Ida Thoresen, a photography student from Norway, explored the world of fandom this summer, specifically the fandom of the American rock band My Chemical Romance. She was in a young teen when she decided to dedicate her life to the art of photography and has since found her inspiration through music, another huge interest in her life.

”This Is The MCRmy” is the project she’s been working on for the last several months and it’s meant to give an insight to the heart of a die-hard fan. A “fandom” is a term used to refer to a community of fans which grow around a certain area or interest. It can be fans of books, movies, TV shows, common hobbies — or in this case, a band.

“My Chemical Romance tend to have extremely dedicated fans who are passionate about the music, the community they have created, and they are often creative and intelligent people,” said Thoresen. “I wanted to explore who their fans are, why they are fans and get to know them. The result this far is very much a celebration and documentation of their spirit.”

Thoresen has been a fan of My Chemical Romance herself for many years and finds the fandom an interesting phenomena. With this project she asks herself a question that is common among fans of many bands: ‘How can a band become such an important part of people’s lives?’

”I can still become a little puzzled over why on earth one band — four guys who create music together — can mean so much to myself and so many people all over the world,” said Thoresen.

She wanted to get to know these fans to find answers, discuss the matter and find what they might all have in common through the fandom they are all involved in. By talking to fans among her own friends and through other communities she found that it was a question that many were curious about, and so decided to show them through the lens of her camera.

“It would have been easy if I had unlimited time and money, but I was on a strict schedule with no budget,” said Thoresen. “I had to dig deep through Internet communities and even newspaper articles to find fans who lived fairly close to me.”

The project involves photos of teenage and young adult fans who have followed My Chemical Romance from different areas of the band’s existence. Each subject is portrayed with something from the My Chemical Romance world that means a lot to them, everything from tattoos or the band’s designed clothes to their proud collections of records and special editions.

“It surprised me many times through it in terms of the visual direction it was taking and how the story was moving along. But to me it still feels like I’ve just been scratching the surface. I realized before I started that this would be a long-term project, and it’s one that I’m more than willing to pursue,” said Thoresen. “It’s a combination of both my biggest passions, photography and music, so I won’t stop until I can look at a finished project and feel that I’m proud of what I’ve created.”

You can see Ida Thoresen’s project “This is MCRmy” on www.idathoresen.tumblr.com and http://magazine.bildernordic.no/photographers/alumni-2013/ida-thoresen.aspx.

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Macy Gray, newly signed with 429 Records, is preparing for the release of her stunning new album “Covered”—a collection of all new recordings of handpicked songs she’s chosen to reinterpret in her own inimitable fashion.  Produced by Hal Willner (Lou Reed, Metallica), “Covered” tackles material largely drawn from indie rock songs from the last decade—interpretations her fans will be familiar with as she’s been performing them live over the years.

The album contains biting, dark signature tracks such as Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up” or My Chemical Romance’s “Teenagers” which Gray subversively overhauls into something wholly her own.  Also included are short skits featuring J.B. Smoove, Nicole Scherzinger and a guest appearance by Idris Elba.

“Covered” will be released worldwide on 429 Records March 27th.In addition, Macy is planning a worldwide tour and has wrapped filming with director Lee Daniels (Precious) for his forthcoming film ‘The Paperboy” which also stars John Cusack, Zach Effron, Nicole Kidman and Matthew McConaughey. The film will debut at Cannes in May with confirmed worldwide distribution in October 2012.

Since her dazzling debut introduced this singular talent to the masses, Macy has forged an uncompromising musical path beholden to her own vision and garnering accolades at every juncture.  With “Covered” Macy has turned the cover album concept on its ear choosing edgy contemporary choices and approaching them in an innovative and uncompromising way. Not surprising considering she’s spent her career defying expectations and stretching musical boundaries.

Says Macy on being inspired by Nina Simone’s cover songs: “She didn’t worry about what people would think or how they would compare it to anybody else. I saw how she just took that song and every song she ever did and made them her own.  So I went in with the confidence that we could do whatever we wanted.”

s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

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Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters and Blink-182 will headline The Bamboozle 2012, one of the East Coast’s oldest and largest music festivals, when the three-day music and pop culture event is staged at North Beach Asbury Park, New Jersey, May 18, 19 and 20.

The Bamboozle, presented by Live Nation, will return to the beach at Asbury Park for the first time since 2005, and will feature over 100 acts performing on nine stages spread throughout the beach and boardwalk, including the renowned Convention Hall. Since its inception, The Bamboozle has evolved to become a respected institution within the music festival circuit.

Now in its 10th year, The Bamboozle has consistently featured the best musical talent from established to new artists spanning multiple music genres, and has always been a one of a kind resource for artist development. Previously-featured up-and-coming acts that have gone on to become breakout artists include Paramour, My Chemical Romance, Wiz Halifax, Fall Out Boy, Jonas Brothers, and many more.

Bon Jovi has sold 130 million records and has played in over 50 countries to 34 million fans in their twenty-year career. The band won a Grammy Award for the #1 hit single, 2005′s “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” which is currently used in the New Jersey state tourism commercials. Bon Jovi had the number one tour in 2008 and 2010.

In November of 2010, Bon Jovi released Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection, featuring all of the band’s biggest chart-topping hits, the most beloved fan-favorites, and four new tracks, including the lead single, “What Do You Got.”

Headliners Foo Fighters will make their Bamboozle debut. This appearance rides the momentum of their 2011 release Wasting Light, which debuted at #1 in the USA, and a dozen countries around the world. 2011 saw Foo Fighters playing to sold-out crowds in garages, arenas, and stadiums around the world.

Wasting Light was recently nominated for six Grammy Awards, including the prestigious Album of the Year. It was named iTunes Album of the Year, and “Walk” was awarded Best /Rock Video at this year’s MTV Awards.

Blink-182′s seventh album, Neighborhoods, was released September 27, 2011, and debuted at number 2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Since its 1994 full-length debut, the band has sold more than 11 million albums, and filled arenas and stadiums both in the U.S. and worldwide. All six of their previous albums have been certified either gold or double platinum, with 1999′s Enema of the State selling more than four million copies.

John D’Esposito, Vice President of Talent/Artist Development for Live Nation, said, “This year’s bill of headliners is truly one of the most exciting. It’s an honor and very fitting to have New Jersey’s own Bon Jovi headline as The Bamboozle celebrates its 10th anniversary. Bringing headliners, the Food Fighters to the North Beach in Asbury Park is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Their performance will be nothing short of epic.”

Founded by New Jersey native D’Esposito, The Bamboozle was created more out of necessity than anything else. “I started The Bamboozle because I went to other music festivals growing up and felt there was a need for a pop-culture-oriented event that was diverse but also catered to a specific scene,” said D’Esposito.

As for the return to Asbury Park, D’Esposito said, “For the 10th anniversary, it was important to create an event that would leave a lasting impression. In order to do that, we had to go back to where the seed had been planted, Asbury Park.”

Additional performers will be announced in the New Year for The Bamboozle, with more information to come about The Bamboozle Roadshow 2012. The annual “The Break Contest,” the official unsigned band competition of the festival returns and will be presented by Yuuzoo with the grand prize winner receiving a performance slot on the main stage and other prizes.

Image Courtesy of Marco Maas

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