awake and unafraid

[sharpest_rose]

Do you wanna know how bandom saved my life? No, it wasn't that video with the vampires. It was this ridiculous article, of all things.

Because suddenly it was fucking normal and okay to have a mental illness, it was something that rock stars did. Medication was something talked about in a frank, snarky, joking way by Pete.

And now this article

Comments

[spafoom]

...personally, I don't think he's saying that 'Vampire Money' is against " shitty sell-out vampire novels" (and you could never be a sell-out, darling. Your art is too honest and wonderful and too much a part of you for you to even be capable of 'selling-out'.) I think he's saying that he was insulted and angry that people were trying to get them to record a song for the soundtrack for the sole purpose of moving units. The interviewer who inspired the song said directly "So, when are you gonna get in on some of this vampire money?". I think that he was more attacking the notion of doing something solely for the money instead of for the ~art~ or whatever. He's said before that he thinks commerce/distribution and art should be interconnected, so I doubt that he's mad at stuff for being popular, but. I DON'T KNOW. GERARD CONFUSES AND ANNOYS ME SOMETIMES

[immicolia]

The word "sellout" has come to annoy me, because it gets bandied about so much that it's actual meaning has gotten warped to mean "if it is popular and you do it you must be a sellout... especially if I don't like it" when in actual fact it really means "you do it because it is popular and you just want your stuff to be popular too, not because you actually enjoy it or believe in it." THERE IS A DIFFERENCE! A HUGE ONE! Gah. (I'm sorry, I had to get that out, it's been bothering me for a while. I agree with your thoughts a great deal. ^^)

[aphephobia]

To me, selling out is making it big on being honest or promoting an idea, and then changing your mind and going back on all of that when you've made it big. Like... I dunno: if Green Day ever played for a Republican convention in honor of Dubya's time served as president or something.

(I'll admit: I don't like anything Radiohead's done since OK Computer, but I wouldn't call them sellouts. They're still behind the causes they were all for in their early days, they've just changed their sound to one I'm not into, IYKWIM.)

Or... like what these guys have done.

(And... surely I'm not the only one seeing the irony here that they're the ones whinging about selling out, right?)

[immicolia]

I admit, I think my alternate view of it is mostly because I tend to take my art (music especially) on a simple "do I like this?" basis, and interpret it though myself while paying very little attention to the people behind it, and what they may have actually intended. I don't read interviews or really follow the media, and as such I rarely notice when artists pull douchebag moves shifts in opinion. (it's probably terribly shallow and ill-informed of me, I know this. But even bands I love more than anything, I've never been big on seeing them beyond what they create. I just enjoy listening to the music and seeing what it says to me personally. It's just my way... which is certainly nowhere near anyone else's way, and probably not a very good way ultimately. But it's mine.)

But I totally, totally get what you're saying. (and in this sense, no you're not the only one seeing the irony) also, your icon! :D

[spafoom]

I don't think that they actually said anything or whined about selling out. Just that a bunch of people were offering them a lot of money to do a song for Twilight, and they didn't want to do it. And that what they used to do has become 'commoditized' or some weird bullshit. I don't really know, to be honest, the article is kind of a complete mess

[themegs]

if Green Day ever played for a Republican convention in honor of Dubya's time served as president or something.

Your example just gave me a stomach ache.

[aphephobia]

Offers apologies and Gaviscon. ;)

(Also, I love the icon, d00d.)

[themegs]

They've been my babies for an embarrassingly long time now.

[aphephobia]

I remember seeing them out here when I was 15 and they played Festival Hall. I was a seriously obsessed fangirl then-- I ordered in albums that weren't widely available over here bought all the singles for the Bsides, would buy anything for even a vague mention of Green Day in it, and begged and pleaded and annoyed radio stations to either play their music or allow me to get to meet them when they came out here. Thankfully eBay didn't exist then, because I'd have gone nuts on buying stuff there, too.

And everyone said they wouldn't last beyond the post-grunge era. :P I just see them nowadays and think, "Keep rocking on, guys."

[themegs]

Oh God, I remember buying singles to get the B-sides. I remember buying cassette tapes of concert bootlegs for a dollar from the stores that sold candles, incense, black light posters and bongs.

Ebay would have been a problem. The first time I saw them I was also 15 and the ticket was only $12 and still a lot of money to me.

And I have to go to bed, unfortunately. sorry. Nice to meet you! ♥