Your great story about your rapid conversion to Sampdoria raises the same question - and you also have the benefit of hindsight with that one. It sounds like that conversion had a lot to do with mob euphoria. Now, many years later, are you still a fan? Using your karate metaphor - did you get beyond signing up?

I think one of the interesting things about this blog is the way it is slowly transforming an anonymous and stereotyped “fanbase” into a series of fascinating conversations with real people. Each one with their own particular experience of Bon Scott fandom. It would be good to build on that by taking a closer look at what it means to be a fan - for you and for the people you talk to.

I found this set of “common characteristics of fans” on wikipedia, in what I guess is an academic research paper on the topic. Currently you are definitely displaying all four of the major characteristics where Bon is concerned:

“There are certain common characteristics to be found in fans interested in different topics…

Those common characteristics include (Thorne&Bruner 2006):

* Internal involvement. Fans focus more of their time and resources intently on a specific area of interest than a non-fan would, and are not significantly concerned if non-fans (including family or friends) don’t derive pleasure from the area of interest. Fans usually have a strong enough interest that small to major changes in their lifestyles are made to accommodate devotion to the focal object.
* Desire for external involvement - are motivated to demonstrate their involvement with the area of interest through certain behaviors (attending conventions, posting online, etc.)
* Wish to acquire - fans tend to express a strong desire to possess material objects related to the area of interest.
* Desire for social interaction with other fans. This again may take many forms, from casual conversation, e-mail, chat rooms, and electronic mailing lists to regular face-to-face meetings such as fan club meetings and organized conventions.”

when thinking about how to answer your questions, I dug through my older blog posts and found this one: Being a Fan.

In that post, I described the process of rapid transformation to fandom that I went through, when I was dragged along to a soccer match in Italy back in 1991.

Standing tall on the moulded plastic seats… stomping and shouting… learning the chants, which not only filled the air with sound but also penetrated my chest and churned my guts… letting my body go limp as the fans surged toward the cyclone mesh fence separating us from the elite athletes on the pitch… hollering with genuine pain and incredulity at the referee’s decisions and making that very Italian gesture of hands held together as if in prayer (meaning “how can this be happening??”)… screaming with unadulterated joy as Sampdoria scored its first goal… turning and hugging the man next to me… staggering jubilant and exhausted into the streets outside the stadium, discussing particular kicks and tackles, defensive strategies, umpiring decisions, what ifs… During those two hours I was conscripted into a community which took my loyalty for granted.

That paragraph sounds pretty similar to some of the stuff I wrote about listening to AC/DC songs at the big concert, doesn’t it!

I guess music, like soccer, can be very powerful and moving in a way which goes beyond rational thinking.

As to what kind of fan I am… well, I think it’s too soon to say. If we were to use a metaphor… lets say “fandom” is “karate”. Then Glenn would be a black belt. I’ve only just signed my enrolment papers and come home exhausted and exhilarated from my first lesson…

Smog, I have to say, is a musician I have been slowly building up respect for over many years. I think his music works quite differently from AC/DC. It takes many listens to get into the world of Smog.

I think we need both.

and what kind of fan are you? will you fill your house with memorabilia? will you listen to the music non-stop? will you name your first born Bon?

big question: you’re going on a 5 hour car journey and you can take one CD. What will it be Lucas? AC/DC or SMOG?

also known as “Horns UP!”

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Horns+Up