Would you still support your favourite artist if they went full anti-vaxx/Covid denial loon?

[editor]

I'm not a massive fan, but I'd always fancied seeing Van Morrison but since he's jumped the shark into unbridled conspiracy lunacy, I've lost all interest in paying to see him play anywhere, ever. And I think I'd react the same if any of the bands/DJs/artists I like started spouting similar bollocks publicly.

How about you?

 

[Buddy Bradley]

Are you trying to tell us something?

 

[mx wcfc]

I'm not a fan either, but I'll be seeing Van Morrison at Wickham festival next month. I'm interested to see what the reaction is. The friends we are going with hadn't heard about his conspiraloonacy, so I suspect many there won't either, given his fan base are "generally older" and possibly not on SM as much as us 50 something youngsters. When was he big, anyway?

 

[editor]

Are you trying to tell us something?

I don't care what people think privately, but I certainly couldn't play in a band if every song was telling people to not take the vaccine, Bill Gates and 5G chemtrails. But I was wondering if my reaction to bigger bands going loon was the same as everyone else's. I guess for starters they'd start to attract more conspiracy nuts in their crowd, and I wouldn't feel comfortable with that.

 

[mx wcfc]

I think it would change my view of them. I'd certainly feel "let down" however daft that may be.

 

[maomao]

When was he big, anyway?

Never. Or only among cloth-eared fools.

 

[Buddy Bradley]

I'd probably avoid extremely vocal anti-vax artists, but I'm not going out of my way to research every member of every band I might want to go and see. People have all sorts of stupid opinions.

 

[editor]

I'd probably avoid extremely vocal anti-vax artists, but I'm not going out of my way to research every member of every band I might want to go and see. People have all sorts of stupid opinions.

That wasn't the point I was making, I was referring to people like Van Morrison and Ian Brown who have made a point of platforming anti-vaxx views. Good to see Brown has already received something of a backlash

Fans call on TRNSMT Festival to "replace Ian Brown" after COVID vaccine comments

TRNSMT Festival has faced backlash from fans after confirming that Ian Brown will play the Glasgow event later this year.

www.nme.com

 

[Buddy Bradley]

That wasn't the point I was making, I was referring to people like Van Morrison and Ian Brown who have made a point of platforming anti-vaxx views. Good to see Brown has already received something of a backlash

Yeah, I'd definitely avoid them (if I had any desire to see them in the first place).

 

[ElizabethofYork]

This is really tricky. If I like a particular artist then I'm not going to suddenly dislike their stuff because of their beliefs. But I suppose I'd feel wrong about paying to go and see them, and funding their stupidity.

 

[existentialist]

I'm not a massive fan, but I'd always fancied seeing Van Morrison but since he's jumped the shark into unbridled conspiracy lunacy, I've lost all interest in paying to see him play anywhere, ever. And I think I'd react the same if any of the bands/DJs/artists I like started spouting similar bollocks publicly.

How about you?

It'd bother me. For example, Eric Clapton has been a huge influence on me, musically, but I am very uncomfortable with some of his more reactionary views, and if the question of going to see him arose, I think I'd be quite torn.

 

[two sheds]

I wouldn't fancy seeing them if nothing else because the audience is likely to have people who aren't concerned about catching or passing the virus on to others.

 

[Flavour]

I'd probably avoid extremely vocal anti-vax artists, but I'm not going out of my way to research every member of every band I might want to go and see. People have all sorts of stupid opinions.

This pretty much. Not got time to be researching everyone's potential loonery but where I become aware of an artist's loonery I will absolutely withdraw support

 

[two sheds]

Is a shame with van Morrison though, Astral Weeks was one of my favourite albums back in my youf, haunting voice and guitar

 

[Supine]

I can’t listen to Right Said Fred anymore.

Luckily i never used to

 

[editor]

I can’t listen to Right Said Fred anymore.

Luckily i never used to

I didn't realise they'd looned out but their Twitter feed shows them in their full, career-unravelling glory

https://twitter.com/TheFreds

Meanwhile. Bless:

Anti-vax Foo Fighters fans are renouncing the band over their New York gig

Attendance at the band's upcoming gig requires proof of two vaccine doses

www.nme.com

 

[Fozzie Bear]

It's only happened with one guy so far for me - improv saxophonist Evan Parker

Follow the science: Evan Parker’s views on the pandemic and Brexit - The Wire

Tony Herrington researches the sources of the saxophonist’s recent outspoken pronouncements on the pandemic and Brexit.

www.thewire.co.uk

I'm not sure if I would go to see him or not now - he usually plays with a bunch of other people so it seems unfair to punish them.

 

[MickiQ]

Not really, just because I listen to someone's music doesn't mean I have to listen to their opinions on anything be it anti-vaxx, politics or anything else. TBH I would be more worried about the mental state of someone who looks to a singer rather than a doctor or public health for medical advice than I would about mental state of the aforementioned singer.

 

[skyscraper101]

Ian Brown and Noel Gallagher have gone quite a lot down in my estimation since being twatty about vaccines and masks. Particularly Brown, he's gone full on nutjob.

Baby-D (of Let Me Be Your Fantasy fame) has also turned their Instagram feed into a full on conspiraloon stream of paranoia and anti-vax nonsense. It's quite something to watch the point where it went from being a typical band feed with throwbacks and rave nostalgia to complete anti-vaccine loonspud paranoia around December last year

Baby D (@theofficial_babyd) • Instagram photos and videos

7,661 Followers, 2,447 Following, 901 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Baby D (@theofficial_babyd)

www.instagram.com

 

[two sheds]

It's only happened with one guy so far for me - improv saxophonist Evan Parker

Follow the science: Evan Parker’s views on the pandemic and Brexit - The Wire

Tony Herrington researches the sources of the saxophonist’s recent outspoken pronouncements on the pandemic and Brexit.

www.thewire.co.uk

I'm not sure if I would go to see him or not now - he usually plays with a bunch of other people so it seems unfair to punish them.

yeh, that stuff's infectious though

 

[Fozzie Bear]

yeh, that stuff's infectious though

I dunno, I think he's always been regarded by the wider music community he's in as a good player with some eccentric ideas.

Contagious ideas is an interesting one. I'm not sure I buy it.

So, to get into a concrete example - I wouldn't go to a music venue that was run by a COVID denier or anti-vaxxer. On public safety grounds - I just wouldn't have confidence in their ability to keep me safe. (Ditto going to a restaurant with a zero food hygiene rating).

But I'm not going to catch anti-vaxx ideas from an artist. So that isn't a reason to avoid going to their gigs.

So why? Is it some kind of punishment for them believing the wrong thing? Or is it out of solidarity with people who've suffered or died during the pandemic? Or is it just because they are less appealing now that we know they hold those views, so we think less of them?

 

[klang]

This is really tricky. If I like a particular artist then I'm not going to suddenly dislike their stuff because of their beliefs. But I suppose I'd feel wrong about paying to go and see them, and funding their stupidity.

hmmm. for me the arts can certainly be overshadowed by beliefs.
eg clapton. find it very hard to listen to him even though in theory i should like a lot of his stuff.

edit. snap existentialist

 

[editor]

TBH I would be more worried about the mental state of someone who looks to a singer rather than a doctor or public health for medical advice than I would about mental state of the aforementioned singer.

Pretty sure no one has come even remotely close to suggesting that.

 

[ddraig]

Nope, wouldn't be able to support them

 

[souljacker]

I'd still go and see Ian Brown play if he was touring. He can think what he likes as long as he still plays Waterfall and I wanna be adored.

 

[two sheds]

Contagious ideas is an interesting one. I'm not sure I buy it.

Sorry, was a bit tongue in cheek. Agree with what you're saying.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Sorry, was a bit tongue in cheek. Agree with what you're saying.

I thought you might be, but wasn't 100% - it's cool, it was an interesting thing to think about

 

[glitch hiker]

Honestly? If it was someone whose music I already owned I'd probably keep listening.

If it was a new band I was considering getting into then it could well sway me.

I was checking out Therion recently (symphonic metal with songs about magic and alchemy, as ridiculous as it sounds which is what I like). Then I found out the bandleader has far right politics. They can fuck off.

 

[editor]

Honestly? If it was someone whose music I already owned I'd probably keep listening.

If it was a new band I was considering getting into then it could well sway me.

I was checking out Therion recently (symphonic metal with songs about magic and alchemy, as ridiculous as it sounds which is what I like). Then I found out the bandleader has far right politics. They can fuck off.

Anti vaxx/Covid denial/5G/QAnon bollocks often has very strong associations with far right politics, and I don't want to hear any of that shit at gigs or be in a crowd that supports it.

 

[klang]

I'd still go and see Ian Brown play if he was touring. He can think what he likes as long as he still plays Waterfall and I wanna be adored.

if, at that gig, he would spout covidspiracy bollocks, would you boo him or would you leave it unchallenged?