Fan Identities and Practices in Context

<p>Popular music is not simply a series of musicians, moments, genres or recordings. Audiences matter; and the most ardent audience members are the fans. To be a fan is to feel a connection with music. The study of fandom has begun to emerge as a vital strand of academic research, one that offers a fresh perspective on the nature of music culture. </p><p><em>Fan Identities and Practices in Context</em> investigates fan identities and practices in different contexts and in relation to different bands and artists. Through a series of empirical case studies the book reflects a diverse array of objects and perspectives associated with this vibrant new field of study. Contributors examine how fans negotiate their identities and actively pursue their particular interests, touching on a range of issues including cultural capital, generational memory, gender, fan fiction and the use of new media. This book was originally published as two special issues of <i>Popular Music and Society.</i></p> <p>Introduction<i> </i><b>Part I: Identities </b>1. Directions in Music Fan Research: Undiscovered Territories and Hard Problems<i> </i>2. A Long Strange Trip: The Continuing World of European Deadheads<i> </i>3. "Anyone who Calls Muse a <i>Twilight</i> Band will be Shot on Sight": Music, Distinction, and the "Interloping Fan" in the <i>Twilight</i> Franchise<i> </i>4. Diva Worship and the Sonic Search for Queer Utopia<i> </i>5. Making Monsters: Lady Gaga, Fan Identification, and Social Media<i> </i>6. "His Soul Was Wandering and Holy": Employing and Contesting Religious Terminology in Django Fandom<i> </i>7. My Music, Not Yours: Ravings of a Rock-and-Roll Fanatic<i> </i><b>Part II: Fan Practices </b>8. Fan Practices<i> </i>9. Autechre and Electronic Music Fandom: Performing Knowledge Online through Techno-Geek Discourses<i> </i>10. New Economy of Fandom<i> </i>11. "Bandom Ate My Face": The Collapse of the Fourth Wall in Online Fan Fiction<i> </i>12. Filming Concerts for YouTube: Seeking Recognition in the Pursuit of Cultural Capital<i> </i>13. Penfriendships, Exchange Economies, and "FBs": Take That Fans Networking before the Digital Revolution<i> </i>14. Smells Like Focus Group Spirit? The Changing Nature of Pop Fandom and its Deployment as a Political Tool Conclusion</p>