Occupation: Groupie
Written on March 28, 2004
In the movie School of Rock, Dewey Finn (Jack Black) tells 10-year-old Summer that sheÂ’ll be a groupie in the class rock band. "Groupies are sluts! They sleep with the band," the kid says. Dewey then says that groupies are like cheerleaders who support the band.
Groupie. A word I once despised along with the word fan. But I have to admit, IÂ’ve been down that road before. Last year I was totally enamored with this band ever since I first heard them play. I checked their schedules all the time over the internet and went to their gigs at least once a week. When I finally got to meet the group, they opened a whole new world for me. I became a groupie. Heck, for quite a while, my Friendster occupation read "professional groupie".
As a groupie, I learned a lot about the band, their music, their career, the people around them, and how they go about their busy lives. I learned all the good and bad points for being up close and personal with a musical group. Here are the pros and cons IÂ’ve learned during my days as a "professional crazed fan".
THE PROS
It can get you in the door.
If youÂ’re an aspiring musician, then being a groupie can help you get around. The group themselves, their manager, and other people connected to them can show you the ropes and how to survive in the music business. A few simple questions and a few words of advice from them can help you a lot. IÂ’ve asked a lot of curious questions and in the process, I got to learn a lot about the biz.
Connections.
In relation to the first, you get a lot of contacts and meet a lot of people, be it from the music world or not. IÂ’ve been interested in the performing business for quite some time, and because of the band I went with, I managed to bag a few internships in different events for myself. It really helped a lot then, and even more in the future.
Freebies.
Once you get chummy with the band, you can manage to find your name written on their guest lists. You can also easily waltz into backstage areas. You get free entrances, and, if youÂ’re lucky, free drinks as well. IÂ’ve hung out with the group quite a lot of times, and theyÂ’re willing to foot the bill if theyÂ’re feeling generous. Back when the band was still starting out, they even offered if I wanted to be on the guest list, which, of course, I didnÂ’t refuse.
You can get your 15 minutes of fame.
Scream and cheer all you want at their gigs, sit at the very front of the stage, walk out of the backstage area with them--just simply be with them. The band can call out your name, dedicate songs for you, acknowledge your presence and support, all that stuff, and people will notice you. Everyone can see you when youÂ’re with the band.
Bragging rights.
Imagine the envious looks on peopleÂ’s faces when they find out that you personally know the band, hahaha! I know this sounds mean, but I actually enjoy how some people turn green with envy. I mean, hey, who doesnÂ’t want to be in the spotlight even for just a little while?
Friendship.
Ah yes, this is the best I got from them. Despite the fact that theyÂ’re a band with busy schedules, they still make good friends. They manage to find the time to talk and hang out with you, text you to say hi, and they remain loyal to you... well, it actually all depends, really. If the band members do become real friends, theyÂ’ll remain your friends. And not just the band, youÂ’ll also find friends who share the same interests as you in line with supporting the group.
THE CONS
Of course, no matter how fun it can be to be a groupie, there are still some things we canÂ’t avoid...
Gossip.
People are bound to spot you and notice that youÂ’ve been hanging around with the band a little too much. And when they do, theyÂ’d talk about it. IÂ’ve been crushing on this one bandÂ’s lead guitarist and I always looked for every opportunity to hang around him. People in school would come up to me and say, "Hey, I see you were with so-and-so again yesterday. Are you guys going out?" It may be fun in the beginning, but hey, when people talk, a lot of things can come out, be it true or false. Celebrities, no matter how big or small, are always in the public eye, so everyone notices them, as well as the people theyÂ’re with.
Getting involved.
But what if you do get "ascloseasthis" to the band, and even end up really going out with one of them? More gossip is sure to surface. And whatÂ’s more, what if personal problems within the group arise, and you happen to be part of it? I learned both the hard way. Because of a personal experience, I was told to stay out of the scene. Lesson--donÂ’t get involved.
Meeting user-friendly people.
I had fun meeting different kinds of people during my groupie phase, plus making new friends along the way. But some of them turn out the way you donÂ’t expect them to be. As someone who can mingle with the band, people will befriend you just so they can get as close to them as you are, sometimes even more. And then they could dump you just like that because they finally got their foot in the door. You have got to watch out for people like these who pretend to be sincere just to get something out of you.
Influences of exclusive parties.
In line with the user-friendly people, there can be some "friends" that can greatly influence a lot, be it from the group or not. They can manipulate the band, their friends, even groupies and fans. These are what I call the "exclusive party"; exclusive because they have this advantage of being linked to the group as an old friend, girlfriend, boyfriend, family member, etc. Because they already have that advantage, they sort of have this power to manipulate, hence having this great influence to the people among them. If something may go wrong and people start taking sides, they can make people side with them, no matter how twisted stories can be. Once again, the lesson about not getting involved applies here, because if you happen to get caught in the middle of things, they can side with you or turn against you.
Loss of identity.
Yes, this is so true. I got so fascinated with the band, the music, the people, the gigs, and everything else that I get so lost in it. I suddenly lost my identity. You can get drunk in all the fun, you think about nothing but the group and their music, them, them, them, that you donÂ’t know who you are anymore. You keep hanging out with them, that suddenly, you realize that all your time is poured out on them. For a few months, a few friends and I went through this. I realized then that I didnÂ’t have the time for my other friends, my studies, and heck, even my family.
I became a band groupie for almost a year, and then I phased out of it. IÂ’m still friends with the band, and I still keep in touch with the group and the people I met through them. Some of these people stayed true friends, yet I realized that there are still quite a number of people that can be plastic at times. I guess itÂ’s all part of it. But I never regretted anything during my time with these people. In a way, it was quite a learning experience. Like what I told my fellow groupies, itÂ’s funny how the music of one band can bring people from different walks of life together. To my friends, thank you for the friendship, you all know who you are. To the band, thank you for the music that left a big impact in my life. IÂ’m still grateful for meeting all these wonderful people who became part of my life in some way.
In the movie School of Rock, Dewey Finn (Jack Black) tells 10-year-old Summer that sheÂ’ll be a groupie in the class rock band. "Groupies are sluts! They sleep with the band," the kid says. Dewey then says that groupies are like cheerleaders who support the band.
Groupie. A word I once despised along with the word fan. But I have to admit, IÂ’ve been down that road before. Last year I was totally enamored with this band ever since I first heard them play. I checked their schedules all the time over the internet and went to their gigs at least once a week. When I finally got to meet the group, they opened a whole new world for me. I became a groupie. Heck, for quite a while, my Friendster occupation read "professional groupie".
As a groupie, I learned a lot about the band, their music, their career, the people around them, and how they go about their busy lives. I learned all the good and bad points for being up close and personal with a musical group. Here are the pros and cons IÂ’ve learned during my days as a "professional crazed fan".
THE PROS
It can get you in the door.
If youÂ’re an aspiring musician, then being a groupie can help you get around. The group themselves, their manager, and other people connected to them can show you the ropes and how to survive in the music business. A few simple questions and a few words of advice from them can help you a lot. IÂ’ve asked a lot of curious questions and in the process, I got to learn a lot about the biz.
Connections.
In relation to the first, you get a lot of contacts and meet a lot of people, be it from the music world or not. IÂ’ve been interested in the performing business for quite some time, and because of the band I went with, I managed to bag a few internships in different events for myself. It really helped a lot then, and even more in the future.
Freebies.
Once you get chummy with the band, you can manage to find your name written on their guest lists. You can also easily waltz into backstage areas. You get free entrances, and, if youÂ’re lucky, free drinks as well. IÂ’ve hung out with the group quite a lot of times, and theyÂ’re willing to foot the bill if theyÂ’re feeling generous. Back when the band was still starting out, they even offered if I wanted to be on the guest list, which, of course, I didnÂ’t refuse.
You can get your 15 minutes of fame.
Scream and cheer all you want at their gigs, sit at the very front of the stage, walk out of the backstage area with them--just simply be with them. The band can call out your name, dedicate songs for you, acknowledge your presence and support, all that stuff, and people will notice you. Everyone can see you when youÂ’re with the band.
Bragging rights.
Imagine the envious looks on peopleÂ’s faces when they find out that you personally know the band, hahaha! I know this sounds mean, but I actually enjoy how some people turn green with envy. I mean, hey, who doesnÂ’t want to be in the spotlight even for just a little while?
Friendship.
Ah yes, this is the best I got from them. Despite the fact that theyÂ’re a band with busy schedules, they still make good friends. They manage to find the time to talk and hang out with you, text you to say hi, and they remain loyal to you... well, it actually all depends, really. If the band members do become real friends, theyÂ’ll remain your friends. And not just the band, youÂ’ll also find friends who share the same interests as you in line with supporting the group.
THE CONS
Of course, no matter how fun it can be to be a groupie, there are still some things we canÂ’t avoid...
Gossip.
People are bound to spot you and notice that youÂ’ve been hanging around with the band a little too much. And when they do, theyÂ’d talk about it. IÂ’ve been crushing on this one bandÂ’s lead guitarist and I always looked for every opportunity to hang around him. People in school would come up to me and say, "Hey, I see you were with so-and-so again yesterday. Are you guys going out?" It may be fun in the beginning, but hey, when people talk, a lot of things can come out, be it true or false. Celebrities, no matter how big or small, are always in the public eye, so everyone notices them, as well as the people theyÂ’re with.
Getting involved.
But what if you do get "ascloseasthis" to the band, and even end up really going out with one of them? More gossip is sure to surface. And whatÂ’s more, what if personal problems within the group arise, and you happen to be part of it? I learned both the hard way. Because of a personal experience, I was told to stay out of the scene. Lesson--donÂ’t get involved.
Meeting user-friendly people.
I had fun meeting different kinds of people during my groupie phase, plus making new friends along the way. But some of them turn out the way you donÂ’t expect them to be. As someone who can mingle with the band, people will befriend you just so they can get as close to them as you are, sometimes even more. And then they could dump you just like that because they finally got their foot in the door. You have got to watch out for people like these who pretend to be sincere just to get something out of you.
Influences of exclusive parties.
In line with the user-friendly people, there can be some "friends" that can greatly influence a lot, be it from the group or not. They can manipulate the band, their friends, even groupies and fans. These are what I call the "exclusive party"; exclusive because they have this advantage of being linked to the group as an old friend, girlfriend, boyfriend, family member, etc. Because they already have that advantage, they sort of have this power to manipulate, hence having this great influence to the people among them. If something may go wrong and people start taking sides, they can make people side with them, no matter how twisted stories can be. Once again, the lesson about not getting involved applies here, because if you happen to get caught in the middle of things, they can side with you or turn against you.
Loss of identity.
Yes, this is so true. I got so fascinated with the band, the music, the people, the gigs, and everything else that I get so lost in it. I suddenly lost my identity. You can get drunk in all the fun, you think about nothing but the group and their music, them, them, them, that you donÂ’t know who you are anymore. You keep hanging out with them, that suddenly, you realize that all your time is poured out on them. For a few months, a few friends and I went through this. I realized then that I didnÂ’t have the time for my other friends, my studies, and heck, even my family.
I became a band groupie for almost a year, and then I phased out of it. IÂ’m still friends with the band, and I still keep in touch with the group and the people I met through them. Some of these people stayed true friends, yet I realized that there are still quite a number of people that can be plastic at times. I guess itÂ’s all part of it. But I never regretted anything during my time with these people. In a way, it was quite a learning experience. Like what I told my fellow groupies, itÂ’s funny how the music of one band can bring people from different walks of life together. To my friends, thank you for the friendship, you all know who you are. To the band, thank you for the music that left a big impact in my life. IÂ’m still grateful for meeting all these wonderful people who became part of my life in some way.
Page created: January 7th 2006 08:11 PM