Being a metalhead in America.

[Daystar Clarion]

Britian still secretly hates you, so all our good bands are told not to make an effort to tour America...

Yeah...wish you'd lost the revolution now don't you.

God, your never supposed to tell them this... Your cast out from the secret order I'll need your badge and parking license and that peanut we gave you on your first day.

DUDE! You told them about the secret order! We'll both be assassinated for this!

LOL!!! But you know about it now! Your gonna be kille....oh wait

Look could everyone stop getting themselves marked for assassination... Who will be left to carry out these assassinations?

Don't worry about it, the secret assassination team that nobody knows about can... oh fuuuuuuuuu...

 

[Withard]

After the assassinations he assassin takes cyanide.

 

[Jamash]

Blame your government for making it difficult to get a visa.

If a member of a band has been in trouble for drugs, or has a criminal conviction sometime in their past, then it's a lot more difficult to get permission to enter and work in America.

Also if someone in the band has a Middle Eastern sounding name, then forget it. There's a British MMA fighter who had to pull out of the next UFC event he was scheduled to fight in because he couldn't get a visa to work in the US. It doesn't matter that he has a degree in pharmacology, a spotless criminal record (i.e. none), an outstanding family background or that he's fought in the UFC before... he's called Mostapha Al-turk, which is a name that's just a bit too terroristy for him to get a visa in time for the next UFC.

Unfortunately due to the 'Rock'n'Roll lifestyle' & rebellious/anarchic nature of lot of these musicians, I think a lot of non-American metal bands (especially smaller ones without the backing of large record companies) face greater difficulties in obtaining visas to enter and perform in the United States.

 

[NghtmaresXNoVaKaiNe]

Britian still secretly hates you, so all our good bands are told not to make an effort to tour America...

Yeah...wish you'd lost the revolution now don't you.

This means war...

As for all this Metalheadness...Devil Driver is coming to New Mexico. Sure they're coming to Albuquerque, but MOST bands seem to go up to Santa Fe!! or RIO GODDAMN RANCHO!

Shadows Fall often tours the smaller cities, as does Hatebreed. What kind of metal do you listen to that they don't tour the smaller cities? They're not very nice metalheads...

 

[Z of the Na'vi]

I like the music, but I won't go to the concerts.

Those people are insane

 

[Ironic Pirate]

After the assassinations he assassin takes cyanide.

Oh, well, I won't be taking that job then. Let's see the contract cancellation fee is... Oh shit...

 

[Withard]

After the assassinations he assassin takes cyanide.

Oh, well, I won't be taking that job then. Let's see the contract cancellation fee is... Oh shit...

...Crap!

Again :/

 

[MurderousToaster]

I went to an AC/DC concert in Glasgow (Not exactly metal, more rock-ish, but meh) and it was great. 'Though we had to wait ages for confirmation of a Scotland date.


I do see the point about major cities, but it just seems like a fact of life on such a large country.

 

[Standby]

You could always move.

I don't go to concerts... so that's all I got, sorry.
Although there might be a reason they only go to major cities.

Language barriers. Friends and family. Yeeeaahhh...

I'd choose Ireland or Scotland though, Great Britain seems overcrowded last time I checked.

HO HO HO

Typical Yank.

 

[SantoUno]

Is it just me or is it a curse? It seems that all over the world these great acts and musicians get to perform. All countries in Europe, many in South America, Japan, Asia in general, the Middle East...Hell, for some strange reason even Mexico is given more respect and a time of day than North America gets.

And whenever they do come to North America they typically stick to major cities that are way out of the way for the average fan. I am grateful that many bands do tour here, however I wish more energy would go into the overall attempt to come to the states.

Specifically, yes I know there is a lack of a major fanbase and an immense crowd here, but at the same time if rare acts showed up and we didn't get bands like Sonata Arctica and Lamb of God every weekend I think there may be a future for it in the end.

Nonetheless, it's painful loving this music and having to drive a thousand miles just to watch a single act perform.

Europe, you have no clue how lucky you are to have it.
I have flown from Florida to Ohio just to watch Iron Maiden play. Let me tell you, it was all worth it. But I still had to fly all that way...

I know this country is quite big and all that jazz, but in the end if many acts just simply got together and made a great tour worth coming to many would jump at that opportunity.

Your thoughts?

I understand how you feel.

Thankfully I live in LA so I'm good for almost all concerts!

 

[Hiphophippo]

Being a metalhead in America is tough, tis true. I don't travel to shows over 5 hours away as a general rule of thumb, but even with that I was able to see Yngwie Malmsteen and Therion at the same venue in St. Louis. Both amazing shows.

The real problem is America's almost complete lack of decent metal acts. I'm not sure what's going on over there in Europe to produce such a high rate of amazing metal but I know America lacks it.

 

[Jharry5]

I guess that happens because the US is just so big, and concert promoters what to keep expenses down to maximise profits. There's not a lot that can be done about it, apart from moving to a bigger city or checking out local bands.

I'm kinda lucky, I moved to a city that's on most band's tour list. Even back home I'm a twenty minute car ride away from quite a big venue.
But England is really small in comparison to America...

 

[Skooterz]

I don't live in or near a major city and I only had to drive a half hour to go see Dragonforce and Sonata Arctica play, and there are pretty big bands going through that same venue all the time.

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

The real problem is America's almost complete lack of decent metal acts. I'm not sure what's going on over there in Europe to produce such a high rate of amazing metal but I know America lacks it.

Truer words have ne'er been spoken - less than 10 of the various metal bands I listen to hail from my country, compared to a staggering list of European bands I could probably use to choke a horse with. As for why there's such a discrepency, well that's because Europe decided there was nothing wrong with Metal that necessitated complete reinvention ala the horror that is Nu Metal, so they have a ton of bands producing music that wouldn't sound out of place decades ago during Metal's heyday.

Here everyone is so committed to being 'edgy' or 'trendy' that they don't seem to notice they are producing shit. The good bands are the ones who ignore all those stylistic 'advancements' and just keep on making their unfashionable but distinctly non-terrible metal in defiance of critics and listening trends, and their niche audience thanks them immensely for it (and let's face it, fans of decent metal in America are definitely a niche audience).

 

[The DSM]

Britan gets quite alot of gigs.

Download has some good headliners this year.

Sadly my favorite bands are from Sweden/Germany, so they dont tour here often, but we do get other bands.

 

[Lord of Maggots]

I live mighty close to Boston and Providence so I have a really easy time seeing any band I like for the most part. I'm seeing Five Finger Death Punch staurday!!! KNUCKLEHEADS!!!

 

[TheDudeMan14]

listen to lesser known bands? chances are they will be on tour near you.

 

[Hiphophippo]

The real problem is America's almost complete lack of decent metal acts. I'm not sure what's going on over there in Europe to produce such a high rate of amazing metal but I know America lacks it.

Truer words have ne'er been spoken - less than 10 of the various metal bands I listen to hail from my country, compared to a staggering list of European bands I could probably use to choke a horse with. As for why there's such a discrepency, well that's because Europe decided there was nothing wrong with Metal that necessitated complete reinvention ala the horror that is Nu Metal, so they have a ton of bands producing music that wouldn't sound out of place decades ago during Metal's heyday.

Here everyone is so committed to being 'edgy' or 'trendy' that they don't seem to notice they are producing shit. The good bands are the ones who ignore all those stylistic 'advancements' and just keep on making their unfashionable but distinctly non-terrible metal in defiance of critics and listening trends, and their niche audience thanks them immensely for it (and let's face it, fans of decent metal in America are definitely a niche audience).

Insert Brofirst here.









As a side note, good American metal DOES exist but shit is it hard to find. Familiar with Cellador?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X7hr-Ky8tg

Kind of an Iron Maiden or Helloween vibe going on.

 

[Dupeo]

Just this Sunday I went to an awesome concert in Vancouver. Headliner was Korpiklaani from Finland and I fucking loved it.