rockstars

In the past rockstars were gods who fell from the sky. Occasionally gracing us with their otherworldly presence they remained eternally beyond the reach of our fingertips.

Today the rockstar has apparently changed. The likes of Pete Doherty and the singer from The Others (Dan Masters?) have broken down the barrier between audience and performer. But is this really true? It seems to me that it is not.

I don't doubt the good intentions of these musicians but it appears that their actions have had entirely the opposite effect to the one they desire. These rockstars are more deified by their fans than any other performers. By acting more human they are worshipped ever more intensely as gods. It's no coincidence that Libertines/Doherty/The Others fans are often of the more obsessive variety. By breaking down the physical barrier between themselves and their audience these rockstars have unwittingly erected an even higher pedestal for their fans to place them upon. The security tape may have been removed but the mental barrier is bigger than ever. It's not their fault, I just find it ironic.

This new breed of rockstar is supposedly a romantic figure and I can kind of see this too; there is something romantic in being greatly talented whilst being equally self-destructive. However, I can't help but feel that they are admired most passionately by those who wished they had the balls to be like them. And while the tragic poet is a heroic figure, the aspiring one is merely sad.

Anyway, is there not more romance in the idea that our rockstars come from another planet to us?

Ed.