I’m currently minutes away from leaving the ummm “interesting” place that is Las Vegas. Due to a sense of respect for music and that it brought me here, due to a sense of gratitude and so on I will know characterize it here how I would like to, because not all my feelings about the city are positive, but anyway, I’m leaving now and it made me think of Arsenal. Why? let me tell you really quick.
The whole reason I am here was to play a couple of gigs at an awesome jazz club. Yesterday, a bandmate and I decided to go get a smoothie but to get to our spot we had to walk through Fremont Street, and if you don’t know what that is please just look it up on tiktok or google, etc. It’s just a very weird place.
This is an overarching feeling anyway but to say that I don’t belong in that street, in that culture, with that vibe, etc is an understatement. I wasn’t being judgmental or criticizing anyone or anything except that one restaurant that advertised that you would eat for free if you weighed over 350 lbs aka 158 kilograms. Pretty wild, but that’s the USA for you.
To compensate, I started thinking about where I did belong and Arsenal Women came to mind. Not the culture culture… like I do not belong going to The Tollington. I don’t belong wearing kits, scarves or Arsenal gear exclusively. I don’t belong chanting or yelling at the stadium. I don’t belong randomly and unpromptedly yell things against Tottenham. I don’t criticize Man Utd or Chelsea out of the blue or hate Emma Hayes. Like if this is what belonging means then I sure as hell don’t. This is not it for me.
Arsenal Women means much more and it’s personal and it’s my escape and I digest it and have it close to my heart and mind in my own special way and this is why I always reject the idea of someone claiming they are a “real fan” which is so silly if you think about it.
Not only have I met but I can tell you I AM one of those MASSIVE fans of something but might not know eeeeeeverything about them. Take my “favorite” band Megadeth for example. There was a very long period in my life where I knew every lyric to every song, every credit on every record, who played what, who produced it, where it was recorded. I won a trivia contest in the late 90s. Like I was a fan, I knew everything, I could play the songs note for note on drums, etc. But my memory sucks, I don’t remember anything anymore and I don’t like their last few albums. So am I not a fan anymore? Does not liking them right this second mean I’m not a fan? or not a true fan? I don’t need to love everything all the time.
Being a fan is being dynamic and you can love the squad and not love the manager for example. hint hint.
Anyway, just wanted to remind you that the only true voice of fandom is yours. Be true to that.
Gotta get out of this heat now. bye!
d ❤
THAT ARSENAL WOMEN PODCAST on:
You can listen to my music HERE
A very subjective look into AWFC 
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