10 Hard Rock Bands That Insulted Their Own Fans
Sometimes the bond between fans and bands isn't so sacred...
In the world of music, the fans are the most important element without question. For as much love and care as you put into your music, it's not going to matter in the slightest unless you have the fans that support what you do. That being said, that hasn't stopped some bands from tearing into their fanbase.
Now, are these all instances of mistreatment? No... not on principle at least. Even though some of these bands have called out fans for doing horrible things, they end up looking like the better people for stopping the rest of their musical family from getting too out of control. Whether it's at a concert or online, these artists have had a few choice words to say about the more outlandish people who enjoy their music.
However, more often than not these artists let the ego of rock stardom go to their head and make outlandish suggestions so that they don't have to see or hear any of their fans asking them anything. The best musicians find a way to be respectful to anyone who comes to see them, but sometimes things get a little nasty in between the crowd and the entertainment.
10. Maynard James Keenan - Tool
For as much great music as Tool have put out, they have always been one of the more difficult bands to love. While every single release has been stellar so far, the prolonged wait that we've had to get their latest album Fear Inoculum seemed like torture for most longtime fans. Though many people have been used to the band's trolling nature, many were concerned when Maynard James Keenan began calling out the more fanatical Tool fans.
When speaking to Billboard magazine back in 2015, Keenan expressed a genuine love to the people who have enjoyed his music but was not enamored with the people who hang on every word he says. This initially sent fans into a frenzy, but Keenan quickly clarified the comments by calling out the people who treat them as god-like figures rather than actual people.
Since then, Keenan has been known to openly mock Tool fans, but only in good fun. This involves everything from calling them names during a show to trolling them by playing 2 songs and pretending to leave the stage. No matter how long it takes for them to release albums, Tool's relationship with their fans has been one of the most beautiful mysteries in hard rock.