Over the years though I have discovered, through my own journey and those of my friends who have their own ‘band love’, that whilst it might started out as a ‘crush’ (especially as a teenage girl discovering love for the first time), over time the appreciation for how these humans help us navigate our own lives and emotions is incredible and valuable. And it also creates a sense of belonging, especially if you are an introvert like myself who doesn’t have many friends or has a little trouble making new ones along the way. Nothing is more precious than to find others who share the same passion and love for that artist and their music, being able to express this in a safe container why we feel that way is so truly amazing!

From connecting at events and or online, then getting to know other fans, becoming friends with some and sharing this special part of our lives with each other…boy…there is some magic in this!

We all crave belonging to a community who gets us and embraces us fully – on good and bad days, wouldn’t you agree?!

Personally, I am at a point in my life where I am less ‘crazy’ and more intrigued and drawn in with a musician through their lyrics and or music on a much deeper level than ever before. Maybe it’s because I’ve been on this inward journey of learning more about myself, my emotions and how I can be a better person and ‘do life’ better with the help of music.

Maybe it’s because I created this here, Living on the B Side, and the connections and chats I had with many others over the last two years especially that allowed me to see there is such a deeper and intense connection for me with music. Well, for us all really, if we allow it.

And I noticed that over the years the connections and love I have formed for many artists also match with my needs at that time and again today, especially emotionally and spiritually.

I still love and appreciate many, many of them to this day – from the German singer Peter Maffay who introduced me to live concerts when I was 12-ish, to Tina Turner who showed me what a concert should be, to NKOTB for being there when I needed someone to help me get through my parent’s divorce. Or the Swiss rock band Gotthard who provided most of my late teenage years to early adulthood soundtrack (and still make me rock on and out and are a slice of my home country Switzerland that will never go away).

And let’s not forget all the fun and amazing dance track writers and producers in the 90s to the Rap, Hip Hop and RnB artists in the 80s to 90s that instilled a love for dancing in me and created unbelievable moments that I feed off to this day.

I am not necessarily a ‘one band/musician’ person and never will be. I can see the beauty in many genres of music and artists and allow my soul to absorb it all as it is needed on so many levels.

However, if you are a person that is different and totally love one band, artist, musician – that is amazing and wonderful. Because it is music at the end of the day and music provides us a safe place to escape, to be ourselves and deal with our world inside and out.

I’ll soon will share with you my newfound appreciation for a band that was on the other side of my radar and horizon for a few years but never taken much notice until now. And I believe in perfect timing when these humans artists cross my path – it is a message that I wasn’t ready for, but am now.

For now, I am still digesting and absorbing all that comes with that discovery, and it is still raw, so please bear with me whilst I work through all that. When I am ready, I will share with you who it is and why.

In a nutshell, being part of any fanbase is something everyone should experience in their lifetime. 

Are you part of a musician’s fanbase? Who is it and what makes it so special to you?

PS: I’ll share the NKOTB video that started my own fan journey and entry into the world of fan communities.