It boggles my mind sometimes. There are two very current, relevant and even important tours going on in North America right now and I'm getting news saying that some of the dates have had very poor turn-outs.

I blogged a bit about it. No educated guesses, more just a rant.
http://halifaxcollect.blogspot.com/2009/05...le-not-coming-out-for-relevant.html

A bullet through your temple would be relevant.

okay, so you're writing something based on some "news" you got? how do you know this is actually true? and as far as im concerned these are definitely not the most important or relevant metal shows going on in north america right now.

alexc: you are right. It's just news I'm getting. Just like the ones i get about tours doing really well. Seeing as I'm not at the shows and the fact that I don't have any numbers from the promoters and booking agencies, I have no solid facts about anything. It is just word of mouth. I wish it was the other way around. Hence I wrote a bit, mostly in order to get other people's opinions. Also, some people read my blog and it helps promote both tours a bit. You know, every word helps.
And I didn't say these tours were the MOST relevant or important tours going. Also, its always a matter of opinion in the end. I would love to see a packed house for those Napalm Death shows. Great bands supporting them.
I went to one of the shows in question, not a strong turn out. One of the factors in that was probably the fact that said show was not promoted a lot.

Did you just start going to metal shows? Suicide Silence and Acacia Strain will sell out shows while At the Gates and Carcass reunions don't. Kids only care about who's hot at the moment. At least it's better than 10 years ago. The crowd at a Napalm death show would have been in the double digits.

i think part of the reason for a low turnout at least at the ND/Kataklysm shows is b/c theyre playing pretty big venues. you also live in Canada Birkir. I MEAN COME ON

it's sad when at the gate and carcass don't sell out. that sucks.
I blame free stars and xox live.

xbox

so wait... people come out to irrelevant metal shows?

i dunno if i think that would be bad, i try to make a good percentage of the shows i go to locals.

I'm going to both the prov and allston misery index shows. Does that make me wicked metal guy?

no, since you aren't staying home.

I think that more people are showing up to shows than "used to" but not as many as used to back before they "used to". I saw kreator with maybe 30 people back in 2002/2003 and then with over 800 in 2009.

Was that when they played with Vader? 2001-2002? I can't remember. But I know what you're talking about. No one was there for kreator. K-R-E-A-T-O-R

How about years ago when the Palladium had killer Death and Black Metal shows almost every single weekend? Half the kids that show up to shows now, were no where to be found. I still remember those days when I would be at the Palladium, getting to see an awesome show almost every weekend. Now? I could care less if the Palladium burnt down.

Was that when they played with Destruction in Haverhill?

At least Maryland Death Fest is beyond sold out.

Truth. I haven't been to a show there since like 03 or 04. Even then I didn't go for a year or two before that. I hate going there.

kevord: yes.

aril: like seeing dismember in 2000 or 2001 and most of the audience leaving after shadows fall was done? I remember the whole crowd being up on the stage at one point.

How about Dismember and Grave playing at Mark's Showplace a few years ago and 45 people were at that show?

I was one of the people on stage, right next to Matti, trying not to smother his personal space. Now that was a fuckin' show!

::ahem:: Caring about shadows fall over Dismember = LOL.

that was an awesome show, but the crowd sucked as you said

What kills me is when amazing bands who never play around here come from over seas and no one shows up. Good example was that Grave/Dismember show. Although I could of cared less as I had a blast seeing both those bands.

Then people cry cause Bolt thrower and Entombed don't want to tour the States.

I remember hearing about the Kreator/Destruction show AFTER it happened. There was no significant promotion for that.

I was one of the people on the stage for Dismember. The band seemed to love and hate it at the same time. They couldn't see over the wall of bodies in front of them and probably didn't realize half the crowd left.

My attendence for shows is mixed. It honestly depends on what else I have going on. I couldn't make the Carcass show for example, but I damn well got my ass to the Kreig show. I drove down to Philadelphia to see Toxic Holocaust and Nunslaughter play a street party in the middle of the worst Philly Ghetto. I went down to Virginia for the first Destruction 'reunion' tour (because I couldn't make it in New England) and I did not know if there would be another tour. At the Rhode Island Death Fest I missed a chunk of Saturday, but I was there first thing Sunday. It is what it is.


HallifaxCollect - Clearly you are disappointed by the news you heard, so I see that you are just ranting a little on the blog. Since you have posted it in RTP here's some feedback: Nothing is more annoying to people than being told what they 'should' do. If you really want to promote metal don't whine about people not going to shows, trying to 'guilt' them into going to the bands you like. You are actually suggesting that it would be a lame evening and that people are better off saving their cash - whether you realize it or not. Perhaps your focus should be on how great a show is. Just go off about the awesome shows you saw instead of focusing suggestions of lame crowds.

And what's with the overuse of the word "Relevant"? That is obnoxious. You're not appealing to people's interest, but talking down to them. When you hit up terms like 'Relevant' and 'Historic' or 'Important' it sounds like you are describing things that really are not enjoyable but people should be forced to go to for their own good. You should keep that in check if you really want to help out these bands.

I like Napalm Death. I have seen them many times - small and large shows. I was initially turned off to Misery Index (mainly because there was another band called Misery Index before them in Rhode Island years ago - hence the confusion). However, I saw them in an American Legion Hall in Providence. It was absolutely great. It was a small but tight crowd. The band set up on the floor and everyone got into it. The band clearly enjoyed themselves. It was great, and I'll see them again when I can.

The bit I was hearing from most people was that they would rather wait for the same lineup with Vital Remains at the Middle East that was not too far off from that show. My original intention was to go to both, but I only managed to make the Mark's show.

Was that the show that the guy randomly passed out and everyone was being retarded and crowding around him on the floor?


But yeah. The word "relevant" should never be used in regards to music. Same goes for "dated".

If you like the band(s) you're seeing I'm pretty sure it makes the show relevant.

hey, blog about THIS dick bag:

http://myspace.com/officialrammingspeed


new traxxxx

I PRAY FOR MORE IRRELEVANT METAL.

Personal taste isn't the same for everyone? Wacky.

maybe its kause of teh ekonomy that teh kehds doesnt make it to deez wikked awesome shows dewd, and who cares abouts music andyways i spents my monies on a blow out and 15 hoodies on teh paypal siq mosh bro.
moar suicide silence plzkthnx 111111110000.

if a tree falls in the forest, and no one's around to hear it..........is it relevant?

Me and Inject-now were also among those idiots on stage. Matti looked so hilarious like he was going to shit his pants. He kept waving his hands and saying in his retard english "uhhh stay away....stay away....." hahah, good times.

it's funny that there was no one there, but everyone was there.

[May 4,2009 10:38pm - reimroc]
"If you like the band(s) you're seeing I'm pretty sure it makes the show relevant."
Sure, but he wasn't referring to relevant to what you like, he was referring to relevant to the "scene" or more accurately, relevant to what's going on in the scene.

That's why it was a silly remark. Don't defend!

True jim but it still goes back to liking what you like. The real argument is why are less and less people getting in to or learning about good bands in a given genre.

I was at that Dismember show but not on stage.

Right, but what he thinks is "relevant" the the scene, and what you or I think is "relevant" could be completely different. There is no such thing as a universally "relevant" event in most realms of life. Relevance, for the most part, isn't objective.

Exactly.

wow....Rusty.... that's what i was saying dude. That relevant can't possibly pertain to everyone. jeeze, tough crowd.

relevance is irrelevant.

WOAH WOAH WOAH lol

i go to as many shows with bands i like as i can. sometimes i have to miss shows i want ot see, but everything i get to is relevant to me. i couldn't give a fuck if anyone thinks it's relevant or not. i like misery index, but i'm not a rabid fan, and if i happen to catch them, cool. if not, i don't give a shit. i love napalm death, but i wasn't going pay out the ass to see them at metalfest, nor was i going to watch them on a shitty tour with devildriver.

misery index didn't reinvent music or put a mindblowing new spin on it. good band? sure, but not the best on the planet.

napalm death on the other hand, definitely has made an indelible mark on music.

if you like the bands, go see them. if you don't stay home. who gives a shit?

i stopped worrying about what other people liked a while ago and just focused on what i do like. i used to worry about posers and trendhoppers liking the stuff i like or bands of that ilk stealing the spotlight from stuff i like, but now i just focus on what i like.

when you expend more energy hating scenesters and the stuff they like, than actually listening to what you like, you have a problem. i said good riddance to that problem a couple years ago when it finally dawned on me that it wasn't worth it.

Instead of thinking on a micro level (what bands you like, what bands you want to see, what bands you're there for), one needs to think on a macro level.
There is nothing wrong with going for shows for yourself; in fact, most people go to shows for themselves. I know I do.
But by thinking on a macro level - taking a look at the bigger picture - I think it is safe to say that New England is seriously lacking good metal venues and true metal fans. The majority of people that go to shows with bands from other states or countries is saddening. Either most people like myself stay at home because they've got kids or perhaps the whole metal "scene" here needs a reawakening.
I can tell you that the fans and crowds in other states and coutries seems dramatically different than the ones here. Again, this is on a wide-scale..

i totally understand and agree with your point. i just don't know what to do to change it. that outdoor fest could be a good start.

by change it, i meant change the status quo around here.

good point, i go to shows alone quite often. i just love watching live music. its unfortunate how things are around here, there are places in the country who would kill for music availability like we have in New England, and most take it for granted.

unfortunately i believe that only time can change things, as it has all along. no one act by anyone is going to change anything, only the natural cycle will change it.

i don't take it for granted. I love seeing all the music that we have here... and i love having someone who takes pics all so many local shows just for the sake of doing it, our "scene" rules, our "rev" rules, and overall our bands rule. I love New England

our drummer always talks about how much better it is for bands up here than it was in louisville.

Well, lemme just say I wholeheartedly agree with everything you guys said.
There really isn't much one can do to change it. It takes more than one person. In my mind (which I'm sure most will disagree) there hasn't been a decent "metal" venue in quite some time. The past 4 years we've seen the Bombshelter and Mark's go down. I wasn't huge on either one. The Palladium has and will always be there.
I personally love the MiddleEast, I wish it was easier to book there (is it easy to book there? Probably not - too many genres, too much demand).
If you take a look at good "scenes" in American metal, the first that come to mind are the Bay Area Thrash scene and the Flordia Death Metal scene. What made those areas flourish? Was is the bands? (of course) Was it the venues? Was it the fans or the crowds?
Things happen in cycles, all-throughout history.

I am hoping New England catches that wave sometime and things pick up.. because honestly I think it's lacking something here, I'm not sure what. We've got good bands here..

I think the only way you can affect what goes on in the local scene (and I know this sounds cliche, especially coming from a band member) is to support any local bands you like. I'm not just talking about going to their shows and buy their merch, but spreading the word. Word of mouth is an underrated, but very powerful tool in getting people to do things.

I know from experience getting people to commit to going to local shows is like pulling teeth most of the time. That's why if people can show some support to any local band helps perpetuate more and more kids coming out to "relevant" shows. That could be a way to start the ball rolling where the status quo sees a shift to a healthier scene.

I'm not saying any of you don't do that, because I don't know most of you, but it doing stuff like flyering for a show that you had no hand in booking or whatever, but you just like the lineup could be a HUGE help.

Here's hoping the House of Blues fills in a very needed niche! They're off to a good start...

i like to help... i like to talk too. (no shit right?) So if ya'll want help flyering in Boston, hit me up.

...and I'm not saying everyone should do that, because I know people have more important things in their lives than flyering for a show they had no hand in (trust me, sometimes I barely have time to sleep it seems), but if you have some free time on your hands, that could be extremely helpful in getting things turned around.

like i said: I CAN HELP, I LIKES HELP, I LIKES TALKING, I LIKES PEOPLES!

I think there are a lot of "rouge" metalheads here that don't know anything about the local metal scene. I've met quite a few people in my area that listen to metal and know NOTHING of bands in Boston.

I mean, I'm more musically involved in the local blackmetal aspect of things and I've had people tell me they had no idea there were local BM bands.

Perhaps one of the keys of this would be to put flyers up at local college campuses?

It could always be much better here in New England. But talking to my friends from other parts of the country.... We have quite a good scene. Lots of options, lots of shows. I have friends who would kill to get the stuff we do.

one of the big problems i see is the wrong people in charge of venues and booking. there aren't many people who do it right. if you look at guys like chris from metal thursday and rich horror, they flourish because they know how to put a good show together, from booking a lineup of bands that make sense together to properly promoting the shows. we don't have enough of that around here.

well, I wasn't necessarily referring to us specifically, but any help would be beyond appreciated....and of course, yo0u scratch our backs, we'll scratch yours

you hit the nail on the head right here. once upon a time there weren't 10000 things to occupy everyone's time, like maintaining their celebrity status on myspace, and people were in it for the whole instead of the individual. when people went to a show they went nuts for EVERY band, not just the one they went to see, and didn't leave the second their band was done. i know its hard sometimes to stay late, but if you can, then do it. i've been trying to go to more shows in Worcester and watching all of the bands, just so they feel like people care. it wasn't a big dick measuring contest at every show about who is more metal than who, people united for a single cause. ego has always been prevalent, but not to the magnitude it is today. there are a million factors that have led to the downfall, chiseling away one at a time will do nothing but help.

I wholeheartedly agree...more people booking solid shows would most definitely help things

How about we clone Rich Horror?

I dunno, I preach "support local music" all the time, but if i don't like a band after a couple songs, (which i WILL give them a chance) I stop watching till the next band. I don't think anyone can be faulted for that. It's the bands fault that they're no good.

What about cheap studios? Or someone willing to record bands for little-to-no cost? Part of the responsibility of being in a band is to spend money for the band.
However, we all know how much it costs to professionally record something. People are always asking about cheap local studios; but in all reality they are all expensive if you ask me.

I'm with Ken on most of this stuff, but I think one of the major challenges that we have is the lack of options for metal shows in Boston proper. There's Church, but what else is there? There was that Bullfinch Yacht Club, but they're not doing metal any more, correct?

I know it's not connected to the first part, but I really miss the Skybar. Rich and I booked some cool shows there.

Skybar was pretty cool.

I agree with everything you've stated. I do my best to make it to every local show I can with bands that I enjoy listening to. Its not like famous bands just pop out of nowhere, they all start out on the same level, local. I also feel that in most cases the local stuff is much better than what the "underground" record labels shove down our throat.

Of course. I've gone to plenty of local shows just because one band was playing and 90% of the time I leave as a fan of one if not more other bands I heard for the first time that night.

Reimroc, want to join Black Mesa?

video game influenced metal? count my nerdy ass in.

Nah, just a quick Half-life reference.
I am working on a top-secret 8-bit metal project, though.

lol still count me in.

LOL @ METAL SHOWS BEING RELEVANT

someone sum up everything in this thread after my first post...

Alot of people talking about stuff they'll never do to improve a "scene".

THE ONLY PRACTICAL SOLUTION.

Seriously, a good amount of the people I see bitching about this sort of thing online I NEVER see at any local shows. So fuck off and die.

The only person on this board that does any real support of the scene is UN: boblovesmusic. Everyone else just goes to the shows they play or just their friends' bands' shows.

Myself included.

hahahahahaha, correct.

my idea is good for people with some time on their hands.....sadly, I'm not one of those people

I wasn't trying to preach or anything either...just felt like posting a thought on the subject

bob is truly a music lover, cheers to him

its funny cause his name isn't even Bob...lol

but yea, dude's a fucking trooper.....much respect

I know he's named after various birdlife but he'll always be bob to me!

fair enough lol

I don't nearly go to as many local shows as I used to anymore. Having kidz does that sometimes I guess

That's why I said it was a username, genius.

very true. i can't remember the last time i went to a show and didn't see him there. i'm not certain, but i think he goes to more shows than the reverend.

as far as i know, the only person with bob in their rttp handle who's actually named bob is BOBDEAD. i know boblovesmusic and bobnomaamrooney aren't actually bobs. am i forgetting anyone?

You're forgetting me.

hahahahaha

iwenttoarelevantmetalshowonce

iwrestledareleventmetalshowonce

ibloggedaboutarelevantmetalshowonce

ireadablogaboutareleventmetalshowoncemaybeitwasyours

itwasn't

I know I'm late to this thread, but why is anyone taking the bait on this instead of pointing out that this dude is obviously just trying to sell his rinky dink little blog to people so he can get a job writing for Kerrang?

remember the candy called rinky dinks back in the day? i think they failed because no one wanted to put dinks in their mouths.

i didnt even read the blog haha

"Oh hai! 900 viewz on my RTTP thrEd. Im gonna write 4 RoLLing Stone... NO WAI! Every1 thiNkz I'm a f@gg0t!"

MegaLulz @ Kerrang.

CT has some great stuff going on. I think it also helps if you've got a cool record store that is active (and not just profiteering) in the local "underground" scene. Like the illustrious Redscroll Records in beautiful and historic downtown Wallingford.

remember Shrinky Dinks? those things you put in the oven and they shrank? what a stupid gift that was when i was 5.

Call me old fashioned, but I'm pretty sure that tits are always[\i] relevant.

you are correct mr. goatcatalyst.

theres a relevent show with Betrayed By All this friday at Oasis. come wallow in its relevency.

Relevant show is relevant. But it ain't relevant unless it's troo and if it ain't troo it ain't metal. Or relevant.

We'll be playing some semi relevant slams.