Fireworks - Higher Lonely Power (January 1, 2023) Album • Page 34

Blue Dolphin burned down it's gone now. John Rovani is ass out, works with his brother now.

 

Some people really show their ass when someone points out a band they like aren’t perfect.

 

Just checked this out. I liked some stuff they did before but this feels like comfortably their best. Really great album.

 

I should not have just gone back a few pages to see what other people think lol.

This site, man.

 

People who have listened to it are liking it a lot, people familiar with FW and new fans alike.

 

The way the drums build throughout the entirety of I Want to Start a Religion is so cool. Teddy kills it.

 

Getting ridiculously upset about every little association led me down an extremely dark and lonely path that put my life in jeopardy. I sincerely hope others that get worked up about it aren’t experiencing the same thing.

 

Plus at a certain point I have to wonder what all this back and forth finger pointing does to help the actual victim of Harry’s assault. I’m sincerely wondering, does anybody still check in on them? Do they have any sort of social media presence at all? Is bringing it back up every time a band with a JJR association puts out music helping them in any way? Is that what they want? Could anyone shed light on this?

 

Christian Holden is in contact with the survivor and spoke on it as recently as 2020, that’s the last I’ve seen of any reference

 

I feel like caring about HC's survivor and also caring about a band you admired parading around people that are actively harmful to survivors are not mutually exclusive.

 

Obviously the needs to the survivor come first, but I sometimes fail to see how telling people they cannot have friends because of past transgressions is meant to help with either accountability or growing as a person.

Completely isolating someone is never going to help them grow and become a better person.

 

That doesn’t necessarily answer any of my questions, and I guess my larger point is that what matters most in these situations always has been and always will be what the survivor wants. I’m just unsure if *this* is what they want, (that goes for people pushing back against any mention of JJR too, to be sure). I would love to have more insight but if they don’t want to speak on it they shouldn’t have to. I just know when I used to get extremely riled up about this kind of thing it was never a survivor first thing, it was a who can I make feel bad about supporting a thing I’ve deemed bad. That’s a me problem and a reflection of what I was going through, to be sure, but I also know I’m far from unique. Just something to consider.

 

Maybe, but if they aren’t currently “parading around people” as you put it, then what are we even fighting about? The fact they did it in the past? Yeah that sucks, we can all agree, but now what. Some people won’t listen, others will, what else is there to say?

 

What about future safety? JJR has threatened and, per reddit, had people assaulted for speaking out against him. He’s harbored a rapist in the scene and he’s gone unchecked.

 

I also think being friends with someone is not the same as actively giving them a platform. I agree with your sentiment, but I'm not upset about JJR having friends.

 

Are fireworks still heavily associated? Do they bring him to shows? Considering they toured with the wonder years last year I’m gonna guess the answer is no. So again I ask what more is there to be done when it comes to fireworks past association with him. Anyone currently working with him in 2023 deserves all the scrutiny. If fireworks bring him out and parade him around (still unsure what this means) this year then yeah fuck em. I’ve seen zero evidence it’s an ongoing problem with them.

 

You're right. We shouldn't be fighting about anything lol. Someone came into the thread to remind people what happened, which I think is valid, and the reason we're still discussing it is because some people couldn't handle that very tame initial post. I agree that some people will listen, others won't, and that's okay.

edit: I wasn't even involved with this thread until somebody reported Romy lmao

 

Nothing, as I’ve repeatedly said, unless that public association continues. The spark of this conversation is just raising awareness to prior association

 

So it’s cool for someone to come in and remind a bunch of people some of whom are victims themselves without a trigger warning about a sexual assault that took place years ago in an attempt to shame those same people for daring to listen in 2023? Sorry I don’t think I’m on the same page with that post as you are.

 

But why? What’s the point? Most people seemed to be extremely aware. It’s just an attempt to upset people imo. Feel free to view it differently. I just see it that way because I did the same for years.

 

Like if there’s no current association I don’t know why you’d drag it back up unless you wanted people to be as mad about something as you are and being mad that they simply aren’t. Whatever. This entire conversation is making me feel way too cynical and reminding me of some incredibly awful shit in my life so I’ll just bow out and find another place to discuss the album

 

...this incredibly tame post that mentions nothing graphic and is specifically targeting people that might not be aware? Come on, man.

 

I guess the subtext is lost on you or I’m just making shit up. Either way this is becoming really upsetting and not something I want to engage with anymore. Don’t quote me again.

 

I understand what sophos is saying, and absolutely some people act like that just to shame others (lord knows I've gone to battle over it on this very site numerous times), but I don't think that's what's happening here. I also think if people can just act normal when someone is (rightfully!) critical towards an artist they enjoy, there won't be page-long discussions about it. I am no more interested in being here having this conversation for the umpteenth time than folks who love the album are in having me here, I'm sure

 

Y’all put a lot of power in a band that could barely make waves in its initial run.