How much do bands owe fans?

[byrne]

well i was just re-reading that "most annoying person in metal" thread and interestingly enough, the fact that some people (perhaps most) believe that bands owe us (fans) something came up.​

to what extent do they owe us? do they have an obligation to produce the sound that we love? Or are they entitled to produce what they want, how they want, ready for us to judge it?​

band success no doubt is driven from fans - however, just like most people who make money - they are serving customers; ie: us. does this make them inhuman, expected to serve our every wish?​

do you respect your customers all the time? dont some get on your nerves? wouldnt you like to do what you want, how you want?​

plus the amount of people out there who outright rip bands off by merely downloading their music and not buying it is another factor which beggs the question, do they owe us? or do we owe them?​

personally i think its somewhere in the middle. it definitely sucks when a band loses its sound to make more cash, (when its probably in abundance anyway) but at the same time, they are just trying to produce music that will sell.​

 

[genocide roach]

bands aint shit without the fans
~gR~

 

[MacMoney]

Bands don't owe anything to their fans. The only exception this is when they are throwing a live concert for which the people have paid money for.

 

[loudsilence]

Music should come from the heart, it should be for yourself first and foremost. When you are writing a song and your main concern is how well a fan is going to like it, then there is a problem there.

 

[ryanb]

Bands don't owe anything to their fans. The only exception this is when they are throwing a live concert for which the people have paid money for.

I agree with you in terms of the bands not owing the fans. However, it'd be nice if the paying public could get cash back after buying a CD that turned out to suck (minus say $2 as a restock/materials fee, possibly limiting people to 2 returns every 2-4 weeks or something). It's difficult to justify sinking cash in on a 45-70min product when one only has a 30sec soundbite to judge from.

Regarding your point about concerts, I'd also find it useful to have an idea of what songs are to be performed *before* I get drilled in the rear by Ticketmaster to find out I've already seen said songs played live 2-3 times.

 

[Incendiare]

What exactly do they need to "owe" us for? They gave us the music. And well, that is the whole purpose.

But I agree about the moneyback guarantee with cds. There are so many cds that I regret buying, I could've saved hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Now I'm more cautious when it comes to buying something.

But it's great how these underground bands don't mind with the whole mp3 situation. It gives people a chance to discover their music since you can't hear it anywhere else.

 

[Orion Crystal Ice]

Well, bands do owe fans respect (though of course, this shouldn't be an obligation or anything), and also owe it to themselves and the fans to do their very best at all they do. However I believe the fans owe the bands a bit more. How many times do you see a band totally give it all they got financially, spiritually, physically etc to put out a top record, go on a great tour, whatever, and all some of the fans do is just piss and moan? Oh that new album is too different and because of this I now hate this band. Oh and I'm only going to give them another "chance". Oh and screw this band for missing this tour date. Oh that doesn't sound "right", (and I'm the know all on what does sound right) so I don't like it. Blah blah blah blah.

Who do people really think they are with some of this stuff?

Think about it: 100's and 100's of hours writing, recording, and touring, just so your so called fans can sit on their butts and act like drama queens.

Now I'm not saying fans shouldn't criticize bands, I think criticism is healthy, but some of these people just give the bands an unbelievably hard time for no real reason and it's just really agitating, to me. If some of the stuff I've seen so called "fans" say was about my band I don't know whether I'd be in tears or ready to throw the person in a moldy, leech filled pond. It's rude, ignorant, cold, and downright disrespectful and I don't think people who work so hard as musicians (it's a hard job) deserve any of that. Constructive criticism, yes, but not outright moronics from people.

 

[genocide roach]

if the fans didnt goto the shows, buy the cds, or buy the merch the band wouldnt be around for very long. if people never went to their shows when they were unsigned they would have satayed unsigned.
~gR~

 

[nergal_S]

Music should come from the heart, it should be for yourself first and foremost. When you are writing a song and your main concern is how well a fan is going to like it, then there is a problem there.

i aggre `%100

 

[Stoner Sioux]

I think that without fans the bands wouldn't be where they are today, so they owe us kick ass albums and kick ass live shows.

 

[Nightmarez]

I think that without fans the bands wouldn't be where they are today, so they owe us kick ass albums and kick ass live shows.

Hell. Yes.

 

[Wicked Child]

Bands are nothing without their fans, but all i think bands owe their fans are good music, good performances, and the like. Nothing out of the way.

 

[Tebus]

Music should come from the heart, it should be for yourself first and foremost. When you are writing a song and your main concern is how well a fan is going to like it, then there is a problem there.

Exactly what I would've said.

 

[SculptedCold]

I agree also. I don't believe bands by obligation owe fans anything either, partly because the creative process should ideally be personal to the band and is therefore exclusive of whatever fans may want, but also because bands are pre-existing. Sure, most bands wouldn't be where they are without fans, but it doesn't follow from that premise that bands wouldn't exist without fans. Musicians and bands if they are genuine and from the heart will write and play their own music regardless of who or how many people are listening, in their own garages or whatever. Record deals, recognition, fans and some money are only the bounties and paybacks of the hard-work and talent that has already been put in by the bands. Therefore I believe, fans have no genuine right to expect something more from bands than has already been given.

 

[CONCLAVE OBSCURUM]

Think about this:
If you were in a band.... do you think in your fans when you write your music?????... do you think if they are gonna like what you are writing... and if they don't like, do you change your style in order to make your music more "Fan friendly"??.. sounds like Metallica for me. (((Ok Lars, what we are doing its too heavy, lets make it more catchy))))

I think they don't owe us a shit.. except some respect and a good live show.

 

[Wanderingblade]

Bands do owe it to their fans not to ass-rape them. Thats about it tho...

 

[None_So_Vile]

In a way bands owe their fans because of the money we spend on our favourite bands buying their merchandise etc.. but in another way they owe us nothing because they never asked us to follow them, its our decision so in that sense they shouldnt feel like they owe us anything at all

 

[Astral Poetry]

Yeah I think bands owe me quite a bit of money. I've tallied it up to something around eleventy-thousand dollars. (Note for the slow: This is sarcasm)

 

[Timmeth]

What about this: Without the bands, there would be no fans?

 

[Bryant]

Great replies in this one. I agree with several people here. I think music is an art form and it should come from the heart of the artist. Having said that, an artist that is a professional (ala earns his/her living from music) then he/she does have a certain obligation to the fans that support them. After all, being rude or stand-offish to your fans is basically biting the hands that feed you.

Bryant