How well do you know the members of your favorite bands?

[blackngold29]

With MP taking some time off it occurred to me that for most of the bands I listen to, if a member quit I'm not sure how much it would really impact me because frankly I don't know many of them. Like with my favorite bands, DT, BnL, Slipknot, I could name everyone and what instruments they play and for the most part what side-projects they've been involved with. For other bands though I can really only name their front man like SW in PT, Ackerfeldt in Opeth, or Fripp with King Crimson. But if you asked me who the bass player is for Opeth I would have no idea.

I think the reason for this is that I've followed those three favorite bands for a lot longer, even if I have just as much music from the others. So, do you know individuals from most of the bands you listen to? Do you care?

[PlaysLikeMyung]

Bass player for Opeth is Martin Mendez

[ClairvoyantCat]

I sometimes have this thing going where if I hear a song I REALLY like I will deliberately avoid learning anything about the band from what they look like to who plays what or if one person writes or anything like that.  That way you don't attach faces to it or consider it as anything but the music you hear.  But after a while I have to.  And I could probably name each member of at least my favorite 30 artists and name a distinct characteristic of each. 

[bosk1]

I sometimes have this thing going where if I hear a song I REALLY like I will deliberately avoid learning anything about the band from what they look like to who plays what or if one person writes or anything like that.  That way you don't attach faces to it or consider it as anything but the music you hear.  But after a while I have to. 

That's actually one of the most bizarre things I've ever heard.

[MykeHavoc]

I have an encyclopedic knowledge of band member lineups, changes, album credits etc.

For a lot of music, not just stuff I like. The webs that interconnect musicians fascinate me.

[ClairvoyantCat]

I sometimes have this thing going where if I hear a song I REALLY like I will deliberately avoid learning anything about the band from what they look like to who plays what or if one person writes or anything like that.  That way you don't attach faces to it or consider it as anything but the music you hear.  But after a while I have to. 

That's actually one of the most bizarre things I've ever heard.

I understand this.  But for me it's really a good way to just try to connect with the artist solely through the music. 

[Gorille85]

I know pretty much everything that is to know about Unexpect: stage names, real names, history, personnality/role of each members etc. I watched like every interviews I could find about them.

/fanboy

Aside from them. I know the names of the members from my other favorites bands like PT and Opeth. I like to be inform when I like a certain band most of the times

[73109]

I know pretty much everything that is to know about Unexpect: stage names, real names, history, personnality/role of each members etc. I watched like every interviews I could find about them.

/fanboy

Aside from them. I know the names of the members from my other favorites bands like PT and Opeth. I like to be inform when I like a certain band most of the times

Pretty much this for me and Metallica and my favorite bands after them.

[LeeHarveyKennedy]

For my favorite bands, I like to know quite a lot. For others, I don't give two fucks. My friend Ryan keeps track, in insane detail, on nearly every band he has and how they're all interconnected. It's fascinating, but we last hung out for a few hours a couple of days ago and I can no longer remember who makes up Excessive Force and how they're related to My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult.

[antigoon]

I stalk them and their families, so pretty well.

[Gorille85]

 

[The Letter M]

For Rush, I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on their history, the major points of interest, from reading books and essays and all those sorts of things. Then Beyond The Lighted Stage came out and I was BLOWN away, but it helped me reaffirm my love for the band and realize that I really did know a lot about them, but there was still more to learn.

As for other bands, like DT, Yes, Genesis, Marillion, Spock's Beard, The Flower Kings, Porcupine Tree... I know all their albums, the members on them, what they played for the most part. I try to get a good history on every band I love, not to try and be a knowledgeable show-off, but just to basically understand MORE about the music itself. If I like a song or an album, I want to know what the band's influences were then, what they did, what their techniques were (especially drummers), etc. etc. It helps me understand the music more if I understand the musicians behind it.

-Marc.

[King Postwhore]

Gary Lee Weinrib says hello.

[SoundscapeMN]

Seth, I wish I had done that with Menomena, since their latest record very likely will be their last.

[ZBomber]

I love reading up on band histories, so I consider myself to know quite a bit about the bands I love. Not everything, but quite a bit.

[Zydar]

When I love a band, or am really interested, I read up on them (history, band members, discography) and sometimes even read their biography books.

[Zantera]

With most bands i listen to, i tend to learn the names of the members, the instruments they play and what albums they have released.
As for my favorite artists/bands such as PT/Radiohead/Opeth/Anathema (just to mention a few), i pretty much learn all of the above, check out side-projects, try to read as much as possible about everything related to the band, with the goal of knowing as much as possible.