Earlier this month, British pop idol Harry Styles filled the Amsterdam ArenA for three nights. Hordes of fans queued up days in advance to get the best seats. And even with artists like Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen, fans go to great lengths to get a concert ticket. Dr Simone Driessen, media scientist at ESHCC, was a guest on Saturday 10 June on 'De Nacht van ...' on NPO Radio 1 to talk about what it means to be a fan and how fan culture has changed, especially in times when concert ticket prices are skyrocketing.
Fans always do a little more
Simone finds it fascinating that fans always do more than you would expect than a 'normal' audience. They show something extra of themselves that they see reflected in the thing they are fans of and put their lives at the service of their idols. For instance, some fans even adopt their idol's political beliefs. In the interview, Simone gives a great example of this.
Save longer
And when it comes to the cost: it is still affordable to be a fan, but fans must pay more for it. People have to save up a bit longer for it. But there is also no tool within the current music industry to make being a fan cheaper. Also, buyers who buy multiple concert tickets get priority in the digital queue. This is unfair, especially for young fans with less money, Simone believes: "Should we normalise this kind of practice or protect young fans? I hope something changes soon and someone develops a nice platform to make this affordable again."
- Researcher