Homepage of Nigel Powell drummer / producer / multi-instrumentalist
Nigel shares an email he received from Analisa about "The Fandom Double-Standard". As someone who has followed a favorite band of mine for 9 years, going to more shows than I can count, I have been asked several times if I'm a groupie and "Which band member are you sleeping with?" Because obviously that's the only reason a single woman would go see multiple shows from the same band. I completely understand Analisa's post. "None of this is written to denigrate sports fans in any way, but to ask why this understanding of fandom ("fanaticism" has a negative connotation I prefer to avoid) doesn't always extend to the sphere of music fans—or more specifically, to those of us who choose to attend multiple consecutive shows by our favorite musical artists. It seems to me that, when a person past their teen years shows a similar level of enthusiasm for a certain performer as a serious sports fan shows for their team—that is, traveling long distances to see that artist perform repeatedly—the reaction is more often one of surprise, and sometimes even derision. Just a sampling: "She's, like, obsessed with them" or "You're going to Arizona to see Frank Turner? Are you a groupie?" I mean, when was the last time you heard a super-fan of Manchester United or the Green Bay Packers called a groupie or a stalker for going to multiple games of their favorite team? I'd be willing to bet that most diehard fans of professional sports teams have never met a single member of their favorite team in person, and probably never will."