10 Ways Musicians Piss Off Their Fans

Aerosmith + Wussy Songs = biggest fan base soccer moms and wedding singers

May I point out that it wansn't Miley's fault the tickets were expensive, it was the ticket scalpers, so technically she shouldn't be on the list.

This was an OKAY article but it would have been a lot better if you didn't add in things like 'Be Metallica'. For one thing they weren't the only ones against downloading music plus they've still got a strong fanbase which is not what you implied in this.

You obviously don't know much about Radiohead either because they were very unhappy with the way their first album and only single (Creep) turned out because it made them look like one hit wonders which they weren't. Another thing to consider is that creep is one of their worst songs and any song off The Bends or OK Computer is much better.

I also don't understand how she ignores who her fans are, but whatev.

Whats odd is this list comes out after Kanye West makes his fans wait until 4:30 in the morning to hear his concert the other day. You'd think that had sparked this topic.

The one that pisses me off the most is the artists who refuse to play the songs that everyone likes, that made them famous. Why the hell would I pay $100+ to go to a concert when I can't even hear my favorite song?

To be fair, the bands aren't responsible for high prices. The scalpers started that, and proved the market. The bands just decided that they'd rather sell the pricey ticket, rather than letting some scalper buy a $50 ticket and sell it for $500 & keep the $450.

Dude, Aerosmith is DA SHIZ MAN! dont be knocking Aerosmith for peets sake!

JT
http://www.FireMe.to/udi

add andre nickatina to the Becoming Uselessly Drunk or High Before a Show List

1. If you bought a Nickelback CD, you already lose at life.
2. "Creep" isn't why Radiohead is playing sold out shows in amphitheaters and festivals all over the world. "Creep" isn't why fans sit online hitting F5 all night for days or weeks on end waiting for the tiny chance of getting good seats. That's everything after "Creep", you know. Because "Creep" only got them as far as embarrassing opening spots for the likes of Belly and Soul Asylum.

There's also the all-too-common "Take 3 years to put out every album" syndrome. You have one job: make songs. If my day-to-day consisted of writing songs and then performing them, you can damn well bet I could crank them out a bit faster. The occasional hiatus is OK, but as the norm? Puh-lease.
Corollary: when these albums wind up being 45 minutes long.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

You forgot to put "Star in a movie".

let me reiterate this article: ah, boo-hoo, do what we want! belong to us!

Madonna's not going to play any song recorded before 2000, because that would mean admitting to the world that she was working throughout the 80's and 90's, and as such is not as young as she'd like you to think.

The only one I disagree with is Amy Winehouse. She's more entertaining when she falls over on stage. Adds an unexpected element of excitement.

I agree with MikeonTV, I thought this list would have been a response to Kanye's whole "4:30am delayed show" at Bonnaroo the other day. Not only was there no mention of the delayed show on the list, Kanye is also glorified in the first point for putting on a show a week after his mother died.

Just found that kinda interesting, lol.

I like whores. And whores who play guitars like to eat ass. I like my ass eaten.

Adam is way off; "Be Metallica" was probably the best entry of the ten.

Ignoring Who Your Fans Are - You are very wrong on this point. Artists have a right to speak their minds.... if the base does not like it, they don't need to buy a record. I applaud the Dixie Chicks. They decided speaking out was worth more then making money.

Kanye West didn't make his fans wait until 4:30am on purpose.

http://www.mtv.co.uk/channel/mtvuk/news/16062008/425450/kanye_west_booed_at_festival

Part of what caused it was Pearl Jam played for an hour longer than they were supposed to, which I think would be tremendously preferable to hearing an hour of Kanye West any day.

although apparently having sex with 14 year olds and releasing this:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=E0-DgMn3gl0
doesn't seem to piss off the fans too much.

Metallica can kiss my ass. I'll never buy another song of theirs ever again. I do (however) have a bunch of their old stuff that I stole off the Internet. Lick my balls Lars! Lick 'em.

What, the Dixie Cicks can't speak their minds just because they had redneck fans? There's absolutely nothing wrong with calling out Our National Disgrace's ineptitude. Screw you and all "southern, Republican and extremely patriotic" retards. Nuthin' unpatriotic 'bout them chicks.

Why is Miley Cyrus even mentioned in this article?!

Don't forget that time when barney got dunk and started talking big and hating on big bird...man did that get his fan base fired up.

Egotistical? Kanye West is Jesus, remember?

Hey Adam, Creep may not be one of Radiohead's favorite songs, but it is a fan favorite. They should give the respect to their fans for making them as big as they are and just play the damn song. Also, Metallica is the only band who is still popular (sorta) that was against illegal downloading. Oh, but I'm sure ABBA talking about the "evils" of illegal downloading had a great affect on the American public.

The only 'Musicians' you have on this list are Aerosmith and Metallica. The rest are not Musicians.

And no one has yet explained to me why they think Metallica is so wrong to not want their blood, sweat and tears ripped off, distilled, and given away for free.

Would you like that?

I hear the arguments and excuses, but it all comes down to people being so cheap they wont even pay for quality entertainment.

Metallica are pretty much the worst band ever. Sure they have some great music, but their attitudes make them true idiots!

Good list! In a slight defense of Radiohead, I did hear them play a song off "Pablo Honey" at a show they did at the Hollywood Bowl a few years ago. Not "Creep" though.

i love the comment that noel gallagher made about keane after THEY called oasis "cunts". it was something like: "the three biggest twats in any band are always the singer, drummer and keyboard player."

so basically, the composition of keane.

oh man, that noel gallagher. such a mouthy one. but we all love it! what will he say next?

and you're wrong about scalpers always commanding high prices - last time i checked the ticketmaster.ca prices for premium madonna and george michael tickets, they were upwards of $500 each. those are scalper prices, set by the artists themselves. add on top of that the ticketmaster fees and you've got yourself a month's rent payment.

Good list! In a slight defense of Radiohead, I did hear them play a song off "Pablo Honey" at a show they did at the Hollywood Bowl a few years ago. Not "Creep" though.

@ Carrie: bands don't usually set ticket prices. The bands are employees of their labels, basically. The labels rent the venues, rent the sound gear (if the venue doesn't have it themselves, which is rare), pay the venue for paying their staff, pay the parking enforcement companies, pay for the radio airtime for commercials, pay for the band's flight there and the hotel, pays for the merch on sale at the venue, as well as the staff to sell said merch, pays for the comp tix that are given away in contests, etc etc etc. The band then gets paid for their performance. You see any opportunity for your average band out there to set any sort of tix prices when the labels have a colossal expense to recoup? Nope, there isn't one.

The very few artists that actually have the clout with their labels to adjust prices are groups like Metallica, Nickelback, Celine, Bette, Cher, Madonna, Tool, etc etc etc... Groups that, yes, could say "Guys, let's just charge $50 for the tix..." but then the label would say "Okay, then this show will cost YOU guys the difference to put it on, which will probably be around $200,000. You still want to do that?"

Yeah, for one show, that's pocket change... But... for a tour? $200k x 45 tour dates? Don't get me wrong... If i were in that position, i wouldn't try to ream the fans, but I also wouldn't ream my band.

Sadly, the bands just more often than not have to go with the flow.

I used to be a huge Metallica fan. Owned their CDs and all. But after the Napster incident I gave up on the band. Their music brings back memories of Lars going down to Napster HQ with a stack of papers, calling people thieves. I've since gotten rid of their awful crap and will never purchase/download any of their stuff again. Even for free.

Down with Corporate Rock.

Metallica is not a bad band, and the members aren't bad people. It is understandable for musicians to be angry about people stealing their creations, and the only reason you even know of their campaign to end P2P is because they had the resources to actually say anything. It is quite selfish to assume that musicians would be ok with people stealing their music.

Plus, their music is quite simply fantasitc

Some of you are missing the point of the article, especially the Dixie Chicks thing. Yes, they have the right to say whatever they want, and were in fact correct, but this article is about doing things that piss off your fans, and when said fans disagree with what you said, you can't bitch about your sales dropping. It's like wanting to have your cake and eat it too. Also, Metalica used to be a good band, but they are all withering old men now, and sure, I wouldn't want someone to steal my hard work, but it's the way they handled it, they acted like children. Besides, can anyone here really defend Load or Reload, those albums are so bad I wouldn't even consider downloading them if Lars paid me to.

If your willing to pay 500+ to see the Madge on stage you are gunna be paying 1000+ plus next time..if you don't like the price walk on by and if enough do.. it might come down.

Give me fuel give me fire give me that which I desire...to download music

on the other side of the world but i should mention the smashing pumpkins show early this year in auckland, new zealand.

corgan was a complete tool, he should be on the list of being obnoxious, no interaction with the fans, didnt play any of their great songs, downright shitty show.

the queens of the stone age (who supported) were 10x better.
red hot chilis were disapointing too, anthony was "homesick" but thats no excuse for leaving the stage for 30+mins leaving everyone, including fellow band members wondering where the hell youve gone.
most boring 30+min jam session of my life!

now, on the other hand if you want a good show, go see the foo fighters. AH-MAy-ZING! great interaction, lots of kidding around and Q&A with the crowd, wicked stage setup, including an extra stage that came down from the roof, played for over 2 hours non stop, and then played an 8 song en'core on top of that, played all their greatest songs and then some. hell, dave even kept playing after he fell on stage after falling over and breaking his guitar!
go the foo fighters :D best show ever!

@Jimi

"I hear the arguments and excuses, but it all comes down to people being so cheap they wont even pay for quality entertainment."

Yeah, except they're NOT quality entertainment.

Metallica's footbullet is not the fact that they're anti-piracy, but the methods they use to fight against it. The only thing they have proven with their stupid crusade against Napster is that music piracy CANNOT be stopped. If they were smart enough and a little less greedy, maybe they would have thought about changing their music distribution methods, or maybe encourage your fans to buy your albums by not being whinny little bitches, and most importantly, NOT SUCKING.

I don't see why everyone makes such a fuss about the artist. When you read a book, you fall in love with the story, not the author. (That is, IF you read books)

I couldn't care less about the artist of my favorite songs. Let them do what they want. If the song is good, I'll take it. Maybe the person is a prick, but they make good stuff.

Everybody knows Aerosmith hasn't written their own material for the last 15 years or so, right?

I agree with everything but the Dixie Chicks thing. A musician doesn't BELONG to the fans. The music is shared, they owe them for the success of the music, but you can say whatever you want. The inclusion of that listing here almost makes the entire list worthless, and makes it read like a pissy fanhole's whining on LJ.

if there is sth. that pisses me off it is being metallica, prince or kiss.
thieves!thieves!thieves!i wish them immediate voiceloss and crippled fingers.

hate for metallica is old. they stood up for themselves... so what? no one cares that a few thousand internet nerds have their panties all twisted up. doesn't matter how much cash you have, you'd be pissed too if someone started messing with your livelihood. it's time to wipe that denial off your faces. record companies are shit, but fucking with artists and their work makes you shit too.

Its really not fair to blame Metallica for taking away Napster. Yes, Lars was an insuffarable douche about how people were stealing from him. But, he was absolutley right. Napster and PtP file sharing sites were and still are stealing. If they had taken up the case of an up and coming band that was honestly being hurt by all the free downloads, I think they would have come off better.

Cant help but be reminded of the episode of south park where they tackle music downloads. "This is lars Ulrich he wanted a solid gold statue of a guitar in his guitar shaped swimming pool but thanks to people downloading music he has to wait a whole week to get that statue" or something like that.

Just because you own a copy of an artists music, it doesn't mean you own their opinions too. The Dixie Chicks, and anyone else for that matter, have a right to say what they like.

Dixie Chicks Gained more fans because of the shrub statement and then their next CD out sold that previous one. Redneck are rednecks WHO THE FUCK CARES ABOUT WORTHLESS PIECE OF WHITE TRASH!!!???

Adam up there is full of crap. "Be Metallica" is the best entry in here.

I had never purchased a single Dixie Chick CD before Ms. Maines comment about President Dickhead. I went out and bought the "Long Way Home" CD immediately, and like to think I helped get them their Grammy awards.

I can't believe the single worst thing that can make a singer null and void as an 'artist' is by selling their single to be used in every commerical they can!

Kudos Chris.

To even suggest that an artist should not speak his/her mind is ludicrous. The more people who speak their minds the better, everyone has an opinion! This is one of the fundamental points of a democracy and a capitalist society. You don't have to agree. A vested individual will seek solace in the collection of these facts, upon which he/she can draw THEIR OWN conclusions. It baffles me how people can behave like sheep!

Article seemed flawed, lacked a solid set of references. Next time try not to write as if it were simply a matter of opinion. If your going to write an article laden with supposed facts, then call up your references to provide some sense of credibility.

"When it came down to MP3s or Metallica, most people chose MP3s, and they haven't forgotten that it was Metallica that made them make that choice."

said the same thing in almost the same words a month back on wired. think a lot of us feel this way when it comes to Metardllica

The Dixie Chicks did outrage some of their fanbase, but their real problem was "forgetting that most of the commercial radio market is owned by ClearChannel". It was a ClearChannel business decision to cut them airplay at ALL their stations and not a fan uprising.

Metallica should shut their pie holes and play music. Respect for them may come back someday.

Regarding Metallica, the issue has nothing to do with Napster. The problem, as I see it, is putting out crappy music. And Justice For All and before - that stuff defined a genre. And then something happened - perhaps this is the pussification mentioned earlier about Aerosmith. The St. Anger stuff is not only different music when compared to the earlier days, but their attempts to be a new-age garage band by improperly recording the drums was lame at best.

I've heard Eric Clapton is notorious for not playing his hits in concert. Some nights he just plays the blues the entire show without warning and none of his popular songs.

No one is saying that an artist can't express their opinion, the point that needs to be understood is that sometimes there a consequences to your actions. Free speech protects a persons right to express themselves, it doesn't guarantee speech without repercussions. Also, the point is when artists ignore their fans, a lot of people are blindly disagreeing with this article because you believe in what the Dixie Chicks said, don't get me wrong, the statement was correct and justified, but it went against the grain of their fan base. So quit your whining because you agree with a certain artists opinion, your missing the point altogether.

The reason most people turned off to the Dixie Chicks was the verbal argument with Toby Keith (practically the biggest country music star and most loved) and the "STFU TK" shirts they wore during a concert.

What about taking forever to produce new music? Paul Simon is the king of this shitty behavior.

Neglecting to cite the Rolling Stones in the "money grabbing" category is a pretty glaring oversight.

Hey I have to agree with what the above poster said about Miley and tickets - usually its the fault of the ticket 'speculators'.

I like the comments more than the article itself. hehe

I bought plenty of albums in the 80's and 90's that had maybe two decent songs padded by a bunch of crap. I refuse to continue to waste my money like that. If I want to download tracks from a new album to see if it's worth my hard earned cash, and Metallica thinks that's a problem, they should launch a campaign to tell all the musicians and their record labels to stop producing SHIT so that consumers will have confidence in purchasing full albums.

Another one: Put out ONE great album, think because it's such a hit you're all Gods, then change your sounds so drastically on the second album that you might as well be a different band. And, in doing all of this, change your stage show from an amazing spectacle of entertainment, creepiness and fun to a boring rehash of the Beatles. Yes, Panic(no more !) at the Disco, I am talking to you.

Let's not forget "Put out 12 different greatest hits albums so we don't have to actually make a new record". Aerosmith and Iron Maiden are guilty of this. (I forgive Iron Maiden because I love them so.)

I'm a professional musician and have been for 30 years. It's difficult to know all the things that go into this career looking from the outside as a fan. Nothing is worse than an egotistical, drunk, or non-showing artist, IMO, but many of the things on this list are just silly. The Dixie Chicks is one example. They landed a lot of new fans (me included) for having the courage to speak out against something they thought was very wrong, and they paid a heavy price. Their ex fans have Toby Keith, Clint Black, and all those other flag draped idiots to worship.

R.e. not playing old hits. An artist working a concert tour has limited resources like any other business. The purpose of concerts for the most part is to introduce new material on current albums, so people will (hopefully) buy those albums. Rehearsing older material takes time and costs them money (sidemen need to get paid for rehearsing). Or we could have nothing but oldies shows if you want.

Ref. Metallica:
When Metallica started, before it became the monster it is today, what made them grow was the kids that swapped mix tapes with their music, that was their fan base, they received a lot of free advertising from their fans back then, which gave them the leverage to get better deals with record companies.
THen, when they were all grown up and big, they turned right around and spit in their fans faces, calling them thieves and scoundrels.

It seems a wee bit hypochritical to me.

I think you should have focussed on Axl Rose a bit more. I was at one of the concerts that he walked out on. Talk about some pissed off fans. What's kind-of funny is that Metallica was awesome that night. But that was when they still made music is instead of whined about DRM.

Metallica just fucking suks, they will never be who they used be. They actually did sell them selves out to the devil.

@ Lou: You don't have any idea what you're talking about. Labels do not do any of that stuff.

@Ben: Um, no, "Creep" is not a "fan favorite." It's a bland favorite for people who think they are Radiohead "fans" but really don't know all that much about the band.

Be Metallica is right on. It's funny how when Metallica were up-and-coming in the '80s they gave away tapes and encouraged fans to share (ie: copy and give away) their music. Their hypocrisy speaks for itself.

DID SOME1 SRSLY STAND UP FOR THT HANA MONTANA GIRL!?!?!!?!......either your to young to be bloging and psting out your one of those pervs wiating4 her to turn 18 STFU AND GTFO

Fuck Lars Ulrich, and fuck Metallica. I haven't bought any of their music since they became RIAA footsoldiers.

Yes, because wanting to get PAID for something you create is totally wrong to do. I never understood why people were so offended by Metallica's opinion in the matter. Would it be okay for 60,000 people to walk into a Best Buy, take a cd, and walk out without paying? Most would say no. But it's okay to do it in the digital world.

If you believe that Metallica is wrong on the subject of Napster, maybe you should think about what you do for a living and how it would feel if you went through all the hard work to do something for the boss only to be told "Nah. We're not going to pay you for your work... fuck off!".

The whole 'they sell tickets at high prices so the scalpers cant make $$$' is a load of crap.
Where I live there is a law against scalping, and it works.. ie scalping literally doesn't exist. Guess what? Ticket prices are HIGHER than elsewhere.

How about adding Metallica to becoming wussies? Let's be honest, they've totally sucked since Loand and Re-Load.

The Metallica one...good call. I used to be a big fan of Metallica's. After the Napster thing, I agree with Dave...F*ck 'em all!!

What is so wrong with paying for music?
If something has value to you, it is worth something. So pay for it! This is so basic.

Metallica was not speaking for only themselves - they were trying to protect all of the little guys out there getting ripped off by people who think that they are entitled to free music.

If you don't think you should pay for music then you don't need it. What's so hard to understand?

Okay, I find it funny how no one really understands what happened with the Metallica and Napster incident.

Metallica was 'NOT' going after their fans because they were downloading their songs using P2P software, it was because while they were recording 'I Disappear' for the Mission Impossible 2 movie, someone broke into their studio and stole the finished copy BEFORE it was released.

It then wound up on Napster and THAT was why Metallica was pissed off. Because someone stole a song that wasn't even released yet. All they wanted was for people to wait until it was released! They even said they didn't care what people did after the fact; download or buy.

Wow! How true. Especially the metallica part. I use to worship them in the end of my teen years, then 94-95 hit and they turned into crap, literally. I can't believe what they did to their music, to their fans, and to themselves, very sad. At least Megadeth is still rocking loud and listening to their fans, And still have long hair!

I'm just happy that Oasis hasn't had a hit since 1998. I hope the idiot Gallagher brothers follow their advice and "Don't look back in anger" =) Peace.

Whiney little children complaining about actually paying for music. Metallica started their lawsuit after they discovered over 200,000 downloads in only TWO DAYS! MP3's suck anyway. Compressed music sounds like shit to me. If you can't tell the difference, your stereo sucks or you have no taste. Try spending a little more on your speakers and you might be suprised.
As for Metallica sucking, 100MILLION album sales says differently. They'll blow any of these new, whiney ass fluff music bands off any stage. Best live hard rock band EVER!

The Dixie Chicks should be on the list for being surprised that their fan base didn't like what was said and then trying to scream censorship like a bunch of whiny idiots. They said what they wanted to, the fans heard it and disagreed by not buying albums/tickets, so everyone just used their rights. The point is, you can't get a fan base and then insult what they hold dear and expect to have a career anymore.

First of all, Creep is not a fan favorite of ANY Radiohead fans. It's barely passable by their standards.

Second of all, I do pay for music, but that doesn't mean I'm going to shell out cash for ANY crappy-ass record. I would like to at least know what I'm getting into before buying an album that's a crap sandwich.

rules, pleasing fans, blahblahblah...that is for classical musicians - rock musicians should never do things for the fans' sake, should just present the honest truth of who they are at all times - what a whiney, misguided article!

...charging $55.00 for teeshirt, when in about a month or two find those same shirts for 3.00 at a discount grocery store

Metallica doesn't suck, they just piss of their fan.

with all do respect the list was pretty good, now granite i hate aerosmith but i cant call them wussies straight out, every band has done one or two really girly songs shall i mention last kiss by pearl jam? you look me straight in the eyes and tell me they are wussies but every one has to have one or two,

saying that an artist should play there hits is a very narrow minded attitude. If the song's on an album, they've already given it to the public to play as much as they want in their spare time. in the same way people are arguing that the Dixie Chicks should be able to say what they want, artists should be free to play what they want, if the fans have something against this they don't have to support them.

"they just piss of their fan." speaking privileges revoked.

There is one more to add to the list - being bored and going through the motions in your concert. I'm looking at you Dio! Saw him in NY and I was excited becasue I liked him, and he gave a lame, boring show. At one point when we asked for his biggest hit, he mumbled that the song was a f**ckin chain around his neck and did a half-hearted version - worst concert ever.

@ Cody Gilmore: Your posts amuses me. Don't try to accuse of someone being young when your post looks like it was written by a 4 year old. Spellcheck, my friend, spellcheck.

That was a useless list until "be metallica".

If you go to a Radiohead concert because you want to hear "Creep," you're probably not a Radiohead fan.

So, guitarbuddy shows us why artists are morons. Hey guy, music is an INDUSTRY and just like any industry, you have a customer base. You're a commodity that gets traded as easily as soy beans and changed as often as underwear; don't make it more grandious than it is. We only care about you as long as you give us what we want, which is music.

Not your opinions on politics or why you want to be considered an "artist". Yeah, no one cares. Shut up and play your guitar or your customer base will replace you, simple as that. Play for us clown, play for us...

The only one you're off-base on is the Dixie Chicks. They are following the proud Southern Rebel tradition that includes musicians like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Waylon Jennings, David Allen Coe, and so on. That much of their -presumed- fan base became aware of them on white-washed corporate radio is not their fault and should not be held against them. I doubt Willie Nelson would get much play these days if he wasn't already an established artist.

Jesus whats wrong with you all. Metallica, barring St. Anger, is fuckin amazing. They spoke out against illegal downloading, and good for 'em.

Imagine you go to all this work to create something that is your own. say you paint for a living. And you spend the better part of a month creating this masterpiece. something you could sell for thousands of dollars, and why not? you put an ungodly amount of work into it. then some kid snaps a photo of it, and reproduces it en mass. Giving it away to anyone passing by, who will look at it once, then just kinda toss it to the side. You're out ALL of that work and ALL of that money, all of your time is wasted... and you just get to start again and hope someone will come along and buy it. Wouldn't you speak out against that crap?

Yep. The comments defending Radiohead are quite right. Real Radiohead fans don't like Creep.

be metallica is the best on there. spoiled little shitstains. whine, whine, i only made 3 million dollars last year, whine whine, we are so hardcore, whine whine, ride the lightning until i am no longer rich enough to buy everything and everything, whine whine...fucking pussies, nothing else to it.

You can add Eric Clapton to the list of Drunks on stage. I saw him in Vegas years ago and he was so high on drugs he could barely stand up. The concert was so bad nearly half the audience walked out on him half way through his horrible performance of Layla.

did this list maker purposely make all the examples the shittiest music ever made? i don't really even know about dmr, but i guess that's because i have listening abilities and would rather have sex with the Dick Cheney than purchase a nickelback album.

in addition, i've seen radiohead perform Creep... twice. it's not their best song and i could have cared less. the only people who do want to hear it are the same people who went to the concert, because they won tickets from the radio station. the only way they knew who radiohead was??? well, they have this mix cd with creep... along with nickelback and rob thomas songs.

whoever wrote this obviously has horrific taste in music and needs to start writing for people magazine instead of music websites.

I would add: Keeping fans waiting to start a concert and the extra long break before the encore. See Guns and Roses

Metallica was "trying to protect all of the little guys out there getting ripped off by people who think that they are entitled to free music"?

I'm 53. Music has always been free. We used to call it the radio.

The "little guy" just wants people to hear his music. The efforts of people like Metallica, Don Henley, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow to "protect" their "product" from reaching our ears without a payment in advance constitute roadblocks that keep the little guy out of the marketplace.

I'd rather people listen to my music for free than not listen to it at all.

good list

we-rate-stuff.com

Albums are alot of work. From an artist point of view, 3 years to put an album out is not that bad. You record a ton of songs yeah, but then you got to pick and choose which ones best fit the concept/flow of the album. If most don't, then you write/record more. An album being only 45 minutes long is ridiculous though.

so what about Gene Simmons blaming Radiohead killing the record industry?

http://mashable.com/2008/06/19/gene-simmons-radiohead/

Yes, they're forgetting who their bosses are.

Aerosmith first and foremost sucks.... they did not write Dream On, Yngwie Malmsteen and Ronnie James Dio wrote it long before these girls got a hold of it. Aerosmith made it worse by cutting out the guitar solos, could it be that Aerosmiths guitarists can't hack it with the skills they got out of a cracker jack box.

yeah, somebody going to a Radiohead concert and yelling for Creep is like, somebody going to a Prince concert and yelling for.. uh.... Creep

The dixie chix get more respect from me than any of the others could ever lose.
They followed their beleifs and convictions in a hugely hostile business arena. They may have thrown away major $$$ but they did it for their views of our ideals as American citizens not lil wussie whore record buyers or blogers.
They have more bawls then the author might sire in centurys worth of offspring.

I can agree with you from a fan's point of view, but the thing is fans don't own the artists. Artists can say and do what they want. After all they are human beings like the rest of us. That said, if they want to retain their fan base then they need to be aware of the consequences of their actions and act accordingly.

Besides, you can always dig out your old albums and listen to what they were like "back in the days when they rocked" :-P

How do you even know that Nickleback has DMR? How do you even know what a Nickleback album cover looks like?
The only thing people who like music should know about Nickleback is who at their local radio station is responsible for playing them and when the best time to run them over with a car is.

Ozzy wasnt on there for throwing pig entestens on his fans?

Metallica's last good album was the Black Album everything since has been crap, St. Anger are you kidding me! And Radiohead was a mediocre alternative band at best before they started taking acid and listening to Aphex Twin and Squarepusher, which was when they put out OK Computer, which Spin says is the most influential album in the past 20 years. Beyond that yes Aerosmith sucks

You people forget artists can give out their music for free and then gain thousands of dollars from a concert. Record labels are what hold artists back, many band now might have had a chance and becoming amazing, instead the major labels made them create crappy music that all sounds the same, all the RIAA does from its lawsuits is say we are stealing from the artist, instead the label takes all the money, and this is true, try searching around. But the not showing up is true its a really gay thing if you payed a lot of money to see a band and they just don't arrive.

I went to a Radiohead concert and they played Creep!

Wow, a lot of girly lib boys in here defending the Ditzy Twits....

Whoever they are. Sounds familiar, did they used to be famous or something?

I feel for some reason that this article has no basing, for example there are a lot of people that realized
bands change and that's okay
metallica wasnt the only one
showing up late happens sometimes, even for bad reasons and ou have to deal with that
making the reference to kanye west and making it seem like he should've been touring one week after is idiotic
that you don't play songs that are decades old, it doesn't look good and it's insane
last but not least, free speech is free speech, and despite that, i know i'll probably get flamed for this comment

I'm sorry, but I have to agree with the author of this article... Creep is a GREAT song. To the person who said it was 'one of their worst songs', are you joking? Yes, Creep made Pablo Honey in a way that Paranoid Android or Karma Police or any other song alone didn't for Ok Computer, but if they could write an album full of 'Creeps' they wouldn't have to worry about being one hit wonders... so are you suggesting they've watered down their goodness so they don't look like one-hit per album types like Smashmouth? Psh. Creep rules.

yeah man how about Michael Jackson going from black to white man. Knawmsayin fah real tho. That shit ain't cool. He goes from an okay lookin brother to a crazy old white lady. Gimme a break man. Gary Shaw 4ever!

F DRM. Check out http://indietorrent.org . No DRM, they offer FLAC files, artists set their own prices, keep all profits... just need some artists, now.

You forgot the biggest one: "selling out."

Just about anytime a band goes from underground to mainstream (and switches labels) they lose their signature "hardcore underground" sound. An example that comes to mind? Atreyu. Luckily, I never listened to them much so I didn't have anything to be disappointed about. But I know a lot of people who sure are pissed.

To those of you jumping to defend Metallica:

Metallica are the biggest pieces of shit in music history. If you disagree, you are a fucking idiot and should kill yourself right now. That is all.

It's pretty clear that "Creep" sums up Radiohead quite nicely, Overated. No wonder they don't play it.

"Whiney little children complaining about actually paying for music. Metallica started their lawsuit after they discovered over 200,000 downloads in only TWO DAYS! MP3's suck anyway. Compressed music sounds like shit to me. If you can't tell the difference, your stereo sucks or you have no taste. Try spending a little more on your speakers and you might be suprised.
As for Metallica sucking, 100 MILLION album sales says differently. They'll blow any of these new, whiney ass fluff music bands off any stage. Best live hard rock band EVER!"

Well, if that's the case, what's 200,000 downloads to them? They've got enough fucking money to support their families/addictions for years to come. And don't tell me they they don't have thousands of dollars stashed away in their banks and having in invested in other shit, because they probably do. Besides, it's been proven that illegal downloading does NOT affect album sales.

If you're at a Radiohead concert to listen to creep, you should probably kill yourself

"Another thing to consider is that creep is one of their worst songs and any song off The Bends or OK Computer is much better."

Creep is one of the 10 songs I will always put on my desert island tape (you only get tapes on desert islands; not cds, not mp3 players). Most of Radiohead's music is, quite frankly, overcooked and boring. But Creep is sheer brilliance; you don't like it because it got popular and you're one of those people who always has to have liked the band "before they got cool."

"The one that pisses me off the most is the artists who refuse to play the songs that everyone likes, that made them famous. Why the hell would I pay $100+ to go to a concert when I can't even hear my favorite song?"

Why the hell are you paying $100+ to see an artist when you only apparently know one song?

This is the one that pisses me off the most. Most huge artists get noticed in the first place for doing something new and different, or doing it better than has been done before. By following their own vision, basically, and not being told by others what to play and how to play it. Yet once they get famous, the fans who egotistically hold themselves responsible for the artist's success (like the artist themselves had nothing to do with it) suddenly expect these people to become dancing monkeys, mindless puppets with no will of their own?

Screw that noise.

Metallica should quit fucking playing and lease their name to a band with some balls. They are all insufferable douchenuggets who sold out long ago. Downloading music is not going to change, get over it.

Don't even give me that shit about kanye giving a show one week after his mother dies. At this year's bonaroo, he showed up several hours late, put on a lousy show, and left after one hour! I hate him

Olivia said: "May I point out that it wansn't Miley's fault the tickets were expensive, it was the ticket scalpers, so technically she shouldn't be on the list."

Olivia, it isn't anyone's "fault", honey. It's called the free market; when demand exceeds supply, prices are going to be high, regardless of what the item/good/product is. So don't blame the scalpers, sweetheart. Capiche?

Yes, you brought up 10 reasons and 10 examples of how NOT to treat your fans. Hopefully, this message will get out to all up-and-coming bands, and they'll learn the easy way before they have to learn the hard way.

The Metallica Napster thing is right on. A lot of bands got their start because of Napster. They couldn't afford to get their music out there so they put it on Napster. I know that's how a friend's band kept getting gigs. Then when Metallica came out against Napster it all stopped for a lot of the 'little' guys.

I don't believe downloading music is stealing. I like getting all the songs I want. Besides I take everything I want, it's not stealing if you take it from a big company. Besides the person who invented the product is getting very little money, so I should be able to take it. I'll send the inventor some money one day, but I'm not going to line the pockets of big business with my money.

Personally, when I am at a concert, I feel I'm paying to hear the artist. I am *not* paying to have the artist stick the microphone out to the audience and have a singalong.

The great thing is every band you listed here I pretty much hate anyways, so them just existing pisses me off.

holy shit, Patrick, you are so typical. How can you call out REAL radiohead fans, for not liking the song because it was popular, while referring to their ingenious catalog as "boring and overcooked." If anything is "boring and overcooked" it is you and your pointless life. Thanks. And "creep" is by no means comparable to their later work, which is why they don't play it at concerts.

your just jealous cause metallica are gajillionaires and ur a nobody

your just jealous cause metallica are gajillionaires and ur a nobody

Radiohead broke their self-imposed Creep embargo which didn't even last 3 years on their homecoming show in 2001 and have played it live, though sporadically, since. I think they played a live show in, what, 06, 07? That was almost all Pablo Honey/Bends/OK Computer material.

Just a quick hit on YouTube shows about four live versions since 2001 on the first page of results (at the South Park show, in Tokyo, at V Fest, and in Dublin), and that's just what got videotaped and posted online.

You're right about all of them except the Dixie Chicks. They weren't afraid to be honest about how they really feel. I've loved them even more ever since them.

All of the other reasons are about disrespect for your fans... this issues is about the difference between following your true feelings, and being a sheep to your fans.

@ Lou
you posted: ..."then the label would say "Okay, then this show will cost YOU guys the difference to put it on, which will probably be around $200,000. You still want to do that?"

Yeah, for one show, that's pocket change... But... for a tour? $200k x 45 tour dates?..."

-I dunno what tour your talking about being 200k but most likely if they are touring on that type of budget nightly then they most likely aren't a "small band" thats a high profile budget. Meaning if they want to sell out the arena at a more reasonable price and pay the difference they would laugh and say ok since it would pretty much be chump change to them.

That's why I love Mindless Self Indulgence. They don't pull any of that. They have a nice mix of their old a new stuff at every show. They sign stuff after every show. They really love their fans and show it on their site, in their music, and on the stage.

I used to download music all the time. I got tired of buying a CD to find out that I paid $10-$20 for one track. So yeah, I would download the crap out of a band before I'd even consider purchasing a CD. Now I just use internet radio like pandora.com to hear new good stuff.

I'm going to disagree with you about radiohead's creep. While it was their most popular single, most fans are their to hear their more interesting, experimental works (idiotheque, fake plastic trees, paranoid android, karma police and others of that ilk).

Just because it got airplay doesn't mean it's the most popular amongst the fanbase, and they've actually been really good about playing old favorites for the dedicated follower, and even remixing/revising songs (see "Fog", which is infinitely better live than on Amnesiac). I could easily make a desert island tape that's all radiohead without thinking about putting creep on it, and it's a great song. They're just so much better than that one song.

As Metallica is concerned, they were really quite good when they were a thrash band. They got old and slow, and are now more concerned with a paycheck than any sort of art. Fuck 'em. They'll stay mediocre, and they'll die irrelevant.

None of these "musicians" are worth listening to, anyway. And I had no idea people actually went to Amy Winehouse shows. I'm serious.

Metallica will die irrelevant? I think one of the biggest bands of all time, with the 5th highest selling album of all time, one of the most consistent line-ups of any band (especially metal/rock bands) ever and the leading pioneers of thrash metal and bass-prominence (R.I.P Cliff Burton) will find it very difficult to die irrelevant. But the footprint you leave on this earth will go on forever, won't it steve? Go on, go make a difference to something, let people know you exist, this comment box won't be here forever. Go leave a legacy and be more relevant than Metallica.

I think if you have a hit it is kinda of your duty to play it 'cos it's what people want to hear. So yeah, that's annoying.

"Aerosmith first and foremost sucks.... they did not write Dream On, Yngwie Malmsteen and Ronnie James Dio wrote it long before these girls got a hold of it. Aerosmith made it worse by cutting out the guitar solos, could it be that Aerosmiths guitarists can't hack it with the skills they got out of a cracker jack box."

Huh?! Are you fucking crazy! Steven Tyler wrote that one, no one else! Get your facts right, before you blabber bullshit!

And to Lou I'd also have to say, "Get a clue! What you're talking in regards to artists, record companies and touring is total bs!".... record companies have nothing to do with the running and organizing of´a tour!

The band's management and the promoter of the tour does that! Of course, in an ideal situation there are record label representatives around to help coordinate things, make ads and help with press and stuff, but other than that, they have nothing to do with a tour!

And any artist has a say in how much the tickets for the shows will ultimately cost!

Go find some REAL artists to support, ones that care about their fans. Nobody has ever complained about a Springsteen concert: 3-4 hours long, reasonably priced, plenty of tickets available, pretty good mix of old/new songs, makes you feel part of the experience.. It's a 2 way street: You're there for him, he's there for you.

As a musician..

Canceling shows: It happens sometimes, but I agree there's a line. Mind you, playing a show a week after your mother dies should not be EXPECTED.

Playing old hits: They owe you their appreciation, but you do not own the artist. The artist continues to grow with or without you. Go look at the Mona Lisa, just don't expect them to paint it over and over again. Stop whining like teenie boppers. Also, Radiohead became a huge success with OK Computer. Even I know that and I remember blasting Creep when it came out.

DRM: It sucks, but I commend the music industry for actually doing SOMETHING right and giving artists the choice of whether their music should be freely sharable. Regardless of my situation, I'll always give my music out for free, but that's just MY choice. Stop expecting them to give you stuff and STOP WHINING! Cheap suburbanites!

Repeatedly retiring: A sham. However, some do this because you whine when they don't come out with an album every year and so they retire thinking they can't keep up. Then they realize, "Wait! I love doing this!" You're all so fickle!

Overly egotistical: This is what defined a true rock star from the early days. You loved everyone from Elvis to Jim Morrison throughout the years. Who cares about a musicians personality? You're buying their album, not becoming their buddy!

Becoming wussies: Aerosmith's old fans = Women from 20-30 years ago. Aerosmith's fans now = 30-50 year old women. Since when did keeping your fans mean you were wusses? Keep their fans happy and they're wusses, but change their style and you want them to play their old songs? JESUS!

Ignoring who your fans are: I guess I missed something. The Dixie Chicks spoke their mind, then continued to play the show that their fans paid for. Again, you're not forced to endorse their beliefs because you like to hear them on the radio. STOP WHINING!

Money grabbing: Musicians don't set the price. The label loans the band the money to hire the tour management, therefore actually having more say than the artist. After traveling with several big artists, you realize it's too true that labels own the musicians. It's like a college kid in credit card debt times a million. Plus musicians are known to take a lot of their money and donate it into charities around the world. If you didn't spend it on the tickets, you'd just spend it on yourself for something stupid you didn't need.

Being unable to perform: Don't blame performers like Whinehouse. Blame yourselves for purchasing overproduced and polished albums. These shit albums sound great because of the engineers, not the singer/band. You only have yourselves and the labels to blame when you go to the show to hear them suck the way they always do.

Be Metallica: As a huge fan of ...And Justice for All, I'll only say this...They were merely saying how they wanted THEIR PROPERTY handled. That's never a bad thing. Again, some musicians want to give their stuff out for free and should be allowed to. Those that do not may suck, but it's their music.

STOP WHINING! No wonder so many mega pop stars lose their minds!

you are dumb. the dixie chicks' sales went up because of what they said. if you really belive in free speech why the hell would you suggest they shouldn't say what they believe in order to sell cds?

ok dude..don't dis Metallica ok? they still have tons of awesome fans.

Someone should just present some evidence through a link or something when they are making a point. Every person on this blog is just arguing out of their own opinions rather then data or facts, or they are arguing about what they think is evidentially true but really they cannot support it. If you have something to say that is arguing 'for' or 'against' aspects of the article above you should present evidence; otherwise you will just be made fun of by the next blogger who wants to state his or her opinion against yours.

Also as a (semi-professinal) Musician,

The title was/is "Ten ways musicians piss off their fans". The author is spot on. Dispute it or not. Deservedly or otherwise. These are indeed ten ways musicians piss off fans. I would be genuinely surprised if anyone mentioned on this list honestly gives a flying f**k whether any one of us agrees. Defend them if you wish, but don't hold your breath for backstage passes.

you are also wrong on the dixie chick thing...you don't have to pander to your audience. believe me they are happy their core group grew beyond a couple of red necks at the county fair into mainstream america.

just because you are from the south and love all the flag waving bullshit doesn't make EVERYONE a republican...they had every right (as you state) and their audience needed to hear it. everyone needs to get their head out of the sand and realize their sons are dying over seas for rich assholes agendas...

Bands names are plural nouns! Metallica ARE assholes for killing Napster. Oasis ARE an overrated band. The Dixie Chciks ARE more than one person. Think of it like a sports team, a single entity made up of more than one person, therefore PLURAL.

Bloody Americans.

i agree with noel gallaghers quote i mean oasis r awesome, it sounds to me as though it was a bit of mancurian vs. scouse banter
thats fuelled a great football (soccer to all u amercains) derby,
however liam wat a d*ck im not surprised that noel doesnt speak to him

I heard about the Kanye fiasco at Bonnaroo, whata D-bag

May I point out, Olivia, that Miley sucks hard ass and shes on the path to being the next Lindsey - Brittany crossover wanna-f**k-me-be
She deserves to make this list more than even Kanye for being the next loser

Be Metallica FTMFW!

Metallica is not only the biggest collection of douches to ever take the stage, but they are also complete fucking sellouts.

Whiplash was good, everything "black" and after sucks my balls.

Here's your crown, king nothings!

Metallica is a band. If you don't like the, don't listen to their music. If you do, then do.

I'm tired of you people going "THIS BAND SUCKS!" "this band is better than your band" "fuck you, band owns!". Get over it, different people have different tastes.

For the record, Metallica only got pissed because people were downloading a song had not been released, MUCH LESS FINISHED. Someone leaked their song and everyone was downloading it.

Frankly, while I think their actions were a bit extreme, I don't necessarily blame them for it. Lars Ulrich has stated in an interview that he does not care if you download their music, just to wait until it's finished.

You are entitled to your opinion, but don't shove it in other people's faces, and please don't go around bashing people due to their musical interests.

Radiohead actually occasionally play creep now. The only reason they didn't before is for fear of being remembered as a one hit wonder. Now that they have obviously proven they aren't, the asinine concert goer yelling "Creep!" occasionally gets his wish granted.

My god the Napster thing happened a long freaking time ago, get over it..so you can't steal music anymore, boohoo. I don't understand how them standing up for not only themselves but other musicians makes them a sucky band...and like I said, it's old news and they didn't want people stealing their shit. Big deal

The reason radiohead doesn't play "creep" is because it damn near broke up the band. You should really stop bringing in innocent parties to try and supplement your terribly nocuous writing style. Emotion is good, but keep an ice pack on that hot head of yours. It'll lead to you saying inaccurate or idiotic things.

What??? Radiohead? Lame, they rock, and they didn't want people to come to their shows just because they know "Creep". I dunno if you know any teenagers, but I do, I am one, and I know quiet a few who do that, "OH MY GOD have you heard that one song by that band with the video? Of course I haven't listened to the rest of the album or any other of their albums, are you nutzzz?" It's the truth.

And as for Metallica, fuck them. Good music, and people want to listen to it, they should be happy for that, the reason they now SUCK is because they focus on the MONEY instead of the music.

If you really want to "fight" DRM, just don't use iTunes.

I have my own list to add to that.
This list is made up of things that piss me,and many other people off, about one certian individual. Any guesses??

1. Proclaim that your band is "the 2nd coming of christ

2. Promise "the greatest rock and roll revolution"

3. Promise fans a movie,documentary and 'revolutionary music technology'

4. (In reference to 3) 2/3 years later, only just start finishing these projects

5. Make even more promises, on an almost weekly basis, promising remix's, update of website, and not meet deadlines set.

6. Constant statements that each new song is "the best ive ever written"

7. Make 10 minute speeches in the middle of shows about how "you can change the world if you really believe"

8. Ditch thier guitar and start doing the lamest dancing known to man

...

Thats all I have right now.

Anyone know who im talking about..

i don't hate metallica for the nabster ordeal i hate them for not producing a good album since black