How far would you go in hating/disliking a band because of its fans?

[sai 868]

Since this has been a pretty big thing going on lately, I'm sort of curious how most people here feel about this statement. Can a band's fanbase really influence your dislike for the band itself and its music? How do you feel about this, and are there certain bands you dislike because of its fanbase?

 

dir en grey & gazette incoming lol

 

I personally wouldn't dislike a band merely for its fanbase. I think you can like a band and their music without interacting too much with other fans. I myself listen to quite a bit of K-pop artists, but I have never ever interacted with other K-pop fans, unless they were friends of mine. I never set foot in the GazettE's last.fm shoutbox, nor do I speak with any GazettE fan on tumblr. I know there are probably plenty of mature GazettE fans, but I sadly only had the misfortune to run into either fangirls or immature ones. Now, I'm not that big a fan of the GazettE because I only like DIM (and even DIM isn't an amazing album compared to other stuff I like), but I wouldn't stop listening to that album just because I don't like the band's fans. It would feel like I would deprive myself of stuff I enjoy for really silly reasons.

 

I personally don't really like most MEJIBRAY fans I've encountered on tumblr (and last.fm), mainly because they tend to be more focused on Tsuzuku's looks than the band's music (I mean, be honest: whenever a new MEJIBRAY thread surfaces about a new release there is at least 2 pages of posts about the new look), but the reason I do not like the band is not because they're "a band designed for fangirls" as someone once called it, but that I just genuinely don't enjoy the music. If I had, none of this would've probably mattered to me. You do not need to interact with a band's fanbase to enjoy them, like I said before.

 

So what are your opinions?

[hiroki 5521]

For me, disliking a band because of its fans is rather silly, since a band has no direct control over fan behavior in most cases. Of course, I'll  be deeply relieved to find fans of my favorite bands having enough sense to conduct themselves in a proper manner. But even if they don't, it is tangential to my enjoyment/distaste of the band's music, since I would rather focus on evaluating the band on its own terms. Not doing so is simply unfair. Granted, this might be a bit difficult for people who are particularly steeped in "fan communities" - but I'm not, so I shall not comment on that.

 

On the other hand, I don't particularly find anything wrong with having 2 pages on a band's new look, mainly because aesthetics constitute a part of the overall experience of any vk band. I would rather have bands invest some time/effort to pay some attention to their own presentation than disregarding them completely. So having fans who are sensitive to those stuff is a good thing (even as aesthetics may not be my primary criterion for judging if a band is "good").

[JukaForever 758]

Meto is the sexy one in Mejibray. Why else would Tsuzuku have him on a leash on every single release?

 

Music always comes first to me, with the visual theme second. I actually tend not to watch a VK artist's PV and instead have the song play in the background just so the visual bias is put off. Helps in better evaluating songs IMO.

 

Fans shouldn't influence your decision to get into a band IMO. The only thing that gets to me is the girl to guy ratio of fans. Girls like outnumber the guys 1000:1 for a typical VK band, maybe even more, judging from the lives I have seen. Although 2 of my fave bands (X and Versailles) don't seem to have that statistic in their lives. Kinda curious whether VK has always had more girl fans since the beginning.

 

For K-pop, its more problematic for guy bands though. I grew up with boy bands playing on TV so being a fan of one now isn't too weird for me. I genuinely liked B2ST, BAP and NU'EST songs, however the shit they promote with has a lot to be desired. Fanclub names for example Beauty, Baby and LOVE repectively -.- I don't feel like associating myself with that. Most of their shoots are aimed for a girl's visual ideal, even with BAP trying to pull off a masculine look..but with make-up on.

[madygrain 515]

Bands and fans are different entities. I don't see a reason to hate a band because their fans are assholes, unless the band is promoting that attitude.

It's like saying you don't like your favorite food because the other guys eating the same at the restaurant are dumb.

[Guest Magatsu]

Oh yes it really has influence at me.

 

First FANDOM:

ANGELO/PIEROTT & KIRITO

When Livejournall was still popular it was ruled by very crazy fangirls. one wrong word and you are hated. I once did upload a very small version from a special DVD. and "Kozabo" went so mat about it. Or that I made wallpapers of photos she did scanned. It as all her stuff and nothing can be shared without her approval.
Of course I'm banned in that livejournal community.

 

Second FANDOM:

Janne Da Arc, Acid Black Cherry, Damijaw, Kiyo & You Solo.

Well I'm still active at the fandom because I found few nice people and one crazy yasu fan made a facebook group. but she is nice. But sometimes the Acid Black Cherry fandom really feels so damn stupid because many fans LOVE everything what Yasu make. yes everthing, most of them are NEVER negative about something Oo. But lucky everybody is nice.

However at livejournal it was also ruled by crazy people. I did share a lot for people. but after all they loved to ban me.

 

Third FANDOM:

ADAMS
a very crazy girl broke my bound with SHOTA. and that bound never will be okay again. But even if I look right now at the fandom. so many crazy fans. Some are nice and some are not nice.

 

Fourth FANDOM

The Gazette

Not that I ever really have loved the Gazette but for me it was also impossible to like them because of so many crazy fans. Who all did drool about the members. who could not stop saying that GAZETTE IS THE VERY BEST.

and go on and go on. it's just makes me sick. I can't even understand why people dislike the new Gazette so much. it even sounds better than the crap they made before.

And the GAZETTE tour VIP... you could not even be on the photo with the guys. a come on.. It's a really shit attitude.

 

 

Fifth FANDOM

MEJIBRAY

I guess it's not only that I don't really like the music but that it also kinda get me because SO MANY people love them and are drooling and get horny about the members. it's just yuck (>_<)

If I really should be honest after DIE KÜSSE I didn't listen to any new work of them...

 

six FANDOM

VERSAILLES

I loved them I loved them. Ok their music wasn't that great. HOWEVER after YOU died the fandom really ruined everything. I said to people Oh man it totally suck that You Died, I'm broken. But I'm sure that Kamijo doesn't give a fuck and won't do any memorial things. People went mad about it, banned me out of the livejournal community. but after all I was so damn right. and for me, Versailles and the fandom was done.

 

 

After all, I really already should love a band but that it can be if you are to deep in the fandom that you start dislike a band.

But HATE it's a to big word. because  you just don't like the band anymore. but you kinda HATE the FANDOM

[cruel-crucible 89]

It probably depends on what kind of person you are. Saying "oh, you shouldn't dislike a band just because of fans, that's lame" isn't very nice as some people put great emphasis on being part of the community. If it's important for them to settle in and get along with others, and they experience something nasty, of course they'll be put off and those feelings can very easily influence their view on the band itself.

 

I've never really gone through anything like that, but I do dislike many of Gazette's and Diru's fans on tumblr. You can't state anything negative about these two unless you're ready to get a ton of angry anonymous messages.

 

I can be a bit discouraged from listening to a band if any of their members is/are oversexualized by the fangirls, though. Like what many of these "anon roleplayers" on tumblr do. It just makes me go "Oh dear, cannot unsee...".

[Niku 8]

Bands and fans are different entities. I don't see a reason to hate a band because their fans are assholes, unless the band is promoting that attitude.

It's like saying you don't like your favorite food because the other guys eating the same at the restaurant are dumb.

I was eating in a fast food restaurant once, I was having what I believed to be a delicious burger, with nicely cooked meat and crisp lettuce, delicious sauce and cheese sealed the deal.

I then caught a glance, of someone off to the side of the building, who weighed I could only begin to imagine was half the size of your standard family vehicle, shoving his throat full of the same burger I was having as if it was going out of fashion. His excessive forcing of food into his face resembled no less than a garbage disposal.

Needless to say, it left a bad taste in my mouth, knowing that the same food was being experienced in both instances, I haven't gone back there.

[Tokage 5930]

Blind stans annoy the living piss out of my in any setting.. If a band I'm not familiar with has this whole army of Stan Defenders shitting on everyone who voices even the slightest hint of criticism I'll automatically associate the band themselves with this childish mentality, no matter how intelligent or pleasant they might be as people or how cool their music is.

[Peace Heavy mk II 7200]

 

VERSAILLES

I loved them I loved them. Ok their music wasn't that great. HOWEVER after YOU died the fandom really ruined everything. I said to people Oh man it totally suck that You Died, I'm broken. But I'm sure that Kamijo doesn't give a fuck and won't do any memorial things. People went mad about it, banned me out of the livejournal community. but after all I was so damn right. and for me, Versailles and the fandom was done.

 

girl what

 

 

They kept him somehow associated in all of the art thereafter, had a huge tear-jerker collection memoirs from people in the scene writing about how they first met him (Riku, Kisaki, Asagi, all of Matenrou Opera, etc), and they didn't make a spectacle  of his funeral because his family asked them not to. You don't need memorial concerts / tribute albums every 2 months like hide, or release ghost written cds like Daisuke / whatshisface from Kaggra, / Tupac  to have been properly remembered. Had they ~actually~ had done that, I can't help but feel like the mentality would should from "they didn't do anything!!!" to "OmfG VerSaillE$$$$ just wants dem MoNeYzz fak dem'

 

 

 

 

Anyway, echoing Tokage. If your fans are dicks, I'll probably think you're a dick too even if you're not. This happens a lot in pop music: it seems like the whole point of the industry is to now post everywhere and say how much your favorites have been slain / are flops / can't sell CDs and how my favorites are iconic / the best / [[try to work 'god' into their name somehow here]] . It's annoying as fuck and there's literally no point to it because barely any pop stars are more than just a figure head or a marketing image when they get to the point where people dedicate their lives to do acting like this. It's not just Gaga fans, but I suppose they've started it. 

 

'LOOOOL THEY ONLY SOLD 500,000 cOPiES WaT A FLOP' when in vkei you're successful if you actually sell 5 copies.

 

 

Does the vkkk count as a rabid fanbase? That mostly refers to bands that haven't been around for like 15 years and had about 6 fans while active, but regardless they overtly dislike me However, that doesn't turn me off from crappy no-name bands so much as serves as an extra layer of entertainment for me.

[Guest Magatsu]

 

girl what

 

 

They kept him somehow associated in all of the art thereafter, had a huge tear-jerker collection memoirs from people in the scene writing about how they first met him (Riku, Kisaki, Asagi, all of Matenrou Opera, etc), and they didn't make a spectacle  of his funeral because his family asked them not to. You don't need memorial concerts / tribute albums every 2 months like hide, or release ghost written cds like Daisuke / whatshisface from Kaggra, / Tupac  to have been properly remembered. Had they ~actually~ had done that, I can't help but feel like the mentality would should from "they didn't do anything!!!" to "OmfG VerSaillE$$$$ just wants dem MoNeYzz fak dem'

 

I didn't said that hey HAD to do it. I only said they wouldn't do it. back then I kinda said it as a JOKE. but people went mad and crazy and banned me. (lol)

But still a memorial concert each year would be nice. or something similar. just as "LOUDNESS" does every year. 

But to make ghost written CD's, tribute albums is always idiotic.

 

But once again I don't say that THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE something. I was just done with the fandom because they went mad about me for saying that Versailles wouldn't do anything special each year.

[Igyou_Hime 80]

I wouldn't change my opinion about a band because of the fans, but I can get a more negative image of them if I already think bad of them and then it shows their fanbase is completly fantarded too.

Some fans are really interesting to talk to and exchange feelings towards a band with, but some fans are just pure annoying...

[Guest mitsubana]

I don't know if my opinion matters much lol I've lost so much interest in visual kei. Due to the fact the scene doesn't attract me like it used to and well... I guess you could say there are some annoying fans, but that's in any scene/genre. The only bands I like nowadays are the ones that don't seem to be popular and/or no one knows them. So at times I feel like I'm the only fan... or at least "only foreign fan". haha So I don't really deal with many fans who annoy me haha

[Flame-X 441]

I would never hate on something because of the fans, it's just a waste of time and it shows that you're no different from them. Just keep my mouth shut, ignore all the nonsense, and enjoy what I like.

[Jigsaw9 6783]

LMAO wut kind of question is this. If a band is crap it's crap, if it's good it's good, screw what the fans are like. ;<

[Pandabear 414]

 If a band is crap it's crap, if it's good it's good, screw what the fans are like. ;<

[Peace Heavy mk II 7200]

I didn't said that hey HAD to do it. I only said they wouldn't do it. back then I kinda said it as a JOKE. but people went mad and crazy and banned me. (lol)

But still a memorial concert each year would be nice. or something similar. just as "LOUDNESS" does every year. 

But to make ghost written CD's, tribute albums is always idiotic.

 

But once again I don't say that THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE something. I was just done with the fandom because they went mad about me for saying that Versailles wouldn't do anything special each year.

Ah, I see. I slightly misunderstood then. 

[TheBistroButcher666 228]

If fans influenced what I liked and didn't like, I wouldn't like anything!!

I really don't get caught up in fan communities, I like what I like and that's that. If you're seriously that wrapped up in fan communities that fans make you dislike the thing you like, then step away from the computer and get some fresh air. Honestly I tend to dislike most fans that like the things I like because a lot of them are just so unrealistic. There's one thing about being passionate and loving what you love but when it reaches a point of obsession it's time to step away.

 

I am gonna use this as an opportunity to write my opinion on fan communities but above is basically my overall thoughts on this subject.

 

Visual Kei

The fans are image centric twats that are lieing through their teeth if they say they're only into VK because of the music. It's not a big deal if you just want to fuck the pretty boys in booty shorts or you only like the fashion, that's totally fine. Yet the fans that are pretending they aren't and try to act holier than thou are the grosses kinda people imaginable (WORSE THAN HITLER). My favourite subset of VK is kotekei, I certainly don't want to bone any of the dudes but I definitely appreciate and like that style of dressing. Then the VK fans that become anti-anime are also pretty cringe worthy awful people. They're probably the fans that got into VK because they liked Ready Steady Go from Fullmetal Alchemist and now need to pretend that they're not disgusting weeaboos. This can apply to Kpop fans that start hating Japanese music, probably the same anti-anime retards that just evolved into a Kpop tard.

 

Kotekei fans (VKKK)

This is pretty much my go to favourite subset of VK but shit son, these crazy people view that whole era as some sort of serious underground gothic movement. Yet conveniently overlook the many not so heavy VK bands of that time like Fanatic Crisis or Sophia that were dominating Shoxx covers. I also like how many of them try to present themselves as experts of this era but probably didn't get into Japanese music or VK until they heard Ready Steady Go from FMA.

 

Anime fans

Not so much in relation to music but eh, it's still Japan. It's just the greasy fans that will venomously defend anime as an art form but anything else produced by a Western artist is garbage. 

 

Metal fans

They're mostly all a bunch of over compensating nerds that now think they're tough and a badass because they listen to heavy brutal angry music. Only a nerd would sit around on the Internet debating whether a band is blackened folk core or symphonic viking metal. Black metal fans are pretty laughable and can be easily compared to VKKK fans. OMG THIS BAND IS SO GOOD AND UNDERGROUND WITH THEIR ONE AWFUL DEMO TAPE!! There's a reason why this band is "underground" and only has one demo tape and it's because it fucking sucks balls.

 

Comic fans

I haven't had that many bad experiences with comic fans. I suppose since I create comics my interaction with the community is more with creators than with fans. Creators are definitely fans of comics but I think they appreciate it from a creator perspective, so you don't see as much retardness among these group of individuals. There's definitely retards but I also don't like mainstream comics like Marvel or DC, so my interaction with those communities are pretty non-existent. I know indie comics have a lot of hipster elitism that will make you want to kill yourself. Yet so far my interaction with those types have been limited. I wonder what my opinion of the comic community will be a year from now if I continue to work conventions and make books? HHRRM HHHHHRRRMMM? Also I don't read Homestuck so maybe that's why my opinion is relatively positive???

[cruel-crucible 89]

Arithmetica, you deserve a medal. Every single thing is spot-on.

 

And as for the comic fans, believe me, they're batshit crazy as well pretty often. This DC vs. Marvel war is annoying and even those who like both can get pretty terrible as well with their entitled attitudes of how you should just love everything and everything is amazing and no no no the Green Lantern movie wasn't that terrible and nooooo Jane Foster totally rocks and why would we want Sif as Thor's partner I mean movies are srs bsns and screw the actual comics.

 

Yeah.

 

Edit: To comment on the metal thing, though - although I don't get involved in the debates, it's kinda meh when Ensiferum are labeled as "viking metal" even though they have nothing to do with the Vikings whatsoever. 

[TheBistroButcher666 228]

I definitely dislike vague metal genres like viking metal or pirate metal. It's no different than calling a band visual kei. It just doesn't describe the type of sound a band has, sure the lyrics might be about pirates but Alestorm and Running Wild sound nothing alike >:U Viking metal is just used stupidly all the time though, omg this band has a promo pic in armor MUST BE VIKINGS!!! Probably from some ignorant American or some non European fan uggghhhh....

 

I know there's crazies with the Marvel and DC camps but I just don't have any interest in that stuff so fortunately I won't have to deal with those fans. It'll be the indie hipster douche bag fans that plague indie comics that will probably be what makes me want to spoon out my eyeballs.

[Champ213 1858]

If fans influenced what I liked and didn't like, I wouldn't like anything!!

 

Since Arith and me share some similar fandoms, I can second that! XD

 

(Then again, if Arith is part of that fandom, it can't be all bad?!?!)

 

 

Seriously though, there's only one time when you have to interact with other fans, and that's at concerts. And I must say, I never had bad experiences at concerts with other fans. Most people were extremey nice. Yes, that includes vk concerts.

 

Then there's fans on the internet. But, well... it's the internet. Everyone is like 10x more asshole-ish on the internet. The good thing: you can easily avoid people on the internet.

[Nyasagi 259]

Then the VK fans that become anti-anime are also pretty cringe worthy awful people. They're probably the fans that got into VK because they liked Ready Steady Go from Fullmetal Alchemist and now need to pretend that they're not disgusting weeaboos.

I don't like anime, I don't even know what Fullmetal Alchemist is??? I also don't know that song. When someone starts talking about anime to me, I wish they would just shut up and I'm not pretending... I just prefer real actors. The only thing I like looking at, is yaoi porn on tumblr ;p. Not all visual kei fans like anime, really. Some people like only visual kei and they don't pretend anything, it's personal preference. If I had to pick a drawing style from Japan, I'd rather pick eroguro (Suehiro Maruo and arts like this).

 

 

About the main topic... I think I wouldn't dislike the band only because of their fanbase, but my interest in the band could be much smaller. If I like the music, I'm still interested in the band, but if the fans are annoying, I don't even bother to learn names of the band members and look at their photos, I just don't care. If I already know them, I don't really follow the band, except their new releases. A big part of fun is taken away from me, if I can't share my excitement with anyone. However, if I don't like the band's music anymore, stupid fans make me not want to look at the band's photos anymore, like... I know Gazette has some nice photoshoots and stuff, but every time I see them, I think of all these stupid jokes of their fanbase and I'm like "do not want".

 

The only exception is MEJIBRAY, I know a few great fans and I talk only to them, while I avoid the others. I've been following them from the beginning, when they didn't have such an annoying fanbase, so I like them for my own reasons and it won't change, as long as their music is good. Most of their fangirls know nothing about the band, anyway. I haven't heard so many riddiculous stories about a band, from any fanbase. The most stupid ones are about Tsuzuku and Meto being married (and people seriously believing in it) and that they performed in my country (I was like wtf, they never toured outside of Japan, every fan of the band should know this). Oh, there was also someone trolling one of these tanuki blogs and sent fake info about Tsuzuku, then someone believed it and took it as a fact, soon after that the person sent a message it was fake. I laughed. I wouldn't be surprised if many people didn't even want to try their music because of the fans. It's sad, but I understand it completely.

 

The best way is just to cut yourself off of annoying people, I guess. It's easy on the internet, just don't read some things, don't make wrong friends and stay away from fangirlish blogs/profiles on the internet portals.

[RoseOfHizaki 131]

Id go as far as i need to - I work in different places, rich areas, poor areas, medium wealth areas. but there are some rich areas where the entire shift just seems like a massive cunt parade and the people dont have any common decency, common sense or manners, then there are some rich areas where people are nice, polite and respectful towards you.

 

I hate areas where its just a non stop flow of liberal minded cunts who dont know that theres a world beyond a coffee shop. 

 

Call of Duty is a game whose community is generally full of assholes, asshats and knob jockeys. CoD used to be a good game back when it was mainly on the PC platform, but once it hit console and Activision started hatin on the PC and opened up its doors as 'Child's Online Daycare' even the most hardcore of hardcore fans with a knob so hard it could cut raw diamond was left distraught.

 

Im not saying CoD is the most amazing game in the world but it could have been better if the community was a bit better.

 

As for hating a band because of its fan base - Let me just say.... I acknowledge and respect good musicianship. No further comment

[Zeus 7997]

I posted this once before. I'll post the relevant portion again in case you somehow missed it.

 

 

"I don't like the GazettE because of the fans."

Response of the Zess: You're stupid. Anyone that lets the actions of other people determine whether or not they can enjoy a band isn't focusing on the music. Bonding over liking a similar artist is an attractive draw to liking a certain band but it shouldn't be the only reason why you like a band. It's entirely possible to like the GazettE and not step foot in the shoutbox or a GazettE tumblr ever. I do. As of this writing, they are the fifth most played band on my last.fm. Separate the fans from the music.

This also goes out to the people that act like the GazettE never has made good music and is the symptom of decay in the visual kei scene. Shut up. I know you listen to them with the scrobbler off so don't front.

Oh and if for whatever reason you feel like somebody will judge you for liking the GazettE (or any band) get off last.fm and dismount from your high horse. That's a sign of neurosis. If you actually knew how few people looked at your last.fm or cared about what you listen to, you wouldn't care at all. If anyone ever DOES judge you for listening to a band you like, tell them to go play in traffic.

 

You want to know what the real issue is? Too many people care too much about what other people think about their opinions. This mix of neediness and constant validation that manifests on last.fm and other social media is sickening and it's a negative reinforcement feedback cycle. People don't feel like what they say holds salt unless someone backs them up, so they don't speak their mind. Since they parrot someone else's opinion, they never share their own because no one backs them up on it. I can't count how many times I personally have walked into a conversation, shared my opinion which was the opposite of the general consensus, and watched as it quickly became the popular consensus because so many other people felt the same way but everyone was too afraid to say something.

 

What does this have to do with liking/disliking a band based on its fans? EVERYTHING! So many times I hear people say that they don't like MEJIBRAY or the GazettE or Dir en grey because of how the fans act, but they've not listened to the band enough to form a coherent argument of their own beyond that. It's almost universally covering for some other reason that said person doesn't want to divulge, which is (usually) that they don't want to be judged for liking or disliking something so many other "stupid" people like.

Guess what? At the end of the day, it doesn't matter. Like what you like. Dislike what you dislike. Your preferences have no bearing on how valid your argument or opinion is. That speaks for itself.

[miyuu 40]

    cruel-crucible, on 22 Nov 2013 - 10:21 PM, said:

    Arithmetica, you deserve a medal. Every single thing is spot-on.

 

this x2  xD

  

  madygrain, on 22 Nov 2013 - 12:32 PM, said:

    Bands and fans are different entities. I don't see a reason to hate a band because their fans are assholes, unless the band is promoting that attitude.

    It's like saying you don't like your favorite food because the other guys eating the same at the restaurant are dumb.

 

but this is what is going to happen  to many people:

you don't stop (listening to the music)eating the food but you are embarrassed to go to the restaurant

and embarrassed to be related with those people that are stupid,

and makes you wonder what is wrong with you that like same things with them.

that can  affect your view of a band.

personally to be honest.many  things can affect my view of a band.and make me stop listening even if i like the music .

but since i can still be completely objective when i say my opinion about their music. i don't think it's wrong.

 

 

    Nyasagi, on 23 Nov 2013 - 01:15 AM, said:I .

    A big part of fun is taken away from me, if I can't share my excitement with anyone.

 

this is my problem.so true

 

[AlienX 1]

I'm not the type who would dismiss an artist entirely on the attitude of its fanbase, but on average it's safe to say the fanbase is often an indicator of the quality of the band itself. Shit attracts shit, after all.