Succeeding in this industry can be a rewarding task, but it also takes a lot away from you at the same time. I've been lucky enough up to this point that most of what I do can be covered via the internet or locally, so I don't have much trouble seeing my friends and family, but I'm something of a rarity in that case. The majority of people working in the industry are always on the run, especially if they are in, or work in conjunction with, the band. It isn't generally cost effective to have your family/ spouse/ girlfriend (or boyfriend) on the road with you, and even if the funds are there, the road isn't always the best place for everyone, some small children for example. Because of this, more often than not, people can wind up going anywhere from weeks to a year without having any real contact with their loved ones. This is in part why a lot of bands, especially when they're newer to the industry show so much love to their fans. You're keeping them going in more ways than you can imagine, so in a way the fans become part of the family. On the other side of things though, is a group of people neglected in that respect. I realized as I've gone to shows over the years, that as much as I love the bands, and probably owe my life to more than a few of you in one way or another, I mainly go to see the management and staff now. These guys (and girls) keep the bands safe, prepared, and are to a degree the band's parents and family on the road (Unless you're Halestorm, where their mom actually is the manager. Props to Beth). Often they take crap they shouldn't have to from fans, and occasionally the bands, because they push to get the bands out of the venue and to the next show, or tell a fan they can't harass the band endlessly. Try looking at it from their point of view though, they're rarely recognized for how hard they work, sitting in the shadow of the band without complaint, but if the something goes wrong with the band, they're responsible for fixing it and will be the first ones blamed for the issue, because they were supposed to be "responsible" for the band's actions. This also means that to many, the staff are "expendable". Imagine if after all their years of success, Bon Jovi went on stage with a different lead singer, would anyone think Jon was expendable? The fact is there are people on the management side of things who have been around just as long, or longer than the band, but they don't get the recognition they deserve because they're in the background, and with few exceptions, fans ignore them until they decide they "want something" from them. Show the staff some more respect guys. The band needs them and cares about them, and if you care about the band, you as a fan need them. So please, the next time you're thinking about hitting up a show, take some time to find out who works with/ for your favorite band, and thank them. Heck, give them a big hug (No stalking, stalking is BAD), and let them know that you appreciate all their hard work.
And to those of you I specifically directed parts of this towards, I love you guys and hope to see you again soon. Have a safe time on the road and keep up the amazing work, you're appreciated more than you know.
- KMA
No comments:
Post a Comment