make love, not wank. srsly.
i don't do meta, except when it gets me pretty. and i don't wank unless... uh. well i get a happy ending. =) that being said, please if you feel like we don’t have anything in common with me or don’t want me on your friends’ list anymore… defriend. it’s really okay. it might take me a few days [or months] to check that maranel thing, but eventually i’ll return the favor. every day is defriending amnesty day.
bandom wank, et al. i don't feel like linking. if you're aware, you know what's going on. if not, then count yourself lucky. this post is not for that. have your opinions, feel free. that's what they are there for. i may not agree, but that's, hey, my opinion too.
i am, if you are not familiar with this lj, not in most of these bands' target demographic. i was born at the tail end of the 70s and am a good deal older than a lot of the fans that go to these shows. is that embarrassing sometimes? yes. is it awkward that i’m older than some/most of the members of certain bands? hell yes. does this make me better or more knowledgeable than the younger fans? sometimes more knowledgeable, but not better. does it detract from my enjoyment of the bands? hell the fuck no.
i like my fandom. i don’t feel like we’re the oppressed masses. but, again, you are entitled to your opinions. i’m proud of the bandslashers’/bandom’s responses. they’ve been intelligent and well thought off. if you think the “stage gay” is offensive then that is your prerogative to think so. that’s not what this space is about. this post is not about being one of the persecuted masses, but from a fan who loves the bands she follows. just take it as that. i’m not going to start mess with anyone. i don’t want that. it’s not why i’m in fandom. i fully understand why people are upset over the recent events, but fandom is a safe place for me to enjoy the things i love.
i spent a good amount of years getting my degrees on such cases. i work every day with children that face issues of race, sex, gender, socioeconomic disadvantages. i talk with and work with most of these bands’ target demographic. they love the music first and foremost. just like i do.
enough time's been spent wanking, let's get to the love. so, in no short order and in direct inspiration from lovelypoet's post, i bring you the things i love from my bands. so, the “stage gay” not withstanding these the things i love about my bands. [also, if anyone has a link to iphignia939’s post o’ love, i’d love to link to that too. if it isn’t locked and such.] eta- here it is!
++ these are the bands i love/like. whether or not you consider them a part of “bandom” [I still have no idea who that entails.], i’m going to include them.
panic!at the disco
+ ryan ross: this kid came from a homelife where his parents were divorced, father alcoholic, and he got treated indifferently by his mother leaving him with his father. he grew up idolizing mcr and fob and blink 182. he writes the lyrics and he’s kind of blah in interviews at times, but he’s a real guy. who could be a lot more fucked up than he is. he takes lessons to improve his guitar skills and singing lessons as well. he dresses like steve martin from parenthood in that cowboy costume and does so unironically. he loves his dog and his girlfriend [who does ridic things on the internet]. he also loves his goddamn band.
+ spencer smith: drums like a demon. androgyny never looked as hot. he used to be the one with the chubby cheeks but he rocks the new body and face with aplomb. he’s devoted to his best friend, ryan. he manned up and called to tell his friend from childhood that it wasn’t working anymore and they wanted him out [whatever you feel on this one, it had to be hard.] his fear of needles which he admits too. when you see him drum, you can just SEE how into it he is.
+ brendon urie: his cute stupid little grinning face. he’s adorably goofy and dorky. he can be a total snarky bitch in interviews [with sidekick jon walker.]. he gets horribly HORRIBLY bad tattoos and sports it without irony, even proudly. he dances like a doof and plays piano, still takes lessons to get better. and says shit like, “this year my balls dropped.” such a boy, a goofy little fey boy. gets up and keeps on even after getting a bottle to the face. gets giggly when an older woman flashes her boobulas at him.
+ jon walker: he spent years on the road with tai. he asked tom conrad to join them on tour to take pictures. he had/has an lj for his photography. he joined the band as a replacement bassist, but they kept him. he’s a cool dude who doesn’t mind getting into tacky jumpsuits with pete wentz and posing ridiculously for paparazzi. he’s a dude’s dude in a band full of slightly femme dudes. his penchant for flip flops endears him to me. Keeps playing even when people wing shit at his head, like bottles.
+ the band as a whole: i have NEVER had a bad time at one of their shows. they play as hard as they goof. there’s actual stage AFFECTION for each other on stage. they like each other. they proclaim their love for each other on stage, bonus head touches, hugs and kisses to the temple. even with the dancers and the circus on stage, they’ve never failed to entertain me. i don’t/haven’t/won’t spend money on a ticket to see “The Gay”. first and foremost, i’m there for the music.
gym class heroes
+ travis mccoy: he’s the front man. he is from upstate and talks about it with such love and respect, it makes me smile. homepride and homelove gets to me. his style of rapping and flow appeal to me as i spent most of my formative years in the bay area and heard freestyle and such in garages and battles. he is intelligent, sexy, and eloquent in the turns of phrases and even in his insults in his songs. rauchy at times but never in such as the “mainstream” rap genre. it’s smart. his songs tell stories. he loves his goddamn friends. i love that he discusses bennigan’s menu with my friends. i love that he grew up as a tagger and has no shame in admitting that he fucked up a bunch when he was younger. he’s living the dream and he talks about it with such fucking awe. he shout outs his friends in song. a whole entire song about it actually [see: taxi driver]
+ disashi lumumba- kasongo: plays and plays and keeps playing. and with a smile. i’ve never seen one guy so into his playing [aside from ray toro and frank iero. we’ll get to them.]
+ eric roberts aka “the hot bassist”: he quotes monty python. nuf said.
+ matt mcginley: surprisingly candid about his mexican jail experience. Haha. started up the band after he met travis in gym class. yes, i know.
+ the band as a whole: they call out and are digusted by drunken bitches at their show. they always seemed surprised at their/that they have fans.
cobra starship
+ gabe saporta: was in midtown [fanboyed by many of the other bandom dudes]. makes happy dancey music and does so knowingly. he seems surprised by his popularity and the fact that his side project is still around. he can make you dance to a song about locking you in the basement and you still sing along and like it. he writes a many paged rebuttal to a myspace battle, intelligently [i know myspace and intelligent at times do not go together, but he did so. courteously even.]. he brought back the keytar. he wears a justin timberlake necklace.
+ alex suarez: he takes lovely pictures of lovely boys. he keeps me updated via myspace blogs. And really he’s a-fucking-dorable.
+ nate novarro: so quiet and unassuming, but adorable and i kind of want to pinch his cheeks each time i see him.
+ ryland blackington: so damn tall and kind of funny about it. jokes with fans and always stops for photos.
+ victoria asher aka vickyt: rocks the keytar. wears babydoll dresses and wears them well. speaks well and has no problem poking fun at herself. baby voice or not, i think she’s hot as hell.
the band as a whole: they have so much fun playing together. they bounce around and really… a keytar! they just seem like a group of people i could hang and have a beer with and talk about random shit.
cobra starship: supergroup
+ gabe saporta: see above. he makes my real life and fandom life touch, but hey. that’s cool.
+ william beckett: fey and flighty and just wants WANTS to be mick jagger. it’s kind of adorable.
+ travis mccoy: one of my fondest memory of a summer ago was jessa and i driving through the streets of l.a. and blasting snakes on a plane and doing travis mccoy’s rap [before it was released as a single as a rip from the internet]. he’s just so fucking smart in his rap. it just makes me smile. the fact that he says he uses his face as an instrument because that’s what he’s got to work with.
+ maja ivarsson: one of the biggest things i love about the girls in “bandom” is that they are all so fucking fierce [yes, even greta in her own way] and confident and sexy in that confidence. they can roll with the boys and still not lose that sexy femme thing. she takes things in stride when interviewed with the other 3 boys and doesn’t let them talk over her.
+ the band as a whole: they just fit together so well in the video and the song. they came together and just worked. they made that song for me.
all american rejects
[i have no idea if i should be including them, but i love them so i will.]
+ tyson ritter: model good looks and fronts a rock n’ roll band. he’s goofy and dorky with his bandmates. he’s a good ol’ boy from oklahoma that really isn’t a good ol’ boy. loves his family and his band. his hiatus with the band aren’t really so much as they keep playing gigs.
+ nick wheeler: as a fangirl, i love fanboys who love their own bands. both he and ty love their bands and they show it/talk about it/squee about it. he fucking plays like a dream and his smile for the fans and for ty and the rest of his band? you can’t help but smile back. did i mention he loves the muppets? points all over for that. he left college because he missed ty.
+ mike kennerty: wears ghostbusters tshirts. plays so hard he’s in danger of falling into the pit. whirls and twirls and just SMILES at the fans that it makes you so fucking glad you are there and that you know the words.
+ chris gaylor: should never wear a shirt. ever. he talks about his sensitive prostate and life on the road and being picked on, but he does it with such fondness like these guys are his brothers that… it doesn’t matter. he plays so fucking hard and has two expressions when he plays in “I LOVE MY JOB!” and “I LOVE MY BAND!”
+ the band as a whole: they got tattoos for each other, they would have had them over their hearts, except that ¾ of the band play guitars/bass so the straps would rub against the tattoo. they got them on the opposite side, in solidarity and love chris got it on that side too.
the academy is…
+ william beckett: oh what can i say about william beckett? he wants to be a rockstar and tries really hard at it. not the best singer or the best lyrics, but there’s potential. it’s kind of simmering there, but i can see it. he’s legs and hair and charisma. probably real life bill beckett is a douche, but he gives the basis for great fanon bill beckett. i love him for that.
+ andy “the butcher” mrotek: tattoos. artistic ability. i loved him with the beard. i love him without it. he drums like a madman. pink short shorts or tight, tight pants for him to play in. and never a shirt. he’s a photographer and… yes.i love artistic guys. It makes me happy.
+ mike carden: …he threw me a pick. it hit me in the eye and landed in my cleavage. yay. heh.
+ adam siska: lex likes him. he can’t be that bad. ;)
the band as a whole: it’s hard to take your eyes off william, but again they just like playing with each other. they like their fans and give their all in the shows.
the used
+ jepha howard: it always comes back to jeph. tattoos [I have a thing.]. rips on the bass and looks damn good in a dress. vocal about his vegetarianism. does interviews naked with just a pineapple on his junk. names his basses after his friends [see bob bryar bass]. i could go on and on about jepha.
+ bert mccracken: i like bert if only for the the aol sessions he did with gerard. he’s self destructive and makes me both at times shake my head and sigh. i love that he keeps on, even if i think he needs an intervention.
+ quinn allman: has a tendency to play naked. good times.
+ branden steineckert: original drummer. stayed in a band with drug use and alcohol and remained true to his straight edge roots.
+ dan whitesides: he makes baking cookies funny.
+ the band as a whole: i love their music. full stop.
afi
+ davey havok: talk about bending genders. his fans are scary, but he always seems so damn smart in interviews [bitchy and snarky sure, but adorably so.]. he’s from ukiah and made it out. that’s admirable.
+ jade puget: he trusts davey. he trusts his band. they’ve been in this for a long long time and worked their way up from basically nothing.
+ hunter bergman: the calm cool collected one that I feel is kind of the other mastermind behind the band’s success.
+ adam carson: the quiet one that at times gets ignored. he takes pictures with fans even when their management is kind of douche-y about it. he was just a really nice guy to me when i met him.
+ the band as a whole: they lead a nation of fans that are fucking scary as shit, but they respect and love them. i have no doubt because they thank them at every opportunity.
…and
fall out boy
+ patrick stump: he drives a honda. he is a little chubby and is self conscious. his mouth is made for sin. he sings so damn well. he’s the voice and pete’s got the words. he picks up instruments just to see if he can play them [like the trumpet]. he loves prince and morris day and the time. he loves, loves, LOVES music. he produces for his friends. he wears funny sweatshirts. he is self deprecating and knows that that the trucker hats are out of style, but wears them anyway. he lets pete talk him into stupid shit, because really that’s what best friends are for. he admits to having a bit of a temper, and seems not ashamed of it, but just kind of matter of fact about it. he’s a musician’s musician.
+ pete wentz: he came from the hardcore scene and gets called a sell out. he takes it in stride and just keeps putting out records with his friends. he comes back from p33ngate and wears shirts that mock himself. he is a tiny whirling bassist. he admits that he’s not the best bassist but keeps at it. his blogs make me again shake my head and want to noogie the dude. he’s older than i am, and fully admits his fascination with peter pan. he’s dating ashlee simpson [she makes him happy, but whatever. i don’t have to like it. i like that he’s happier. but I still think she’s a waste.] and while I might not like it, he does. he’s got a history of crazyface gfs, and he just might be in a real relationship. And he seems to be doing okay. he’s fully aware of his mistakes and admits to them. he might be a douche, but he’s our douche and he puts the lyrics to the songs i love. he advocates causes and tries [to the best of my knowledge] to promote awareness for the plight of children in africa. he writes songs like “gay is not a synonym for shitty” and is unapologetic for it.
+ andy hurley: he’s the quiet guy who grew up in a single parent household. he stays true to his straight edge roots and when joe smokes around him, he pulls his sweatshirt up over his face. he’s vocal about his vegetarianism and comes from the hardcore scene as well. when you see the guy play he is so fucking focused on drumming. he’s so intent on it. he plays to play the music and i am pretty sure he’d still be playing even if he wasn’t playing arenas.
+ joe trohman: is a lovable dude who has wild hair and even wilder stage presence. he rocks out and whirls around and fucking loves his fans. he’s always been super nice to all my friends who have met him. one day joseph trohman, one day i will meet you and hear that lisp in person. he is so in love with his gf and with his guitars. he has one of the nicest bachelor pads i’ve ever seen on cribs. he says that if his house was on fire he wouldn’t save his guitars, or toys, or clothes but the bear that his grandpa gave him on the day that he was born. he loves his bandmates and is the youngest member of the band but just seems so damn mature. he just loves to rock and shows it every time i see them play.
+ the band as a whole: they always, and i mean, always put on a show that i am never ever disappointed by. their stage patter makes me giggle. they engage the crowd and they respect their fans. they keep ticket prices low because pete’s aware that his fanbase is scraping together allowance money and not dipping into 401Ks like other bands that have been a while longer.
my chemical romance
+ mikey way: the one that really got me into the band. no really. he was. he was every fey boy in a band that I loved in middle school. he was kind of awkward with glasses. he’s everyone’s younger brother. he picked up bass so he could be in his brother’s band. he came up with the band name. he’s married to someone that…he loves? good on him. he says shit like, “Gerard’s always been my older brother.” he makes the other band members smile and he loves his brother. and jersey unironically and proudly.
+ ray toro: if I had to pick a musician that i would like to be if I could be a musician, i would pick ray toro. he plays like a maniac, but respects the craft. he keeps at it. he doesn’t stop. he has his hand in almost all the processes of the creative input for each and every album. he doesn’t mind not being the front man as long as he can play. he follows gerard on that stage and plays like a fucking god. he wanted parts of The Black Parade to sound like classical music because it’s what fit. he takes his influences from brian may and always, always, ALWAYS acts as if he’s surprised that people know him and recognize him. he’s one of the hardest working members of the band. if not the hardest. he, i have no doubt, would keep playing guitar if the band broke up tomorrow. he would play JUST TO PLAY. he loves music that much. he loves his girlfriend and appears to be devoted to her just as much as he is to the music. he’s got great fluffy hair that i just kind of want to tug on. and he’s got a laugh that i would like to replicate so i can hear it all the time. also he has great thighs, chest, and a phenomenal ass. sorry, i’ll be shallow, but really up close and sweaty? humina. Best Bucket of Chicken EverTM
+ bob bryar: he works hard. he has a degree for sound. he worked on crappy tours before getting picked up by the used and then he went and teched for mcr through europe without pay. he never gave up on being a drummer and teched for them because he respected them as a band. he was a fan of the band before he joined. he hates being photographed but stays with it because he’s in the band. he doesn’t mind being the odd man out. he doesn’t slack in his duties and has been dubbed one of the hardest working members of the band [and that’s a damn lot of praise considering how hard the other members of the band work.]. he stays friends with and was such good friends with jepha that jepha named a bass after him. he was so irate and loved the band so much that when matt p. was causing drama bob wanted to and threaten to throw matt out a window. he loves this band so much that he plays with burns on his legs and a staph infection and almost dies [we don’t condone this, but he’s a crazy damn bastard and does it anyway.]. frank iero: “I thank God every day for Bob Bryar.” he considers himself honorary jersey because he’s there so much with the band. and the band does too.
+ frank iero: he started off being my chem’s fanboy. he gave them their first practice space. he joined the band and then a few days later went on tour, when they asked. he’s been in the scene since he was a teen. he has been with the same girl since high school, before he got big. when asked what he thought was sexy he said his girlfriend. And when razzed, he simply answered with, “I’ll get presents!” he may say that he doesn’t work as hard as ray or bob, but he works damn hard on stage every damn time he’s there. the man plays through sicknesses and cracked sinus cavities [he had to go home, but still.]. he keeps playing even when he gets sick almost every tour. he plays because he loves it, because he has to. he puts everything into every damn show he’s in. he wears shirts like, “homophobia is gay”. he’s been vocal about homophobia, sexism, racism, etc. he loves his band. he loves new jersey. he has tattoos commemorating both. he loves his family. he gets tattoos of his family [see: big frank (grandfather) tattoo on his left arm] he has a side project so he can be the not nice guy. he fully admits he’s not perfect. he makes bob bryar laugh. he’s all of 8 years old and annoying but he’s also adorable as fuck. he plays when he’s bleeding. he plays with an oxygen mask on. he writhes on the floor and GIVES HIS ALL. he loves the misfits. he loves his dog to the points of obesity [hah.]. he still gets nervous before going on stage. he loves his fans. he will stay hours after the show and sign autographs in the rain, snow, whatever. he talks to them and makes them feel included. he giggles. he has magic tricks. he plays like he’s a part of not only the song but his guitar. he names his guitars after harry potter characters [pansy, bela, sissy]. he is a harry potter fanboy and admits it. he climbs bob bryar like a tree. he has stomach issues, but plays on [he gets concert stomach like me.] he started a music/artist co-op type website. he runs it with his girlfriend who he loves to no end and is vocal about it and gets tattoos for [a couple]. he is vocal and violent at times when people say shit about the people he cares about. he has no problem being affection with his bandmates on and off stage. he will wait in line at comicon just so he can make gerard laugh as he and jamia wait for their turn to get something signed. he makes worm and security’s job tough, but there is no doubt that security and crew love the guy. while mikey way is the younger brother everyone loves, frank iero is the middle child that is always getting into trouble but you can not help but love him.
+ gerard way: he started off as a comic book artist/cartoonist. he is a geek. he plays d&d. he loves comics. he was the fat kid in school. he was the geeky kid in school. he played peter pan with a costume his grandmother made for him. he loves his little brother and says it. he loves his family. he loves new jersey. he admits to fearing needles. he started the band in response to 9/11. he wrote their first song [Skylines and Turnstiles] in response and what he was feeling in relation to 9/11. while in college he dressed up as a girl, just to see how it would feel and if he would be treated differently. he loved his grandmother deeply. he wrote a song about her passing and was emotionally moved when they were making the video. he was an alcoholic and addict and is now celebrating 3 years sober. he proclaims this proudly during a show. he loves this band so damn much. he plays sick and vomiting, and still gives a damn fine performance where fans who were there still had no idea he was sick. he wears skeleton pjs in the middle of the tenderloin in san francisco. he writes things on his neck. he’s gotten called faggot and queer and homo by other people in the scene and kept on. he traveled on tours where they got paid just enough to make gas and lodging and subsisted on chips and free waters. he never forgets about his fans. he says without any form of artifice that this band saved his life. he loves his fans. he will stand in the cold and sign autographs and get INCENSED when staff from a venue tries to back into said fans [us vs. gmc = scary]. he has no problem throwing himself into every goddamn show. he lets his bandmates kick him in the nuts and he keeps singing. he writes smart lyrics. you might not like the music, but the lyrics are solid. when gerard way sings, angels do not appear and the ground does not quake with the grandness of his voice. but as a fan it moves me. he sings with conviction and passion. he believes in the lyrics he’s written and you can hear it, feel it. he doesn’t consider himself a savior [though many kids might, i have seen enough shirts proclaiming such.], but he respects the role he has in the process and the mantle of being in the public eye. he does the same things he used to do in small shitty clubs that he does on stage now. it’s progressed, but it’s the same thing. he cares about his fans and makes damn sure as shit that if people fall down in the pit that people get picked the fuck up. he has body issues still even though he’s not the fat kid in school. he loves this band like a family and band of brothers in the trenches. he’s living out every comic geek’s wet dream and writing a comic book for dark horse. he has rallied against homophobia, racism, sexism, and oppression. at shows [like warped] that i have been at, he has said flat out that if you are a homophobe, chauvinist, racist, etc. he doesn’t want you buying their record or their merch or going to their show. this is not a new occurrence. he doesn’t have to say that shit, he never did, but he does. he still does. he started this band and even as he was hitting bottom with his addiction, he says that the band saved his life.
+ the band as a whole: they play the music they want. i have never heard them say they were a specific type of music. they might say they were influenced by x, y, z type of music but they never claimed to be goth rock or punk or whatever. they were labeled with what they were labeled with. they’re just a bunch of dudes who play music they love. they have all at some point or another bled or been injured for this band [physically and/or mentally]. they continue to be fanboys of the bands they grew up with and are not ashamed of that fact. they get geeky with each other. they’re guys who play video games. they spend money on guitars. they are continually trying to get better at what they do. they play gigs broken, burnt, and bleeding. they play for the fans and the music. when they talk about meeting bands they admire they sound exactly like fans who get to meet their idols. they love the craft of music making and creating. they all have their own side projects but they come back to the band because that’s what they want to do. every show i have been to where mcr has been on the bill [headliner or not], i have never EVER walked away unsatisfied with their set. they will bill themselves twice as two separate bands to give their fans a two hour set. they make fun of themselves and each other all the time. they make going to their shows fun. i have met some of the best people because of this band. i have shared the most amazing experiences at their shows with new and old friends. they work damn hard every damn time they go out there. they act surprised a lot of the time at their fame and popularity - they were just this small new jersey band and now they’re… playing all over the world. they didn’t expect it and they show their respect for that fact alone in interviews and during shows. they make going to their shows worthwhile. i have never left a my chem show without distinct and memorable bits to take away from. i have never NOT been moved at one of their shows. they make the show fun, funny, and touching. THEY make me feel good about being a fan. they create a safe place for fans. they make it comfortable to be a fan. they make a safe space to scream and cry and rage along right with them, respectfully. i go to shows and scream right along with them and they give that back a hundred fold. i have left their shows beaten, bruised, and sore, but never EVER sorry for being there.
bandom as a whole has brought me a lot of joy, lots of friends, and an outlet to squee and to just have fun. this is not my first rodeo. i cut my teeth on other fandoms before this and was perfectly happy buying tickets, watching tv shows, and reading books. this fandom? is so much more interactive. it has brought me closer to people that i had known previously, but hadn’t connected to on such a level. is it a fandom comprised of youngsters for the most part? yes. yes, it is. but it doesn’t stop me or my friends from benefiting from the music and the relationships the bands have with each other.
so, in summation, i love my fandom gay, straight, bi or not. just like i think my bands would love me if i were gay, straight, bi or not.
so, yes. i got a tad wordy. ;)
MAKE LOVE, NOT WANK.
tell me what you love. leave it here. any flames or such? hey, it's my lj, i'll go ahead and delete 'em. it gets really crazy? i'll just lock it up.
all typos, misspellings, run on sentences and fragments are mine & no one else’s. just as this above is my opinion.
bandom wank, et al. i don't feel like linking. if you're aware, you know what's going on. if not, then count yourself lucky. this post is not for that. have your opinions, feel free. that's what they are there for. i may not agree, but that's, hey, my opinion too.
i am, if you are not familiar with this lj, not in most of these bands' target demographic. i was born at the tail end of the 70s and am a good deal older than a lot of the fans that go to these shows. is that embarrassing sometimes? yes. is it awkward that i’m older than some/most of the members of certain bands? hell yes. does this make me better or more knowledgeable than the younger fans? sometimes more knowledgeable, but not better. does it detract from my enjoyment of the bands? hell the fuck no.
i like my fandom. i don’t feel like we’re the oppressed masses. but, again, you are entitled to your opinions. i’m proud of the bandslashers’/bandom’s responses. they’ve been intelligent and well thought off. if you think the “stage gay” is offensive then that is your prerogative to think so. that’s not what this space is about. this post is not about being one of the persecuted masses, but from a fan who loves the bands she follows. just take it as that. i’m not going to start mess with anyone. i don’t want that. it’s not why i’m in fandom. i fully understand why people are upset over the recent events, but fandom is a safe place for me to enjoy the things i love.
i spent a good amount of years getting my degrees on such cases. i work every day with children that face issues of race, sex, gender, socioeconomic disadvantages. i talk with and work with most of these bands’ target demographic. they love the music first and foremost. just like i do.
enough time's been spent wanking, let's get to the love. so, in no short order and in direct inspiration from lovelypoet's post, i bring you the things i love from my bands. so, the “stage gay” not withstanding these the things i love about my bands. [also, if anyone has a link to iphignia939’s post o’ love, i’d love to link to that too. if it isn’t locked and such.] eta- here it is!
++ these are the bands i love/like. whether or not you consider them a part of “bandom” [I still have no idea who that entails.], i’m going to include them.
panic!at the disco
+ ryan ross: this kid came from a homelife where his parents were divorced, father alcoholic, and he got treated indifferently by his mother leaving him with his father. he grew up idolizing mcr and fob and blink 182. he writes the lyrics and he’s kind of blah in interviews at times, but he’s a real guy. who could be a lot more fucked up than he is. he takes lessons to improve his guitar skills and singing lessons as well. he dresses like steve martin from parenthood in that cowboy costume and does so unironically. he loves his dog and his girlfriend [who does ridic things on the internet]. he also loves his goddamn band.
+ spencer smith: drums like a demon. androgyny never looked as hot. he used to be the one with the chubby cheeks but he rocks the new body and face with aplomb. he’s devoted to his best friend, ryan. he manned up and called to tell his friend from childhood that it wasn’t working anymore and they wanted him out [whatever you feel on this one, it had to be hard.] his fear of needles which he admits too. when you see him drum, you can just SEE how into it he is.
+ brendon urie: his cute stupid little grinning face. he’s adorably goofy and dorky. he can be a total snarky bitch in interviews [with sidekick jon walker.]. he gets horribly HORRIBLY bad tattoos and sports it without irony, even proudly. he dances like a doof and plays piano, still takes lessons to get better. and says shit like, “this year my balls dropped.” such a boy, a goofy little fey boy. gets up and keeps on even after getting a bottle to the face. gets giggly when an older woman flashes her boobulas at him.
+ jon walker: he spent years on the road with tai. he asked tom conrad to join them on tour to take pictures. he had/has an lj for his photography. he joined the band as a replacement bassist, but they kept him. he’s a cool dude who doesn’t mind getting into tacky jumpsuits with pete wentz and posing ridiculously for paparazzi. he’s a dude’s dude in a band full of slightly femme dudes. his penchant for flip flops endears him to me. Keeps playing even when people wing shit at his head, like bottles.
+ the band as a whole: i have NEVER had a bad time at one of their shows. they play as hard as they goof. there’s actual stage AFFECTION for each other on stage. they like each other. they proclaim their love for each other on stage, bonus head touches, hugs and kisses to the temple. even with the dancers and the circus on stage, they’ve never failed to entertain me. i don’t/haven’t/won’t spend money on a ticket to see “The Gay”. first and foremost, i’m there for the music.
gym class heroes
+ travis mccoy: he’s the front man. he is from upstate and talks about it with such love and respect, it makes me smile. homepride and homelove gets to me. his style of rapping and flow appeal to me as i spent most of my formative years in the bay area and heard freestyle and such in garages and battles. he is intelligent, sexy, and eloquent in the turns of phrases and even in his insults in his songs. rauchy at times but never in such as the “mainstream” rap genre. it’s smart. his songs tell stories. he loves his goddamn friends. i love that he discusses bennigan’s menu with my friends. i love that he grew up as a tagger and has no shame in admitting that he fucked up a bunch when he was younger. he’s living the dream and he talks about it with such fucking awe. he shout outs his friends in song. a whole entire song about it actually [see: taxi driver]
+ disashi lumumba- kasongo: plays and plays and keeps playing. and with a smile. i’ve never seen one guy so into his playing [aside from ray toro and frank iero. we’ll get to them.]
+ eric roberts aka “the hot bassist”: he quotes monty python. nuf said.
+ matt mcginley: surprisingly candid about his mexican jail experience. Haha. started up the band after he met travis in gym class. yes, i know.
+ the band as a whole: they call out and are digusted by drunken bitches at their show. they always seemed surprised at their/that they have fans.
cobra starship
+ gabe saporta: was in midtown [fanboyed by many of the other bandom dudes]. makes happy dancey music and does so knowingly. he seems surprised by his popularity and the fact that his side project is still around. he can make you dance to a song about locking you in the basement and you still sing along and like it. he writes a many paged rebuttal to a myspace battle, intelligently [i know myspace and intelligent at times do not go together, but he did so. courteously even.]. he brought back the keytar. he wears a justin timberlake necklace.
+ alex suarez: he takes lovely pictures of lovely boys. he keeps me updated via myspace blogs. And really he’s a-fucking-dorable.
+ nate novarro: so quiet and unassuming, but adorable and i kind of want to pinch his cheeks each time i see him.
+ ryland blackington: so damn tall and kind of funny about it. jokes with fans and always stops for photos.
+ victoria asher aka vickyt: rocks the keytar. wears babydoll dresses and wears them well. speaks well and has no problem poking fun at herself. baby voice or not, i think she’s hot as hell.
the band as a whole: they have so much fun playing together. they bounce around and really… a keytar! they just seem like a group of people i could hang and have a beer with and talk about random shit.
cobra starship: supergroup
+ gabe saporta: see above. he makes my real life and fandom life touch, but hey. that’s cool.
+ william beckett: fey and flighty and just wants WANTS to be mick jagger. it’s kind of adorable.
+ travis mccoy: one of my fondest memory of a summer ago was jessa and i driving through the streets of l.a. and blasting snakes on a plane and doing travis mccoy’s rap [before it was released as a single as a rip from the internet]. he’s just so fucking smart in his rap. it just makes me smile. the fact that he says he uses his face as an instrument because that’s what he’s got to work with.
+ maja ivarsson: one of the biggest things i love about the girls in “bandom” is that they are all so fucking fierce [yes, even greta in her own way] and confident and sexy in that confidence. they can roll with the boys and still not lose that sexy femme thing. she takes things in stride when interviewed with the other 3 boys and doesn’t let them talk over her.
+ the band as a whole: they just fit together so well in the video and the song. they came together and just worked. they made that song for me.
all american rejects
[i have no idea if i should be including them, but i love them so i will.]
+ tyson ritter: model good looks and fronts a rock n’ roll band. he’s goofy and dorky with his bandmates. he’s a good ol’ boy from oklahoma that really isn’t a good ol’ boy. loves his family and his band. his hiatus with the band aren’t really so much as they keep playing gigs.
+ nick wheeler: as a fangirl, i love fanboys who love their own bands. both he and ty love their bands and they show it/talk about it/squee about it. he fucking plays like a dream and his smile for the fans and for ty and the rest of his band? you can’t help but smile back. did i mention he loves the muppets? points all over for that. he left college because he missed ty.
+ mike kennerty: wears ghostbusters tshirts. plays so hard he’s in danger of falling into the pit. whirls and twirls and just SMILES at the fans that it makes you so fucking glad you are there and that you know the words.
+ chris gaylor: should never wear a shirt. ever. he talks about his sensitive prostate and life on the road and being picked on, but he does it with such fondness like these guys are his brothers that… it doesn’t matter. he plays so fucking hard and has two expressions when he plays in “I LOVE MY JOB!” and “I LOVE MY BAND!”
+ the band as a whole: they got tattoos for each other, they would have had them over their hearts, except that ¾ of the band play guitars/bass so the straps would rub against the tattoo. they got them on the opposite side, in solidarity and love chris got it on that side too.
the academy is…
+ william beckett: oh what can i say about william beckett? he wants to be a rockstar and tries really hard at it. not the best singer or the best lyrics, but there’s potential. it’s kind of simmering there, but i can see it. he’s legs and hair and charisma. probably real life bill beckett is a douche, but he gives the basis for great fanon bill beckett. i love him for that.
+ andy “the butcher” mrotek: tattoos. artistic ability. i loved him with the beard. i love him without it. he drums like a madman. pink short shorts or tight, tight pants for him to play in. and never a shirt. he’s a photographer and… yes.i love artistic guys. It makes me happy.
+ mike carden: …he threw me a pick. it hit me in the eye and landed in my cleavage. yay. heh.
+ adam siska: lex likes him. he can’t be that bad. ;)
the band as a whole: it’s hard to take your eyes off william, but again they just like playing with each other. they like their fans and give their all in the shows.
the used
+ jepha howard: it always comes back to jeph. tattoos [I have a thing.]. rips on the bass and looks damn good in a dress. vocal about his vegetarianism. does interviews naked with just a pineapple on his junk. names his basses after his friends [see bob bryar bass]. i could go on and on about jepha.
+ bert mccracken: i like bert if only for the the aol sessions he did with gerard. he’s self destructive and makes me both at times shake my head and sigh. i love that he keeps on, even if i think he needs an intervention.
+ quinn allman: has a tendency to play naked. good times.
+ branden steineckert: original drummer. stayed in a band with drug use and alcohol and remained true to his straight edge roots.
+ dan whitesides: he makes baking cookies funny.
+ the band as a whole: i love their music. full stop.
afi
+ davey havok: talk about bending genders. his fans are scary, but he always seems so damn smart in interviews [bitchy and snarky sure, but adorably so.]. he’s from ukiah and made it out. that’s admirable.
+ jade puget: he trusts davey. he trusts his band. they’ve been in this for a long long time and worked their way up from basically nothing.
+ hunter bergman: the calm cool collected one that I feel is kind of the other mastermind behind the band’s success.
+ adam carson: the quiet one that at times gets ignored. he takes pictures with fans even when their management is kind of douche-y about it. he was just a really nice guy to me when i met him.
+ the band as a whole: they lead a nation of fans that are fucking scary as shit, but they respect and love them. i have no doubt because they thank them at every opportunity.
…and
fall out boy
+ patrick stump: he drives a honda. he is a little chubby and is self conscious. his mouth is made for sin. he sings so damn well. he’s the voice and pete’s got the words. he picks up instruments just to see if he can play them [like the trumpet]. he loves prince and morris day and the time. he loves, loves, LOVES music. he produces for his friends. he wears funny sweatshirts. he is self deprecating and knows that that the trucker hats are out of style, but wears them anyway. he lets pete talk him into stupid shit, because really that’s what best friends are for. he admits to having a bit of a temper, and seems not ashamed of it, but just kind of matter of fact about it. he’s a musician’s musician.
+ pete wentz: he came from the hardcore scene and gets called a sell out. he takes it in stride and just keeps putting out records with his friends. he comes back from p33ngate and wears shirts that mock himself. he is a tiny whirling bassist. he admits that he’s not the best bassist but keeps at it. his blogs make me again shake my head and want to noogie the dude. he’s older than i am, and fully admits his fascination with peter pan. he’s dating ashlee simpson [she makes him happy, but whatever. i don’t have to like it. i like that he’s happier. but I still think she’s a waste.] and while I might not like it, he does. he’s got a history of crazyface gfs, and he just might be in a real relationship. And he seems to be doing okay. he’s fully aware of his mistakes and admits to them. he might be a douche, but he’s our douche and he puts the lyrics to the songs i love. he advocates causes and tries [to the best of my knowledge] to promote awareness for the plight of children in africa. he writes songs like “gay is not a synonym for shitty” and is unapologetic for it.
+ andy hurley: he’s the quiet guy who grew up in a single parent household. he stays true to his straight edge roots and when joe smokes around him, he pulls his sweatshirt up over his face. he’s vocal about his vegetarianism and comes from the hardcore scene as well. when you see the guy play he is so fucking focused on drumming. he’s so intent on it. he plays to play the music and i am pretty sure he’d still be playing even if he wasn’t playing arenas.
+ joe trohman: is a lovable dude who has wild hair and even wilder stage presence. he rocks out and whirls around and fucking loves his fans. he’s always been super nice to all my friends who have met him. one day joseph trohman, one day i will meet you and hear that lisp in person. he is so in love with his gf and with his guitars. he has one of the nicest bachelor pads i’ve ever seen on cribs. he says that if his house was on fire he wouldn’t save his guitars, or toys, or clothes but the bear that his grandpa gave him on the day that he was born. he loves his bandmates and is the youngest member of the band but just seems so damn mature. he just loves to rock and shows it every time i see them play.
+ the band as a whole: they always, and i mean, always put on a show that i am never ever disappointed by. their stage patter makes me giggle. they engage the crowd and they respect their fans. they keep ticket prices low because pete’s aware that his fanbase is scraping together allowance money and not dipping into 401Ks like other bands that have been a while longer.
my chemical romance
+ mikey way: the one that really got me into the band. no really. he was. he was every fey boy in a band that I loved in middle school. he was kind of awkward with glasses. he’s everyone’s younger brother. he picked up bass so he could be in his brother’s band. he came up with the band name. he’s married to someone that…he loves? good on him. he says shit like, “Gerard’s always been my older brother.” he makes the other band members smile and he loves his brother. and jersey unironically and proudly.
+ ray toro: if I had to pick a musician that i would like to be if I could be a musician, i would pick ray toro. he plays like a maniac, but respects the craft. he keeps at it. he doesn’t stop. he has his hand in almost all the processes of the creative input for each and every album. he doesn’t mind not being the front man as long as he can play. he follows gerard on that stage and plays like a fucking god. he wanted parts of The Black Parade to sound like classical music because it’s what fit. he takes his influences from brian may and always, always, ALWAYS acts as if he’s surprised that people know him and recognize him. he’s one of the hardest working members of the band. if not the hardest. he, i have no doubt, would keep playing guitar if the band broke up tomorrow. he would play JUST TO PLAY. he loves music that much. he loves his girlfriend and appears to be devoted to her just as much as he is to the music. he’s got great fluffy hair that i just kind of want to tug on. and he’s got a laugh that i would like to replicate so i can hear it all the time. also he has great thighs, chest, and a phenomenal ass. sorry, i’ll be shallow, but really up close and sweaty? humina. Best Bucket of Chicken EverTM
+ bob bryar: he works hard. he has a degree for sound. he worked on crappy tours before getting picked up by the used and then he went and teched for mcr through europe without pay. he never gave up on being a drummer and teched for them because he respected them as a band. he was a fan of the band before he joined. he hates being photographed but stays with it because he’s in the band. he doesn’t mind being the odd man out. he doesn’t slack in his duties and has been dubbed one of the hardest working members of the band [and that’s a damn lot of praise considering how hard the other members of the band work.]. he stays friends with and was such good friends with jepha that jepha named a bass after him. he was so irate and loved the band so much that when matt p. was causing drama bob wanted to and threaten to throw matt out a window. he loves this band so much that he plays with burns on his legs and a staph infection and almost dies [we don’t condone this, but he’s a crazy damn bastard and does it anyway.]. frank iero: “I thank God every day for Bob Bryar.” he considers himself honorary jersey because he’s there so much with the band. and the band does too.
+ frank iero: he started off being my chem’s fanboy. he gave them their first practice space. he joined the band and then a few days later went on tour, when they asked. he’s been in the scene since he was a teen. he has been with the same girl since high school, before he got big. when asked what he thought was sexy he said his girlfriend. And when razzed, he simply answered with, “I’ll get presents!” he may say that he doesn’t work as hard as ray or bob, but he works damn hard on stage every damn time he’s there. the man plays through sicknesses and cracked sinus cavities [he had to go home, but still.]. he keeps playing even when he gets sick almost every tour. he plays because he loves it, because he has to. he puts everything into every damn show he’s in. he wears shirts like, “homophobia is gay”. he’s been vocal about homophobia, sexism, racism, etc. he loves his band. he loves new jersey. he has tattoos commemorating both. he loves his family. he gets tattoos of his family [see: big frank (grandfather) tattoo on his left arm] he has a side project so he can be the not nice guy. he fully admits he’s not perfect. he makes bob bryar laugh. he’s all of 8 years old and annoying but he’s also adorable as fuck. he plays when he’s bleeding. he plays with an oxygen mask on. he writhes on the floor and GIVES HIS ALL. he loves the misfits. he loves his dog to the points of obesity [hah.]. he still gets nervous before going on stage. he loves his fans. he will stay hours after the show and sign autographs in the rain, snow, whatever. he talks to them and makes them feel included. he giggles. he has magic tricks. he plays like he’s a part of not only the song but his guitar. he names his guitars after harry potter characters [pansy, bela, sissy]. he is a harry potter fanboy and admits it. he climbs bob bryar like a tree. he has stomach issues, but plays on [he gets concert stomach like me.] he started a music/artist co-op type website. he runs it with his girlfriend who he loves to no end and is vocal about it and gets tattoos for [a couple]. he is vocal and violent at times when people say shit about the people he cares about. he has no problem being affection with his bandmates on and off stage. he will wait in line at comicon just so he can make gerard laugh as he and jamia wait for their turn to get something signed. he makes worm and security’s job tough, but there is no doubt that security and crew love the guy. while mikey way is the younger brother everyone loves, frank iero is the middle child that is always getting into trouble but you can not help but love him.
+ gerard way: he started off as a comic book artist/cartoonist. he is a geek. he plays d&d. he loves comics. he was the fat kid in school. he was the geeky kid in school. he played peter pan with a costume his grandmother made for him. he loves his little brother and says it. he loves his family. he loves new jersey. he admits to fearing needles. he started the band in response to 9/11. he wrote their first song [Skylines and Turnstiles] in response and what he was feeling in relation to 9/11. while in college he dressed up as a girl, just to see how it would feel and if he would be treated differently. he loved his grandmother deeply. he wrote a song about her passing and was emotionally moved when they were making the video. he was an alcoholic and addict and is now celebrating 3 years sober. he proclaims this proudly during a show. he loves this band so damn much. he plays sick and vomiting, and still gives a damn fine performance where fans who were there still had no idea he was sick. he wears skeleton pjs in the middle of the tenderloin in san francisco. he writes things on his neck. he’s gotten called faggot and queer and homo by other people in the scene and kept on. he traveled on tours where they got paid just enough to make gas and lodging and subsisted on chips and free waters. he never forgets about his fans. he says without any form of artifice that this band saved his life. he loves his fans. he will stand in the cold and sign autographs and get INCENSED when staff from a venue tries to back into said fans [us vs. gmc = scary]. he has no problem throwing himself into every goddamn show. he lets his bandmates kick him in the nuts and he keeps singing. he writes smart lyrics. you might not like the music, but the lyrics are solid. when gerard way sings, angels do not appear and the ground does not quake with the grandness of his voice. but as a fan it moves me. he sings with conviction and passion. he believes in the lyrics he’s written and you can hear it, feel it. he doesn’t consider himself a savior [though many kids might, i have seen enough shirts proclaiming such.], but he respects the role he has in the process and the mantle of being in the public eye. he does the same things he used to do in small shitty clubs that he does on stage now. it’s progressed, but it’s the same thing. he cares about his fans and makes damn sure as shit that if people fall down in the pit that people get picked the fuck up. he has body issues still even though he’s not the fat kid in school. he loves this band like a family and band of brothers in the trenches. he’s living out every comic geek’s wet dream and writing a comic book for dark horse. he has rallied against homophobia, racism, sexism, and oppression. at shows [like warped] that i have been at, he has said flat out that if you are a homophobe, chauvinist, racist, etc. he doesn’t want you buying their record or their merch or going to their show. this is not a new occurrence. he doesn’t have to say that shit, he never did, but he does. he still does. he started this band and even as he was hitting bottom with his addiction, he says that the band saved his life.
+ the band as a whole: they play the music they want. i have never heard them say they were a specific type of music. they might say they were influenced by x, y, z type of music but they never claimed to be goth rock or punk or whatever. they were labeled with what they were labeled with. they’re just a bunch of dudes who play music they love. they have all at some point or another bled or been injured for this band [physically and/or mentally]. they continue to be fanboys of the bands they grew up with and are not ashamed of that fact. they get geeky with each other. they’re guys who play video games. they spend money on guitars. they are continually trying to get better at what they do. they play gigs broken, burnt, and bleeding. they play for the fans and the music. when they talk about meeting bands they admire they sound exactly like fans who get to meet their idols. they love the craft of music making and creating. they all have their own side projects but they come back to the band because that’s what they want to do. every show i have been to where mcr has been on the bill [headliner or not], i have never EVER walked away unsatisfied with their set. they will bill themselves twice as two separate bands to give their fans a two hour set. they make fun of themselves and each other all the time. they make going to their shows fun. i have met some of the best people because of this band. i have shared the most amazing experiences at their shows with new and old friends. they work damn hard every damn time they go out there. they act surprised a lot of the time at their fame and popularity - they were just this small new jersey band and now they’re… playing all over the world. they didn’t expect it and they show their respect for that fact alone in interviews and during shows. they make going to their shows worthwhile. i have never left a my chem show without distinct and memorable bits to take away from. i have never NOT been moved at one of their shows. they make the show fun, funny, and touching. THEY make me feel good about being a fan. they create a safe place for fans. they make it comfortable to be a fan. they make a safe space to scream and cry and rage along right with them, respectfully. i go to shows and scream right along with them and they give that back a hundred fold. i have left their shows beaten, bruised, and sore, but never EVER sorry for being there.
bandom as a whole has brought me a lot of joy, lots of friends, and an outlet to squee and to just have fun. this is not my first rodeo. i cut my teeth on other fandoms before this and was perfectly happy buying tickets, watching tv shows, and reading books. this fandom? is so much more interactive. it has brought me closer to people that i had known previously, but hadn’t connected to on such a level. is it a fandom comprised of youngsters for the most part? yes. yes, it is. but it doesn’t stop me or my friends from benefiting from the music and the relationships the bands have with each other.
so, in summation, i love my fandom gay, straight, bi or not. just like i think my bands would love me if i were gay, straight, bi or not.
so, yes. i got a tad wordy. ;)
MAKE LOVE, NOT WANK.
tell me what you love. leave it here. any flames or such? hey, it's my lj, i'll go ahead and delete 'em. it gets really crazy? i'll just lock it up.
all typos, misspellings, run on sentences and fragments are mine & no one else’s. just as this above is my opinion.