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What Is A "Hardcore Fan" Anyway?


GeddysMullet
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This set of posts (in the "What Gives..." thread):

 

Most " classic rock " bands avoid their new material, if any , like the plague, cause they know the fans could give a shit .. Rush fans are more hardcore than that.

 

I'm a hardcore "fan", but hate everything after 2000.

I will use the word dis-like. I dis-like most everything from 1986 - 2011. Sounds awful when you think about it doesn't it? It even does to me but it's true. :huh:

 

got me thinking. If someone can hate or dislike vast swathes of a band's output but still think of themselves as a "hardcore fan," what exactly IS a hardcore fan? I went looking for some answers on Google, and I found the following interesting definition of the term "hard core":

 

hard core

n.

1. The most dedicated, unfailingly loyal faction of a group or organization: the hard core of the separatist movement.

2. An intractable core or nucleus of a society, especially one that is stubbornly resistant to improvement or change.

 

Notice if you will that those two definitions are somewhat contradictory to each other, at least when applied to fandom. The dedicated, unfailingly loyal fans, sometimes referred to as "fanbois," believe themselves to be "hardcore" because they unconditionally accept and appreciate a band for whatever they are and whatever they want to do and are unwilling to criticise any aspect of that band whatsoever. The intractable who are stubbornly resistant to change, sometimes referred to as "purists," believe themselves to be "hardcore" because they have a strong fixed vision of what they believe their band should be. No one who disagrees with them about that vision is spared their wrath including the band themselves. Each of these two groups has a set of ways of preaching their viewpoints, and on band forums, often end up in direct and sometimes rancourous opposition to one another. There are of course many examples of this phenomenon right on this very board! :LOL:

 

There are also people who consider themselves to be "hardcore" simply because of all the personal time, effort and resources they devote to pursuing their fandom. They have varying levels of appreciation and acceptance of choices made by the band that don't reflect their personal tastes and desires, and some sympathise more with the "fanbois" while others align somewhat more with the "purists." They don't get much attention because they seldom get involved in major band-related drama. Perhaps we should call these the "Cygni?"

 

So. Thoughts? What IS a "hardcore fan", or what should it be? Is being a "hardcore fan" a good thing, or does it miss the point? I'd love to hear some opinions on this topic!

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By any definition I am a Rush fan and have been since 1976. I guess if the definition of "hardcore" is following blindly and adoring everything and piece of music they have put out, then I am not. With that being said, I would still say that I have "unfailing loyalty" however. I am an AC/DC fan too. Does it mean I am less of a fan because I am not into the stuff produced post 1980? Am I not a Yes fan because I prefer the 1970 - 1980 era Yes more than the rest. At some point it gets down to the simple fact of musical taste no matter who is producing said music. Should I like In Through The Out Door as much as Physical Graffiti? I know I don't. Doesn't mean I'm not a Zeppelin fan. My passion for Rush runs deeper than all of the bands I have mentioned previously. I can feel it but can't explain it. Their music and lyrics are embedded in my heart and soul. I can feel the difference when I listen and when I wear their gear. I feel special and that I have a wonderful secret that is all my own. I probably don't smile as often as I should, but catch me at the moment somebody comes up to me and says "hey love that shirt. I am a fan too". Then they start talking glowingly about my band and their experience...... Yes!!!!!! :D
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I don't consider myself hardcore. At least not since about 1992. Between Signals and Hold Your Fire I was always thinking about Rush, playing their music, and when possible seeing a show. I liked Roll the Bones but around that time my musical interests changed. I was ready to get into something different. I came back around when Geddy released his solo album and looking forward to Vapor Trails, but even then I didn't come back completely into the hard core fan circle.
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I think there is a difference between being a hardcore fan and being a fanboy. Hardcore suggests unfailing loyalty despite any failings whereas being a fanboy suggests you don't even believe there can be failings...
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hard core

n.

1. The most dedicated, unfailingly loyal faction of a group or organization: the hard core of the separatist movement.

2. An intractable core or nucleus of a society, especially one that is stubbornly resistant to improvement or change.

3. material, such as broken bricks, stones, etc, used to form a foundation for a road, paving, building, etc

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y288/Bluefunk/crushed_brickrubble.jpg

:P

I've been a Rush fan since I was a kid (30 something years). They are my main band, the one I never get fed up of. I'm lucky in that I like everything they've done, although I'm prepared to one day find that I don't like something they do. I would think that the definition of a hard core fan would have to be one that thinks like the band, and is accepting of experiments and evolution and failure and success. But, like Geddy and Tai Shan, that doesn't have to mean that the hard core fan has to like everything. It's just that they should be able to say why they don't like it, and what they would prefer to see. And many of the fans on this forum do this perfectly well. :)

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Hard core fan: If you are a guy in a lifeboat with your wife and Rush CD's and you had to choose which you would throw overboard in order to avoid sinking, a hard core fan is the one that would ask his wife "uhmm, could you give me a moment to think it over?"
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Well, since I was the one who used hardcore, let me explain what I meant...

 

It's not so much what era of the band you like, or old rush vs new rush, hardcore to me is actually having discussions about the set list, stating your case, bitching about the quality of the new Blu Ray etc... Maybe I'm wrong , but something tells me that Journey, Boston, Foreigner etc. fans don't have these type of discussions..

 

I suppose PASSIONTE would be more appropriate than hardcore ..

 

As an example, the last tour, one of the guys I was with also sees Journey regularly, and he said something along the lines, when discussing thier set list, of the " dirty dozen" , meaning they play the same dozen songs, for the most part, every tour, with a few nuggets thrown in, and no one in the crowd gives a shit , mostly

Edited by Xanadoood
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I'm not hardcore, but I am loyal and would defend them to the hilt to anyone who raked them over the coals. At my age, it would seem a bit strange to be fanatical over anything or anyone, and I don't think either Geddy :wub: , Alex or Neil would want anyone to make Rush their life to the exclusion of anything or anyone else. Just my opinion. ;)
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I've wondered about the "hardcore" label given to fans as well and just how extreme one has to be in their dedication. For me, being into a fandom that has a cult following is more about being part of something interesting. I know it sounds clichéd, but I really like how it brings like-minded people together. Some parts of the BTLS documentary reminded me a lot of the documentary, Trekkers, in the sense that even the "fanatics" are mostly just harmless people having fun.
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I think there is a difference between being a hardcore fan and being a fanboy. Hardcore suggests unfailing loyalty despite any failings whereas being a fanboy suggests you don't even believe there can be failings...

 

I think that's right, though I don't see how you can dislike half of a band's output and still be hardcore.

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to me, you're hardcore if you don't go to the bathroom when something after moving pictures is played

 

But how many times can you go to the bathroom in a 3 hour period?

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I think there is a difference between being a hardcore fan and being a fanboy. Hardcore suggests unfailing loyalty despite any failings whereas being a fanboy suggests you don't even believe there can be failings...

I'm a hardcore fanboy. I believe they could fail, but I also believe Rush would recognize a fail first and abort before failing. This does not necessarily include every individual song. I'm talking studio albums, tours, tour albums/videos and band integrity. To date: Zero failures. :D

 

If you think any album or tour setlist sucks, or think Rush has "sold out", you ain't hardcore, baby. You're just a Rush fan.. and, there's nothing wrong with a Rush fan. :hail: :rush:

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to me, you're hardcore if you don't go to the bathroom when something after moving pictures is played

 

But how many times can you go to the bathroom in a 3 hour period?

 

That depends on the amount of beer consumption.

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