Take the Dixie Chicks - I happen to not like any country music - I think the overreaction to them was a cultural thing - country music was supposed to be the music of people who support Bush and for the most part it is true - So many country fans saw them I am guess as cultural traitors.
Country Music fans bought their CDs before they knew their politics because I assume they like that crappy stuff. If the song gives them pleasure - who cares what the politics are?
Ok, now for music I do like - I am a fan of Rage Against the Machine. This was a band of avowed Marxists. I despise Marxists - yet I bought their CDs - Why? Cause A)They rock. B) I am not afraid I am weakminded so I won't be converted to their cause as I rock out to their music and C) I get a perverse satisfaction in knowing I am helping make communists into millionaires and thus hypocrites.
If you buy a ticket for a concert and have your political views insulted from the stage (with no disclosure that you are paying for a public speaker as opposed to a singer), you might think twice about giving your hard earned cash to such a well to do ingrate.
I saw a triple bill of bands with The Pretenders as headliners. I had never seen them before although I knew their hits. They played with the B-52s and Royal Crown Revue. It was an eclectic concert at a sizeable "shed". Tickets were probably between $25 and $35.
At one point Chrissie Hynde asked if there were any meat eaters in the audience and before anyone could answer her rhetorical question she shouted "Well I hope you all choke on it." Great. She wishes those who she disapproves of (WHO PAID HER that night) to die a painful death.
Ted Nugent got banned from this same venue for telling the audience that people should speak English in America. The corporation claimed that patrons were offended by his comments. It is not a civic venue, they can establish such a ban if they wish but I found the double standard to be damning.