Twitter will soon surpass Facebook for allot of social networking. People are tired of the 2000 notifications of what you're eating for lunch let alone the incredible amount of advertising and spam Zuckerburgs baby is spewing out. Don't get me wrong, Facebook wont die but for fans of music Twitter is the way to go.
I have met numerous musicians and cannot think of the last time that at least one band member wasn't on their cell on Twitter in my presence. Its a 140 character snapshot of the moment and for fans of bands its a great way to feel part of their lives. Should a musician follow a fan you can bet your beans they're going to shout it from the rooftop. Being followed by a band is better than a meet and greet, because now you show up on their feed. You're practically best friends…or so you think.
I have not been a huge user of Twitter but I'm trying to use it more. If not to interact but more to follow. I can get info from all over the place right there and links provided send me to great new songs or videos or stories- perfect for the gal on the go. I don't have the luxury of time to really search the net- I'd like to know about things of interest in the least effort way. Twitter is king.
I have tried to use it more and this past Friday night as I was in the sauna of the Worcester Palladium I sent a tweet and just moment later got response- from Silverstein no less, the nights headliner. In their reply the band turned my complaint into a positive promotion for themselves. They could have ignored or agreed but instead used it as an opportunity to state their feelings on the choice of stages. The 'we wanted it this way' turned a negative to a positive and gave a perfect glimpse into the mentality of the band. Glass half full- well played!
I have watched band members fight with fans, and people in general. Wiz Kalifa tells us every time hes getting high (there are numerous tweets, needless to say) and I had to unfollow Moby because he became exactly what is twitter name is "little idiot" as he spewed his out of touch politics with the world.
When a band interacts with a fan (or a writer) they become more human and more accessible. The days of fan magazines are long gone. Tiger Beat is history and if you want to know what type of soda Taylor is drinking just hit up her Twitter and check out her Instagram. Concise and consistent useless information. The character limit makes it palatable and tolerable, unless you're Moby.