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| David "Skinny Devil" McLean, author, guitarist, teacher. |
If you're reading this, I probably don't have to scare you first with stories about the murders of Christina Grimmie or John Lennon or Mia Zapata or Dimebag Darrell....or the less than lethal but still horrible stories about Connie Francis or Sarah McLaughlin, or Frank Zappa or Eminem. Or the "long game" victimization of Kesha or members of the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC....and too many others like them.
If you're reading this, you are likely a performer and already concerned about personal safety.
But just for the record, let it be said (not that I should have to say it after the examples above) that both women and men are the targets of stalkers, crazed fans, and others, including their own management and label and production partners....and the often violent way they express themselves. If the readers feel I need to include statistics, I'm more than happy to edit this article to add the data, but for now, let's forge ahead.
One of the best resources I ever saw on the topic was Sage Harrington's interview with the incredible Tonya Kay. The piece is titled "
Burning Questions for Tonya Kay" and I used to post it for students several times a year and still recommend it. However, I've been asked for a more bullet point style approach as well as an updated list that includes newer technological options (and new technological concerns), so we'll attempt to do exactly that.
Full disclosure: I will be leaning heavily on examples and experiences from the music industry, but ANY type of public figure or performer should be able to utilize the information herein. Additionally, my hope is that venue owners/managers and management folk will read and utilize these suggestions as well, so the weight is not just on the shoulders of performers.
Enough introductions - The title says "practical guide" so let's get practical, folks.
