tour... hmmm.. I could've delted that cos it makes no sense. OooOooO do you have the flyer witht he dates? Type them all up if you do! That'd be ace..cos it's no ton the site yet.. i roughyl remeber when they are bu ti forget these things Ill be at the nottingham and the leicester show too.. and whatever else. Get your stripes out for the lads! you're off beat baby.. by another fucking mile~
Loveths you x
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they are playing glasgow! shiiiiiiiiiiiiit its over 18s, i am an ickle 17!!!!!!!!! oh wells looks like i shall be waiting outside a vanue for a day in a queue to a gig i won't get into!"
I feel unclean having just cut and pasted that from the message board. It is all too scary for words.
Similarly the AFI board has a 4 page thread consisting of people boasting that they were getting fake ID to say they are 16 so they can get into a show.
The definitive definition of obsessive fan is the 'Church of Havok'. I am not entirely sure if it is a joke and am less than reasured by the following post by 'SilentTears', who is an overly proud memeber of the 'Despair Faction'. If you don't know what the 'Despair Faction' is then you are indeed fortunate, think a crap version of 'The Misfit's Fiend Club'.
I AM A MEMBER OF THE "CHURCH OF HAVOK". EVERYONE CAN STOP TAKING IT SO SERIOUSLY. I MAY LOVE DAVEY HAVOK VERY MUCH, BUT I AM NOT OBSESSED. I JOINED BECAUSE I THOUGH THE WEBSITE WAS PRETTY COOL, AND I HAVE ALOT OF RESPECT FOR THOSE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY WORSHIP. I COULDNT EVER "WORSHIP" ANYTHING!
Padded cells for the lot of them. Although the band does appear to encourage them. Davey reputedly answered a question about the 'Church' by saying "I love my all my children and thank them for their prayer." Ok then, everyone needs a hobby.
A mailing list that I somehow found my way onto recently had a scary influx of obsessive fans who upon seeing that 4 other people had email addresses that were a varient on 'purdyikkleglitterfreak69hoslutbarbie666' decided to conduct in obsessive psycho-babble conversation with them, sending this weird exchange to the entire mailing list! I am happy that they all found a little friend but I really do not want to hear about some 14 year olds sexual fantasies concerning some overweight and frankly unattractive drummer!
At the other end of the scale you have those people who do not notice their favourite band walking down the street because their attention is engrossed by their partner. Or those who before the show steal the band's dressing room sign, inadvertently enabling them to aquire signatures from lost band members searching for the room in question.
Like a band, don't stalk them.
