THE COMMENT
In our latest edition of The Comment, Getintothis’ Lewis Ridley defends fans of The 1975 and their 24-hour tent-pitching dedication.
I had to Google it.
“A crazed and or obsessed fan. The term comes from the song Stan by Eminem. The term Stan is used to describe a fan who goes to great lengths to obsess over a celebrity.”
Urban Dictionary, forever helping me navigate through the world of Twitter where less and less seems to make sense every day.
I should’ve probably known that one, but it’s nice to be able to give a name to the group I’m using this week’s The Comment to praise.
Here’s to The 1975 Stans.
A couple of weeks back, when The 1975 had barely left the stage at M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, a group of stans on Twitter were plotting their route to the front for the band’s next gig.
One fan, @trumanchalamet was readying her troops for action at (or rather, outside) the Manchester Arena.
“Due to a show in the Arena tonight we’re not allowed to camp for the 1975 before midnight…” she said.
“Hang on,” I’m thinking, “That gig isn’t until Friday night?”
I was right, this fan was bearing the bad news that they weren’t allowed to set up camp on Thursday night, to get a great position in a gig on Friday night.
Further, she’d implemented a numbers queuing system which already had 28 names down.
me and the gf are ready to camp all night for the 1975 <3 big up cardiff pic.twitter.com/hOVXO8InRO
— aims (@sydinavhs) February 22, 2020
When fans go above and beyond…
Camping out for a place in front of the stage is just one example of Stannish behaviour.
Back in May 2012, The Stone Roses played Warrington’s Parr Hall as a first live appearance for 16 years, ahead of their Heaton Park reunion gigs.
Announced on XFM that afternoon, the news detailed that fans just had to bring some Roses memorabilia to the venue in order to gain access with a free ticket.
It was bedlam.
Newborns left with the neighbour, office phones sabotaged, some of the worst bricklaying the town had seen was slapped together as fans and their copies of Made of Stone, lemon badges, Spike Island tickets and anything else they could get their hands on charged for the venue.
Because for those people, that’s how much that band means.
Size? Exclusive Adidas Liverpool Release.
25 hour Queue.#Adidas #sizeexclusive #adidasliverpool pic.twitter.com/vFzMdZ0BvU— Dominic Powell (@paxtondom) March 6, 2020
Perhaps a couple of them were in Liverpool a few weeks ago, where trainer lovers were pitched up on Bold Street outside size?, waiting for opening time and the chance to get their hands on the brand new Liverpool series Adidas trainers.
For a band, the ultimate?
Liverpool band RATS are probably still coming down off selling out the Invisible Wind Factory the other week, frontman Joe Maddocks pinching himself at the idea of their single released just a day earlier being sung back to them by the crowd.
Liverpool… completed it mate 👍 ❤️ #adidasliverpool pic.twitter.com/w12yQi8tWM
— James Penty (@JamesPenty) March 6, 2020
Now, imagine that in an arena. A sold-out arena.
Imagine people queuing up outside that arena all day just to get that little bit closer to the front. Imagine meaning that much to a group of people.
Maybe it doesn’t last, maybe one day fans will look back and wonder what they were thinking when they did what they did for the band they love – but who’s to criticise?
These fans deserve to be celebrated. For their supreme dedication, and their wholeheartedness in a world of half-heartedness.
Long live the stan.
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