Stand and Deliver

As you may have guessed from the last post, I like "Desolation Row". I like the music, I like the video. I particularly like the band that's covered it.

*waits for annoying echoes of "FANGIRL!" to die down*

Now, are all the adults still here? Good, let's continue.

To my knowledge, there has been more than one "entertainment artist" over the last one hundred years who was disliked for their performances, their personal views, their use of words, etc. My Chemical Romance is NOT the first band to do something that somebody didn't like. And they're not going to be the last, either. I hope they're not, anyway. Because if there's someone out there pissing people off because of any of the above reasons, then by shit that's what makes them good. Audiences pay attention to those who make a statement.

Remember Elvis Presley? Pissed folks off cause he swiveled his hips. Remember the Beatles? Pissed folks off cause they had long hair, AND they wrote great songs. Remember Led Zeppelin? Pissed folks off cause they made even singing the grocery list sound sexy. Let's go on with Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Timothy Leary, Hunter S. Thompson, the Clash, Monty Python, Richard Pryor, Jesse Jackson, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Prince, Bill Hicks, Stephen King, J.D. Salinger...

U2...

The Sex Pistols...

Martin Luther King Jr.

My point here is, you WANT your audience to talk about you. That means you've made an impression. The ones who DON'T make an impression fade away in the shadows. Anybody remember Glass Tiger? Exactly. And who'll recall High School Musical #93? Um, yeah.

BUT. The thing that bothers me is that too many focus on the bad behavior, the bad publicity, and deem the artist nothing but vile, foul agents of disaster. Take MCR, for example. Yes, they're role models. Yes, they're responsible for what they say. NO, they are NOT responsible for making every one of us happy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are men. They are musicians. They are human beings. That means they make mistakes, they say the wrong things, they do some weird shit sometimes. WE ALL DO. I think the reason some put them through the wringer when they fuck up is because those people have expected much more from the band than just great music and a great concert. The guys were elevated to "idol" status by those people, and are now being crucified for being human.

Get over it, kids.

I'm going to support Frank, Gerard, Bob, Ray, and Mikey (and James and Matt as well) because they're fine musicians, hugely talented men, and just plain old good guys.

The rest of you who believe they're the spawn of Satan?

All I'm gonna say is, you're missing a Hell of a talent.