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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/13/threatin-fake-band-rock-pop
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| A fake band goes on tour: Threatin provides a perfect tale for our times | A fake band goes on tour: Threatin provides a perfect tale for our times |
| (21 days later) | |
| As great rock’n’roll swindles go, the story of Threatin is rather impressive. The LA-based metal act – essentially just Jered Threatin – had apparently been enjoying a successful tour of the UK, with shows secured on the strength of an online following and advance ticket sales promising a fine night and healthy bar sales. In the event, however, this is not quite how it rolled. | As great rock’n’roll swindles go, the story of Threatin is rather impressive. The LA-based metal act – essentially just Jered Threatin – had apparently been enjoying a successful tour of the UK, with shows secured on the strength of an online following and advance ticket sales promising a fine night and healthy bar sales. In the event, however, this is not quite how it rolled. |
| Threatin: band creates fake fanbase for tour attended by no one | |
| At the Underworld in Camden (capacity: 500) Threatin’s agent claimed 29 advance tickets had been confirmed at the north London venue. In reality only three people showed up. At the Exchange in Bristol, where 180 advance tickets were said to have been confirmed via Facebook, the audience was made up only of the support band’s guest list. Threatin himself was forced to cover the venue costs. Things have since unravelled at pace: a further show in Belfast has been cancelled, and Threatin’s unwitting drummer and bassist (hired only for this tour) have quit the band after it transpired that the promoter lied about ticket sales, and the clamouring Facebook fans were in fact fake accounts spawned in Brazil. | At the Underworld in Camden (capacity: 500) Threatin’s agent claimed 29 advance tickets had been confirmed at the north London venue. In reality only three people showed up. At the Exchange in Bristol, where 180 advance tickets were said to have been confirmed via Facebook, the audience was made up only of the support band’s guest list. Threatin himself was forced to cover the venue costs. Things have since unravelled at pace: a further show in Belfast has been cancelled, and Threatin’s unwitting drummer and bassist (hired only for this tour) have quit the band after it transpired that the promoter lied about ticket sales, and the clamouring Facebook fans were in fact fake accounts spawned in Brazil. |
| Further digging has revealed there is little plausible about the artist’s entire online presence – his band website, along with those of his manager, label, booking agent and press officer were all registered at the same domain registrar in the late spring of 2016. The two glowing reviews that exist online belong to two questionable news sites set up over the course of three days in November that same year. | Further digging has revealed there is little plausible about the artist’s entire online presence – his band website, along with those of his manager, label, booking agent and press officer were all registered at the same domain registrar in the late spring of 2016. The two glowing reviews that exist online belong to two questionable news sites set up over the course of three days in November that same year. |
| From one perspective, the story of Threatin might be viewed as a tale of our times – a fake band belonging to this era of fake news and sinister online manoeuvres. But fake bands and pre-emptive hype have long been a part of the music industry, and the notion of authenticity in music is a cloudy matter at best. | From one perspective, the story of Threatin might be viewed as a tale of our times – a fake band belonging to this era of fake news and sinister online manoeuvres. But fake bands and pre-emptive hype have long been a part of the music industry, and the notion of authenticity in music is a cloudy matter at best. |
| Behind many successful bands lies a musical svengali, be that Bob and Chris Herbert who masterminded the Spice Girls – later losing them to Simon Fuller – or Malcolm McLaren who steered the success of the Sex Pistols. Not to mention the relentless pop-star assembly lines of The X Factor, American Idol and The Voice. | Behind many successful bands lies a musical svengali, be that Bob and Chris Herbert who masterminded the Spice Girls – later losing them to Simon Fuller – or Malcolm McLaren who steered the success of the Sex Pistols. Not to mention the relentless pop-star assembly lines of The X Factor, American Idol and The Voice. |
| There was even the case of the 1974 fake Fleetwood Mac tour, when the band’s manager, Clifford Davis, claimed he in fact owned the name and sent another band out on the road instead of the true lineup. A legal tussle ensued. | There was even the case of the 1974 fake Fleetwood Mac tour, when the band’s manager, Clifford Davis, claimed he in fact owned the name and sent another band out on the road instead of the true lineup. A legal tussle ensued. |
| There have of course been many other lineup changes that raise the question of whether or not a band is still the actual band or more of a cover act. The time Mick Hucknall filled the shoes of Rod Stewart for the Faces’ reunion shows, for instance. Or the matter of whether Atomic Kitten can ever truly be considered Atomic Kitten without Kerry Katona. In one of the most blatant instances, when the lead singer of Journey, Steve Perry, left the band, the remaining members enlisted Arnel Pineda, a Filipino artist spotted on YouTube singing Journey covers, to take his place. And hovering over all of this of course is a simple question: does any of it matter if the music is good and everyone has a good time? | There have of course been many other lineup changes that raise the question of whether or not a band is still the actual band or more of a cover act. The time Mick Hucknall filled the shoes of Rod Stewart for the Faces’ reunion shows, for instance. Or the matter of whether Atomic Kitten can ever truly be considered Atomic Kitten without Kerry Katona. In one of the most blatant instances, when the lead singer of Journey, Steve Perry, left the band, the remaining members enlisted Arnel Pineda, a Filipino artist spotted on YouTube singing Journey covers, to take his place. And hovering over all of this of course is a simple question: does any of it matter if the music is good and everyone has a good time? |
| The Spice Girls showed us how to party. In dark times, they’re back to remind us | Alex Clark | |
| The case of Threatin is arguably less benign – venues have lost money, support bands have been duped, and coveted spots at revered venues have been frittered away. But for Threatin himself the catastrophe could be deemed a marketing success – after all, he is a previously unknown artist now gathering newspaper column inches, while over the past few days the songs on his YouTube channel have amassed thousands of plays. Many more music fans now know his name. And not all of them reside in Brazil. | The case of Threatin is arguably less benign – venues have lost money, support bands have been duped, and coveted spots at revered venues have been frittered away. But for Threatin himself the catastrophe could be deemed a marketing success – after all, he is a previously unknown artist now gathering newspaper column inches, while over the past few days the songs on his YouTube channel have amassed thousands of plays. Many more music fans now know his name. And not all of them reside in Brazil. |
| • Laura Barton is a music journalist | • Laura Barton is a music journalist |
| Pop and rock | Pop and rock |
| Opinion | Opinion |
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