Target Audience Research - UK Tribes

I have chosen to look at UK Tribes because is allows me to look at my chosen genre which is hardcore music. They have the following information on the hardcore audience:

Hard-core is the ultimate Alternative Tribe, drawing on the heritage of punk rock and spawning the Straight Edge movement…

 

Though Hard-core is a new addition to UK Tribes (it’s only recently regained sufficient momentum to genuinely warrant inclusion), this Tribe has its roots in the punk rock scene, originating in LA in the late 1970s. California’s Black Flag are often referred to as the godfathers of Hard-core.

The spirit of the Tribe resolves around two core values – self-expression and individuality. Hard-core Kids are passionate about the Hard-core sound, a screaming genre of punk with severe tempo changes, double bass in the drums, and dirty chords from the guitarists (heavily distorted, tapping into any feedback and harmonic noises available!) Tribe members will actively support independent record shops and local, home-grown bands.

Image is key to the Tribe, and the look is not so dissimilar to the Hipsters – think turned up skinny jeans, tight fitting band tees, plaid shirts and Vans. Tribe members will often have tattoos, showing their creative side through full-scale sleeves or individual flash pieces. As Skin Deep columnist Paul Sweeney says, “Nothing shows commitment to self-expression like custom tattoos and body modification."

 

This has told me that fans of this genre like the screaming aspect of songs and tempo changes, and the song that I have chosen to do has both of these. It also says that they like the sound of tapping and harmonics of the guitar along with the chord progression.

  

The distinctive Emo look and sound has made them one of the most famous and recognisable Tribes of the last decade. Emos haven’t lost their love of horror or their association with self-harm, but are increasingly connected to other Tribes…

Emo is a Tribe defined by its music – short for ‘emotional’, the word ‘emo’ first appeared in NME in 1995. With origins in Washington DC’s 80s hard-core scene, big bands like Fall Out Boy, Bullet For My Valentine and My Chemical Romance now typify the scene. The latter’s recent break up has only served to cemented their legendary status amongst Emos. Emerging Emo talent dominates the Kerrang! tours of today, with the likes of Black Veil Brides and Fearless Vampire Killers keeping the Emo spirit in chat rooms and the charts alike.

Typically a younger (16-19) tribe, the Emo look is familiar to even the least-youth-savvy. A distinct mix of Goth and Indie, think dyed black hair, eyeliner (for guys and girls alike) black clothing and Dr Martens. However, Emos aren’t restricted to the ‘Daria’ aesthetic; their proximity to other Alt Tribes like Scene Kids means hair dye jobs in red, blue and purple are huge – as are Skater brands.

Horror and darkness have long been associated with Emos – Buffy The Vampire Slayer anyone? However the popularity of magic, zombies and vampires over the last decade means Emos are now in close quarters to other young Tribes like Nerds and Fan Girls – Twilight in particular made it suddenly cool to like the dark side…

The focus on ‘dark’ music, fashion and outlook on life has meant Emos often receive ridicule from other Tribes and adults who deride Emo as an ‘attention seeking phase’. However self-harming and suicide is a real, lasting issue in the scene – forum usernames like ‘xXSilent-SuicideXx’ ‘Princess-of-Pain’ and ‘xSuicideBloodx’ are common. Emos are very active online and have a strong sense of community, and a new generation are successfully raising awareness of mental health issues, promoting movements such as ‘SIAD’ – Self Injury Awareness Day.

This information tells me that the fans of the genre I have chosen all dress up in dark colours and dark make up to look like their idols, some people get their hair cut the same as well. It also tells me that many of the fans have blogs under depressing usernames that are to do with self-harm and suicide and that they watch programmes like Buffy and films such as Twilight.