AUDIENCE RESEARCHA LT E R N AT I V E R O C K M U S I C FA N S

MEANING OF ALTERNATIVE ROCKALTERNATIVE ROCK MUSIC HAS A HUGE FOCUS ON TEENAGE REBELLION, PARTICULARLY AGAINST SOCIAL NORMS CONSTRUCTED BY SOCIETY AND THE GOVERNMENT.THERE IS A BASIC PULL TOWARDS EXCITEMENT AND IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION IN LIFE – SEX, DRUGS AND ROCK & ROLL.

THE MUSIC THEREFORE FOCUSES ON THESE THEMES, AND WITH THEIR ICONIC HEAVY RIFFS AND ‘WACKY’ FRONT MEN AND WOMEN, A TYPE OF IDENTITY HAS COME ALONG WITH THE LISTENING OF THE MUSIC.AN IDENTITY BY WHICH MUSIC IS AN ESCAPE, REAL LIFE IS A DRAG, SCHOOL SUCKS, PARENTS ARE TOO STRICT AND FESTIVALS ARE THE PLACE TO BE (TYPICALLY READING & LEEDS FESTIVALS)

ALTERNATIVE ROCK IS TYPICAL FOR BEING STRIPPED DOWN AND FOCUSING JUST ON THE MUSIC. THAT’S WHY THE BAND MEMBERS ARE NEVER CONSTRUCTED AND OVER THE TOP LIKE TYPICAL POP-STARS SUCH AS MADONNA AND LADY GAGA. THERE IS A EQUAL LEVEL BETWEEN THE BANDS AND THE FANS IN THE WAY THAT THEY OFTEN COME FROM THE SAME BACKGROUNDS (WORKING CLASS) AND HAVE THE SAME POLITICAL BELIEFS. THEY DRESS THE SAME AND ALL ASPIRE TO THE SAME THINGS – TO HAVE FUN AND LIVE THEIR MUSIC.

IDENTITYMUSIC IS ESSENTIAL FOR AN ALTERNATIVE ROCK FAN, SO MUCH SO THAT THEIR IDENTITY IS BUILT AROUND IT: THEIR INTERESTS, CLOTHING, ACTIONS ETC. MANY DEDICATED FANS LIVE THE WILD LIFESTYLE OF THE BANDS AND LOOK UP TO BANDS SUCH AS ARCTIC MONKEYS AND PULP.THESE TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS LIVE A SUBCULTURE OF MARXIST RESENTMENT AND IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION. THEY LIVE AND BREATHE THE MUSIC THEY LISTEN TO, CAMPING OUT THE NIGHT BEFORE A GIG, ATTENDING FESTIVALS, GETTING DRUNK AND ROWDY, AND PARTYING HARD AND SUFFERING THE NEXT DAY. IT’S A HATE FOR A CAPITALIST SYSTEM THAT DRIVES THEM TO BE ANTI-POLITICAL AND REBELLIOUS BUT STILL A PRIDE IN WHERE THEY COME FROM. IT’S SIMILAR TO THE MODS AND ROCKERS OF THE 70’S AND 80’S BUT WITH LESS AGGRESSION AND MORE QUIET HATRED OF THE WORLD.