When creating Small Talks, it was almost out of the frustration about the misconceptions of being a fan, and a creative in the industry. This is a series called "beyond the barricade", discussing fan culture, touring fans, and the direct impact they have. fans are the backbone of the industry, lets start discussing it.
The first fans we wanted to highlight were Mal, Cam, Ruth who are touring fans of HUNNY. When coming up with this concept, this group highlighted the positive aspects we wanted to showcase: Fans that were not only dedicated, but accepting, resilient and inspirational.
Starting off, can you state your name, age, and where you are from?
Cam, 21, Oxford, MS
Ruth, 21, Los Angeles, CA
Mallory, 21, Brandon, MS
what was the first show of HUNNY’s you went to? what was your first run of shows? what made you do them?
Cam: My first Hunny show was Halloween, 2017 in Nashville! The first run of Hunny shows that I did was after the first night we saw them - Mal and I actually decided to do their next few shows without even talking about it. We both just instinctively knew we had to.
Ruth: My first hunny show was in Santa Barbara in may of 2017 and my first run of shows was during the hypochondriac tour. after going to St. Louis with our friend Sav and meeting Mal and Cam for the first time, i knew it was something i never wanted to stop doing.
Mal: My first show was in Nashville on Halloween in 2017 (same as cam lol!) my first ~proper~ run of shows was during the hypochondriac tour when Hunny and hot flash heat wave opened for the frights. I did Atlanta through St. Louis and met up with different friends - old and new - at shows along the way.
how would you describe tour in three words?
Cam: play loud forever!
Ruth: redbull, homies, mosh
Mal: best chaotic adventure
What is the main misconception you feel is displayed about being a touring fan?
We feel like the biggest misconception when it comes to touring is that fans who travel must have ulterior motives, like the typical “groupie” agenda. We think we speak for most fans in saying that we wish people considered traveling for shows as something done purely out of a love for music, each other, and for the live show experience as a whole.
What has been the craziest/ most impulse  decision on a tour?
Cam: One of the most impulsive things I’ve done on tour was driving from Nashville to Philly where Mal and I surprised Ruth and our other tour friends - Sav, Sami, Shelby, and Nadia - on barricade during Hunny’s set!
Ruth: An impulsive tour decision was flying into Philly but booking a last minute bus to New York to see Hunny’s set that same night - we only made it for a single minute of their set but it turned out to be one of the best nights of that tour.
Mal: One of the dumbest decisions i made was when our travel plans were compromised due to bad weather and i impulsively drove cross-country from Mississippi to Las Vegas. i met Ruth and our friend Sami (who took a bus from LA to Vegas, where we spent a wild night on the strip) and we road tripped to the west coast shows on the hockey dad/hunny double headlining tour with pllush and mike carnevale -- aka hunny dad tour
What’s one memory that made you think, wow I could do this 100 more times?
Cam: I specifically remember thinking this in St. Louis during the Hypochondriac tour, the first time a lot of our tour friends were together - like 8 of us. It was my last show of the tour but the first time a lot of us had ever met in person. We spent all day getting to know one another before dancing and singing along to our favorite songs that night like we’d known each other forever. I knew that atmosphere was where I felt most at home.
Ruth: One of my favorite memories was when Mal, Cam, and I were running late to a show in Denver after getting lost in the airport and slipping on black ice. We ran into the venue and immediately opened up the pit and started moshing for the rest of HUNNY’s set. the best moments of tour always seem to be the ones we least expect.
Mal: One of my favorites was during the frights’ opening set in Houston on the story so far’s most recent tour. Ruthie, Cam, and i were exhausted and near death after hunny’s set, drinking water by the bar when the frights decided to switch up their set and play one of our favorite live songs, “cold”. Without speaking a word to each other, we all immediately dropped everything and ran into the pit to mosh.
How has being a touring fan impacted your life?
Traveling for shows introduced us to a world where we felt we could truly be ourselves. We’ve formed lifelong friendships with each other as well as countless people from all over the country. It’s brought us our closest friends and favorite memories all while teaching us some hard lessons along the way. We’ve been in all kinds of situations - from having car trouble to being stranded in cities to driving through a polar vortex - but they’ve each taught us to make the most of every moment and that it always works out in the end.
if you could give any advice to people that want to go to multiple shows what would it be?
The number one thing to keep in mind while traveling is safety. Always be aware of your surroundings and try to make decisions that are in your own best interest. Know your limits and prioritize your mental and physical health. A big thing to remember is that you don’t have to be rich to travel - you just need to be financially responsible. Try to have money to fall back on just in case things don’t go as expected. Something will always go wrong, no matter how much you plan, so don’t sweat the little things!
Any last thoughts?
Thank you to Hunny for creating an atmosphere that allows people to express their individuality and spread good vibes. Because of them we have our best friends and a place where we can always feel at home. Hunny shows have helped us evolve into the people that we are today. As always: be good, be safe, and play loud forever. ATB!
Thank you to Mal, Cam and Ruth for taking time to talk with us. Thank you to HUNNY for fostering a comfortable space for fans.
With love,
Small Talks Mag.
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