I'm all dumbfounded stubborn as an ass

It is possible I suppose, for an artist to establish a group of fans that are dedicated and deeply in love with the music without having an interpersonal relationship with the fans. But I am hard pressed to see how that would work. In this era of easy online communication what is the excuse for not keeping fans informed about the goings on wihtin the musical scene surrounding the performer of interest. I would go so far as to say that it is offensive to the fans for a performer to not be willing to file occasional updates. Even if it is only by proxy-even if the update is-sorry no updates the audience deserves to know these things. That there is any aspect of guest work in fandom in this post-post-modern era is somewhat ridiculous. It is highly unlikely that there are many people out there who are unable to set up a Yahoo account. Now, granted, my mum has an account that she can barely use-but still-she has one. That's the thing-the internet connects everyone to the same information-it is a great equalizer. The casual fan and the die hard junkie are able to locate the same information. And that makes it fair and reasonable=fan clubs are a dying breed. This is sad and positive at the same time. It is sad because there was an amount of effort in the joining and participating in the fan club culture. Now, all one needs is a screen name and an easy to remember password.
There are so many more opportunites for people to find and discard new performers. It is so easy to become disenfranchised or bored with the output of an artist. For the artist to fail to communicate-through regular website updates, blog entries, listserv emails, podcasts or whatever tomorrow's trend toward constant connection may be-is a major failing on the part of the performer. The performer that does not offer a blog entry on the production of the new album is the performer that finds their new album is released to little interest and even less fanfare. An audience without news about their favorite performer is an audience that soon finds a new favorite performer. Familiarity, in the age of the Internet, breeds not contempt, but affection.
It is considerably easier to decide to throw down the cost of gas and a hotel room in a distant town for the record release party for the artist that has provided regular updates regarding the production and completion of a new album than it is to drive to Grimey's and buy the new CD by a band that recorded, mastered, and released an album about which the intended audience knows nothing. There are a lot of releases each week, gas is expensive, and CDs aren't exactly available on the Discount Bargain Menu either the fan, even the most dedicated fan, is likely to have better ways to spend his or her money.
Performers like Will K and B47 let their fans in on their thoughts and the creative process. These performers see that they are performing because of the people that sign up for mailers at shows and who buy merch and proudly display their loyalty as part of their daily live. It is extreme arrogance to think that fans will put up with being ignored by the performers when fans, in this era, are acutely aware that the reason performers are able to perform is because of the fans. The ignored fan is the former fan. The neglectful band is one that is well on its way to being a former band.