I started this a number of years ago to learn more about what motivates and inspires those who follow music celebrities.  My first career was in the record industry where I witnessed some amazing fan behaviors – both positive and pathological.  After returning to school for graduate training in psychology, and  subsequent time in private practice,  I decided to pursue a blending of my two professions.  I spent time observing music forums, as well as communicating with fans and musicians.  I developed a number of close friendships, and eventually became a fan myself!

I will use this space to share articles, and also to discuss some of my personal experiences and reflections.  What once began as a process of simple observation eventually evolved into transforming many aspects of my own life … for the better.

Part One

About This Business of Fans

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,

photo illustration by L.C. Hayes

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.

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 have 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 is 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.

Part two of “This Business of Fans,”  will focus on how to connect with the various types of fans, along with suggestions for utilizing the fan-musician relationship to promote your act,  while providing some perks for your fans.

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Part Two

The Fan As Partner

Part one of this series on musician-fan relationships took a tongue-in-cheek look at the various types of fans.  While the prevailing notion of the term “fan” tends to conjure up images of the stereotypical stalker,  the majority of fans are actually normal individuals, who lead productive lives with jobs and families.   They are considered fans because they attend your gigs, purchase your music, and offer support.  But, taking this support a step further, have you considered the fan as partner in your music endeavor?  If properly nurtured, some of your followers could be tremendous assets by utilizing their individual talents that complement your own.

Most musicians, even those who have achieved success to the point of providing sustenance for his or her family, are still not generally  in the financial position to hire the staff necessary to keep a viable music enterprise running smoothly.  There is always some task that needs attention   – disseminating regular updates  to online fan sites, promotional materials to be created and distributed, and other related tasks.  When you manage your own music career, you often wind up doing much more than just the music.  Most musicians rely on the generosity of significant others, spouses, family, and long-time friends.  While your loved ones certainly want to offer assistance, it isn’t always possible or practical.  Sometimes a specific talent  is required (graphic artist, photographer, etc.), or you want to add an air of professionalism by having someone other than your wife or mother making calls on your behalf.  Other times,  you just need additional hands and minds.

Getting Fans Involved

Let’s examine some of the ways that dedicated fans can contribute to your music efforts.  The most obvious role is as street team members, those hardy individuals who hit the streets (or their phones or computers) to promote your fan base by inviting friends to attend concerts, buy your CDs, call radio stations to request your songs, and contact media outlets to request coverage of your accomplishments.  These tasks can be completed through the distribution of flyers or other promotional materials, by posting notices to online forums, or other methods of distribution.  Making fans street team members is a good starting point as it allows you to gain insight into individuals’ abilities and work ethic.

Other areas where new or unskilled trainees can be helpful is in concert management tasks  including monitoring the backstage door to prevent unnecessary guests, acting as ticket takers, and ushers. Additional skilled positions in this sector include roadies, sound engineers, and lighting designers.

Another category of assistance consists of those who are willing to lend their talent in useful areas such as graphic arts, writing,  or an expertise in the fields of marketing, publicity, along with computer and web-based skills.   Photographers for stage, as well as promotional shots are generally willing to give you access to their images, provided you publicly acknowledge their work;  the same with graphic artists who can create logos, t-shirt designs, and CD covers for you.    Your followers with writing skills are capable of developing biographies, press materials, and internet content;  while those with computer skills can construct and maintain your online presence (e.g. website, Facebook fan page, MySpace page, etc.).

Start small -  don’t ask too much too early in this partnership.  It’s better to realize that a person is going to flake out doing a minor job that won’t matter much if it doesn’t get done properly, or at all.  Some jobs, such as a member of a street team is a good starting point since it is done periodically, and you can stipulate at the onset that you like to give a number of fans the opportunity to help out, and this might just be a one-time thing.

Finally, consider having a fan coordinator or liaison to organize and oversee the activities of all staffers.  Similar to nonprofit organizations who have a volunteer coordinator to hire, train, and handle the activities of their unpaid assistants, your fan liaison could be the one to manage your group of workers and their tasks – leaving you to focus on your music.

Locating Helpful Fans

First, of all – do not advertise for volunteers!  Not unless you are looking for inspiration to create  a rock opera of pathos. Craigslist is not the place to locate the brand of dedicated individuals who would be interested in promoting your music.  Instead, go directly to the source – your followers.   Get to know your fans.  Spending time with them either chatting at gigs or communicating via email will allow you to gain insight into who they are as individuals.  Ask about their lives, what they do and enjoy,  aside from your music – get to know their talents and areas of expertise.  Communicating directly with them while exchanging routine niceties allows both of you to step outside of the musician and fan personas.

Let’s say that you’ve found some followers who possess some useful skills (or just seem responsible and eager to help), you get along with them, how do you progress to  the next step?  Ask to arrange a meeting in a neutral location to discuss some ideas you have.  The first test will be to observe their reaction to the invitation; if they seem awe-struck at the prospect of sitting with you, talking over coffee, then you’ll know that this individual will not be capable of being part of your team.  Continue with the meet, but keep the chatter light and brief.  You might not have landed any assistance, but you’ve solidified your fan relationship with this person, who will hopefully, continue to bring in more fans.

Follow your intuition about a person, but do not react out of emotion.  For example, you have a devoted fan, but he seems troubled.  You want to show your appreciation for his support, and you think that he might get a morale boost by working with your team.  Avoid finding a place for this fan out of guilt or sympathy – it will not work.  You will spend more time ‘taking care’ of this fan’s needs, while completely ignoring that the main purpose of your relationship is to benefit the both of you.  Gratitude can be dispensed to these individuals without setting the stage for a musician-fan psychodrama.  Go for public gestures, such as including them in a list of  people to thank in your shout-outs from the stage.  Again, these interactions should be kept public and to a minimum.

Besides the troubled unit of your fan population, there are others who also might not be good candidates to help promote your music. They could be individuals who have been enthusiastic supporters who greatly enjoy your music,  they’re not carrying any emotional baggage, but the two of you simply  don’t click on a personal level.   Still, you think that because they are avid supporters, you should include them in your team.  Obligation is not a viable qualification.  Ask yourself  how well would the two of you get along if you worked a traditional job together?  Lived next-door to one another?   Keep in mind that a person who is keen on your music might not necessarily admire you as much on a personal level, as you think. Not all fans are not going to be good candidates to help promote your career – some are best left as fans.

On the other hand, if your connection with a fan feels comfortable,  bring up  that you periodically need help with various tasks, and ask if the individual might be interested being added to the list of those available to assist?  Talk with them about their talents, strengths, and how they see themselves working within your team.

Develop Guidelines

In order to make this all work, you need to spend time beforehand organizing a plan.  Typically, these types of jobs can be compensated through a barter system.  Offering concert tickets, CDs, or merchandise is generally sufficient. Determine what you will provide in return for their services.  Be clear in outlining tasks and the corresponding ‘payment’ – will there be a specific time commitment in order to receive a concert ticket, or CD?

If you continually utilize the services of specific individuals, consider sweetening the pot by providing them with limited edition items such as t-shirts, or hosting a private gathering for these staffers.  Inviting individuals out to share a meal is also a nice touch, as is adding their names to the acknowledgement sections of your CDs and website.

If you have concerns about privacy issues, consider asking the individual to sign a confidentiality or non-disclosure agreement to protect any sensitive information from being spread.  A Google™ search will locate a number of legal websites offering free templates that you can tailor to your own needs.

However, if you find yourself relying more and more on certain assistants, don’t abuse their kindness.  It’s great to have free help, but once you start reaping financial gain, it will be time to re-think  your staffing situation.  Promote from within!  You may find that a dedicated fan-volunteer can evolve into a long-term trustworthy member of your staff.

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