KennyLee Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Just read last few posts before my last. "Religious cult" has negative connotations, obviously; the brain-washing, kool-aid drinking, handing out pamphlets from door to door dressed in funny clothes, subsuming your identity into a larger collective ... you get the idea. "Cult band" tends to have positive connotations in my experience, like its a band worth following despite a lack of popular recognition ... Modern Lovers, Pere Ubu, Phish (from what I understand), etc. Which one does your husband mean is the question. ? Well, I'm sure someone he spoke to told him that Rush is a cult band. My husband wouldn't know the positive connotation, only the negative one associated with religious cults, so that would be what he is thinking they are. Aw, give him the benefit of the doubt. Is he a fan? Rush is a religion to so many. I know countless people who have stated that Rush literally saved their lives at some point. That's powerful shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Principled Man Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Yes, they have a cult following or at least did at one time. Seriously does no one here know what that means? Something that has a loyal dedicated fanbase that is outside the mainstream. Like a cult film. They may be too "mainstream" now to be considered a cult band but I still think they qualify. Their fanbase is very particular and loyal (and even obsessive). "Cult" in this case doesn't imply anything negative. I know all about cults - especially religious cults and cult films - and that is why I disagree with him because I haven't encountered cultish behavior in the majority of the people here. Rock band "cults" are definitely not like religious cults. In the Rock & Roll world, the word "cult" is used rather inaccurately. People love to use the word "cult" for any group of people who have different or "weird" beliefs and habits. In the 70's, when Rush first started making waves in the Rock & Roll world, they attracted a "cult-like" following. 40 years later, the "cult" has evolved and grown into a strong, devout and widespread fanbase. Some fans are extreme; they go to dozens of concerts every tour, and they live for everything Rush. Most fans are more "normal", as they go to at least one concert per tour and they buy every album. If we are to use the word "cult" in religious terms, I would say that Rush fans have grown beyond that designation, moved straight past being a "sect", and are now more of a "denomination". :D :D :D 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savagegrace26 Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 (edited) Yes, they have a cult following or at least did at one time. Seriously does no one here know what that means? Something that has a loyal dedicated fanbase that is outside the mainstream. Like a cult film. They may be too "mainstream" now to be considered a cult band but I still think they qualify. Their fanbase is very particular and loyal (and even obsessive). "Cult" in this case doesn't imply anything negative. I know all about cults - especially religious cults and cult films - and that is why I disagree with him because I haven't encountered cultish behavior in the majority of the people here. Saying something is a cult band or cult film has nothing to do with cults in a religious or crazy sense. It has no negative connotations. It just means something that has a loyal dedicated fanbase outside of the mainstream. You obviously dont know what "cult film" means. Edited July 25, 2014 by savagegrace26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughedatbytime Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 If we are to use the word "cult" in religious terms, I would say that Rush fans have grown beyond that designation, moved straight past being a "sect", and are now more of a "denomination". :D :D :DTrue...most Rush fans move straight past "sects"... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorraine Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 (edited) Just read last few posts before my last. "Religious cult" has negative connotations, obviously; the brain-washing, kool-aid drinking, handing out pamphlets from door to door dressed in funny clothes, subsuming your identity into a larger collective ... you get the idea. "Cult band" tends to have positive connotations in my experience, like its a band worth following despite a lack of popular recognition ... Modern Lovers, Pere Ubu, Phish (from what I understand), etc. Which one does your husband mean is the question. ? Well, I'm sure someone he spoke to told him that Rush is a cult band. My husband wouldn't know the positive connotation, only the negative one associated with religious cults, so that would be what he is thinking they are. Aw, give him the benefit of the doubt. Is he a fan? Rush is a religion to so many. I know countless people who have stated that Rush literally saved their lives at some point. That's powerful shit. No. He's no fan. And there are other bands that have saved people from themselves other than Rush too. That's not unusual either. Edited July 25, 2014 by Lorraine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savagegrace26 Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Rush has a loyal, dedicated, and sometimes even obsessive/crazy fanbase and Rush has not been completely accepted by the mainstream (until maybe recently). I think they are both a mix of mainstream and cult and have traits of both but they certainly arent mainstream like aerosmith or kiss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennyLee Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Just read last few posts before my last. "Religious cult" has negative connotations, obviously; the brain-washing, kool-aid drinking, handing out pamphlets from door to door dressed in funny clothes, subsuming your identity into a larger collective ... you get the idea. "Cult band" tends to have positive connotations in my experience, like its a band worth following despite a lack of popular recognition ... Modern Lovers, Pere Ubu, Phish (from what I understand), etc. Which one does your husband mean is the question. ? Well, I'm sure someone he spoke to told him that Rush is a cult band. My husband wouldn't know the positive connotation, only the negative one associated with religious cults, so that would be what he is thinking they are. Aw, give him the benefit of the doubt. Is he a fan? Rush is a religion to so many. I know countless people who have stated that Rush literally saved their lives at some point. That's powerful shit. No. He's no fan. And there are other bands that have saved people from themselves other than Rush too. That's not unusual either. I would say more so with some bands than others. I highly doubt "For Those About To Rock" or "Born In The USA" type songs have saved many lives. The thinking person's bands can have that effect. I'm certainly in more Rush oriented crowds but I've never heard any other band saving the life of someone I know. Rush, dozens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorraine Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 Just read last few posts before my last. "Religious cult" has negative connotations, obviously; the brain-washing, kool-aid drinking, handing out pamphlets from door to door dressed in funny clothes, subsuming your identity into a larger collective ... you get the idea. "Cult band" tends to have positive connotations in my experience, like its a band worth following despite a lack of popular recognition ... Modern Lovers, Pere Ubu, Phish (from what I understand), etc. Which one does your husband mean is the question. ? Well, I'm sure someone he spoke to told him that Rush is a cult band. My husband wouldn't know the positive connotation, only the negative one associated with religious cults, so that would be what he is thinking they are. Aw, give him the benefit of the doubt. Is he a fan? Rush is a religion to so many. I know countless people who have stated that Rush literally saved their lives at some point. That's powerful shit. No. He's no fan. And there are other bands that have saved people from themselves other than Rush too. That's not unusual either. I would say more so with some bands than others. I highly doubt "For Those About To Rock" or "Born In The USA" type songs have saved many lives. The thinking person's bands can have that effect. I'm certainly in more Rush oriented crowds but I've never heard any other band saving the life of someone I know. Rush, dozens. You don't know any Moody Blues fans obviously. You should talk to some of their more dedicated over sixty fan base and hear what they did for them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rugen Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 You want to know if Rush is a cult band. You get the proof right here... To me i always thought that they were probably the biggest cult band, some kind of devotion close to obsession by people where the music is more important than many things in life and understand something that cannot understand people outside the circle of those fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savagegrace26 Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Yes, they have a cult following or at least did at one time. Seriously does no one here know what that means? Something that has a loyal dedicated fanbase that is outside the mainstream. Like a cult film. They may be too "mainstream" now to be considered a cult band but I still think they qualify. Their fanbase is very particular and loyal (and even obsessive). "Cult" in this case doesn't imply anything negative. I know all about cults - especially religious cults and cult films - and that is why I disagree with him because I haven't encountered cultish behavior in the majority of the people here. The fact that people post here so much and the way they post is evidence of a "cult" following. It has nothing to do with negative or "satanic" or ritualustic behavior (although I'm sure a few people here could fall into those categories). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennyLee Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Just read last few posts before my last. "Religious cult" has negative connotations, obviously; the brain-washing, kool-aid drinking, handing out pamphlets from door to door dressed in funny clothes, subsuming your identity into a larger collective ... you get the idea. "Cult band" tends to have positive connotations in my experience, like its a band worth following despite a lack of popular recognition ... Modern Lovers, Pere Ubu, Phish (from what I understand), etc. Which one does your husband mean is the question. ? Well, I'm sure someone he spoke to told him that Rush is a cult band. My husband wouldn't know the positive connotation, only the negative one associated with religious cults, so that would be what he is thinking they are. Aw, give him the benefit of the doubt. Is he a fan? Rush is a religion to so many. I know countless people who have stated that Rush literally saved their lives at some point. That's powerful shit. No. He's no fan. And there are other bands that have saved people from themselves other than Rush too. That's not unusual either. I would say more so with some bands than others. I highly doubt "For Those About To Rock" or "Born In The USA" type songs have saved many lives. The thinking person's bands can have that effect. I'm certainly in more Rush oriented crowds but I've never heard any other band saving the life of someone I know. Rush, dozens. You don't know any Moody Blues fans obviously. You should talk to some of their more dedicated over sixty fan base and hear what they did for them. A few fans but not die hards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Principled Man Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 You want to know if Rush is a cult band. You get the proof right here... To me i always thought that they were probably the biggest cult band, some kind of devotion close to obsession by people where the music is more important than many things in life ..... It just goes to show how important music is to human beings. If music had not been invented millennia ago, the human race would surely be one cranky species. We would have probably killed each other off by now..... :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorraine Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 You want to know if Rush is a cult band. You get the proof right here... To me i always thought that they were probably the biggest cult band, some kind of devotion close to obsession by people where the music is more important than many things in life ..... It just goes to show how important music is to human beings. If music had not been invented millennia ago, the human race would surely be one cranky species. We would have probably killed each other off by now..... :o Music is always there for us even when no one else is. A very long time ago, Peter Frampton sang a line that I loved: Music is my food of life, don't take it way. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toymaker Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 If we are to use the word "cult" in religious terms, I would say that Rush fans have grown beyond that designation, moved straight past being a "sect", and are now more of a "denomination". :D :D :DTrue...most Rush fans move straight past "sects"...I like sects. I like sects a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rugen Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 20 reasons to love the world's biggest cult band : http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/03/28/obey-rush-20-reasons-love-worlds-biggest-cult-band/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleMoon Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 I agree with most of the posters here. I would say they are a cult band. They become less so as they become more popular and mainstream. It usually is a positive designation when it comes to bands. It denotes quality. The mindless crap that generally gets played on the top 40 stations would be mainstream. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancient Ways Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 I agree, rush has a cult following. It's silly to argue this point since we spend a bunch of time talking to fellow rush fans on a board dedicated to rush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorraine Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 I agree, rush has a cult following. It's silly to argue this point since we spend a bunch of time talking to fellow rush fans on a board dedicated to rush. Maybe some of us have no one else to talk to Rush about except the fans on this board? I don't know whether you read the thread, but it isn't an argument. My husband mentioned it to me, and it is something I had never heard. It came to me to ask about it here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slack jaw gaze Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Well didn't Geddy say himself that Rush was worlds biggest "cult band" or something to that effect?.... But what does that mean - "cult band"? And do you find the people here cultish? I don't.It's used figuratively, not literally. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorraine Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 Well didn't Geddy say himself that Rush was worlds biggest "cult band" or something to that effect?.... But what does that mean - "cult band"? And do you find the people here cultish? I don't.It's used figuratively, not literally. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toymaker Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 I admit I never really thought about the various meanings attached to the word at first, but this thread has made me try to put it into context for myself. I think that when the term is used, it is used in the most positive sense—that Rush fans share an amazing secret, in a way, that anyone who takes the time to immerse themselves will figure out eventually. I know a few people who never thought twice about Rush before I knew them, but after hearing it enough they eventually started hearing little things . . . the pieces were starting to fit together m . . . then they started liking more and more . . . and eventually they started to care about the band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorraine Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 Caring about the band isn't hard to do with the personalities involved. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanadoood Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 They truly are the most popular cult like band. You could say someone like King Crimson is a cult band , but no way they are packing on 12,000 seat arenas. What's f*cked up is I NEVER see anyone with Rush shirts.. Where the hell are all you people? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorraine Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 They truly are the most popular cult like band. You could say someone like King Crimson is a cult band , but no way they are packing on 12,000 seat arenas. What's f*cked up is I NEVER see anyone with Rush shirts.. Where the hell are all you people? I have never seen anyone where I live with a Rush shirt on. Ever. That may be the reason why the last time they played here was in the seventies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanadoood Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 They truly are the most popular cult like band. You could say someone like King Crimson is a cult band , but no way they are packing on 12,000 seat arenas. What's f*cked up is I NEVER see anyone with Rush shirts.. Where the hell are all you people? I have never seen anyone where I live with a Rush shirt on. Ever. That may be the reason why the last time they played here was in the seventies. In the Boston area, the gear is non existent. I think that might have to do with the prevalence of indie rock/ punk type folks..Hard rock/ Metal / Prog isn't big around here.. In the 'burbs, that's a different story. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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