Compared to even a decade ago, musicians really have to watch what they say publicly on the Internet. Your band probably isn’t selling that much in the way of albums, and any statement that is potentially controversial can potentially spread across social media in a matter of minutes, if not seconds. Screenshots have no half-life, they exist forever.
There are also plenty of bands that have a somewhat unique online persona. There are those that seek to uplift and inspire (Real Friends, The Maine), use penis jokes as silly humor (Brojob), and calls to action and discussion (Forthteller, Emery, etc.). Then you have bands that use edgy humor to push the envelope. Sometimes this works – and sometimes it goes too far, especially when said “humor” ends up insulting to their audience.
Here’s an example of I Declare War’s merch. Nazis? Obviously bad, so this is alright.
This is an example of how not to portray yourselves online as a band. To paraphrase a commenter on Facebook, if you have a hoodie that says “Chug Whiskey Eat Pussy Hail Satan”, you’re clearly an edgelord that doesn’t give a shit what people think. Why would you make an insulting comment to something you know was going to get a strong reaction? If you’re going to play around with your audience, matching their tone (on the Internet, this is very difficult) with a sarcastic comment would have been a much better idea.
I’m not here to tell any band or musician what to do in 2017. That’s not my place. As long as you’re not insulting your fanbase or making racist “jokes”, just about any online persona is okay. But there is a stark contrast between sarcasm and straight-up insulting – and you would think a band that has been around as long as IDW would know better. Or maybe not. This is just disappointing at this point.
If anything, this is just another lesson in personal and social media presence. This isn’t just a problem with I Declare War, though. This goes for any musician, band member, or business owner. One wrong move can zap a good chunk of your fanbase who might actually buy your music – or as we’ve seen many times, even remove your ability to play certain venues or even get you blacklisted. The music industry pays attention – be careful and watch what you say, because there will always be ten bands just as hungry as you looking to take your throne.
