Written by Aoife Hyland
In the live music world, there exists an energy that cannot be denied that takes a concert from mere performance, fans. And most specifically, the ‘fan girls’ a much-abused term boiled down to stereotype of dedicated, occasionally overly devoted, fans are the heartbeat of the energy at any venue. The artist who appears on stage performs the music, certainly, but it is the fans, and these fans in particular, who create a space of affiliation, passion, and that goes beyond the music.
The power of fandom, and the fan girl in particular, is seen generation to generation, born out of the music and artists that came before it. From the Beatles’ early days, when masses of young women screamed for the Fab Four, through to more recent scenarios like Taylor Swift’s deeply devoted Swifties, the essence of fandom is an understood bond between artist and listener. But the bond isn’t merely a musical one. It’s also a matter of legacy and influence of other artists who have helped shape the sounds and images of modern musicians. Taylor Swift’s creative evolution, for instance, draws from acts like Joni Mitchell and Dolly Parton, whose emotional connection in song writing set the tone for such personal identification fan girls have with their act. Like wise with acts like Harry Styles, whose genre-blending mix of glam rock and pop is a spin on Bowie and Prince, both of whom rewrote the book on such give-and-take between performer and audience.
As a photojournalist who’s spent some time documenting the dynamic between musicians and their fans, I’ve always been fascinated by the intimate, personal ways in which fan girls express their devotion. For this project, I’ve chosen to focus on the softer, quieter side of fandom capturing these fans in their own private spaces, behind closed doors, where their love for their favourite artists and bands truly comes to life. It’s where these separate worlds are that this strong emotional bond with music, typically absent amidst public noise at a concert, is developed in silence.
Fandom as a phenomenon is not new, but what is new today is the way fans engage with music and artists. Social media has redefined the way fans engage with their idols, but the most incredible and genuine acts of fandom are in secret, away from prying eyes. That’s where fan girls, discreetly in the background, can unapologetically indulge their passion for the music so vital to them whether pasting up a wall with posters, bedazzling t-shirts with their beloved band’s logo, or carefully holding on to precious mementos from earlier concerts. These tiny personal behaviours are the discreet means by which they are demonstrating their loyalty, and they more accurately portray being a fan.
These intimate environments, which are the domain of the up-close fan culture, are offering fan girls demonstrating their loyalty in ways that subvert the stereotype and hyperactive fan girl persona so prevalent to be encountered in the media. Rather, the emphasis lies with the personal, caring sides of fandom. Their venues all convey allegiance and devotion to a band or an artist. These experiences expose a more intimate facet of the fan experience one that is not one of screaming in the stands but of moments of unity, and appreciation for the music that they utilize to organize their lives. The way that these fans relate to their beloved artists goes well beyond the public display of a concert.
It is in late-night evenings at home, surrounded by memorabilia and photograph albums, that theirauthentic nature as fans is revealed. Here, it is where their enthusiasm from documenting vinyl records to flower arrangements in appreciation of an artist’s work. These small, private acts of thankfulness are all about the music as much as they are about connection these artists have found a connection to artists who speak to them through song, drawing from the artists who inspired them in the past.
This interpellation of artists and fans, rooted in influences from the past, creates a ripple effect among the fandom. The influences that an artist has dictate what they produce, and the people who idolize them take those influences into their lives. Whether it’s dressing in the same manner as a 70s rock deity, wall-staining a room with an anthem to an album cover, or attending shows and writing about it afterward, the impact of legendary artists such as David Bowie, Madonna, or more contemporary legendary figures such as Billie Eilish and Lorde remains omnipresent in the current culture of fan girls.
Photographers like Jill Furmanovsky have been an inspiration for my work and this project, and have inspired me for years in capturing the deep connection between musicians and their fans. Through her iconic images of rock stars like Oasis and David Bowie, Furmanovsky has never disappointed in capturing the emotion and intimateconnection between fans and artists. She inspires me through her work to this day. Her images can capture fleeting moments of emotion, creating images that are ageless in their beauty, which resonate with the gut-level connection fans have with music and artists they adore. Even as her photographs speak to the unspoken bond between idols and their admirers, this project aims to record a more subdued, more intimate version of that bond one that exists largely out of sight behind closed doors, where fan girls’ love for their icons takes on a more personal form.
These photos try to capture a view of the often overlooked, demure side of fandom, for a more behind-the-scenes, inside portrait of fan-dom. With fan girls, one may easily write off their fans’ fervor as hyperbolic or melodramatic performances, but in these photographs, where the location is the girls’ living rooms, one witnesses their vulnerability and depth of passion regarding friendship and music. They are not mere yelping concert fans they are the ones who nurture their passion within the walls of a home, where their love for their favourite performers can develop unrestrained by anyone.
In the background, behind closed doors, out of the world’s gaze, fan girls may simply take possession of the music that has spoken to them. This piece does justice to the passion, artistry, and commitment they offer to fandom strong and muted, yet forever so filled with love and affirmation for the musicians who are their heroes. Behind closed doors, they show us the authentic rhythm of the fan experience one that is close, intimate, and ultimately powerful.
