Last week, German band Rammstein performed two concerts in the Netherlands. This was preceded by quite an uproar, given the controversy surrounding the band's singer. He is accused of sexually abusing young female fans backstage. Simone Driessen, media scholar at ESHCC, has been speaking in various media about this issue: does the phrase 'sex, drugs and rock and roll still fit these times?
There are thousands of fans who sold their ticket and cancel Rammstein. But there are also fans who do everything to go backstage. Or those who don't care so much and say, 'innocent until proven guilty in court'. Apparently, there is a very strong attraction of artists to fans.
Since #metoo, the view of artists' debauched lives behind the scenes has changed considerably. Fans are more likely to rebel or make themselves heard when something happens against their will. We experienced this in the Dutch media, for example, with the abuses surrounding The Voice of Holland.
Simone has been doing research to fan behaviour and cancel culture for several years. Last week, she explained in the Volkskrant, Algemeen Dagblad and Dagblad van het Noorden about the controversy surrounding Rammstein and how people deal with it.
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