Sean Fans Speak Out
I got a letter from someone who read issue 2. You�ll remember the conversation I printed which was taken from an internet conversation between me and another sean fan, where they told me what they heard outside their local gig. People slagging off Sean and this fanzine (without even seeing it) Here�s their reaction to what they read.
Thanx 4 the zine, brightened up my miserable day of sociology revision! I�ve just been reading some of it and I read the conversation between you and the irate sean fan - I can�t believe it! How pathetic were those other manics fans? I really don�t understand why people get SO possessive about the band, it�s like a constant competition of who�s the biggest fan. If for any reason you don�t meet �their� expectations you can�t be a fan - therefore they�re superior - GRRR! It pisses me off too!
I guess in someways I�m like them, you could say in terms of disliking the townie glory supporters - but who doesn�t dislike them? But, I know that they have had a positive effect, they helped with the No.1 single! But those people were slagging off sean fans who are by no means glory supporters, to be a true fan of the most under-rated band member requires a lot more devotion than following perhaps a member who cannot sneeze without a picture and blow by blow account of the incident being printed.
I *love* all the manics and although perhaps one of the most overused cliches, they have changed my life. I was quite young and naive when I �found� them, so to speak, and after 5 or so yrs still love em as much as I did then, if not more. By listening to them and their music, I have come to think about things in a way I might not have done before. I know this is the same for a lot of people but to ignore any of the members is just a stupid mistake, if you call yourself a manics fan surely means to believe in what the band stand for - yes?! So to say you hated one member which is today one third of the manics, you remove a third of what they stand for!
Maybe, some people will never understand, perhaps they�re just beyond help - believing so strongly in their own self-superiority and righteousness, they have just become oblivious to all else and esp those that challenge or differ from their ideals. And let�s face it if they slag sean off believing nicky to be better and imitating his every look + move + word. He�s hardly gonna take kindly to his so called fans slagging off his best mate, is he? Besides, without sean, there wouldn�t be � the manics music or any glorious drums or trumpet solos (which hold a high spot in my heart)!
I have had my little rant! It�s so annoying though!
Me: there was no time or space to print reactions in issue 2. This reaction sums up what everyone who read it thinks. A lot of fans do see sean in this way. I knew that. But when someone goes to a gig and has to listen to a. sean being slagged off and b. the fanzine they contributed to being slagged off, it�s a bit much, especially when what�s being said is it�s not normal to be a fan of his.
They of course have to be a fan of one of the other manics. You guessed at nicky, I wouldn�t want to accuse nicky fans of such prejudice, although I know they weren�t tolerant over his lyrics to born a girl. As a manics fan it is accepted to like nicky. It is not accepted to like sean. There�s a certain breed of manics fans who think it�s still 1991 and see richey as the perfect idol and for some reason see sean as the total opposite. I resent this. Their way of thinking that one manic was perfection personified and sean isn�t worthy of the time of day is incomprehensible. By that reasoning they should have the drum tracks removed from all the albums, singles and all the early gig bootlegs they put so much time and effort into collecting.
Of course I could have it totally wrong, they could be a james fan, see him as a �normal� bloke, and hate nicky and sean. But it�s always sean who gets the abuse cos he�s an easy target, in their eyes, cos no-one cares about him anyway. Well, we know that�s not true. And sean knows that�s not true. He knows he�s loved.
I hate to rock the boat and kick up a fuss and say �it�s not on� - people�s attitude towards sean that is. But it has to be said. And always, if you take this attitude, people automatically see you as having a problem. Almost as if �why are you bothered�. As if there�s something wrong with caring about another manic. And it�s a true reflection of the fan scene that every time a sean fan does a fanzine they have to deal with this s***. But you never expect it, never in a million years. And you never ask for it. Although by liking sean you might as well have a sign on your head saying �I�m different�. The only thing is, we�re not. We like the same band for gods sake. I can only liken it to something like homophobia which is ridiculous but the hatred towards sean and us is the same. And why should it be. Because he won�t wear a dress and makeup and starve himself for them? Why the hell should he. It�s the eternal feeling of �this is never going to go away�. A few people might come round but always when you announce you like sean, you know other fans are not expecting to hear it. It�s not on their agenda.
I�ve noticed it�s mainly emg fans onwards who see him as an integral part of the band and all respect to them, they have no idea of the prejudice an �early� fan is full of, when only one manic ruled. F*** that. It was the reason for the end of the band in 1994, everyone idolising one manic. They can do that but they can also leave sean alone. Any defence of him is seen as patronising but f*** that too.
I often think sean doesn�t fit in the very band he�s in, in the eyes of the fans and the press. And I wonder how he feels about that. I�m sure he�s well aware of it. If only he could just play music and be appreciated - which is how we see it - without all this other un-necessary s***.
Maybe people don�t know how to �be� a sean fan so don�t even try. Well there aren�t any rules and that�s the best thing. And maybe that�s why sean fans like being sean fans, cos they can be themselves. We don�t have to talk in pseudo fan speak, we don�t have to try and fit in or impress anyone. And that�s why people don�t like us. And that�s why we like sean. He isn�t going to charm the journalists if he doesn�t feel like it. He isn�t going out of his way to make you like him. But he doesn�t deserve the treatment he�s got.
Maybe our obvious mistake was not idolising him and making him into our god. He doesn�t ask for that so he doesn�t get it equals to some he doesn�t want your attention. But they�re wrong. We know that. Maybe we do get off on how different we are to them (and through no choice of our own) We could never be like them.
So back to the people who think there�s something so wrong with being a fan of sean, I think they�re nazis, if they believe they�re so much better, or another manic is so much better. Our only crime is that we don�t hero worship to the point of ridiculousness like some of them do. We see sean as more like us than someone who�s up there to be idolised. And to some people that just isn�t what they�re looking for.
THEIR PREJUDICE MAKES ME SICK AND THEIR JOKES AREN'T FUNNY
IF THAT'S WHAT BEING A MANICS FAN IS ABOUT, COUNT ME OUT, I'LL BE MYSELF
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