Kevin Parker, the singer and producer behind the Australian band Tame Impala, has decided to stop signing autographs and posing for photos with fans outside concert venues, hotels and airports. The change has nothing to do with wanting distance from his supporters, he said.
Parker said the decision came down to the aggressive behaviour of some professional autograph hunters. In a series of Instagram stories, he said he would no longer sign anything or take photos outside hotels or airports, and he asked fans not to be upset if he turned them down.
Collectors using children
Parker said the situation had reached a breaking point after he noticed some collectors had begun using children to get artists to lower their guard and sign items. He said it did not use to bother him as much, but that people had started using children for this, which he said was wrong in every way. He drew a line between fans who genuinely support him and those who approach him purely for profit.
Behind the requests, Parker pointed to a real resale market. He said one of his autographs sells for around 35 euros online, while a vinyl record signed by him can fetch close to 850 euros. What looks like an innocent encounter with a fan, he suggested, is in some cases a business built on his goodwill.
Not aimed at genuine fans
Parker was careful to say the policy is not meant to punish people who simply want to say hello. He said he loves meeting his fans and, until now, had almost always been willing to sign things or take pictures with them. The problem, he said, is the strange tactics some people use to pass themselves off as fans, including inventing stories to get him to sign. He said people should remember that these collectors do it only to resell the item on eBay once they have the autograph.
Safety concerns on tour
The other part of the problem is security. Parker has also decided to stop meeting fans in the car parks next to venues where he performs, at least for now. He said he had still been getting close to fans during his last European tour, but the number of people showing up kept growing to a point that was hard to manage. He said the crowds were getting out of control and that he did not have the security needed to contain them. His team recommended ending these informal meet-ups for that reason. Parker closed his statement by asking fans who come to his shows to enjoy themselves and get home safely.
Other artists who did the same
Parker is far from the first artist to draw this kind of line. Billie Eilish made a similar move in 2019, saying she was fed up with discovering that people were selling everything she had signed for them. One of the earliest cases dates back to 2008, when Ringo Starr, the former Beatles drummer, noticed the same problem taking shape on the internet of that time.
What comes next
Tame Impala, the psychedelic rock project Parker writes, records and largely performs himself, is known for albums including Currents and has built a global following through festival tours over the past decade. Parker is currently touring North America after playing shows in Madrid and Barcelona in April. He is expected to return to Europe for a tour next summer, according to the report.
