When a musician is a dick

[Josh]

Does it change your opinion on a band's music if/when a musician in that band is a dick/complete asshole?

I'm a big fall of the Fall of Troy and it's pretty much common knowledge that their frontman is a complete asshole, but I still really like the band.

Between the Buried and Me is also a favorite of mine but when I saw them last summer, everybody except the rhythm guitarist was walking in a group and I waved at them and said what a good show they put on. My friend and myself were the only ones there that passed them, it was an empty sidewalk. They clearly noticed me but walked on by. Their rhythm guitarist showed up in a parking lot behind the venue and I smoked a cigarette with him, though. Told him how much I appreciated his band's work, got a picture with him, and an autograph. Really good dude.

Conversely, does it make you like a band more when its members are really nice people? When I saw This Town Needs Guns and Tera Melos I got to talk to all of the members, get pictures, autographs, the works. They gave my friends and myself a lot of attention and appreciated how excited we were about their music. Same goes for HORSE the Band. They were super cool to us and thanked us for buying merch and being at their show.

Anyway, what have been some of your general experiences with musicians being complete assholes or nice people to you?

[Mando Pandango]

TTNG are all chill as fuck. Tera Melos I always like talking too, but I always get this really aggressive vibe from Nick.

And I'm willing to doubt that BTBAM are assholes. I know my friend's had pleasant conversation with Dan. Must have been an off night or something.

[Mando Pandango]

HOWEVER

My friend saw Antemasque the other night. He met Cedric after the show and that was cool. But, try as he might, he couldn't get close to Omar. Everyone else in the band was hanging out after the show except Omar. My friend hung around for a while and saw Omar exit out the back, so he followed around and found the band's van. He asked the drummer if Omar was in the back and the guy turned around and called into the van, "I dunno, is Omar in there?" Silence. "No, I guess not."

I mean, again, kind of common knowledge, but whatever.

[The Hand That Fisted Everyone]

sun kil moon seems like a total chode and i would probably kick his ass irl but also War on Drugs: Suck my cock and Adam Granofsky blues are funny as shit so I kind of forgive him. In fact him being an asshole and writing those funny ass songs lead me to that new album he did this year and turns out it might be my aoty. so him being and asshole turned me into a fan

[YPrrrr]

Back in the day I was a huge fan of Cake. Then I made the mistake of liking their facebook page. I don't know who runs their page, but they are really overbearing in their pushing of political opinions. Frequently insult conservative and religious viewpoints. Not merely disagreeing, straight up attacking those that differ in those views. Was a really ugly side to the band and I haven't bought an album since. I'll still listen to the music but I just no longer feel excited enough about them to try their new material

[Boogus Epirus Aurelius]

sun kil moon seems like a total chode and i would probably kick his ass irl but also War on Drugs: Suck my cock and Adam Granofsky blues are funny as shit so I kind of forgive him. In fact him being an asshole and writing those funny ass songs lead me to that new album he did this year and turns out it might be my aoty. so him being and asshole turned me into a fan

He's just a whiny bitch and his music blows too, so it all comes together.

[Samus Aran]

i still haven't listened to the sun kil moon album i have

anyway uh the only band i've actually met (twice, at that) is Boris. Wata can be shy and unsociable, partly possibly due to the fact her English is bad, but Takeshi is friendly despite his total lack of English understanding, and Atsuo is really cool and super chill and talks to the fans and stuff. all three of them were willing to sign stuff for me after the second time i saw them. only Takeshi and Atsuo did the first time - Wata went straight for the tour van.

this thread reminds me of how often Burzum comes up in these sorts of discussions, though. i mean, you know, possible murder, arson, general racism. his music has nothing to do with any of that, but still.

[Geno]

Back in the day I was a huge fan of Cake. Then I made the mistake of liking their facebook page. I don't know who runs their page, but they are really overbearing in their pushing of political opinions. Frequently insult conservative and religious viewpoints. Not merely disagreeing, straight up attacking those that differ in those views. Was a really ugly side to the band and I haven't bought an album since. I'll still listen to the music but I just no longer feel excited enough about them to try their new material

Cake is notorious for not giving two shits about their fans. I still love em though.

[Thyme]

i'm too shy to actually interact with artists i like lol

uh she seems pretty bitter on twitter at times idk

[ME##]

Thankfully I know for a fact that Lena is not a dick 

[Geno]

Anyways, I really don't understand people who like certain music less because the artist who made it is an asshole. What someone does outside of their music has no effect on the music itself.

Kanye West is the best example I can think of. The dude gets a crazy amount of hate because he's an egotistical maniac. He never actually puts anyone else down, he just talks himself up. I guess a lot of people interpret that as "being an asshole". Really though, that's all part of the image that he created for himself. I've talked to people who absolutely hate Kanye but have never actually listened to his records because his public perona discouraged them from ever giving his music a chance. I don't get it man.

[The Hand That Fisted Everyone]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc2iLAubras

[PLEASEHELP1991]

i like geoff barrow of portishead for the sole reason of being a dick

[Mando Pandango]

ALSO JOSH WHERE DID YOU SEE TTNG AND WHERE DID YOU SEE TERA MELOS

i recently saw both (at separate shows) at The Space in Connecticut. It's a weird coincidence that you posted about both of them now, and I don't know where you live so ?????

[klappa]

I don't think I like it less, but I will stop listening to their music if they do something I don't like. Music is not so important that I would keep listening to someone I dislike personally.  That verges on cuck behavior.