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I went on tour with Forever Losing Sleep, a small band from North Jersey and it really made me realize how much hard work goes into being a small band touring. Following this article will be various articles of what it's really like. I went on tour with the attitude of “I’m 24 years old, if I don't do it now, I’m not really sure when I’m going to,” and I came home with it essentially being a life changing experience. As I sit in an airport in Las Vegas and reflect upon the last two weeks, I really can’t imagine my trip going any differently than it did. This experience has opened up my eyes to so many things; I’ve met many wonderful people, and learned more about myself and the music industry than I ever thought possible. When you spend essentially 24/7 with a group of people, you become close very quickly. By the end of a two week trip it feels like you have a new family. Even though you develop various relationships with the band members and people you meet along the tour route, it doesn't necessarily mean you won't occasionally miss what’s back at home waiting for you. The band has various reasons why they enjoy coming back home, from their pets, family, and signifiant others to missing the little treasures like certain foods. When you get out west, it tends to be hard to keep in touch with your family. Josh, guitarist of Forever Losing Sleep, talks about how since there’s a three hour time difference between the east and west, his girlfriend's half way through her day when he’s waking up. Meanwhile, when its night in California, she’s going to bed. There’s only a few hours where they can talk and during that time he’s usually driving. According to Aaron, bassist of Forever Losing Sleep, there’s always an upside to not being home. He’s currently in college, and receives permission from his professor to miss class whenever the band tours. Honestly, who wouldn't love to skip school to go on tour? Even though there’s ups and downs to being away, overall it’s all worth it to tour. Being on tour is a complete mix of emotions. It can be boring since you can spend a lot of time in the van, but then there’s the adventure of being able to travel while doing what you love. On this tour it was Forever Losing Sleep’s first time on the West Coast, and it was absolutely lovely to see a group of six guys being able to say they accomplished something so great all while doing what they love. As Alex, Forever Losing Sleep’s keyboardist/second drummer says, “I’m in a van full of friends touring across the country; I can’t complain. I wouldn't do anything else”. Moments like these make all of the stress that comes with touring absolutely worth it. Being in a smaller band obviously means you aren’t nationally known and, because of that, shows can definitely become stressful. But even when they are stressful they can be incredibly rewarding. Sometimes Forever Losing Sleep would almost make no money one night while some nights they could walk away with over $200. It’s the risk they take every single night. Joe, the band’s lead singer/guitarist, speaks about how he wouldn't want to do anything else. All the stress is worth it to play music for however many people because, even though there may be only ten people at the show, next time around could potentially turn into 20 if not more. Meeting new people while on the road is a unique and incredible experience in itself. Since you are touring the states, most areas are not even close to being similar to each other. The hospitality from the south is unlike any I’ve ever seen, and in California people tend to be just be so pretty. What I did notice though is that no matter the state we were in, whenever Forever Losing Sleep played a show, not only were the promotors stoked, but so were the people. Seeing various music scenes alive and well really make touring worth it. I know Philadelphia has a deeply dedicated music scene, but I’ve always wondered how other states compared. Touring ended my wondering. I truly understood at that time why Forever Losing Sleep continues to be a band, even if sometimes they face struggle. As Fred, guitarist of Forever Losing Sleep says, “Tour is exciting. It’s almost like an adventure,” and what a unique adventure it is. I don't think I have ever seen such hardworking people doing and achieving something that they are passionate about. This entire band is an absolute inspiration and a lot of bands should emulate their drive. They care more than most bands I’ve seen, and they just love the music that they are performing each night. They also try to better their set in every way possible and will stop at nothing to improve their band’s talent. To end the first part of my article I’m going to use the fantastic words of wisdom from Noel, drummer of Forever Losing Sleep. Tour is five things: looking for food, finding a place to use the bathroom, driving, waiting for the show, and being on your phone. Touring was one of the best experiences I have ever had. If any of you ever have the chance to do so, please take the plunge and see the world from a whole new perspective. Check out their music here. Read More →

Kayla and Jono’s article ‘Pop Punk and Feminism: Intersectionality And Microaggressions’ got me thinking a lot about intersectionality in rock music. This notion of rock music being for white people only is not only damaging to the genre and “scenes” which people belong to, but extremely exclusionary to people of colour who actually enjoy the music. Going to gigs to be a part of the musical experience is normal but when you feel like you don’t belong in a place, I’ve found that it prevents you from even going to the shows in the first place. This ends up creating a genre where it only feels welcoming to one specific type of people. It’s become a very common thing to say “no sexism, no racism, no homophobia” at shows but when people of colour feel erased and have had people like them erased in the genre, it can also feel slightly hopeless. As a black woman, representation in the musical spectrum means seeing those that have dealt with similar societal experiences as me. I acknowledge that it may never be like how people of colour are represented in pop or hip-hop music, but I think that we need to start thinking about how that can change. So often* have I seen women (and occasionally men) write articles about “girl power” and the solidarity is only extended so far to white women and maybe if the writer is generous one woman of colour. And yet, when questioned, sometimes it’s honestly an answer of “we don’t know where to start,” which is just lazy or “it doesn’t matter who’s creating the material as long as it’s good”. The latter answer comes from a position of privilege or from a person who doesn’t realise how important it is for representation. There are international festivals such as Afro-Punk or local punk festivals in the US which have specific lineups and focus on uplifting black and other artists of colour and creating a place for punks of colour because they cannot rely on the mainstream to create an accurate musical narrative for themselves. However, white invasion is not the main goal especially in these type of safe spaces but what the spaces do show is that a wide range people of colour playing music already exists and their contributions do matter. “Matching your stereotype” or not in my past experience seems to shock people with the idea that people of colour can be multi-faceted and like more music than just hip hop or rap. Kayla Philips of Bleed The Pigs wrote in an article, “What is it about a Black girl doing the same shit white men do that makes them feel like it's too much? How am I the only one being labeled too aggressive in a genre that is all about aggression?” We have the stereotype that black women are always angry, thus making anything we do or say irrational or invalid when that is truly not the case at all. Whereas a white man doing the exact same thing is more likely to be taken seriously, as there is no “tokenisation”, his feelings are artistic, raw and valid. There is a question of legitimacy when you are a woman of colour in general who enjoys rock music. Are you telling the truth about liking this band? Do you know this album? Are you even real fan? And the list of questions are endless. Not only is this extremely exhausting to deal with when you feel like you have to prove that you know musically everything about a band but then you also realise that your fellow fan also notices that you don’t quite fit into the crowd. If you are not a person of colour, question gatekeepers. In order to create scenes which are progressive, the maintenance of unsafe or unwelcoming spaces needs to be stopped. There needs to be a realisation that everyone, including people who write, that are currently aimlessly scrolling through Apple Music to find the next best thing, have a lot of power. Unlearn micro aggressions and destroy the tiring idea that black and brown people do not belong anywhere aside from in the aforementioned boxes of popular music. Listen to the alternative voice, which may be small at the moment, but with support maybe help a few others find their voice. Read More →

Dear Warped Tour, We need to talk. I fell in love with you when I was newly 16 years old. It was 2007, and the first year I’d found a way to get to you. My friend and I made plans, and scrimped and saved, and convinced a parent to drive us all the way out to Wheatland, California to see you. It was one of the best days of my life up until that point. You were the reason I started a band. You were the reason I have a platform to write this today, because you lead me to discover the bands that made me want to write. But that was then, and things change. There comes a time where actions have to be amplified louder than words. I’ve loved you as much as I’ve ever loved anything, but I think it’s time for us to part ways because you and those who control you have made it clear, time and time again, that you do not love me and those like me – at least, not enough to protect us. Not enough to go to bat for us. I am moved and grateful to those involved with you who have already used their own visibility to speak up against you, and to condemn your actions by allowing predators to grace Warped Tour’s stages, but it isn’t enough. It shouldn’t have happened. Not all transgressions ought to be forgiven, and not all wounds should be allowed to heal – not while the thing that caused them is pushed under the rug and considered acceptable. There are mistakes, and then there is negligence. Cruelty. I cannot continue to support a culture that intentionally mistakes one for the other. So I think I have to end things with you, Warped Tour, and this is why: Because a man’s career is not worth more than the safety of every young woman that walks into the venue. Because consequences have to be lasting in order to matter, and examples have to be made. Because predators do not stop to think about “fair” when victimizing underage girls. Because misogyny has to be considered UNACCEPTABLE before there is any hope of change. Because silence is deafening, and because my heart aches for the young women who will hear that silence and think that what these musicians – their idols – have done is okay. Because we live in a climate where the words of a man still carry more weight than the words of the women who this abuse actually happens to. Because women are so drastically underrepresented on your stages, yet there is still somehow room for predators on your lineup. Because by letting FPS and those like him to continue as though nothing has happened, you are telling them all that it is okay. Because through all of this, you have told me that I and others like me don’t matter as much as he and others like him. Because that is unacceptable. You are supposed to be a refuge for the outcasts, not to support their subjugation. You aren’t what I thought you were… or maybe I’m just seeing you for what you always were. As it stands, I am heartbroken. I want to believe you’ll change, that you’ll learn from this. Maybe someday, when you treat women you don’t have personal connections to with the same respect you blanket afford to men, we can come together again. Until then, it’s all lip service. Until then, this is goodbye - I guess this is growing up. -Anna Read More →

This time last year, there were so many of us challenging structures like the Warped Tour on their refusal to accurately represent female artists on their bills. We talked about way it acts as a barrier to women who wish to get involved in alternative music and the message it sends to female fans that their place is solely in audiences, looking up to male artists and being treated only as groupies, “fangirls” or, if they’re lucky, backstage staff. We called upon Kevin Lyman and his peers to buy into the concept that they have a certain social responsibility to the people that they make their money from. Today, Front Porch Step is playing the Warped Tour and may possibly play the rest of its run. This comes in the aftermath of Lyman denying (here and here) that he would be playing. This year, rather than simply refuse to represent women accurately and passively engage in systematic patriarchal oppression, Lyman has opted to support an artist who has manipulated the blind trust of his underage female fans for his own sexual gratification. Lyman has given this artist the seal of approval and is willing to attach his name to the actions of Jake McElfresh. By allowing him to play today, Lyman is saying that, on balance, the more important aspect of McElfresh’s character is his ability to play shitty three minute songs as opposed to the active harms he has caused against others. Much like a football team who is still willing to field a player who has been engaging in domestic abuse, Lyman is sending out a message that McElfresh’s actions aren’t really that important and that all the fuss has been about nothing. Considering how many young boys in their early teens are present at Warped Tour each year, it’s particularly damaging that they’re being told that it is okay to treat girls the way that McElfresh did. Lyman is, with this move, telling them it was just a mistake and it doesn’t matter. This is telling young girls that if something like this occurs to you, it’s not really a big issue and, by hell, there’s no point in speaking out against it because nothing will happen. Furthermore, this is a message from Lyman that he does not care about your behaviour, no matter how morally reprehensible it may be - you can still get on his stage, he will still look after you. Given the past 12 months and the constant awful behaviour we’ve seen, with multiple figures from the scene either being involved in sexual assault claims or engaging in victim-blaming, this serves to show that if young bands act that way, Lyman will still back them. Warped Tour still has a big enough audience that a stint on the festival can make a band. This decision means there is little long term backlash for an artist who’s sexual assaulted an underage girl, if they can still fund their career from the youngsters who attend Warped. It makes the scene into even more of a skinny-jeaned freemasons - boys will be boys and it doesn’t matter what they do because Grandpa Kevin will still help them out. The darkest thing about McElfresh playing Warped, however, isn’t just message based. His actions involved young female fans that he established contact with through shows and festivals: festivals like Warped Tour. Lyman is placing McElfresh straight back into a position where he has access to young girls and could easily start the cycle once again. Whether or not he does, I find it both disgusting and dangerous hat Kevin Lyman is willing to put the young people who fund his festival, and his life, at risk when he knows fully what he is doing. Lyman is giving FPS a platform to be looked up to and admired by young girls. Lyman’s actions are those of someone who simply doesn’t care. We’ve gone beyond the point of asking him to volunteer and engage in his social responsibility, to the point where we are asking him not to actively put young girls in danger for the sake of a few bucks and that’s so twisted. Beyond everything else, what’s particularly weird about Lyman opting to include Front Porch Step on Warped today is that he seems to gain very little from it. For once, Warped Tour can’t mask itself behind a cloak of ‘we’re doing it for the money’. Chances are, the inclusion of Front Porch Step against the will of the thousands of fans who signed petitions, shared tweets, and called for action will put fans off attending Warped. It’s likely that McElfresh is to walk out on stage to no more than a handful of people who are there to boo him, because he wasn’t a particularly interesting or good musician in the first place. It makes no negative impact on the sales of Warped Tour to not include him. No one ever said “aww, I was going to pay a load of dollars to go to Warped, but Front Porch Step isn’t on the line up so I guess I’ll play Xbox instead.” Lyman’s inclusion of Front Porch Step feels like a giant “fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me". It feels like a pathetic act of rebellion from a man who’s been coming under fire because his festival is the anti-thesis of what it once was, and that makes breaking away from Warped and everything it stands for all that easier. It’s time that we stand up and say a resounding ‘fuck you’ to the Warped Tour and all that goes with it. Our mistakes last year came from trying to engage with and ask the likes of Kevin Lyman to change their actions and become fairer and more accepting. That’s never going to happen. Scene culture that goes hand-in-hand with Warped Tour 2015 is never going to change. It has no interest in changing because that would mean those in control would have to loosen their grip. It’s time that we make like bands such as Touché Amore and say we don’t need institutions like Warped. We will create a fairer scene on our own terms. We’ll start festivals and host shows that promote inclusion and safety. We’ll promote bands like Mitski, Speedy Ortiz, Joanna Gruesome, Perfect Pussy and so many more acts that give a fuck and care about their fans. Not only do we need to breakaway from the norm, we need to counteract its harms. We need to build counter-narratives, writing articles and promoting music that engages young audiences and make them realise the importance of equality, acceptance, inclusivity and responsibility. We don’t need the establishment, that’s not what punk rock was meant to be about in the first place. Let Warped Tour’s actions today be the moment that radicalizes a whole new generation of people who live for punk rock, and don’t want it to be killed by the very people we turned to punk rock because of in the first place. #BoycottWarpedTour Read More →

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Motion City Soundtrack is currently in the middle of its Commit This To Memory 10-year tour, and I was lucky enough to catch last week's show in New York City. In the replies you can read my review of the show, as well as some thoughts on how valuable it is to be able to view these old albums in a new light. Feel free to discuss the band's performance if you've already been to the tour as well! Read More →