Between The Covers: The Superfan
The Superfan
by Torch
Denver was hit with our first blast of winter like an invading force of Huns from the north. We were enjoying a nice long warm fall, and then the winds blew in causing a deep dive in the degrees. It was 15 degrees on the morning of the 11th of November. Kids, mostly 16-year-old girls, were lined up to see the band The 1975. The first few in line were there by seven in the morning and the doors for the concert weren’t scheduled to open until seven that evening.
By noon the line was down the block and the police made the kids take down the one tent they had, as it is considered “urban camping” (a ticketable offense). The girls were bundled in blankets, thermoses in frozen hands and lots of grooming and giggling. The temperature dropped to 12 degrees and snow began to fall; more kids arrived. Around five PM the phones started ringing with angry parents demanding the venue open the doors. This seems like a reasonable request but the venue couldn’t as the staff, security, medics, firemen and all the necessary personnel were not there yet. Legally they couldn’t open the doors- also very reasonable. “MY KID’S FEET ARE BLUE! THIS IS UNCONSCIONABLE!” yelled one mother.
Okay, folks, lets take a look at those tickets. Yes it says 7PM so why would you allow your kid to sit outside all day in below freezing weather for any period of time? If your kid is miserable, put them in the car with the heater on, or go home and come back at door time. The pleadings of youth wanting to be in line needs to be weighed against the health risks, but you can’t explain that to a twitter pated teenager.
In walking the line you could see girls with arms or legs exposed. Wear clothes and a coat for the love of Pete! No, those girls are dressed for the pinnacle moment when the rock star of their dreams will see them from a few feet away and instantly fall in love with them. It is hard to be sexy in a parka. These are the same girls who get depressed as the moment never comes but they can lie there and fight off pneumonia in their new band shirt, they can keep the dream alive as they stare longingly at your posters and memorize your lyrics while glugging cough syrup.
The 1975, just like Black Veil Brides, sold a ton of merch. Black Veil Brides even had BVB letterman jackets, perfect for high school girls with a crush!
Just when you think, oh those crazy kids, stop and remember the band you loved, camped out for tickets, showed up hours early and had the time of your life! You had the posters, t-shirts, albums and anything else you could find. You drew their logo on your schoolbooks and listened to every word and note until it was a part of your identity. You were sure that somehow, mysteriously they were singing directly to you!
I am guilty of such folly. It was, well a decade or two ago. I camped out at Gart Brothers, which doesn’t exist anymore, for Bon Jovi tickets. Tickets went on sale at 10 AM and I had a good spot in line. The computers at that one store weren’t working and the show sold out. I cried along with the rest of the heartbroken girls in line. The next time they came to town I was sure to get my ticket and I went to Red Rocks with my brother and sister. The rules used to change each year as to what you could bring in to a concert. The year before they banned glass containers, so we filled a plastic gallon milk jug full of margaritas. When we got to the gates they said no disposable containers, as they didn’t want to have to clean up the trash. So, like any good concertgoers we stood at the gate and drank it. I know I was at the show, but by the time Bon Jovi hit the stage, I hit the ground and slept through it in a drunken stupor. Oops. I have yet to see them in concert.
The superfan is someone every band and artist depends on; the superfan buys all your merch, concert tickets, meet and greet upgrades, and anything else you can think of to sell them. In an age where you can abscond with free music, it is necessary for artists to survive on the sellable items and concert tours. If you get to the point of having any fans, remember some risk heat exhaustion, wait in lines or parking lots for hours, sit in the rain, and bear freezing weather in order to see you play. Bring your best game to every show, thank the fans, stop for photos and shake some hands. Those freezing blue hands are the hands that feed you.
Category: Buzzworthy
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