I would like to think that I’m not a gatekeeper. If a niche band I like blows up, I’m happy that they have been given another reason to keep on making music, and if a bar or cafe I frequent suddenly gets a lot more business, it’s heartwarming to see their hard work paying off (even if the queues can get annoying). 

Nonetheless, I do understand why gatekeeping is such an attractive prospect. Sometimes you wish that you could just keep all the really good stuff as your little secret, you know? The opinion that we should let people enjoy things can get exhausting, but when the alternative is being mean and churlish I know which side I would rather be on. There are occasions when it is easier and less painful to simply lose the battle. Indeed, a lot of the time there doesn’t even need to be a battle at all.