“That way, if viewing said images offends any delicate sensibilities, said offendees can simply Cease and Desist before arriving at that disconcerting juncture. I’m reasonably sure they will be able to survive the one view- of Alan with which I began this part of the blog”. Between the Rock January 2014.
I have just read @lyndahere’s latest blog post about Russell
Crowe’s Indoor Garden Parties at Coffs Harbour in Australia Part 2 23 January 2014.
It is on the eve of Murray Foster’s Cocksure Lad’s CD Launch in Toronto which
she has informed us she is attending via Twitter, flying from St John’s,
Newfoundland to Toronto. She is staying overnight before returning and attending
another concert in St John’s on the following night in the hope of seeing Alan
Doyle. @lyndahere uses her blog as an opportunity to attack the fandoms once
again when the issue of appropriate conduct at concerts is raised on social
media.
I have decided to respond to her blog post via this blog as she
doesn’t take too kindly to any discussion that doesn’t support her own views
and behaviour. @lyndahere to me seems to exist in a magical world where she is
entirely right regardless of the country she is in, what the laws say, the
venues say, the fandom say and most of all the musicians and artists she
professes to love say. After providing a detailed list of her self-indulging
concert going across three continents that gives her a sense of entitlement and
establishes herself as the big name fan, there comes an attack on the fandoms,
followed by the tantrum chucking and name calling to anyone who makes a
suggestion or criticism that her conduct is not wanted by either the fans or
the musicians and artists involved.
In this blog post @lyndahere refers to a discussion on
social media about the ethics of photographing and bootlegging at the concerts in
the fandom a ‘stink’ and those that raised it ‘stinkees’. Time and time again
individuals within these fandoms, not just the Russell Crowe fandom but others
too, have raised the issue of appropriate conduct at concerts, bootlegging and
photographing have been bullied into silence all because they have a moral and
ethical conscience and want to do the right thing by the musicians and artists.
Calling fans ‘stinkers’ and ‘stinkees’ is the stuff of little children and
their playground world. It is outright rude and would do nothing to endure Alan
Doyle to new or other fans, and in particular Russell Crowe fans.
“My course of action
was then to get a few photos and videos of any new songs (and Alan’s song,
since people who have no clue about him or his solo career will watch anything
connected to Russell Crowe) if I could do so discreetly enough as not be seen
thereby trigger a “She’s got a camera so I get to use mine too!” avalanche of
souvenir-photo-seeking from fellow audience members. Which I did, by hiding my
camera down low on my knee, in full view of every single person on the stage
but out of sight of the audience members Spirit of the Law, Not Letter of the
Law”
I am wondering why she thinks Australians shouldn't take photographs for personal use at an event in their own country? Are they not entitled to a souvenir photo as Americans and Canadians have done before her? And there lies the problem for musicians and artists. @lyndahere
has a hundred explanations for justifying what she does travelling the world
photographing, bootlegging and writing reports. There is one rule for her and one rule for everyone else. I find these justifications interesting because she is personally alienating many people who are and could be fans due to her uncompromising conduct in concerts and online including myself. There are many ways for people to say no and for someone who professes to know these musicians and artists on stage presence intimately, @lyndahere is not reading their body language on stage or their social media responses particularly well.
I have made this point before in previous blog posts about
what a ticket means but @lyndahere doesn’t seem to get it. The price of the
ticket and venue holder’s requests does not include the right to photograph and
bootleg performances. Russell Crowe, Alan Doyle and Great Big Sea do not have
to inform her not to take photographs and bootlegged videos. She has stated she
understands this in this instance. She knows the rules and procedures for
taking photographs and recordings. It isn’t about asking permission from the
theatre. It is her responsibility as a ticket holder as I understand it, to
apply for permission through a license to record and take photographs and
respect their right to say no. If @lyndahere applied for a licence in
accordance with law then she would know what the musicians and artists wanted
and not second guess them.
As @lyndahere states and others have stated Russell Crowe
can be very particular about cameras and taking photographs. That is his right.
These are his concerts in his adopted country. However, as @lyndahere has shown
in the past it doesn’t matter what the musicians and artists want. She totally
disregards it anyway and does exactly what she wants because well @lyndahere knows
best. And this time fans chose to speak
up and say photographs and bootlegging should be taken with permission from
those involved. Fair enough. There are no rights for ticket holders beyond
admittance to the concert. @lyndahere has in the past photographed and
bootlegged the Indoor Garden Party concerts to death, choosing to put up entire
shows and take hundreds of photographs. Most musicians and artists don’t seem
to mind people taking a couple of photographs and even a video for personal use.
However, @lyndahere takes an excessive amount. I have also heard they are
making a movie of the Indoor Garden Parties. And despite the fact @lyndahere
would have known this she chose to ignore it.
@lyndahere informs us she has put photographs of the first
concert up only because of pressure placed on her by the Russell Crowe fandom. I
would love to know where this pressure came from as it seemed she was having a
great time with all the Russell Crowe fans who went to Australia from around
the world on Twitter and Facebook. She totally ignores me and is not interested
in anything I have to say. I am wondering if there was nothing said by the
musicians and artists and it were business as usual, then why were there bootlegged
videos and photos taken from her kneecam as her tweets and blog posts indicated.
The rumour about photographs and bootlegging to me seems to be started by some
Russell Crowe fans more, to take the pressure off themselves for producing the
goods, rather than any concern about the wellbeing and wishes of the musicians
and artists. From the photographs @lyndahere did take she didn’t seem to be in
a good position although close enough to Alan Doyle right at his feet as usual.
She would have had a stiff neck at the end. Again there are many reasons why
@lyndahere did not take photographs and bootlegged videos these concerts, including
not doing the work, being told not to take photographs and bootleg as
bootlegging is also illegal as it is in other countries.
“I am not a Russell
Crowe fan. But then, I’m not an Alan Doyle fan, either, though I expect only a
few – the few that matter the most to me- will comprehend the Truth of that
statement”. And the cryptic double meaning world of @lyndahere goes on. But
if you’re not a fan then why hog the prime ‘Alan Doyle can see me position at
every concert’?. Why not give it to some other fan? @lyndahere clearly states
in the blog she is not a fan of either Russell Crowe or Alan Doyle and only the
people closest to her knew exactly what their relationship is. She could have
fooled me. As I have said before in previous blog posts @lyndahere is not the
first fan to imply there was a relationship with those musicians and artists they admire and love where
there was none. Although I could have told people she wasn’t really a fan, more like a
fan scorned. Being a fan isn’t a dirty word as she implies. Fans and
fandom are words that have many meanings, with many layers and are constantly
changing. They are continually being constructed and reconstructed by the
people who participate in them. And that is what makes this all fascinating to
me.
