What I don't understand about Heavy Metal....
Lots of things I have not figured out. This weekend I went to a club that my band regularly plays to check out a heavy metal band. Turns out there were 4 heavy metal bands playing that night, each band taking 45 minute sets on the top of the hour. The place was packed with about 3 times our normal crowd. Each band played their best 6-8 heavy metal songs and cleared the stage. The young guys in the crowd were fist pumping and head banging and the young women were mostly bored. The amps sounded good but the PA system sucked and you could not hear the vocals at all. No stage show from any of the bands. Just hard metal music banging out during their set.
I was hoping to learn something from the band(s) because I heard they could pack a house. Which they did. Unfortunately, I don't know what I can bring to my band as the music was just so much different. Our PA system is much better than they brought. Our modest stage lights were much better than theirs (nothing at all). They had no break music when the bands were changing out. But they managed to pack the venue, which we have never been able to do. I don't know if having 4 bands in one night is the answer, but they managed to pack the venue. If we could do that, our rates would double overnight.
I guess it must come down to how many people follow the band. The headliner band has been around for a long time. They played OK, but I would not call them a great band. But, I'll give them a pass on the vocals which were not heard because they had a sucky PA. I think if I could have heard the vocals, maybe I would have liked the songs better.
My band has evolved to playing Rolling Stones, ACDC, etc... and a bunch of classic rock songs. That's our format. I really don't think we could ever be a Heavy Metal band even if we knew that we could double, or triple, our current crowds. I'm just wondering if you guys have any opinion on music formats, the age of the crowd, how to build a following, etc...
One thing we have learned is that a band needs to find their audience and we seem to be getting better at that. We are clueless on the marketing, it seems. When people come to see us, they usually have a good time. Any thoughts?
I was hoping to learn something from the band(s) because I heard they could pack a house. Which they did. Unfortunately, I don't know what I can bring to my band as the music was just so much different. Our PA system is much better than they brought. Our modest stage lights were much better than theirs (nothing at all). They had no break music when the bands were changing out. But they managed to pack the venue, which we have never been able to do. I don't know if having 4 bands in one night is the answer, but they managed to pack the venue. If we could do that, our rates would double overnight.
I guess it must come down to how many people follow the band. The headliner band has been around for a long time. They played OK, but I would not call them a great band. But, I'll give them a pass on the vocals which were not heard because they had a sucky PA. I think if I could have heard the vocals, maybe I would have liked the songs better.
My band has evolved to playing Rolling Stones, ACDC, etc... and a bunch of classic rock songs. That's our format. I really don't think we could ever be a Heavy Metal band even if we knew that we could double, or triple, our current crowds. I'm just wondering if you guys have any opinion on music formats, the age of the crowd, how to build a following, etc...
One thing we have learned is that a band needs to find their audience and we seem to be getting better at that. We are clueless on the marketing, it seems. When people come to see us, they usually have a good time. Any thoughts?
Comments
With orig bands, it's usually a pay to play gig. IOW, the venue hosts the event but the bands have to buy tickets in advance to sell as a means of that self promotion. That provides the venue with some guarantee of a following ( bodies ). Venues in our region require bands to sell about 250 tickets in advance to get a 45 min spot. The band is promoting and may receive a cut of the sales if they sold all their tickets. Doing the math, you can see that's a potential of 1000 bodies. When we host sound for these type gigs, it may be an all day affair and there may be as many as 20 groups performing. LONGGGGGG DAYYYYYYYYY. The last event we did locally there may have been 5000 people to see 12 bands in a 8 hr afternoon and evening. At $6.00 /ticket, the venue does well. The top band got about $250. It's a big deal for these guys since the venue hosting is also the same stage as some national act performers, and sound and lighting are top notch. There are smaller venues that host similar events but the ones I've seen, the sound guy is nowhere to be found and lighting is boring.. but it's mostly HS or College kids that rarely spend $5-10. Venues know this and charge ticket sales in advance.
Tribute bands are a specialty and have their own following. They may travel greater distances than typical cover bands, and their followings are usually larger than most cover band appearances. Tribute bands typically are a ticket sale or heavy cover for entry. There are a couple 80's tribute bands in our area that kick some butt and pack the houses regularly. They do a great job of making the 40 yr olds feel like they are in HS again..
Another local Genesis tribute band does very well. They have all the old costume gimmicks, lighting, and exceptional musicians. They tour a 3 state area and usually sell out every show.
I know a lot of guys that did covers for years that bailed and went to specialty or tribute gigs since they are treated better, can always have a great following, etc. We played once same night that a Metallica tribute band that was just a few blocks down the road. Our venue was DEAD. Be careful not to book your band on an evening if a popular tribute band is playing nearby.
There was a Country tribute band that did everything from Garth, Brooks and Dunn, Alan Jackson, Shania ( chic looked like her too), that we had ran sound for and it was the biggest crowd for a cover band I had ever seen in the last 10 years. The venue sold out of almost all their bev's and had to call other clubs for more refreshments, beer, chips. Big venue with a capacity of 1500 occupants and it was a$$es to elbows. This band now comes around every 6 mos and is guaranteed a large following. After talking with a couple performers, I found out they were previously in a Disco tribute band I knew of that also sold out any venue.
So, it's not just the genre, since we've done sound for 50 different metal or modern rock cover bands whose following was as limited as any other. What you saw was probably a pay to play gig or maybe one of the groups headlined as a cd release party...
Around here, the best cover bands with the best followings mix it up. They cater to venue specifics and demographics. If a college campus is nearby they play Matchbox 20, Creed, Goo Goo Dolls, Jimmy eat world, Blink 182.. and a lot of chic stuff. Bring the girls and the guys follow. If they play a 30's to 40's type age gig, they have sets for that audience.
I grew up around classical music and constant time signature changes,and deep emotional environments pushed me deep into Rush,Jethrotull and a few other bands that combined the same elements.No matter who you are,trained in music or not,you can feel real aggression in a song whether its Holst \"the planets\" mars or WASP doing \"U\" from the \"KFD\" cd or Opeth \"hessian Peet\"(sp).You go to a metal show for that.
Granted there are 1000 differant types of metal and even to me,1/3 of it is a mystery to me
if any of this makes sense :roll:
afterall,I'll listen to Vivaldi and then crank up some \"Blind Guardian\" 8)
Wow, that pretty much nails the experience I felt the other night. You didn't see any suits in the crowd that night, just alot of young tattoed young guys head banging to mostly loud, distorted (in the bad way), music from the bands. The guitarists had Marshall stacks for their guitars, but the PA system maybe had 100 watts max. You couldn't buy a vocal if you wanted. It was totally buried under the volume of the guitar amps.
Mind you, I do like lots of Metal music, mostly Metallica, Iron Madien, Pantera, and the like. This was some sort of Punk Metal with fast strumming and screaming into the mics. I've never understood the concept of all that screaming and/or gutteral vocals in some of this newer types of metal. I'm know I'm getting old, but when did Metallica become Classic Rock?
I have met people highly educated in law,physics,communications,.....trust me when i say the suits come off
Heres a thought for those who never \"got it\"...........Imagine a day where you go to work and get stuck in traffic only to get a speeding ticket trying to make up time lost.Then because your late,your boss fires you or suspends you for a week.Since you can't work,you go home early only to find your girlfriend/wife in bed with your best friend.2 hours later you call your Parents to borrow bail money for the assault charge you just earned only to find out that your favorite Aunt just died.As they get you out and you leave to go home your arrival at home becomes devastating.......the girlfriend trashed all of your stuff .You call your best friend to \"get away from the madness\" and you meet up somewhere to hear some music only to realize at the venue door that you left your wallet at the car.So you run around the block to your car to get your wallet only your car is GONE!..................................Now put THAT to music ,only DON\"T HOLD BACK!
Metallica stopped being thrash metal when Cliff died and they ran out of Dave Mustaines material
I'm 40 and I'm definately older than i was :P But.....they say \"if its too loud,then your too old\"...........Well,it still isn't too loud but it does interfere with my tinitus
lets also not forget that it has never been proven if anyone has ever been killed by a \"pointy\" guitar :P :twisted: