The concept of what it is to be a “rock star” has certainly evolved over the course of my life.
When I was growing up, the rock star concept was fairly universal. Simply put, the overwhelming majority of the world lived a fairly conventional existence. We were allowed to party and have fun until we finished school, at which point we understood that we would have to “grow up.” Our lives would become serious — job, relationship/marriage, children, home — a responsible and adult lifestyle. We would spend our evenings in front of the television and our weekends running errands and doing chores around our homes. We could have a hobby – play a little guitar, play cards or go bowling on the weekends, follow your favorite sports teams. Our bliss came from knowing that we were contributing members of society and meeting our appropriate developmental milestones. In the best case, it was a satisfying, fulfilling albeit somewhat boring life. In the worst case we felt like the Walking Dead – lifeless drones who fulfilled some societal purpose that brought us no joy.
In the midst of this inevitable zombie apocalypse, a few special, unique people got to live a more animated, exciting life. They got to be rocks stars. They were the talented ones who were able to earn a living as musicians, actors, writers or artists. They got to live above the deadened fray — maybe until they were 40 – at which point they’d retire with their millions and their tales of glory. They were the lucky ones who would never taste the drudgery of everyday life.
And yet a funny thing happened as I got older — the concept of what it was to be a rock star slowly began to change. This change seemed to originate from three sources. The first was that our rock stars decided that they didn’t want to stop rocking — ever. Some of the most enduring, powerful and successful live musical acts in the world were artists in their 70’s such as Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Kiss and Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. Actors such as Henry Fonda, Katherine Hepburn, Jessica Tandy and Christopher Plummer were winning Oscars in their 70’s and 80’s.
And the idea that life doesn’t end at 21 or even 40 was certainly an exciting development. But the truth is that the enduring success of these individuals had little to do with most of us. They were still the stars – untouchable. And we were still the regular people living regular lives.
But the second source of our shifting definition of rock star came from the world of punk rock. One could argue that The Ramones started it by inspiring millions that they too could be rock stars without necessarily being obscenely beautiful, technically expert musicians. In a recent interview for the Hardcore Humanism Podcast, musician and recording engineer Steve Albini described how listening to The Ramones made him recognize that rock stars were not untouchable – that it was possible for him to be an artist too. “The Ramones kind of gave me license to take all of those things seriously…” Albini told me. ”It made me imagine a world of possibilities of music and culture.”
Hardcore punk took things a step further and built a culture around that inclusive ethos. Suddenly, the boundaries between rock star and fan were shattered. As hardcore was not accepted into the mainstream anyway, a passionate Do-It-Yourself (DIY) ethos developed. Everyone in the hardcore scene could be anything – musician, fan, label or fanzine owner. It was the idea that anyone could do it. “That was a transformative thing for me to realize that you could live your whole life that way. And the thing that was most inspiring about that era was that everybody felt obliged to do everything,” Albini said. “So if you were in a band, that meant also that you would help put on shows or help hang flyers. Or you would help somebody put out their fanzine.”
Accordingly, rather than rock stars being somehow separated from and above the fans, hardcore punk dared to integrate rock stardom into everyday life. In fact, the explicit goal was not to have a “career” in your art. Participants in hardcore punk culture assumed that they would have a “regular job” and that building important art and culture was done for its own sake. “The end goal of the process is to advance the overall project,” Albini described. “In the case of music … to advanced the culture to have awesome shows to be in a great band.”
Third and finally, technology made it possible for anyone with the drive and determination to create their own art on their own terms. YouTube and other social media platforms have given everyone a stage. Programs like GarageBand have given everyone a recording studio. Bandcamp, Spotify and iTunes let people share and sell their music. And Facebook, Twitter and Instagram mean that anyone can build their own fanbase. There are no gatekeepers of culture anymore. “The online presence of bands has grown in ways that I would not have imagined,” he explained. “The online tools like things like Bandcamp have allowed bands to continue releasing new material without having to be a part of a manufacturing industry.”
So what does that mean for all of us?
To be sure, now is not necessarily the time when we are thinking about a rock star life. Many of us are terrified of sickness, death, economic stability and the social turmoil that has enveloped the planet. But what Albini and his colleagues such as Ian MacKaye, Jello Biafra and others of the hardcore community have shown is that being a rock star is about leading a purpose-driven life.
And even in the midst of all that is happening – perhaps particularly in the midst of this turmoil – we have to find ways to feel like we are rock stars in some way. Maybe now is the time to pick up a guitar and learn to play for the first time. Or work on a comedy routine. Or start painting. Or write the book we wanted. Or maybe we just want to try and plant a garden in our yard. Start an online fanzine of your favorite music. It doesn’t matter. Whatever our rock star fantasy is – it is crucial that we carve out some piece of that feeling – that passion, that excitement. And start connecting with people who are likeminded and can support your rock star aspirations.
Even the smallest step forward can be of value.
And who knows where it might lead?
Photo credit: Frank Taillandier
