1D Fans Missed The Point of a Tribute Band

I firmly believe that One Direction fans will be studied in Sociology classes at universities for years to come, if not because their unabashed stanning then because of their intense protection of "their boys," and their overwhelming power on social media. Since One Direction came onto the scene four years ago, their fans have been many things and one of those things is geniuses at the Twitter trending. And when I say geniuses, I mean it in that way that's mildly terrifying and out of touch. But, hey, that's what your teen years are for, right? Well, the Directioners are back in action, and this time they're lashing out on Twitter against 1D tribute band, One and Only Direction. Suffice it to say, things don't look pretty.

Following an interview with The Daily Record, the rabid 1D fans wasted no time in doing what they do best: creating a really insane Twitter trend to show the world how much they care. Normal. Soon enough, people started posting their clear objections to One and Only Direction under the hashtag #STOPyouarenot1D. Now, if you are brave enough to read some of this foolishness, I highly suggest you take at least a quick gander to try to make sense of this mess. Like, I understand that Tribute Louis didn't even think about trying, but you know, this is a TRIBUTE BAND after all. You would think that fans would appreciate that One Direction's dashing good looks can't be replicated, but that'd be too easy. Also, I think fans are missing the entire point, because this a band that is appreciating their music, and 1D is more than just their looks, right?

What's the definition of tribute act/band? As Dictionary.com puts it, they are a "group that plays the songs of a band they admire, often dressing in the style of the original band members." That sounds about right and that looks exactly like what is happening here. They clearly state that they are fans of One Direction and are performing their songs as a tribute to them, and nowhere do they claim to try to be clones of them.

What I wonder about all the angry 1D fans is, why aren't they actually happy that 1D is at a point in their career that they actually have a tribute band? In case anyone needs a little reminder, some of the most legendary acts in the history of pop music have impersonators, including Elvis Prestley, Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin, and The Beatles. Some original bands have even found replacements from a tribute band (see: Judas Priest)! I mean, Tribute Harry and Niall look a lot like the real thing and I definitely had to do a double take. Still, seems like Directioners are trying to stay ahead of the game and make sense of their absurd Twitter campaign:

I'm all for speaking your mind, but I draw the line when it comes to threats of violence and personal attacks on their looks — and all of this is becoming too easy and common on social media. The tribute band's manager, Scott Garvie, told The Daily Record they've had to contact authorities about the onslaught of comments they've received since the original story a few days ago, comments that even contained graphic death threats. He says:

"The boys are fans of One Direction and enjoy the music and we know that the majority of One Direction fans like what they do and we know there is a small minority of fans around the world who don’t grasp or understand the concept of a tribute being a celebration of them and their music. For people who cant get One Direction tickets it's an option there for them to see our band and thats how we take ourselves - not too seriously."

I venture to think that the boys of the real One Direction would never condone this sort of behavior, and in the end, it really is not that serious.

Images: 1tributeband/Instagram